Man Made Religion

Posted on July 3, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Rosemary Ketchum: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-dog-wearing-fur-decor-2306831/

What Happens When The Leadership Of The Nation
Is No Longer God Appointed?

In Judges chapters 17-21 we see what happens to a nation when ALL of its Godly leaders are removed. Though Eli and Samuel are judges, they are not in the picture until 1 Samuel. Samson was the last God appointed judge in Israel in the Book of Judges. Those who rise next have nothing to do with God.

This should be a cautionary tale for America. In 2024 we will once more prayerfully vote for our elected representatives. I say PRAYERFULLY because your leadership matters. The leadership of the nation matters. The leadership of our businesses matters. The leadership of our communities, our homes, they all matter.

Chapter 17 begins with a man named “Micah” (his name means “one who is like God”) stealing 1100 shekels of silver from his mother. When she curses the thief, he returns the silver. On confessing that he is the thief (which is a violation of the 5th commandment – Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and mother”) the mother confesses that she was saving the silver “for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image” (verse 3). This is a violation of the 2nd commandment – Exodus 20:4 “you shall not make a carved image … to bow down and worship it”. It is obvious that the mother has violated God’s commandments to teach her children to do the right thing. God told Israel:

Deuteronomy 6:4-6 … Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children …

This mother has taught her son Micah to steal and to dishonor authority. Now the mother continues the lesson. Though she said in verse 3,

Judges 17:3 … I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son…

that is, ALL of the silver was to be used for the creation of idols, we read:

Judges 17:4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.

Only 200 shekels was used by the mother to build an idol. Where did the other 900 shekels go? We don’t know. But the mother violated God’s Law numerous times, and is appears that the 900 shekels that were wholly dedicated to God were kept in her possession.

Micah made a silver graven image and a molten image. He didn’t make two images, but had the image poured, then additional details carved into the image. Micah was meticulous in his creation of the image – it was not tossed together, but a piece of artwork! This was NOT the first idol that Micah made. We read:

Judges 17:5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

Micah had first a “house of gods”. My commentary notes:

“Micah and his mother are sharply distinguished from Samson and his mother [and even more from Samuel and his mother] by their materialism and idolatry. Here there is no evidence of the presence or call of the Spirit in their lives.”

He did not have just one false god, but many false gods. Having false gods, Micah didn’t want to be the “priest”, so he established one of his own sons to be a “priest”. This is a totally man-made religion. Micah also makes an “ephod”, a ceremonial breastplate or vest-plate worn by priests as they led people in worship. The High Priest of Israel had …

Exodus 28:4 …. a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre (worn on the head), and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

Micah was very thorough in creating his man made religion. We read that he also had “teraphim” (tᵊrāp̄îm), which is a smaller idol used for household shrines. When Rachel left her father’s house with Jacob, she took with her her father’s “images” or “teraphim” (Genesis 31:19, 34-35). These small images – about the size of a Barbie™ or a G.I. Joe™ doll – were carried in pouches, and used in people’s homes. It’s possible that Micah made these small images so that others could participate in his religion.

To Make Evil Legitimate,
Blend It With Established Religion

Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

This could be a reference to America today. “there was no king in Israel”. No one cared about God or His commandments. Our God is …

1 Timothy 6:15 … the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords…

Our God chose Israel to be His nation, He told them:

Deuteronomy 7:7-10 (ESV) It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 10 and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.

God loved Israel because of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God keeps His promises. But Israel’s blessing depended on her obedience to Him as King. When Israel rejected God as King, God stopped raising up judges to deliver them. The fact that there is “no king in Israel” is emphasized and repeated in:

Judges 18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel …

Judges 19:1 … in those days, when there was no king in Israel …

Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel …

Who was king in Israel as we go through these last chapters of Judges?

Judges 17:6 every man did that which was right in his own eyes

The Enduring Word Commentary notes:

  • It seemed right to the eyes of Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, but God said it was wrong.
  • It seemed right to the eyes of the sons of Jacob to sell Joseph into slavery, but God said it was wrong.
  • It seemed right to the eyes of Nadab and Abihu to offer strange fire before the Lord, but God said it was wrong.
  • It seemed right to the eyes of King David to commit adultery with Bathsheba and cover it with murder, but God said it was wrong.
  • It seemed right to the eyes of Judas to betray Jesus, but God said it was wrong.

The Bible warns us in Isaiah (5:20), “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”. When each person establishes their own religion, with their own standard of right and wrong, mass confusion takes hold. Micah set up his own religion, but he obviously has trouble “filling the house”. So what happens next?

Judges 17:7-12 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. 9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. 10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. 12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

The devil sends a “young man out of Bethlehemjudah” to Micah. When we choose to do evil, the devil will often help us facilitate that evil. This young man is out of “Bethlehemjudah”, which will one day be the “City of David” (1 Samuel 17:12; 2 Samuel 5:7, 9-10). David would be one of the first God chosen Kings of Israel, and from David would come the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord (Luke 2:11). Yes, the Messiah and David came from “Bethlehemjudah”. This young man, however, is NOT a priest. He is a Levite, but is NOT a priest.

The Levites were the tribe of Israel descended from Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Every priest was a Levite – but not every Levite was a priest.

Leviticus 21 established the rule for priests. The priests were to be holy unto the Lord. They were only to marry virgins. Further, priests were NOT to have any physical defect:

Leviticus 21:18-21 (ESV) No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; 19 no man with a crippled foot or hand, 20 or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. 21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God.

This young man is a Levite, but is not qualified to be a priest according to God. We read that this man is traveling and “sojourn(ing) where he could find a place” (vs 8). Though he is disqualified according to God’s decree, he is hunting a paid priest’s position. He comes to Micah’s home, and Micah tells him:

Judges 17:10 … Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals (Hebrew miḥyâ, that which preserves life)

This young man – unqualified to be a priest – is looking for a priesthood. Micah decides that this is the perfect opportunity. To legitimize his religion, he will blend it with Judaism and it’s system of Levitical Priests. Micah ignores the lack of qualification of this man, and installs him as a “hired gun”. He pays the young man a good wage (ten shekels of silver (yearly)), a good clothing allowance (a suit of apparel), and gives him room and board (victuals). The fake priest quickly agreed! This chapter ends with Micah making a profound statement:

Judges 17:13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.

Micah thought that his man made religion would be blessed by his association with a Levite. This is not Judaism, nor is it Christianity. It is superstition. And yet, this is something not just common among fallen Israel, but common among the fallen Church in America today. People think, “If I have my own Preacher or Pastor, if I pay his salary and feed and house him, then that brings me favor in the eyes of God”. Benson’s Commentary notes:

“So blind and grossly partial he was in his judgment, to think that one right circumstance would answer for all his substantial errors, in making and worshiping images against God’s express command, in worshiping God in a forbidden place, by a priest illegally appointed. “He persuades himself,” says Calmet, “that the people, seeing his chapel served by a man of the family of Levi, will come thither with greater confidence, and that this concourse, together with the offerings to be brought, will procure him considerable gain. It is evidently this gain which he here calls the blessing of God. How just a representation is this of those superstitiously covetous persons who would connect religion with the love of riches, and who, as St. Paul expresses it, fancy that piety should serve as a means of enriching themselves.”

God is no more impressed by our man made religion than He was impressed by the Pharisees and Chief Priests who demanded Christ be crucified!

God is never favorably impressed by our disobedience, but by our obedience to His will and His Word. Micah consecrated the Levite, just as he consecrated his son – and yet, that does not mean that he was consecrated. Only God can consecrate! I spoke to a member who was being wooed to another local Church by a false prophet-pastor. This false prophet-pastor said,

“If you come over to MY Church, I’LL MAKE YOU a DEACON”.

That sounds fine, but it is not Biblical but man made. The Scripture tells us that:

1 Corinthians 12:18 (ESV) … as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

It is God Who sets the requirements for offices and gifts in the Church. The Southern Baptist Convention is currently undergoing some disturbance because our Baptist Faith and Message (2000) states:

VI. The Church: … {the Church’s} scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

We have recently disfellowshipped from several local Churches – one of which was Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church – because they ordained female pastors. As Baptists we hold that the qualification of Pastor is based on Scripture:

1 Timothy 3:2-7 (ESV) … an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

There are many who say, “But women are CAPABLE to Pastor”, and that may be true. But it is not in accordance with the teaching of Scripture. Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you SHOULD. It is God Who establishes the standard. It is God Who gave the commandment to “not eat of the forbidden” to ADAM and not EVE (Genesis 2:15-17). Who does God blame for the fall of man into sin? Though EVE was the first one to eat of the forbidden, the Bible says:

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Since sin entered the word “by one man” (Adam), when the Savior came the Savior was a MAN and not a WOMAN:

Romans 5:15, 17 … For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. (17) For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

It is God Who establishes the standard, not us. Many Churches today are setting up their own standards, but this is very dangerous. The Bible warns:

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Man made religion does not please God. We must approach Him the way the He demands. There is no other way to peace with God.

In Judges 17 we see how Micah creates a man made religion. In Judges 18 we see Micah’s religion spread to infect the Tribe of Dan.

Judges 18:1-2 In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. 2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

Those of the Tribe of Dan had an inheritance given them of God, but because of disobedience “all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel”. The land was theirs, but it was still occupied by the Canaanites. In order to take the land Israel had to heed the Lord God and His directions. This is what God told Israel through Moses:

Deuteronomy 4:1-2 (CEV) Israel, listen to these laws and teachings! If you obey them, you will live, and you will go in and take the land that the Lord is giving you. He is the God your ancestors worshiped, 2 and now he is your God. I am telling you everything he has commanded, so don’t add anything or take anything away.

God never promised Israel the land of Canaan outside of their obedience to Him. So when the Bible tells us:

Judges 18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel

this tells us that the Tribe of Dan was NOT following God, but still wanted the blessings of God. Moses told Israel,

Deuteronomy 4:25-27 (CEV) … I am giving you fair warning today, and I call the earth and the sky as witnesses. If you ever make idols, the Lord will be angry, and you won’t have long to live, because the Lord will let you be wiped out. 27 Only a few of you will survive, and the Lord will force you to leave the land and will scatter you among the nations.

God will not bless disobedience. The Tribe of Dan is not obeying God, so rather than REPENTING and doing as God says, they send …

Judges 18:2 … five men from their coasts, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land

They sent 5 brave men from Dan on a Lewis and Clark expedition to find a better place to settle. As they traveled, the Bible tells us that they …

Judges 18:2 they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah…

When you’re disobeying God and following the devil, he will give you opportunities to destroy yourself! They come to the House of Micah, and find a hired priest there.

Judges 18:3-6 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here? 4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest. 5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. 6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go.

My commentary notes: “These Danites on a sinful mission met with a sinful Levite and wanted to know from a righteous God if their mission would be successful. Then the sinful Levite sent the sinning men on their way with God’s blessing.”

Based on this false promise from God, the Danites move outward and go to “Laish”:

Judges 18:7-9 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man. 8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye? 9 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.

In Laish these men found the Sidonians, and believed them to be an easy mark. Believing the Levite false priest, these men return home and gather 600 soldiers to take Laish. On the way back to Laish they will stop at Micah’s home once more. We’ll return to this point next week! May God bless you all to follow HIM, and not the spirit of Dan or of Micah. Amen and Amen.

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Are You A Christian?

Posted on July 2, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

1 Peter 1:1-3 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead …

A Christian is a miracle of God’s creation. Are you a Christian?

As I read these words today – as you read them with me – our focal text is just 85 words long. This text is addressed to the Christian.

It’s not addressed to the religious person, but to the Christian.
It’s not addressed to the good person, but to the Christian.
It’s not addressed to the Churched, but to the Christian.

Are you a Christian?

I didn’t ask if you identify as a Christian. Are you a Christian? My prayer is that, as I preach this text today, God will speak to your heart and you will know that you are a Christian. If you are not a Christian, my prayer is that you will open your heart to God and hear His call today.

A Christian Is CALLED By Jesus

The best place to start is the beginning. Let’s start at the beginning:

1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ…

Who is “Peter”? In the Bible there were many called “Mary”, “James”, “Simon”, and “Judas”. Yet there is only one “Peter” given in Scripture, and I believe God did this on purpose. When Andrew, the son of Jona first met Jesus, after spending the day with the Lord he ran home and told his brother Simon:

John 1:41 … We have found the Messiah, the Christ …

Andrew led his brother Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw Simon, He told him:

John 1:42 {AP*} … you are Simon the son of Jona, but you shall be called CEPHAS, meaning “A stone” …

Jesus gave Simon the FUTURE nickname Cephas (kēphas) or “A Stone”, though He did not explain why that name was given.

CEPHAS is the Aramaic name for “Stone”, but
PETROS {PETER} is the Greek equivalent.

Matthew 16:18 {AP} … I say unto you, you are PETER {petros}, and upon this Rock {petra} I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it …

Though the Jews of Jesus’ ministry commonly spoke Aramaic, MORE PEOPLE spoke Koine Greek. This is why we see the name CEPHAS only 6 times in our Bibles, but PETROS or PETER some 159 times. When the Apostles were CALLED by Jesus, we read:

Matthew 10:2-4 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

The first twelve disciples of Jesus were fishermen, Levites, Canaanites, yet no Sadducees nor Pharisees. They were common people, not highly educated Priests. “Simon, who is called Peter” is always listed first when the Apostles or Leading Disciples are mentioned. In this group of twelve, Jesus chooses three to be His inner circle: Peter, James and John. And what is very interesting is that

one of these twelve that Jesus has purposely chosen is a lover of money and power, not a lover of God

This is the one called “Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him”. Jesus would later say of Judas:

John 6:70-71 … Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Jesus hand picked Judas Iscariot, knowing that he would be the one to betray Him to the Chief Priests and Pharisees. Jesus chose Judas, because it was prophesied that the Messiah would be betrayed by a close friend (Zechariah 11:12-13; Psalm 41:9; 55:12-14). Judas was a betrayer, hidden to the other eleven Apostles, until it came time for his betrayal of Jesus. The Bible says:

Luke 22:3 … Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, being one of the twelve {Apostles}

John 13:2 … supper being ended, THE DEVIL PUT INTO THE HEART OF JUDAS ISCARIOT to betray Jesus …

Jesus CALLED the twelve Apostles, just as He calls every Christian to His side. Though it appeared that Judas was equal in every way to his eleven brothers, Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas was not responding to His call nor to His love. Judas followed after Christ for personal gain. The Apostle John wrote of Judas that:

John 12:6 {AP} {Judas Iscariot} did not care for the poor, but was a thief. He kept the treasury of the Apostles, and had access to the money …

With Peter and Judas we have a similarity: both were called by Jesus. Both were in Jesus’ company. Both outwardly looked like they were saved Christians. However they were not. Though Jesus gave equal power to both Peter and Judas Iscariot:

Mark 3:13-15 {AP} and Jesus went up into a mountain, and CALLED WHOM HE WOULD, and THEY CAME TO HIM. 14 And Jesus ORDAINED TWELVE, that they would be with Him, and that HE WOULD SEND THEM TO PREACH, 15 AND TO HAVE POWER TO HEAL SICKNESSES, and TO CAST OUT DEVILS …

Jesus called all twelve. Jesus ORDAINED all twelve. He called all twelve in love. Eleven responded to His love – but one came for other reasons. One came for money, for notoriety, for fame, for Jesus’ power was well known.

Peter was there because he loved Jesus. Judas Iscariot was there because he loved what he could get from Jesus.

You’d think “If anybody would be saved, it would be an Apostle”. You’d think, “I know that preacher is going to go to Heaven”. Jesus called him, and he came. He went out with the group. He healed the sick, and cast out devils. Surely someone who casts out devils is all right with God! But he wasn’t. Judas Iscariot is like so many who profess to be saved because they are in proximity to Jesus. They know the lingo. They’ve been to the seminary. They’ve had the education, and have the titles of “Doctor” and “Master’s Degree in Theology”. Beloved, a Master’s Degree doesn’t impress God if you don’t love the Master.

Do you love Jesus? Or do you love what Jesus has to offer? Are you Peter, or are you Judas Iscariot?

Jesus CALLS Christians,
But The Spirit CONVERTS Christians

Both Peter and Judas Iscariot were called by Jesus. But here’s a question I want to ask you:

Why did Jesus change SIMON’S name, and not JUDAS ISCARIOT’S?

I believe Jesus was showing us the POSSESSED Christian life in the first Apostle, and the PROFESSED Christian life in the last Apostle.

Though Jesus’ call to both Peter and Judas were genuine, Peter would give his heart to the Lord and be brought into the family of God. Judas, however, withheld his heart from God. His love was not Jesus!

Illustrate: How many of you have the name you are born with? I remember years ago when I first came to this Church, I had trouble finding all your names! When I heard that Brother Witherspoon was in the hospital, I called patient information and asked for the room of “Loyd Witherspoon”. The nice lady told me there was no Loyd Witherspoon in the hospital, and by law couldn’t tell me anything else. He wasn’t registered as “Spoonie” either. After calling around, I found out Brother Witherspoon was registered as “Harvel”, which is the rest of his name. I had the same problem one time trying to find out what hospital room Brother Billy Benefield was in. He was registered as “Warren Benefield”.

Whatever name you have today is more than likely the name you were given at birth by your creators – your parents. Your name is tied to your birth, your creation.

So why did Jesus change Simon the son of Jona to “Peter”. Because Jesus called Simon to be a Christian. Simon turned his life over to Jesus, and in time Simon would be re-born. He would be “born again” of God. Unless you are “born again”, you are not a Christian. That is not my standard, but God’s standard.

Illustrate: A religious and highly placed Pharisee came to Jesus one night by the name of Nicodemus. As he began to speak to Jesus, the Lord told him – and us:

John 3:3 (ESV) … Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see {horaō} the kingdom of God.

Jesus told Nicodemus that his experiences with religion, with Judaism, with Pharisaism, with the Temple Priests could not let him see {horaō} – that is, to perceive with the mind, to experience, or to know – the Kingdom of God. Human birth is not enough to let us see the intricacies of God’s Kingdom, nor to perceive that which is to come. There must be a second birth. Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus:

John 3:5 (ESV) … Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

A person must be “born of water”, a reference to physical human birth (breaking your mother’s water). There is no salvation offered to the angels of God who revolted – only to humanity. But a person must also be “born of the spirit”. Jesus said,

John 3:6-7 (ESV) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

It is Jesus Who CALLS Christians, but the Holy Spirit Who CONVERTS a person into being a Christian.

We see this in today’s text. Peter says:

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

The Christian is “Elect” {Greek eklektos}, that is “Chosen, called of Jesus”. The Apostle wrote in:

1 Corinthians 12:18 … now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, {the Church} as it hath pleased Him.

And our Lord Jesus said “upon this Rock I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus CALLS the Christian. It is the “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” that enables our salvation. But it is the Spirit Who CONVERTS the Christian. It is “through sanctification of the Spirit” (vs 2). The Apostle Paul says the same thing in

2 Thessalonians 2:13 … we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Word Study: The Holy Spirit CONVERTS the believer, the follower of Christ into a child of God, a Christian. You are NOT what you were before you were saved. Though flawed, a profound change occurs in your life. Sinners must be CONVERTED {Hebrew shûwb} unto God (Psalm 51:13). Jesus said that He spoke to the crowds in parables because:

Matthew 13:15 … this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, (Greek epistrephō) and I should heal them.

IT IS NOT JESUS’ JOB to CONVERT the believer. It is the HOLY SPIRIT’S JOB. The Christian is CALLED of Christ, but CONVERTED of the Spirit.

Matthew 18:3 … Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, (Greek strephō) and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Illustrate Conversion: Peter was always brash, always speaking up. He followed Jesus, and gave his heart to Jesus. Why do the Gospels spend so much time talking about Peter? As I read through the Gospels, I came across an interesting section of text of Scripture. Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke chapter 22. Jesus came into the midst of His twelve Apostles one day as they were arguing.

They were arguing about who was the greatest!

Jesus had just revealed to the twelve that there was a betrayer in their midst (Luke 22:21-23). Though He did not name Judas Iscariot, I suspect it was Judas Iscariot who brought up the argument about who was the greatest. Usually the false Christian in the bunch will bring out the worst in the rest of the apples! Anyway, we read:

Luke 22:24-27 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. 25 And {Jesus} said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. 26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. 27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

As Jesus speaks to the twelve, the mind of Judas Iscariot is on money and power. But as our Lord speaks, He reveals something about Peter. Though Jesus named Simon the son of Jona “Peter” or “Cephas”, Jesus goes back to his given birth name. Read with me:

Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Peter has been following Jesus from the day that our Lord called him from his fishing boat. He has been with Jesus with the twelve, has been there casting out demons and healing people, empowered of Christ. Peter was with Jesus, along with James and John, at the Mount of Transfiguration when our Lord talked to Moses and Elijah. Peter was there when Jesus rose Lazarus and Tabitha from the dead. Peter handed out bread and fish to 5000 men one day, as Jesus did His great miracle of multiplication of food, and Peter was there when Jesus similarly fed 4000 Gentiles. Peter is mentioned 159 times in 153 verses of Scripture. And after all this, and just before Jesus goes to Gethsemane, our Lord says to Peter:

when thou art converted

Unless you are CONVERTED and become as little children, you shall not ENTER into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3). As Peter hears these words, they pierce his soul. Peter – the the power of his human ego, speaks up!

Luke 22:33 … Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

Was Peter sincere? Absolutely! But was Peter RIGHT? No. He has not yet been CONVERTED {epistrephō}. He is following Christ in his own power, in his own strength. That wasn’t Peter’s fault. The Bible says that “the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). The blood of Christ had not yet been shed. So Peter is following Christ as best he can. Jesus tells Peter:

Luke 22:34 … I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

What would cause Peter to deny Jesus three times? Fear of man. Caring more for what others think or want than what God wants. Peter had a powerful ego, but what he lacked is what many professing Christians today lack. Peter, you must be converted. God must work in your life, that you be saved. Salvation is entirely a gift of God to the broken. You must surrender yourselves to Him wholly. God will not save part of you, but will have ALL of you. This is what a Christian is.

Illustrate: Compare the Peter who denied Jesus three times to the later Peter who preached so boldly on the Day of Pentecost. The Peter before he was CONVERTED was scared of the words of a milk maid. The Peter after CONVERSION preached boldly, and 3000 souls were saved (Acts 2:41).

Illustrate: Not long after Peter preached on Pentecost, he and John returned to the Temple about the ninth hour to find a man lame from his mother’s womb (Acts 3:1-2). This is symbolic of us all. We are “lame from our mother’s womb”, broken, fallen children of Adam, lost in sin and blindness to God’s goodness. As this pitiful man looked to Peter and John for alms, Peter said:

Acts 3:6 … Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

The man – previously crippled – now goes to worship God with Peter and John. He enters the Temple “walking, and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:8). As a crowd forms around this man on Solomon’s Porch, the place where Jesus often preached, Peter preached his second sermon. Though I don’t have time to explore that sermon in detail, Peter outlined the need for Christ Jesus to die on the Cross. Peter then told the gathering crowd:

Acts 3:19-20 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, (Greek epistrephō) that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

Jesus CALLS Christians,
The Spirit CONVERTS Christians,
But the Christian must CONFESS Christ

Judas Iscariot followed the money. He desired the power, the things of this world. But the Christian is called to CONFESS Christ, to stand out from the crowd, to be unashamed of our Savior and Lord. Again we read:

1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect …

Word Study: Christians are “Elect” {Greek eklektos}, called of Jesus. We are called to be Christlike. God saved the elect (Romans 8:33) by the Blood of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are a born again people. As a born again people, we are also “strangers scattered”. The word “strangers” is the Greek parepidēmos, which means “foreigners, ones who come from a foreign country to another to reside, travelers, aliens”. We are of the Household of God, Christ Jesus being our High Priest. We are blood bought Children of the Highest. We are “STRANGERS and PILGRIMS on this earth” (Hebrews 11:13). We are not supposed to be like the lost world nor the son of Adam. In the very next chapter Peter encourages us:

1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, {parepidēmos} abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

It shocked me when Amy Grant stood up and justified sexual perversion. It disturbs me when Christian artists justify that which the Bible has decreed is wrong. Christians are not supposed to be sexually perverse. Christians are not supposed to support the devil’s agenda. As the Chosen of Christ, you are to be “HOLY in your behavior, LOVED of God, acting toward others with MERCY, KINDNESS, and HUMILITY. You are to be PATIENT with others, for God the Spirit must change them. You are to PUT UP WITH and FORGIVE others. As Jesus Christ forgives you, so you must forgive others. You must LOVE as God loves, and rest in His arms daily. You must DWELL ON CHRIST’S TEACHINGS, and do whatever you do knowing that you REPRESENT JESUS to a lost and dying world. And never forget to be THANKFUL, praising God for what you have.” (Colossians 3:12-17)

Christian, the best is yet to come. Are you a Christian? Have you heeded Christ’s CALL. Has the Holy Spirit CONVERTED you, CHANGING you daily? Have you CONFESSED Christ Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, unashamedly and before the world.

Illustrate: I had a fellow years ago call my office, and asked if I would baptize him. Not too long after that I had another lady call me, and ask if I would baptize her. After discussing the meaning of water baptism, both revealed that they wanted to be baptized in a secret way, not in the public eye. I told them that no, I wouldn’t do that. That would be no more than just a sham. Those who are Christians CONFESS Jesus before the eyes of a critical and unbelieving world. Our Lord Jesus warned:

Matthew 10:32-33 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

If you are a Christian, you are a miracle of God. The best is yet to come for us, dear Christians. The Holy Spirit CONVERTS the Christian, then lives within us to CHANGE us daily, making us more like Christ. But we must CONFESS Him publicly.

Jesus was beaten and bruised for you PUBLICLY.
Jesus hung naked on the Cross of Calvary for you PUBLICLY.
Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb for you PUBLICLY.
Jesus rose from the grave on the third day for you PUBLICLY.
Jesus calls you PUBLICLY. Will you come? Or will you dally?


The choice is yours. My prayer is that you come to His call this very day. For God’s glory, and your eternity. May the Holy Spirit make it so. Amen and Amen.

Posted in 1 Peter, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

After These Things

Posted on June 29, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

John 7:1-2 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jew’s feast of tabernacles was at hand.

Review: The Christian Feeds On Christ

In John chapter 6 Jesus fed over 5000 men with two fish and five small biscuits. Multiplying the biscuits, the emphasis our Lord was making is that He is God’s True Manna from Heaven. After feeding the crowd, the disciples gather twelve baskets filled with bread, showing Jesus to be the true Messiah of Israel. Rather than heed what Jesus was telling them, the people followed Jesus to Capernaum to be fed again. Jesus told them:

John 6:26-27 … Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Jesus came as Messiah not to feed people bellies nor to satisfy their temporal needs, but to give whosoever will the life of God. The Apostle warned of those who are …

Philippians 3:18-19 … the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things…

There are many who presumably follow Christ, but are really pursuing not Him but what they can temporally gain from Him. Such a mindset leads toward hell. In the latter half of John chapter 6 our Lord clarifies His reason for being on this earth. He is not here to be a present King over Israel, come to save God’s chosen from Rome.

Jesus has come to save us from ourselves, from our sins and our flesh pursuing lives.

He does this by being our Passover. This is the background of Chapter 6.

John 6:4 the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

Jesus Christ is our Passover. 1 Corinthians 5:7 says,

“Christ OUR PASSOVER was sacrificed for us”

As the Messiah, Jesus was Israel’s Passover. As Israel consumed the Passover Meal and found release from bondage from it, Jesus told Israel that He Himself would have to be symbolically eaten.

John 6:53-54 Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

When Jesus said this, He shocked His Jewish listeners. The Law of God forbade the eating of blood (Leviticus 17:13-14). The Blood was given to make atonement for sin. The blood of man (Genesis 9:4-6) was not to be shed. Jesus was not speaking literally, but figuratively, and provocatively. Faith in Christ – the faith that saves us from Hell and sin – is more than a cursory thing. We receive Christ and His Words as our very sustenance. He is more to us that food and drink. Without Jesus, we have no spiritual life.

The life of the Pastor, his deepest calling, is to “feed Christ’s sheep”. After His resurrection, Jesus would ask Peter three times, “Peter, do you LOVE Me?” (John 21:15, 16, 17). When Peter said he did love the Lord, Jesus told him:

“Feed My lambs”
“Feed My sheep”
“Feed My sheep”

Those who love Jesus, who are saved by faith in Him, are sustained by feeding on His Words, His truths, His life. We consume Christ. As Jesus taught these things, the Bible says:

John 6:66 .. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Were these people “saved”? No, they were not. They followed Jesus FOR something. Christ’s disciples went from thousands to just a hand full. Judas Iscariot stayed with Jesus to fulfill prophecy (Psalm 69:25; Acts 1:16, 20; Zechariah 11:12-13). The other eleven stayed with Christ because, as Peter said,

John 6:68 … Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.

Six Months Pass To The Feast Of Booths

There were three great Jewish Feasts that every Jew was expected to attend. There was the Passover (John 6, Spring), Pentecost (50 days after Passover), and Booths or Tabernacles (John 7, Fall). God established these Festivals (Leviticus 23:33-44; Numbers 29) to do two things:

1 – To remind Israel that our God keeps His promises, that He is always faithful

2 – To prophetically describe the coming ministry of the Messiah, the Christ

Passover: reminded Israel that, though a great deal of time may pass, that God will ultimately do as He says with His people. In Exodus 12:40 we are told Israel was in Egypt 430 years, though God told Abraham that Israel would be afflicted 400 years (Genesis 15:13-16). God does not forget His people He has engraved you on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:15-16). God did not forget that He promised to save us by “the seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15).

Though a great deal of time passed between the Garden of Eden and the Garden of Gethsemane, God never forgot that He would send His Son to be our Passover.

Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV) But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

God does not operate on our time table, but on His. Passover reminds Israel and us that God is faithful.

Pentecost: commemorated the establishment of Israel as a nation, occurring 50 days after Israel was freed from Egypt. It commemorated the giving of the Law of Israel. Once Christ went to the Cross for our sins, and rose from the grave for our salvation, Pentecost commemorated the establishment of the Kingdom of God on the earth. The Law of God was not given after the Cross, but the Holy Spirit of God was out-poured on the Church, empowering the Kingdom. Jesus had promised the future “Spirit of Truth” to His people, saying:

John 14:17 … the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The Holy Spirit would live inside the Christian. Whereas God explained His Law only through Moses, the Holy Spirit would indwell us so that He could teach us the Word of Christ (John 15:26). The Holy Spirit will GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH (John 16:13). The Christian will “know the Spirit of Truth” (1 John 4:6), as the Holy Spirit will guide us in the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17).

Booths or Tabernacles: reminded Israel that God was with them as they traveled to the Promised Land. Booths also looked forward to the Church Age, wherein God has promised us in Christ:

Hebrews 13:5 … I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

As Moses headed toward the Promised Land, he told the Lord:

Exodus 33:15 (ESV) … If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.

Neither Heaven Nor Canaan Is
The Christian’s Promised Land.

In his book Delights and Disciplines of Bible Study, Pastor Warren W. Wiersbe notes:

“It’s unfortunate that some of our gifted Christian poets and songwriters have used Canaan, the promised land, as a type or picture of Heaven because, while turning people’s eyes toward Heaven is essential, Heaven is not what the promised land stands for in the Christian life. … The book of Hebrews makes it clear that the promised land is a type of the spiritual inheritance believers have by faith today as they walk with God and obey His will”.

The Promised Land is to walk with God daily, trusting Him as we travels through this life. Booths reminded Israel that home is not where our treasure is, but that God is our Treasure. Wiersbe goes on to say:

“The Scottish preacher Alexander Whyte defined the victorious Christian life as “a series of new beginnings.” We all have our weaknesses and failures, but we can always make a new beginning as we feed on the Word of God, pray, and seek to serve the Lord … our Father wants to encourage us to repent and return. ”

John 7:1-2 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jew’s feast of tabernacles was at hand.

The “feast of tabernacles” is supposed to be the most joyful of God’s Festivals, for it commemorated walking with God. During the Feast the priests would draw water from the Pool of Siloam, and pour it out on the altar to commemorate how God gave His people water out of the Rock (Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:1-14) TWICE. The priests also had a candle lighting ceremony that reminded them that God led Israel as a Pillar of Fire and of Cloud (Exodus 13:21-22).

What is ironic is that – though Jesus has repeatedly proven Himself to be “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), the very Christ prophesied of in the Scripture (John 5:47), the Jewish leaders have decided to kill Him. The “Jews”, a reference to the Chief Priests, Sadducees and Pharisees, have decided that Jesus is an enemy of the state. Their faith has been in their power, their politics, their position, and their possessions. They are much like the “name it and claim it” prosperity preachers of today. They thought Jesus came to build up their power. He didn’t. Jesus came promoting the Plan of His Father – and this set the hypocrites on fire!

{JESUS} would not walk in Jewry, because
the Jews sought to kill him

Jesus confined His ministry to Galilee, and avoided Jerusalem because of the Jewish Leaders.

John 7:3-5 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.

Though the Catholics mistakenly believe that Mary the Mother of Jesus was a Perpetual Virgin, the Bible does not support this teaching. Jesus had step brothers and step sisters. Though Jesus Himself is a product of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit:

Luke 1:35 {Mary}, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Though Mary was a virgin married to Joseph the Carpenter when she was given the Christ, the Bible says that “her husband Joseph did not know her intimately until after Jesus was born” (Matthew 1:25, AP*). Jesus’ “mother and His brothers” (Mark 3:31-32; Matthew 12:46-47) at times visited where Jesus was teaching. When Jesus first started preaching in His hometown of Nazareth, the Bible says that His neighbors said:

Mark 6:3 Is not this {Jesus} the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. (also see Matthew 13:55-56)

It is evident from the Scripture that Jesus had both brothers and sisters. Though we know Jesus had four brothers, we have no idea how many sisters He had, as the Scripture does not reveal this. Jesus’ brothers did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah until after His resurrection from the dead. We read later in Acts on the Day of Pentecost that Jesus’ mother Mary and His brethren (Acts 1:14) prayed together in the Upper Room. After Jesus’ resurrection His stepbrother “James” became the leader of the Jerusalem Church – after Jesus appeared to him in bodily form (1 Corinthians 15:7). James would go on to write The Book of James in our Bibles. Jesus’ other stepbrother “Juda” {ioudas, Judas or Jude} would write the Book of Jude in our Scripture.

At this point, Jesus’ brothers do not believe Him to be the Messiah. If He were the Messiah, they wanted Jesus to be a Political Messiah Who would aid them in over throwing Rome. They said:

vs 4 there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and He Himself seeketh to be known openly

Jesus, you’re not getting anywhere as “Messiah” by staying in Galilee. You need to be where the BIG CHURCH is, in Jerusalem. You need to get Your message out to the people. You need to be a people pleaser! This is very similar to what Satan tempted Jesus to do at the beginning of His ministry. The Devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, and set Him on the pinnacle of the Temple. He told Jesus:

Matthew 4:6 (CSB) … “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Jesus did not come to be the people pleaser, but the God pleaser. Had Jesus went with His brothers and put on a show, He would not have done God’s Work. God had a specific time that He wanted Jesus to go to the Cross. God had a specific way that He wanted Jesus to die on that Cross.

John 7:6-8 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. 8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.

Jesus would die – not during the Feast of Booths, but during the Feast of the Passover – and 50 days later the Holy Spirit would come at the Feast of Pentecost.

Jesus said “My time” has not yet come”. The Bible says: “In the FULLNESS OF TIME GOD SENT FORTH HIS SON” (Galatians 4:4). “God so loved the world THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON” (John 3:16). Jesus came on the Father’s time, and clung to the scheduled Plan that the Father made for our salvation. Jesus’ discussion of our salvation before the Eternal Throne of God is recorded in Hebrews:

Hebrews 10:5-7 (ESV) Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book’.

Jesus “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a Cross” (Philippians 2:8). He was not going to Jerusalem with the crowd, and possibly be captured and killed prematurely. Jesus would only die as a Passover Lamb, without spot or blemish (1 Peter 1:19).

The Passover Lamb can ONLY die during the Passover!

And He did. The Father said of Jesus, “This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I Am WELL PLEASED” (Matthew 3:17; 17:5). I am gloriously happy that Jesus WELL PLEASED the Father. For when the Father looks at me, He is WELL PLEASED not because I am perfect, but because JESUS IS PERFECT!

John 7:9-11 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. 10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

Jesus Went To The Feast When The Father Said Go

It was good that Jesus waited, because the Pharisees and Chief Priests watched the earthly family of Christ to plan His abduction. Had He went with His brothers, He would have been killed during Booths, (John 5:16-18; 7:19, 30, 44; 8:37, 40, 59; 10:31, 33, 39;11:8,53) not Passover. This would have fouled the plan of God. But God was in control. God has said:

Isaiah 55:8-11 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

John 7:12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.

It amuses me that Pastors like Rick Warren write books like “Purpose Driven Church”, encouraging the local Churches to dilute the light of God and the Word of Christ in order to reach the masses. When our Lord Jesus Himself walked the earth, He did not modify the Word of God nor the Method of God in order to gather big crowds. In fact, Jesus was both in your face and politically incorrect. As Jesus was misunderstood THEN, He is misunderstood TODAY.

1- Jesus’ Brothers thought Him a failed political Candidate. They thought that Messiah came to overthrow Rome, and as such encouraged Jesus to “broaden His campaign” from Galilee to the Holy City, Jerusalem. They were wrong about Jesus.

2- Some thought “Jesus is a good man”. The word “good” is the Greek agathos, which means of course “good, beneficial, useful”. In one sense Jesus is a “good” person, but if He is only a Man then He cannot be “good” when compared to God. When a young man called Jesus “good”, our Lord replied “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18, NASB). If Jesus were merely a “good Man” as many of you are, then we are yet dead in our sins. “There are NONE GOOD but One, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17). Jesus is MORE than just GOOD. He is GOD. Among humanity there are none that are chrēstótēs, morally excellent (Romans 3:12). When God does “good”, it is absolute “good”, for God knows the final effect of His doing. What I perceive as “good” may not work out “good” in the long run – but God always does so!

3- Others followed the lead of their religious leaders, saying “Nay; but he deceiveth the people.” The word “” is the Greek planaō, which means “to lead astray, to lead from the truth or the path of virtue”. To these people Jesus was not a GOOD Shepherd, but a FALSE Shepherd. He was leading the Sheep of God from the safe pasture of His Word. If Jesus were NOT God in human form, then He certainly was a false Shepherd! My commentary notes:

“{Jesus} was always talking about Himself and telling people that they should believe in Him as the only way to have eternal life. He claimed that the Old Testament was written about Him (John 5:39, 46). He claimed to be the bread of life, who could satisfy the hunger of all who come to Him (John 6:35). He claimed that whoever believes in Him would have rivers of living water flowing from his innermost being (John 7:38). He claimed to be the Light of the world (John 8:12). He claimed that before Abraham was born, He existed (John 8:58). No good man, who was not God in human flesh, could say such things without being considered a deluded megalomaniac.”

Sadly we read,

John 7:13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

The people said NOTHING about Jesus, fearing that the religious leaders would ostracize them from the Temple. Silence allows error to march forward in the disguise of truth. In our day Christian silence has allowed denomination after denomination to be taken over by extrabiblical ideas like LGBTQ+, female Pastors, Bishops, and Deacons, and transhumanism. When God’s people refuse to stand together VISIBLY with Christ, the darkness advances.

Recently the Southern Baptist Convention (2023) met in New Orleans. Brother Lonnie Wilkey, the Editor of the Baptist and Reflector wrote an article entitled “ARE WE FOCUSED ON THE RIGHT THING?”. On the Internet when something is in UPPER CASE, it is like it is SHOUTED. Brother Wilkey was concerned that during the Convention we as Southern Baptists addressed some problems among SBC Churches. Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church (Lake Forest, California) and Fern Creek Baptist Church (Louisville, Kentucky) were “disfellowshiped for having women in senior pastor roles”, while “Freedom Church {Vero Beach, Florida} was deemed to not be in “friendly cooperation” with the SBC because it failed to cooperate to resolve concerns regarding a sexual abuse allegation”. In response to this Brother Wilkey wrote:

“Southern Baptists are once again in the national news. Here are a sampling of headlines from across the nation last week: “Southern Baptists take first step in approving ban on women pastors” — The Tennessean “Southern Baptists move to purge churches with female pastors” — The New York Times “Southern Baptists vote to expel two churches led by female pastors” — NBC News And the list continues to grow. Sadly, this did not need to be national news”…

Since the drift of the local Church was NOT addressed at the Associational and State Convention levels, the SBC had to do so at the National level. Local Churches are free to operate independently as believer-priests before God. But at the Local, State, and National level the SBC is free to choose our associations. The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) is very clear that “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture”. A few local Churches decided to step outside that Scriptural teaching (1 Timothy 3:1-13) and modify the word “Pastor”, and then moved on to ordain women to the Pastoral ministry with laying on of hands. This is patently unscriptural.

Did the world howl about it? Sure it did. The world howled about Jesus, for He was not politically, but Biblically correct. We can do no less. “It is written”. Baptists are supposed to be people of the Book. I praise God that our messengers had the courage to stand up for the Scripture, for the Book, regardless as to what the world thinks. Though we do not intentionally seek to make enemies, we must as Bible believers SHINE, not hide. We are the “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14, ESV). We do not make our own Light, but like the moon reflect the Light of the Son (John 8:12; 9:5). Every local Church that has compromised on Scripture in order to “reach the masses” has continued to drift to where aberrant sexual lifestyles are celebrated (consider Andy Stanley & the North Point Community Church). I praise God for our messengers. It takes courage to stand against the world. Keep standing for God’s Word, regardless as to what the world may say. Amen and Amen!

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Diotrephes or Demetrius?

Posted on June 13, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Ron Lach : https://www.pexels.com/photo/unrecognizable-hands-doing-jigsaw-puzzle-9786061/

3 John 1:11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

As John speaks this morning, he is addressing the “Beloved”. Who are the “Beloved”? In the Old Testament, God called His people Israel the “Beloved”:

Deuteronomy 33:12 (ESV) Of Benjamin he said, “The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders.”

In the New Testament, God calls His Church the “BELOVED”.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The “BELOVED” are those who have heard the Gospel of salvation, and have surrendered to its call.

Though “God so loved the world” (John 3:16), the world itself is NOT the Beloved of God. The Christian and the Church are “BELOVED” because we have received Jesus as both Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ is the Father’s “BELOVED” Son in whom He is well pleased (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; Matthew 17:5). The word “BELOVED” is the Greek adjective agapētos which is a term of deep affection meaning “well favored, highly esteemed”. In the Hebrew, the adjective yāḏîḏ adds the word “lovely” to the mix. It is the word God uses when He looks at His Children by faith in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:16; Galatians 3:26). The “BELOVED” of God do the things that Children of God should do. We previously studied this text:

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Illustrate: When I drive my car, sometimes I forget to put gas in it. When I get so low a little warning bell goes off, and the fuel gauge lights up. This lets me know that – unless I stop and gas up – I’ll be dead in the water (or at least on the side of the road) pretty soon. Just as vehicles all gave gas gauges, those who are God’s Beloved have gauges, indicators that they are what they need to be.

John tells us that if you do not do what God says is RIGHTEOUS, then you are acting like a child of the Devil. Further, if you do not love your brother or sister in Christ, then you are mimicking a child of the devil.

Are you God’s “BELOVED”? Have you been saved – born again of the Holy Spirit – because of your faith in Christ Jesus? Have you called upon His Name, believing? Then God gives you a standard by which you MUST live:

3 John 1:11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

“follow not that which is evil, but that which is good”. Those who are God’s BELOVED, His Children, are NOT to follow EVIL, but to follow that which is GOOD.

The Christian Does Not Follow After Nor “Do” Evil

There are times when God’s Children do the wrong thing. Why? Because we all are as broken things. We can drift if we do not come together to “spur each other on to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24, CJB). When Moses, that grand old Saint of God, was leading Israel to the Promised Land, the children of Israel kept murmuring and complaining instead of doing righteousness. When they reached Kadesh in the Desert of Zin the people quarreled with Moses because there was no water in that place. When Moses went to God in prayer, the Lord told Moses to “Take the staff … and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” (Numbers 20:8, ESV). Moses did as God said, but being provoked of the people:

Numbers 20:11-12 (ESV) Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

The BELOVED of God is not to do as he or she wants, but to do RIGHTEOUSNESS. Our Lord Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary not just to take us to Heaven, but to bring Heaven to us. Jesus died for our sins to free us from sin. The sacrifice of Jesus sets us apart as Children of God:

Hebrews 10:10 (ESV) … we have been sanctified (set apart) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The Christian is God’s “Beloved”, not the devil’s plaything. The Christian is God’s Child, a Child of Light, not of darkness. Because of Jesus we are presented to God “holy and blameless and above reproach before {God}” (Colossians 1:22, ESV). Positionally, we are Children of God. But practically, we are to live as Children of God do. The Apostle said:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) {God the Father} made {Jesus} who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We are to BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST. We are to walk like Christ, to talk like Christ, to be like Christ. We are NOT to be like the world, nor to be imitators of this present evil age. The Bible says:

Galatians 1:3-4 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus did not die for our sins so that we might become more effective sinners. He died for our sins so that we might be DELIVERED FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD. We are to be God’s light in this dark world. We are to live our lives so as to honor and glorify the One Who gave Himself for us. John said:

3 John 1:11 He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

Those Who DO GOOD Are Of God

If you are of God, you are to DO GOOD as the Beloved Children of God. Salvation is by faith in Christ. You are not saved BY your works, but BY THE WORK of Christ. The Scripture says:

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

And again,

Titus 3:5-7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Salvation cannot be earned nor purchased by your efforts. Prior to Christ every deed that we do – even the ones we rightly try to do – are deficient and short of the glory of God. The Prophet said:

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Apart from Christ, anything we do falls short. But once we are saved, we POSITIONALLY become the Children of God. Once POSITIONALLY we are the Children of God, indwelt by the Spirit we are to PRACTICALLY follow Him.

We are called to DO GOOD.

Now DOING GOOD is NOT DOING NOTHING. Those who DO NOTHING are not doing good. They are doing NOTHING. They are no value whatsoever. Jesus preached to us:

Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Some of you who profess Christ saved you are saltless salt. You are salt that has lost its savor. You have blended with the world. May 12, 2022 (last year) the “American Worldview Inventory, a survey of America’s Christian Pastors reported:

“a majority of pastors lack a biblical worldview. In fact, just slightly more than a third (37%) possess a biblical worldview and the majority—62%—hold a hybrid worldview known as Syncretism. … This trend is also being seen more widely in American culture, with almost nine out of 10 U.S. adults (88%) embracing Syncretism as their primary worldview.”

It was years of study before I understood Jesus’ parable of salt that lost its savor. It made no sense, that salt that lost its savor would “be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men”. The closest correlation I had to this was when we put salt out on snow and ice patches in the winter to melt the ice. But that’s not what God is referring to. When ancient Kings destroyed cities, they:

Judges 9:45 … took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

One source notes: “Salting the earth, or sowing with salt, is the ritual of spreading salt on the sites of cities razed by conquerors. It originated as a curse on re-inhabitation in the ancient Near East and became a well-established folkloric motif in the Middle Ages. The best-known example is the salting of Shechem as narrated in the Biblical Book of Judges, 9:45.”

Those who “lost their savor” or refused to be used of God are sometimes used by God when He judges the nation. He casts out those who are unsalty, so that they will be “trodden underfoot”, curses in the land. The point is, dear Christian – DOING NOTHING IS NOT AN OPTION. Some of you, when any suggestion is made in the Church, will find numerous reasons to DO NOTHING.

Those who DO NOTHING BLESS NOTHING. If you PLANT NOTHING, you GET NOTHING.

God wants you to DO GOOD, to DO LIGHT, to SHINE for Jesus. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

You are called of God to do good, not nothing. Are you “Let(TING) your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works”. In our context we read of a professing Christian who is resisting the work of God:

3 John 1:9-10 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

Word Study: The Apostle – under the inspiration of God – “wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes”. The name “Diotrephes” is a Gentile name meaning “nourished by Jupiter”. Jupiter was a Roman idol, a false god who oversaw all aspects of life. Oddly enough, he who was named “Diotrephes” thought he was in charge of God’s Church. He oversaw everything. He was involved in everything. He “loveth to have the preeminence”, to be in first place, to be the center of attention. The word translated “PREEMINENCE” is the Greek philoprōteuō, a compound word philo (to love) and prōteuō (to be first). What is interesting about this word is that prōteuō is a word that is to applied only to Jesus Christ in the Church:

Colossians 1:18 And {Jesus} is the Head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

The Church exists to glorify Jesus. The Church exists to magnify His Gospel and His Kingdom. “in all things he (Jesus) might have the preeminence”. Anyone who puts themselves first in the Church – like Diotrephes did – is trying to take Jesus’ rightful place. When John – the Beloved Disciple and Apostle of Christ – wrote the Church, Diotrephes “receiveth us not”. He not only rejected John, he rejected Jesus and the other Apostles. Diotrephes was the boss of the Church, and nothing was getting done or passed without his explicit permission.

Diotrephes was like one of those orange traffic cones you see on Tennessee highways. They block and slow down traffic, but really do NONE of the work.

3 John 1:10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

Word Study: Rather than help the Gospel advance, Diotrephes was “prating against us with malicious words”. Let’s break that down. “prating” is the Greek phlyareō, which means “to utter nonsense, to bring forth idle accusations or empty charges, to falsely accuse another”. The Bible tells us that:

Proverbs 10:8-10 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall. 9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth {God’s} ways shall be known. 10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

Those who are WISE hear the Word of God and His Apostles, and RECEIVE the COMMANDMENTS of God and are blessed. But the PRATING FOOL will eventually fall. Those who WALK UPRIGHT WALK SURELY, but those who PERVERT GOD’S WAYS will eventually be found out. Those who teach untruths with a WINK OF THE EYE bring about sorrow. The PRATING FOOL will fall.

Diotrephes was a PRATING FOOL. He thought he knew more than God and His messengers. He used malicious wordsagainst the Apostles. This is the Greek ponēros, which means “evil” or “wicked things”, or “that which is diseased or bad”. Jesus used this same word when He said:

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil (ponēros) against you falsely, for my sake.

When Jesus taught us the Lord’s Prayer, He taught us to pray:

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (ponēros) For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Those who will not do the RIGHT as God defines RIGHT, but instead stand against God’s Apostolic Word, are evil (ponēros), the very thing Jesus warned us to pray against. This evil man – supposedly a leader in the Church – is hindering the work of God. Those whom God calls are to support God’s Word. We are not to blend with the world, but to stand firm – not under a rainbow flag, but under the Cross of Christ. We who are His are to be

Ephesians 4:15 … speaking the truth in love, … grow(ing) up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ:

That which is blessed of God will teach the child of God to be like Jesus in ALL THINGS. God is glorified when we grow up to be like Jesus. Diotrephes was not aiding others to be like Christ by keeping the Apostles out of the Church. He was hindering the work of God. He was actively “cast(ing God’s people) out of the church”.

Do Not Be Like Diotrephes. Be Like Demetrius!

After discussing Diotrephes, John says:

3 John 1:11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

Don’t be like Diotrephes. He’s EVIL. He’s NOT a Child of God, but a Child of Satan, a Judas Iscariot among us. No, be like Demetrius.

3 John 1:12 Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.

The New International Version renders this passage a little clearer:

Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.

Don’t follow Diotrephes. Follow Demetrius. Demetrius follows the TRUTH ITSELF. He knows what Jesus has said, and has built his house on the Rock that is Christ. Demetrius is not a hypocrite. He doesn’t behave one way at Church, and another was at work or in the marketplace. He let’s his light shine so that others can see Christ within him.

Dear ones, I tell you there is no salvation outside of REPENTANCE, no restoration to God outside of a surrendered faith in Jesus Christ. Many years ago there was an Evangelist few people know of today called Mordecai Ham. Mordecai was preaching in Charlotte, North Carolina, preaching the need to REPENT and turn to JESUS. One man stood up and angrily said that Mordecai was slandering the “good people” of North Carolina. One of the statements Mordecai made was …

“There are a lot of Christians who are halfway fellows. They stand in the door, holding onto the Church with one hand while they play with the toys of the world with the other. They are in the doorway, and we can’t bring sinners in. And, until we get some of God’s people right, we cannot hoppe to get sinners regenerated. Now they always accuse me of carrying around a sledge hammer with which to pound Church members. Yes sir, I do pound them. Every time I come down, I knock one of the halfway fellows out of the doorway, and every time I knock one out, I get a sinner in.”

One night in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mordecai Ham preached. He started out with, “There’s a great sinner in this place tonight”. There was a young man in the choir that night, raised in the Church, a young man who wanted to grow up and be a professional ball player. Hearing Mordecai preach, this young man came forward, and gave his life to Jesus Christ.

This young man was called Billy Graham.

We cannot win the world for Christ doing nothing. We cannot win the world for Christ standing against God’s direction. We cannot win the world for Christ compromising with the world. We can only win the world for Christ by standing strong in the Word of God, holding firmly to His Truths regardless as to whatever nonsense the devil has the rest of the world stuttering. We must cling to God’s Word, and do good. And, dear one, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, let today be the day you come to Him. For God’s glory, and your blessing. Through His Spirit I pray this. Amen and Amen.

Posted in 3 John, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Will You Go Or Will You Stay?

Posted on June 9, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by MART PRODUCTION: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-statue-of-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus-7219506/

John 6:66-71 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. 70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

God Save Us From “Consumer Christians”

The crowd grew in Capernaum, flooding the synagogue there, as people flocked to see Jesus. They wanted to be fed without working, to be healed without condition, to be saved without condition. They wanted what Jesus had and what Jesus offered, but did not want a life WITH Jesus. They wanted what many

“Christians” in America today want
a “Consumer Christianity”!

Jesus doe not offer a “Consumer Christianity” where we are to be pleased regardless as to the glory of God. Jesus demanded something else. He wanted people to believe in Him for life just as they believed in FOOD for life. He wanted people to bind to Him, to hear Him, to live by His Words, to follow His commandments. Jesus said:

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

When Jesus made it clear that faith in Him meant walking with Him and feeding on Him, the Bible says:

John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Word Study: The word “disciples” is the Greek μαθητής mathētḗs, {pronounced math-ay-tes’}, which means “learner, pupils”. Jesus had a large following as long as He was giving them things, meeting their tewmporal needs. But when Jesus began to demand allegiance and loyalty, they decided they would rather be somewhere else. Jesus demanded that His disciples follow Him for HIS sake. Jesus called to people – and calls today “Come, follow Me”. There is no Christian unless there is a following of Christ. When Jesus called Matthew the Tax Collector to follow Him, the Bible says:

Matthew 9:9 Jesus … saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

Matthew was sitting collecting taxes from the people – a table filled with money in front of him. When Jesus called Matthew saying “Follow me”, Matthew immediately left that table and followed Jesus. To be a Christian is to follow Jesus. The Bible tells us that another time a fellow told Jesus:

Matthew 8:21 … Lord, {allow} me first to go and bury my father.

The man’s father was NOT DEAD YET (according to the commentaries I read), but was elderly and near the end of life. This man had a legitimate reason, he thought, to put off serving Christ. Yet this is not what Christ calls us to. Jesus told this man:

Matthew 8:22 … Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Those Who Are Spiritually Alive Follow Jesus

Those who do not know Christ as Lord and Savior are spiritually dead, just as we all are from the time we leave the womb and are physically born into this life (Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 2:1-3). Those without Christ have the wrath of God hanging over them:

John 3:36 (NASB 95) He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

1 John 5:12 (NASB 95) He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

The lost who do not know Christ are but temporary disciples. They come to Jesus for THINGS and STUFF that pass away, but care nothing of friendship with God or fellowship with the Spirit. As these false disciples leave, Jesus asks:

John 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

As Jesus speaks to the twelve original disciples – those who first followed Him – He asks “Will ye also go away?”. My Commentary notes:

“As John phrases our Lord’s question in Greek, he implies that it was not asked in a mood of despair; the use of the Greek negative me in a question indicates that the answer ‘No’ is expected. ‘You don’t want to go away too, do you?’” (F. F. Bruce)

Jesus knows the hearts of the twelve that are following Him – even Judas Iscariot. Jesus knows that eleven of His disciples – soon to be Apostles – had given their hearts and their allegiance to Him. So as Jesus asked “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”, He expected a sincere “no” answer from eleven men. Peter spoke up:

John 6:68 … Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Saving Faith Is A Know So Faith

In these few words Peter makes a wonderful statement of true faith:

  • Saving Faith recognizes Jesus as LORD. Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh, taking the most Holy Name of God to Himself. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58). Jesus declared Himself the very Son of God. The Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. (John 5:18). It is one thing to SAY you believe, but another thing to BELIEVE. When Jesus said the hard things, the false disciples walked away, never walking with Jesus again. But those who truly believed in Christ unto salvation stayed with Him. J. V. Fesko notes in his essay The Doctrine of Saving Faith:

“I can go to the airport and recognize the fact that there is an airplane in front of me. I can acknowledge the fact that the airplane and its pilot can hurtle down the runway and leap into the air for sustained flight. I can study the principles of aeronautics and comprehend that when air rushes over a curved surface it creates lift, which thus enables the airplane to fly. But I must trust the airplane and its pilot, board the aircraft, take my seat, and ride the airplane in order to demonstrate my faith in it. A bare knowledge of Christ and his claims is insufficient for salvation. We must trust that he is the only way to be saved from our sin and the only one who can give eternal life.”

Will you go away with the crowd, or stay with Jesus? If Jesus is Lord then you will follow Him whether you understand all things or not. “This is the work of God that you believe on Him whom He has sent” (John 6:29). God the Father sent Jesus to lead His people from Hell and Hellish behavior to Heaven and Heavenly behavior. God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Jesus is Lord, as God the Father is Lord.

Receiving Jesus is not just saying a “sinner’s prayer”, but it is a repentance, turning from being lord of your life to giving yourself to Christ’s Lordship.

The Scripture says in Romans 10:9 (ESV), “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” When Peter preached his first sermon, he preached:

Acts 2:36 (NET) Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.

Jesus is BOTH LORD and CHRIST. He is LORD of His people, and “saves His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). But Jesus is also CHRIST, the Messiah come to save us from our sins.

  • Peter not only recognized Jesus as LORD, but recognized Jesus is the PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE. “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” Only Jesus has the words of eternal life, the words that will last and lead to eternity. Peter next makes an assumption that is not true:

John 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Peter speaking for the group notes that they together believe that Jesus alone is the Christ, the Messiah sent of God, the Son of God. What Peter is saying is a revelation that can only come from God. In another place Jesus asks His disciples,

Matthew 16:15 … whom say ye that I am?

Peter replies, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus tells Peter,

Matthew 16:17 … Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

The knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God can only come through the Father. God must reveal this truth to us all. Peter said:

we believe and are sure
that thou art that Christ

Word Study: Saving faith has these two elements. “we believe” is the Greek pisteuō, which means “to put our trust in, to commit our lives to, to believe or rest in”. Then Peter continues with, “and are sure”. This is the Greek ginōskō, which means “to come to know, to have a certain and intimate knowledge of”. There is no such thing as a “hope so” salvation. The Christian has been convinced that Christ is the only reasonable alternative to what the world and Satan offers. But Peter goes a little too far when he says, “and WE are SURE”. And Jesus corrects him:

John 6:70-71 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Lessons Learned From Judas Iscariot

Jesus CHOSE and CALLED OUT these original twelve men to follow Him. Yet one of these men was specifically chosen because his faith was misplaced and false. This man was “Judas Iscariot the son of Simon”. Jesus did not accidentally choose Judas. We were told:

John 6:64 … Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

Jesus chose Judas Iscariot, knowing that he would betray Him to the Cross. Why?

1 Scripture is truth, and cannot be broken. It was prophesied in

Psalm 41:9 (ESV) … My close friend in whom I trusted, who ate My bread, has lifted his heel against Me.

The Messiah would be betrayed to death – used of Satan to crush Him – by a close friend. Judas Iscariot was chosen by Jesus on purpose. Jesus said in:

John 13:17-19 (ESV) If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.

One of the chief proofs that Jesus is the Messiah promised from the Old Testament prophecies is that he was betrayed of Judas. When Peter would later recount Judas’ fall from grace, he would say …

Acts 1:16 (ESV) Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

As Jesus headed toward the Cross, every prophecy of the coming Messiah had to be fulfilled in Jesus’ life. One Commentary notes that:

“Alfred Edersheim found 456 Old Testament verses referring to the Messiah or His times. Conservatively, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in His earthly ministry.”

2 God uses broken and sinful people to accomplish His glorious purposes on the earth. Every account and action in the Bible shows us a point of view from God or from man. Looking at it from a human standpoint, Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus with a kiss is despicable, the act of a coward and a thug and a thief. The fact that Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver is horrible. An innocent man died on the Cross because of Judas and the religious Pharisees who encouraged him. But looking at this from God’s viewpoint, what happened was controlled and contributed to by God. Jesus said

John 10:17-18 (ESV) For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.

Though Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, he could not have done as he did had not the Lord allowed it and decreed it. When Peter and John were threatened with harm if they continued to preach Christ, they prayed:

Acts 4:27-28 (ESV) … for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

It is the will of God that took control of the situation. What “Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel” did – which was to crucify an innocent Man – was an action that God decreed and God ordained. God is over all!

3 In Judas Iscariot we see that there are different types of faith. Spiritual giftedness is no evidence of saving faith. The Bible tells us in:

Matthew 10:1-4 (ESV) {Jesus} called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Every one of the original twelve – which includes Judas Iscariot – were given equal power of God to cast out demons, to heal diseases and afflictions.

Just being a great preacher or a miracle worker does not mean that you are saved. Salvation is based on being known of Christ. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV) Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

As a pastor I meet other pastors, both ex-pastors as well as in service pastors. Several years ago I met a pastor who had previously shepherded a Church that I was now in. The man bragged to me how he got into a fist fight – on Church grounds – with another deacon over some trivial matter. This scripture came to my mind while he was speaking. There are many who PROFESS Christ, even in pulpits, but do not POSSESS a relationship with Him by faith. He must be BOTH your LORD and SAVIOR, or you are DAMNED.

4 Though God uses the broken and sinful to accomplish His will, God is not to blame for YOUR sin. When Judas watched Christ being crucified, he came back to the Pharisees and Priests and tried to give the 30 pieces of silver back. He said:

Matthew 27:4 (ESV) … “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”

5 And finally, in Judas we see that putting your love into temporal things can bring about eternal damnation. Each disciple that followed Jesus had a responsibility to both Jesus as well as to the group. Judas’ responsibility was to look after the purse or the treasury of the twelve. When Mary Magdalene anointed Jesus’ feet with oil, the Bible says:

John 12:4-6 (ESV) … Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Judas Iscariot began to put the things of the world above the things of God. What about YOU? Have YOU put your earthly job, your earthly paycheck above your service to Jesus? Have YOU settled your heart on the temporal rather than the eternal? Pastor John Piper writes:

“Judas loved money more than he loved Jesus. That’s horrific, unbelievable, unspeakably evil. It should make every one of us tremble at the thought of the power that money has in our lives to blind us to what is true and beautiful and precious. So, when Judas got his chance, thirty pieces of silver is all it took to sell the very Son of God.”

Jesus warned us against the mindset of Judas Iscariot. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV) “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Judas’ heart was in money, in that which is temporary, fleeting. In time, Judas followed his heart to a horrible death. Oh that God would lead each of my readers to Christ, to His blessed embrace. May His Holy Spirit open your eyes to Christ, and lead you, like Peter and the other ten, to cling to Him no matter what. Amen and Amen.

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Sin Blinds, Binds, and Grinds

Posted on June 6, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Chait Goli: https://www.pexels.com/photo/colosseum-italy-1797161/

Judges 16:18-21 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. 19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he {Did not know} that the Lord was departed from him. 21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Sin Can Cause A Believer To Be Castaway

People today think that what God says is “sin” is nothing at all. In fact, some demand the right to sin. We have become so enamored of sexual sin in America that the month of June is “Pride Month”. The first “Pride March” was held on June 28, 1970 in New York City. We have decided to be “Proud” of what God has said is against nature (Romans 1:18-27), a natural result of unrestrained idolatry.

Samson was the twelveth Judge of Israel mentioned in the Book of Judges. Two other Judges, Eli and Samuel, are discussed in 1 Samuel. The Judges were to save Israel from their enemies and to lead them toward obedience to God. As Judges go, Samson was the strongest – but he was probably one of the most disobedient to God. Though a Nazarite from birth (Judges 13:5) from Danite parents, Samson toyed with sexual sin and disobedience. Though Samson is held up as a man of faith in the New Testament:

Hebrews 11:32 (ESV) And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—

Samson took his faith in God for granted. He did not stay true to his Nazarite vows. Christians are to stay true to their vows before God. The day you were saved, you were “set apart” to serve God, not yourself. The Apostle Paul warns the Church:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

I wonder is Paul was thinking of Judas Iscariot or Samson when he wrote these words? Samson did not take his Nazarite vows seriously. One of the requirements of the Nazarite was:

Numbers 6:6 (ESV) All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body.

And yet Samson ate honey out of a lion’s carcass (Judges 14:8-9), and killed 1000 Philistines with the freshly killed jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:15). He was supposed to avoid dead bodies! Yet Samson toyed with his vows.

In Gaza, a Philistine stronghold Samson hired a prostitute (Judges 16:1). It was not long after this that Samson went from an unnamed prostitute to a betraying Delilah.

Samson told Delilah – after some time – that the secret to his strength was his long hair. One of the key provisions of the Nazarite was that “All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long” (Numbers 6:5). When Samson told Delilah that part of his vow to God was that his hair not be cut, he fell asleep on her lap. It is possible that Delilah drugged Samson, for the Scripture tells us that Delilah MADE SAMSON SLEEP. He was in such a deep sleep that Delilah was able to call a barber …

Judges 16:19 she called for a man, and she caused him
to shave off the seven locks of his head

Delilah had a barber shave Samson’s head – she didn’t do it herself. Perhaps she felt less guilty doing it this way, or perhaps she was just cold blooded. When his head was bare, Delilah cried out “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson”. As Samson woke up, he didn’t panic. The Bible says that

Judges 16:20 {Samson} {Did not know} that the Lord was departed from him

These are some of the saddest words in the Bible. Samson thought that he could play with sin, wake up, and shake it off like he did so many times before. But the devil crept up on him. You may get away with sin for a time, dear soul, but it will eventually catch up to you.

Illustrate: I heard about two boys who loved to eat duck, but were too poor to own a gun. These boys tried swimming up to the ducks in the local pond to try and catch them, but try as they might the ducks would see them coming and take off. One day they thought … let’s get some pumpkins and toss them into the pond. They did this, and the floating pumpkins bobbed in the water for several days until the ducks got used to them. Then the boys hollowed out two pumpkins, put eye holes in them, and eased themselves into the water. In a short time the boys had caught all the ducks they could possibly eat!

Sin is just like this. Satan is just like this. He sneaks up on us, and bobs around like a floating pumpkin. Then one day … LOOK OUT! Samson thought he would do as before, but this time the Philistines were ready – for God was no longer with Samson!

Sin BLINDS, Sin BINDS, and Sin BLINDS

Judges 16:21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

This verse is a natural three part sermon! Look what sin did with Samson.

Sin BLINDED Samson.
Sin BINDED Samson.
Sin GRINDED Samson.

The Bible says in Numbers 32:23, “be sure YOUR SIN will find you out”. Samson played with sin for 20 years, for he judged Israel for 20 years before the Philistines got him. Many of you think that God will be mocked. There was a time when you were faithful to God, but then you drifted, skipping the fellowship of the Saints, making up lies to justify why you no longer worship the Lord with others. And just like Samson every day you wake up, feeling safe in the arms of Delilah, thinking everything will always be fine.

Sin BLINDS you!

You think you are Heaven bound, but you have none of the characteristics of the Child of God. The Child of God has two royal laws that MUST be followed:

Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV) {Jesus} said … You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.

The first commandment is that you are to love God with your ALL. If Samson had loved God with his ALL, he would not have laid in the arms of Delilah. The second commandment is that you are to LOVE OTHERS the way that YOU WANT TO BE LOVED. It is NOT to be selfish, nor to be a liar. The Nazarite vow was to NOT CUT YOUR HAIR, but to dedicate yourself to God. The Christian vow is to dedicate yourself unto God. What does the Scripture say?

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Sin BINDS you!

Judges 16:21 {the Philistines} brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass

Samson liked beautiful, bejeweled women. It is poetic that he was bound with shiny “fetters of brass”, like jeweled bracelets!

When Samson was blinded, he was also bound and brought right back where he first started chasing prostitutes. It was in Gaza that he met a prostitute, and it was from Gaza that Samson went onward (or downward) to find Delilah and the devil. Our Lord Jesus told us:

John 8:34 (ESV) … Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

There are no exceptions.

The alcoholic became an alcoholic by taking the first drink.
The sexual sinner became bound to their lusts the first time
they experimented with the flesh.
The drug addict took a “sample”, that led to the horrors of addiction.
The murderer shed first blood, and would not repent.

EVERYONE who “practices sin is a slave to sin”. The Apostle said:

Romans 6:16 (ESV) Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

When you abandon your Church and ignore God, you become a servant of sin. There are many antichrists in this world that have no function other than to entice you to evil. Peter warned the Church to be careful of these false prophets, saying …

2 Peter 2:14-19 (ESV) They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. 17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.

Sin would make sport of Samson, just as sin makes sport of you now. There will come a day when – unexpectedly – the Philistine of death will bind you. Will God be with you – or will you meet death without the Lord?

Sin GRINDS you!

Judges 16:21 … and he did grind in the prison house.

Word Study: People think that sin is fun, but it is not fun. It GRINDS, then it KILLS. The word translated “grind” here is the Hebrew ṭāḥan, which means “to crush, to subjugate, to chew up, to make into a concubine”. Samson spent his days when he should have been glorifying God chasing after prostitutes and Philistine women. Now he has become a statistic in human trafficking. He is the devil’s whore. “Do not be deceived – God is not mocked: whatsoever you SOW, you shall also REAP” (Galatians 6:7-8). Samson has become a plaything of the enemy.

But Thank God Our Lord Is Gracious!

Judges 16:22-25 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. 23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. 24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. 25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

I have heard professing Christians say, “What does it matter – who am I hurting but myself?” You are hurting the cause of Christ when you let yourself chase sin and sloth. The Philistines had a party with Samson. After abusing Samson in the prison, grinding his body and soul down daily, they had a national celebration saying “Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand”.

In America We Have A “Pride” Month. The Philistines Had A “Samson” Month. How Did That Turn Out?

Dagon was the true God, and Jehovah but a hoax! Samson was grinding wheat in the prison, wheat that fed the bellies of the unbeliever. Now they brought Samson out so they could celebrate their great victory!

Judges 16:26-27 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. 27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.

As Samson was led out and chained to the pillars of the Coliseum – a place where the Philistines could mock and celebrate – he asked a young boy to put his hands upon the columns. He claimed that he was too weak to stand, so they lengthened the chains so he could grasp what held him. The Bible tells us that:

Judges 16:28-31 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. 31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

Samson never repented of his infidelity to God, but he prayed that God would allow him to punish the Philistines for taking his eyes. Samson was willing to die as long as the enemy died with him – he was like a modern day suicide bomber, or a Japanese Kamikaze pilot from World War II. My commentary notes:

“Samson was a hero, even mentioned among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 (Hebrews 11:32). Yet there is no glorification of Samson and his end … Instead, Samson was a tragic hero, whose life should have ended much differently.”

We can learn one thing from Samson – suicide is a sin, for it is self murder. Yet it is obviously NOT an unforgivable sin, as it was God the Holy Spirit Who gave Samson power to topple the beams of the coliseum. Jesus warned us as His sheep to avoid Satan, for Satan is a thief …

John 10:10 (ESV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Jesus came that we might live out our lives in Him and in power. But sadly, many who profess Christ wander away from Him. They lose their power, their blessing, and sometimes their lives. When Jesus shared with us the Parable of the Vine, He warned us:

John 15:6 (ESV) If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

This was the life of Samson. The twelveth Judge, he did not abide in Christ, but chased sexual sin. In the end he was thrown away like a dead branch, gathered and thrown into the fire. His end could have been so much more!

A Time Of No Judges, No Kings, And Hired Preachers

As we come to the last 5 chapters of Judges (Judges 17-21), we do not see Judges being raised up by God but the utter corruption of the people when all godly leadership is removed. Israel began to blend their faith with the false gods of the people around them. Chapter 17 starts with a man who stole from his godless mother, a man named Micah:

Judges 17:1-3 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son. 3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.

As we come to chapter 17 we are introduced to a man named “Micah”, the Hebrew “Mîykâhûw” which means “Who is like God”. Yet this man is NOT like God. He has stolen 1100 shekels of silver from his own widowed mother. When she found the 1100 shekels were gone (this is equivalent to what each of the five Lords of the Philistines paid Delilah to betray Samson) she “cursed the thief” not knowing it was her son that did the stealing. Micah on hearing this gave the money back to his mother. My commentary notes:

“Nearly all of the Ten Commandments are broken in Jud 17:1—21:25 (Epilogues I and II): other gods and idols are worshiped (17:3-5); Yahweh’s name is taken in vain (17:13); parents are dishonored (17:1-2); innocent victims are slain (18:27; 19:26-29; 21:10); adultery and rape are committed (19:22-25); others’ property is stolen (17:2; 18:21-27); false witness is borne (20:1-7); and what belongs to a neighbor is coveted (18:27-31; 21:8-24).”[Kuruvilla, p. 250. See also Olson, 2:864-65.] Whereas Judges chapters 3—16 record Israel’s struggles with her external enemies, chapters 17—21 document the internal conditions of the nation that made her so weak. In chapters 17—18 we see Israel abandoning God, and in chapters 19—21 we see her destroying herself.

When Micah returns the money to his mother, she reveals that the purpose of the silver was to make a graven image to worship. This may have been an image of a false god (like Baal or Ashtoreth), or it could have been an image that represented the God of the Scripture. The mother said “I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord”, whereas the word “Lord” is the Hebrew Yᵊhōvâ or Jehovah. It sounds as if she was making an image to represent the God of Scripture. Yet the Lord told us in the first of the Ten Commandments:

Exodus 20:4-5 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God …

When Aaron made Israel a golden calf to worship at Mount Sinai (Exodus 32:4-5), it was his sincere desire to represent the God of the Scripture. But the God of the Bible demands that we worship not an image or an idol, but as Jesus said:

John 4:23 … the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

God demands that we follow Him through His Word, by what He has said for us to do. When we begin to worship images, it will not be long before we depart from God entirely. When Micah took the 1100 shekels of silver back from his mother, notice what he did:

Judges 17:4-5 Yet {Micah} restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

ALL of the money was dedicated to God, according to his mother. But when it came time to make the idol, the mother only took “two hundred shekels of silver” to make the idol. Once Micah had an idol to worship, he made more gods to follow. We read “Micah had an house of gods”. Having many gods to worship, Micah needed a priest. So Micah made some priestly clothing. He made an “ephod”, a ceremonial breastplate worn by priests as they led people in worship. The “teraphim” are tiny hand held gods or objects used in worshiping the gods. In Genesis 31 Rachel steals the teraphim belonging to her father Laban when her husband Jacob escapes. Teraphim were about the size of G.I. Joe or Barbie dolls, and were small enough to put in the pocket.

Micah creates idols to worship. He then creates the uniform and accessories of the priest. Finally, Micah creates a priest by making one of his own children to be a priest. This is absolutely in violation of God’s ordinance. The priests of Israel were to come from Aaron and his progeny:

Numbers 3:10 and you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.

Anyone not of the House of Levi was forbidden to be a priest. But Micah – a man from the Tribe of Ephraim (one of Joseph’s progeny) – made his son a priest. But Micah did not care. Why? We end with this:

Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

There was “no king in Israel”. Every person determined right and wrong based on what they thought – not based on God’s Word. Sadly, this is the direction America is rapidly going. May God get hold of His people before we run off the cliff as a nation. Next week we’ll return to this study. Amen and Amen.

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

He That Doeth Good Is Of God

Posted on June 6, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Tobias Bjørkli: https://www.pexels.com/photo/rock-formation-2335126/

What Is Truth?

Please turn with me in your Bibles to 3 John. We’ve been studying through the Books of John the last few weeks, and one of the main themes is “What is the TRUTH”? In our world today, people teach that truth is FLUID. You have YOUR truth, and I have MY truth. As long as YOUR and MY truth do not conflict, we can just be happy in OUR OWN TRUTH.

When Pilate ordered an innocent Jesus crucified, he justified his actions with the words “What is truth?”

But is truth FLUID? The world would have you believe this. A quick search on Google finds this:

“Our body always knows first what our truth is… trust it. And, when you don’t trust it, acknowledge that too. Because it will reinforce to the Universe that you are listening to you, your higher-self, your intuition, source [whatever name resonates with you]. Remember, you have to know a truth from within not be told the truth. Get out of your head and feel into your body for what resonates now, not what should or could, but what does.”

So basically TRUTH is what you FEEL is true. This is what the world teaches today. Recently an obese man who identifies as a woman went into a YMCA (which stands for Young Men’s Christian Association – so it used to be Christian), into a female restroom, and was arrested for three counts of indecent exposure. The new report states:

“A judge ruled that a transgender woman {Darren Glines}could not have indecently exposed her penis in a YMCA female changing room after agreeing with her claim that she’s too fat for it to be visible. … Judge David McNamee said that there was ‘little dispute as to the facts of the case’ as Glines was authorized by the Executive Director of the YMC to use the women’s locker room. … Jacqueline Brockman said that Glines was allowed to use the facilities at all of the Greater Dayton area YMCA locations. {Lawyers representing Glines stated} ‘It’s unfortunate not only for her, but for the entire community, that the filing of these charges ever occurred. ‘We are grateful that the rule of law and the truth prevailed so that… Glines and the community can move on in peace.’”

You may be tired of hearing about stuff like this, but it’s going to get worst if we do not stand up for what is truth. Truth is not fluid, not based on feelings. As John writes in today’s text:

3 John 1-4 The elder unto the well beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. {2} Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. {3} For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. {4} I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Christians Should Have No Problem
Understanding What TRUTH Is

John’s third letter starts being addressed to “the well beloved Gaius”. Who is “Gaius”? First of all, the name itself is a Gentile Name. When God sent His Son into the world to save the world, the Bible tells us that the Gospel came to ALL PEOPLE. This poor, deluded man who thinks he is a woman – Jesus gave His life for him, too.

What is so sad is that – in our world today – we are PROUD of the things we should be ashamed of, but ASHAMED of the things we should be proud of.

The Apostles said,

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The Gospel is the “power of God unto salvation” to those who receive it. This man and others deluded by sexual sin and “feelings” need Jesus. They need the Word of God. Truth is NOT fluid, but is FIXED by God. GAIUS is a GENTILE, a man who was very Roman, very NOT JEWISH, but a man who knew Jesus. We know this because he is called “the well beloved Gaius”. This is ONE OF SEVEN DESIGNATIONS GIVEN TO THE CHRISTIAN in this small book.

1. Christians are BELOVED:

BELOVED Gaius (verse 1)
BELOVED (verses 5 & 11)

2. Christians are BRETHREN:

(Verses 3, 5, &10)

3. Christians are CHILDREN of God:

My CHILDREN walk in truth (verse 4)

4. Christians are STRANGERS to this world:

and to STRANGERS (verse 5)

5. Christians are together the CHURCH:

(verses 6, 9&10)

6. Christians are FELLOW WORKERS to the truth:

(verse 8)

7. Christians are FRIENDS to one another:

(verse 14)

All of these designations are shared by Christians because of what Jesus Christ did for us IN TRUTH. Gaius is a Gentile, and was a very common name among the Romans. But as the Gospel went out in the early days of the Church, we see GAIUS and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, suffered alongside of the Apostle Paul in sharing the Gospel (Acts 19:29). As Paul was persecuted, Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus – all Gentiles (Acts 20:4) stood next to the Jewish Paul and preached the truth found in Christ. Paul commended “GAIUS MINE HOST” (Romans 16:23), and when he addressed the Church at Corinth stated:

1 Corinthians 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius …

When Christ was first presented to Rome, the Emperor decreed it a heresy, and Christians to be enemies of the state. So the early Church was persecuted, not only by the Jewish Pharisees who hated Christ, but by the Romans as well. The Romans, like Americans today, were immersed in sexual sin, both homosexual and heterosexual, as well as bestial and pedophilia. Yet as the Gospel went out it changed where it touched. We read again:

3 John 1 The elder unto the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

John loved Gaius IN THE TRUTH. Not in HIS TRUTH, nor in ROME’S TRUTH, but in THE TRUTH. What is THE TRUTH? THE TRUTH is established by Jesus. Jesus said:

John 14:6 … I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Truth is NOT RELATIVE, NOR is truth FLUID.
Truth is FIXED to God the Son.

Jesus said that He is THE WAY, the Greek ho hodos, the highway you walk on, the journey you take. There are many different pathways that people take, but if you want to go where TRUTH is, you must follow CHRIST. It is not optional to follow Christ. He is THE WAY to truth, THE WAY to God. The Bible says:

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Those who believe truth is fluid FEEL that their way is right. But their way leads to DEATH. Jesus warned:

Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV) Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Jesus is the NARROW GATE that leads to life. He is the Highway to peace with God, and joy everlasting. The WIDE GATE is the way of the world, the MULTIPLE FLUID TRUTHS that Satan pronounces and false prophets decree. There is no joy in that. Jesus is the WAY.

John 14:6 … I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus is not only THE WAY, but He is THE TRUTH. You will not find TRUTH apart from Christ. As John spoke to Gaius, he said:

2 John 1 … Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

There is no true love involved if you are loving someone IN A LIE. If a person comes to God apart from Christ the LEAST of their concerns is their sexual arrogance. Apart from Jesus, your life has NO TRUTH, or WARPED TRUTH. Apart from Jesus, the sinner will descend into the GREATEST of sins. Apart from Jesus, the religious will be consumed of evil. It is Jesus Who is the WAY unto God, but He is also the TRUTH, the FIXED TRUTH we walk in. And finally,

John 14:6 … I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus is “the life” of God. Jesus said told the Pharisees who had the Law:

John 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

You cannot have LIFE apart from Jesus. The devil and the world comes to a person and offers them a type of life, a false sort of life. But this false life from Satan is just his bid to rob you of God’s best. Jesus said:

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

If you are in Christ, walking by His Word and living by His side, you will have a blessed life. Why?

Those who are in Christ are bound together BY ONE SPIRIT:

1 Corinthians 12:13 … whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

You have been MADE TO DRINK INTO ONE SPIRIT. Those who are saved, are Holy Spirit indwelt. Those who are saved are …

Galatians 3:26-28 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. {27} For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. {28} There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus

Because you received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are …

Romans 8:17 … heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Once Gaius gave his life to Jesus, he began to walk with Jesus, and try to be like Jesus. But Gaius also POSITIONALLY BECAME a Child of God because of Jesus. We who are saved are “joint-heirs with Christ”. We are to inherit HEAVEN one day, but PERSECUTION today. Whereas we were strangers and foreigners to God (Ephesians 2:19), we who are saved are bow “fellowcitizens with the Saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).

Because we follow Jesus, in this world we are STRANGERS and PILGRIMS. We do not give in to sexual sin or “Pride Month”, but as Children of God stand with Jesus in the truth.

1 Peter 2:11-12 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 Having your {Way of Life} honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

As Children of God we are to stand with Christ, and to share the Gospel in love to all. But we are to not give in to the lies of Satan. We are to walk in the truth.

There Is No PHYSICAL Prosperity If There
Is No SPIRITUAL Prosperity

3 John 2-4 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. {3} For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. {4} I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

If the SOUL is misaligned, the BODY will be misaligned. If the SOUL prospers, the BODY will prosper. The TRUTH is something not just alleged, but something you live by. C.H. Spurgeon wrote in his devotional Morning and Evening:

The truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in the truth. If the first had not been the case, the second could never have occurred; and if the second could not be said of him the first would have been a mere pretense. Truth must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value. Doctrines held as a matter of creed are like bread in the hand, which ministers no nourishment to the frame; but doctrine accepted by the heart, is as food digested, which, by assimilation, sustains and builds up the body. In us truth must be a living force, an active energy, an indwelling reality, a part of the woof and warp of our being. If it be in us, we cannot henceforth part with it. A man may lose his garments or his limbs, but his inward parts are vital, and cannot be torn away without absolute loss of life. A Christian can die, but he cannot deny the truth. Now it is a rule of nature that the inward affects the outward, as light shines from the center of the lantern through the glass: when, therefore, the truth is kindled within, its brightness soon beams forth in the outward life and conversation. It is said that the food of certain worms colors the cocoons of silk which they spin: and just so the nutriment upon which a man’s inward nature lives gives a tinge to every word and deed proceeding from him. To walk in the truth, imports a life of integrity, holiness, faithfulness, and simplicity—the natural product of those principles of truth which the gospel teaches, and which the Spirit of God enables us to receive. We may judge of the secrets of the soul by their manifestation in the man’s conversation. Be it ours to-day, O gracious Spirit, to be ruled and governed by thy divine authority, so that nothing false or sinful may reign in our hearts, lest it extend its malignant influence to our daily walk among men.

If you are walking in the truth with Christ, then you can rest assured that where ever you are you are in the right place. When Daniel was commanded not to pray, and clearly heard the command of the King, what did he do?

Daniel 6:10 (NIV) Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Daniel was not mounting a BOYCOTT nor a PUBLICITY STUNT, nor even trying to INCITE A RIOT. Daniel matter of factually heard what the King decreed, that God would not be prayed to, then did “just as he had done before”. If a man walks into this Church and tells me “call me a woman”, I refuse to do so. Not because I’m trying to hurt his feelings. But because WHAT HE SAYS IS UNTRUE. If a person comes up to me and says, “call me THEY”, I refuse to do so. Why? Because what this person thinks is factually untrue. What can I expect? What did Daniel expect?

Daniel was thrown in the lion’s den. And Daniel went to sleep on a bunch of hungry lions, because as Daniel said:

Daniel 6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

We are called of God as Christians to stand in the truth of Christ. The world will not like this. Rome didn’t like it when Gaius gave his life to Jesus, and America won’t like it when you refuse to follow the foolish lies of Satan. And yet, dear ones,

this is what we must do.

God wants His Children to “walk in truth”. Not as the world defines truth, but as Jesus defines truth. What did Jesus pray for His Church?

John 17:15-17 (ESV) I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

This Bible is truth. What God has left us in this Holy Text is Truth. We are to cling to it, no matter what. Let us close with this:

3 John 1:11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

If you do evil as God defines evil, you HAVE NOT SEEN GOD. You are not saved. If you are not walking in Christ’s truth, you are not a child of God. One of the greatest Evangelists is Billy Graham. When Billy was 16 years old, Evangelist Mordecai Ham was preaching a revival meeting in Charlotte North Carolina. Mordecai started his sermon with “There’s a great sinner in this place tonight”. The Holy Spirit took that arrow, and drove it into Billy’s heart. Here are some of the words Mordecai said:

“There are a lot of Christians who are halfway fellows. They stand in the door, holding on to the Church with one hand while they play with the toys of the world with the other. They are in the doorway and we can’t bring sinners in. And, until we get some of God’s people right, we cannot hope to get sinners regenerated. Now they always accuse me of carrying around a sledge hammer with which to pound the church members. Yes sir, I do pound them, every time I come down, I knock one of the halfway fellows out of the doorway, and every time I knock one out I get a sinner in”.

That’s another way of saying what John said. “He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God”. Where is your life oriented? Are you following Jesus, or are you following the world and Satan? What is TRUTH to you? What are you doing about it? If you are saved, your life is changed. You are no longer enslaved to sin, but are bound to the Savior (Romans 6:14-18).

May God the Holy Spirit draw each and every one to Christ today. Amen and Amen!

Posted in 3 John, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are You A USER, Or Is Christ Your TREASURE?

Posted on June 2, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Jose Aragones: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-tomb-2179666/

Last week we started studying Jesus’ discourse in Capernaum. Most people consider the Sermon on the Mount one of the greatest sermons Jesus ever preached – and it was. On the Sermon on the Mount Jesus explained the policies of God’s Kingdom. But here in Capernaum, Jesus is defining how we should regard Himself. The people that followed Jesus to wanted to be fed fish and bread again, just as they had been fed in Bethsaida. Jesus wanted to explain to them – and to us – that He did not come just to fill our bellies. Jesus came to sustain our souls.

John 6:40-42 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeS the Son, and believeS on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

Saving Faith Must See Jesus As He Is

Word Study: Jesus declared that the WAY to “everlasting life” is to “see” (Greek theōreō) the Son. This word means to “perceive with the eyes”, to see Jesus as He actually is. You cannot believe on Jesus unless you first know Who He is. We are creatures that must see and perceive to believe. When Satan tricked Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, he called on her to believe him above God. The Bible says that

Genesis 3:6 … the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes …

Before she ever plucked the fruit, she carefully examined it with her eyes. Because is looked good, Eve put her faith in Satan – and Adam followed suit. Adam WATCHED his wife carefully, and then based on what he saw he himself put his faith in the devil. And thus the fall of humanity came about.

Illustrate: The devil knows that the source of faith comes from the eyes, then the heart. If it looks good, we will often give in to Satan’s temptation, and touch the forbidden. There are some beautiful animals that live in Central and South America called poison arrow frogs or poison dart frogs. They are beautifully colored, greens and blues and tri-colored on a black skin. The golden colored frog is the most toxic, which secretes the alkaloid poison batrachotoxin. The American Museum of Natural History notes that

“The golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis), contains enough poison to kill 20,000 mice or 10 people. It is probably the most poisonous animal on Earth …”

To be saved, you must LOOK (theōreō) on Jesus, and perceive Him as Who He is. Then perceiving Him correctly, you embrace Him, believing on Him.

It is only Jesus Who is the Giver of “EVERLASTING LIFE”. Jesus said that – if you believe on Him – “I will raise him up at the last day”. Jesus makes this statement three times in this chapter. Here, and in …

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

There will come a day when you will die. The Scripture says:

Hebrews 9:27 …. it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Everyone will have a “LAST DAY” on this earth. Yet your soul is eternal. King Solomon wrote of our “LAST DAY” and said:

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (Berean Standard) before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

You are made in the image of God, and your soul cannot be destroyed. It will return to the God Who made it. We are made in His image (Genesis 1:27). So our bodies will cease and return to dust. But our souls will go to God. If we have received Jesus Christ as He really is – believing on Him as Messiah and Lord – then “He will RAISE US UP on the LAST DAY”. Jesus is “the bread which came down from heaven”.

Word Study: Yet the Galileans do not “see” (Greek theōreō) Jesus as God’s Bread from Heaven. They “MURMUR” (Vs 41) (Greek gongyzō), to “mutter or grumble beneath the breath”. Their reason for grumbling is found in their words: “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know”. They knew Jesus of Nazareth. Some perhaps grew up with Him. They thought that His Father was Joseph the Blacksmith, and Mary Joseph’s wife. As Jesus grew up in Nazareth He did no miracles as a child, and did not begin to function as the Messiah until He came of age and was baptized by John the Baptist. These people had not perceived or “seen” (Greek theōreō) Jesus as He truly is. There are many in this world that reject Christ, because they assume Him just another founder of another world religion. But Jesus is much more than this.

Jesus is God the Son sent of the Father to this earth to save His people from their sins.

John 6:43-44 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

These people are “grumbling and finding fault” because they are unable to see Jesus as He is. Six times in our context Jesus said that “I came DOWN FROM HEAVEN” (verses 33, 38, 41, 50, 51, 58). The Jews believed that when the Messiah came, He would come in the clouds and rescue Israel. But Jesus quietly grew up in Nazareth. So they did not receive Jesus as the True Messiah, but as a Healer perhaps. They were blind to Who Jesus really is.

Word Study: Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him”. The word “draw” is the Greek helkuo, which means “to take by the hand and pull near or out”. The same word is used in:

John 21:6 (ESV) … they cast {the net}, and now they were not able to HAUL (helkuo) it in, because of the quantity of fish.

John 18:10 (ESV) … Simon Peter, having a sword, DREW (helkuo) it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. …

Acts 16:19 (ESV) … they seized Paul and Silas and dragged (helkuo) them into the marketplace before the rulers.

No one can come to God unless He open our eyes to Jesus. God must helkuo, draw us to His side, and we must choose to receive Him as He is. The natural man – that is, those in the flesh – cannot understand the Messiah. The Apostle wrote:

1 Corinthians 2:14 … the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The “NATURAL MAN” or “SOULISH PERSON” (Greek psychikos) cannot receive the “things of the Spirit of God”. The lost cannot grasp the need for salvation through Christ, nor the reality that He is the One and Only Messiah. We are all born into this life cherishing our flesh, while hating the things of the Spirit of God. The Scripture says the lost are the ENEMIES of God (Romans 5:10). It is God Who must “ENLIGHTEN THE EYES OF THE HEART” (Ephesians 1:18) so that Jesus may be seen as He is.

God opens the eyes, but does not force that Christ be received. To receive Jesus as He is is a choice that YOU must make!

Alford’s Greek Testament notes:

“That this ‘drawing’ is not irresistible grace, is confessed even by Augustine himself, the great upholder of the doctrines of grace. ‘If a man is drawn, says an objector, he comes against his will. (We answer) if he comes unwillingly, he does not believe: if he does not believe, he does not come. For we do not run to Christ on our feet, but by faith; not with the movement of the body, but with the free will of the heart…Think not that thou are drawn against thy will; the mind can be drawn by love.’”

Just as Jesus gave sight to the blind, God opens the eyes of the lost so they might perceive Christ as Lord and Savior. Then that person must come to Him believing what they have perceived. The Christian is a person who treasures Jesus. The lost person uses Jesus. They come in, get what they can from Him, then wander off to live their lives like the other lost. The Christian, however, TREASURES Jesus. Pastor John Piper artfully puts it this way:

“Saving faith has in it the affectional dimension of treasuring Christ. Where Christ is not received as treasure, he is being used. This is not saving faith. It is tragic that many think it is. Saving faith always views Christ as having supreme value. That is how he is received. To embrace Christ as a second- or third-tier treasure is not saving faith. It is an affront.”

“Saving faith receives Christ as a treasure, but not as second to lands, oxen, or spouses. He is valued above them. Or he is rejected. Embracing him as one among many useful treasures is worse than useless. It is worse because it gives the impression that he is willing to be used. He is not. He will be received as our supreme treasure, or not at all.”

Users of Christ are Losers of Christ. He will not be used, but He will be treasured. People know that there is a God Who created all things (see Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:20), and people are therefore without excuse. But the seeking heart must be drawn by the Father, convicted of sin by the Spirit (John 16:8).

John 6:45-48 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life.

Jesus quotes from Isaiah 54:13, “All your children [shall be] taught by the LORD, And great [shall be] their peace”. God must CALL a person to Christ. God must ENABLE a person to receive Christ. But God does no COERCE a person to salvation. The saved must say, “Yes, Lord”. Jesus goes further by saying:

Not that any man hath seen the Father,
save he which is of God

No one can see the Son unless the Father DRAWS them. But it is equally true that NO ONE HAS SEEN THE FATHER unless He IS OF GOD. Jesus “IS OF GOD”. His parents were not Mary and Joseph, but Mary and the Holy Spirit of God. The Angel of God told Joseph:

Matthew 1:20 … Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus Christ is Eternal God become perfect and sinless Man. Jesus Christ “IS OF GOD”. In His deity He has always existed with both Father and Spirit. In His humanity He was made to be spiritually consumed by those whom God will save. Jesus calls Himself “THE bread of life”. When Jesus fed the 5000+ in Bethsaida, He fed them all. At the end of the meal there were twelve baskets of bread fragments left over. God was showing Israel that Jesus was all they needed. Israel wanted to use God for PHYSICAL blessing, but Jesus came to give SPIRITUAL blessing.

John 6:49-51 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

The reason that God fed Israel manna in the wilderness was to prepare them for the coming of Christ. Though Israel ate the mysterious “manna” (the word means “what is it?”), the people still died in due season. Why? Because there is no way to eternal life outside of believing faith in Christ Jesus. Jesus said, “the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world”.

Jesus Christ gave us His flesh to eat through the Cross of Calvary. We eat of Christ when we see Him dying for our sins, and receive Him as our Risen Sin Substitute.

Pastor Warren Wiersbe wrote:

““When God gave the manna, He gave only a gift; but when Jesus came, He gave Himself. There was no cost to God in sending the manna each day, but He gave His Son at great cost. The Jews had to eat the manna every day, but the sinner who trusts Christ once is given eternal life. … It is not difficult to see in the manna a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. The manna was a mysterious thing to the Jews; in fact, the word manna means ‘What is it?’ (see Ex. 16:15). Jesus was a mystery to those who saw Him. The manna came at night from heaven, and Jesus came to this earth when sinners were in moral and spiritual darkness. The manna was small (His humility), round (His eternality), and white (His purity). It was sweet to the taste (Ps. 34:8) and it met the needs of the people adequately.”

John 6:52-56 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Though Jesus was not speaking literally, He was using eating to describe the true nature of saving faith. Saving faith is like eating. When you eat something, that food becomes a part of who you are. If you stop eating, your body will consume itself in order to find sustenance. Thus you must eat daily, and must continue to eat to live. In Saving Faith, you spiritually consume Christ. You drink Him in. You consume Him spiritually, and He becomes a very real part of your life. There are some who believe they can come to Jesus only sporadically and incidentally and be a child of God. This is not true. Do today as many do with their faith: eat one meal today, then skip a month of eating before you have another morsel. How will you fare? Not well. You will lose weight, and probably lose your life. If you HAVE TO HAVE Jesus, then it is true that “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him”.

John 6:57-59 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

Pastor C.H. Spurgeon noted:

“In eating and drinking, a man is not a producer, but a consumer; he is not a doer or a giver forth; he simply takes in. If a queen should eat, if an empress should eat, she would become as completely a receiver as the pauper in the workhouse. Eating is an act of reception in every case. So it is with faith: you have not to do, to be, or to feel, but only to receive.”

In any meal, there is the raw food then the One Who produced it, cooking it to make it edible. The Father sent the Son. The Son willingly came. The Holy Spirit created the Body of Christ. The Sinner crucified the Savior.

In every aspect of salvation, the glory belongs to God, not to us. Salvation is offered freely.

I saw the following illustration:

SEEING a loaf of bread will not fill your belly.
KNOWING THE INGREDIENTS of that bread will not bless.
TAKING PICTURES of the bread does not satisfy your hunger.
TELL OTHERS about the bread will not bring peace.
SELLING the bread will not profit your life.

There is only one thing that will bless. You must personally use the bread as it is to be used. You must EAT that bread, and let it become a part of your life. Nothing else will bless you.

John 6:60-65 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

As Jesus spoke, He emphasized that His Words came from the Holy Spirit, not from human viewpoint or His earthly opinion. The Scripture tells us that “Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him”. Yet Jesus did not back down from the truths He spoke in order to satisfy itching ears. When they murmured Jesus asked, “Doth this offend you?”. Yet He did not temper what He said. Evangelist Leonard Ravenhill said:

“If Jesus had preached the same message that ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified.”

Neither Jesus nor the Apostles wasted much time trying to be people pleasers. They preached the harsh Biblical truth, regardless as to what others thought. Galatians 1:10 notes “If I were still trying to please men I could not be Christ’s servant.” (TLB). And 1 Thessalonians 2:4 says “we speak as messengers from God, trusted by him to tell the truth; we change his message not one bit to suit the taste of those who hear it; for we serve God alone, who examines our hearts’ deepest thoughts” (TLB). The salvation of the soul is so important that we dare not twist the Words of God to please others (2 Timothy 2:15; Colossians 3:23; Ephesians 6:7).

Word Study: When the people at the Synagogue of Capernaum heard Jesus teach, they said “This is an hard saying”. They did not mean it was HARD to understand, but that it was HARD (the Greek skleros) to hear and accept. People despise the truths taught in the Bible. If they could have Heaven, and at the same time the freedom of their unrepentant sin, then they would love it. But this is not Scripture. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 1:30 (ESV) … because of {God} you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption

When you are saved by faith in Christ because of God’s drawing, you gain “righteousness” and “sanctification” and “redemption”. You belong to God, and now you walk with God. Yes, you have Heaven. But you are changed to walk in a right relationship with God. The Bible says:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) For our sake {God} made {Jesus} to be sin who knew no sin, so that in {Jesus} we might become the righteousness of God.

A salvation that does not bring about a changed life is no salvation at all. God does not tell us that the saved can do as they please. God tells us that the saved do as GOD PLEASES.

John 6:66-69 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

If you are saved, you will walk with Jesus. Period. You will treasure Him. You will want to know more of Him. If God to you is just a thing to be used, like your I-Phone, your Social Media, a fork or a spoon, a car or a truck … then you are not saved. The saved treasure Jesus. May God the Holy Spirit ensure you each have a KNOW SO salvation this very day. Amen and Amen!

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Strange Case Of Samson, Part 2

Posted on May 28, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Dominika Roseclay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-wearing-black-tank-top-and-brown-shorts-climbing-rock-1094794/

Last week we saw Samson – a Nazarite from his mother’s womb (Judges 13:5) – infuriated because he lost a bet with a number of Philistines. His Philistine wife was threatened with being burned with fire (Judges 14:15) if she did not betray Samson’s trust and get the answer to the riddle he had given them. Samson’s wife wept before Samson and declared “you don’t love me” until he told her the answer to the riddle. Once she heard it, she told the Philistines – causing Samson to go home to his father (Judges 14:19).

Anything Without God Leads To Misery

Though Samson was supposed to be a Nazarite, dedicated to the service of God, he was a very poor Nazarite at best. Samson was absolutely NOT a good example of how a husband should treat his wife. Our Lord Jesus said of marriage:

Matthew 19:4-6 (ESV) “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Jesus was quoting from Genesis 2:24, and I am certain that Samson had seen that portion of Scripture. Yet he, in anger, left his wife. His first error in judgment was marrying outside of the faith. The Scripture says:

2 Corinthians 6:14 (ESV) Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (ESV) You shall not intermarry with {the unbeliever}, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you …

Samson failed God in the very simplest and most basic of things, following his heart rather than his head. The abandoned his wife, leaving her with his best man (Judges 14:20), and goes away. Samson lives his faith before God pitifully, incompletely, unscripturally – and yet God uses him to accomplish divine purpose.

Judges 15:1-3 But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. 2 And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. 3 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.

Samson returns to his wife “in the time of wheat harvest”, which would be in May or June. As bees make their honey from July to mid September, and it was a betrayed riddle about honey in a lion carcass that caused Samson to leave his wife in Timnath, it is possible that he has been gone for about a year. It is obvious that Samson has a bad temper, and a long cooling off period. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 37:8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

And Solomon wrote in Proverbs 14:29, “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly”. Samson seemingly abandoned his wife, holding a grudge for far too long. But cooling off, he comes back to her “with a kid” (Hebrew gᵊḏî pronounced ghed-ee’), with a young male goat. Young goat was considered a delicacy among the Israelites. When Rebekah prepared Isaac a meal, it was of two young male goats (Genesis 27:9-10). When the Angel of the Lord announced Samson’s upcoming birth, Manoah offered a young male goat to God as a burnt offering (Judges 13:15, 19). Samson had cooled down – finally – and brought a meal fit for a queen to her.

His father-in-law met him at the door. His wife was given to a Philistine, the best man that Samson left her with. The father-in-law offered Samson a younger sister in his wife’s place, but Samson wasn’t having it. Samson did as most people do when they are offended. He retaliated, though he did not believe his retaliation was as great an offense as what they did to him. Samson said,

“Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure”

Proverbs 4:23 tells us “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (NIV). Samson followed his heart, but he didn’t guard his heart. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:39 … resist not evil: (do not repay evil with evil) but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

And Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Evil cannot be destroyed with darkness, no more than darkness can be destroyed with darkness. Only light kills darkness!

Judges 15:4-5 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. 5 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.

Word Study: Samson uses what he can find to punish the Philistines for what he felt was a betrayal by his father-in-law. Samson went out and caught 300 “foxes” (Hebrew šûʿāl pronounced shoo-awl’), which can mean – depending upon the context – fox or jackal. In this context the word is probably better rendered “jackal”. Foxes are solitary and elusive, whereas jackals run in packs, and Samson caught 300 of them. As this is a time of harvest, Samson decides to strike at the heart of Philistia, be destroying their crops. Samson took “firebrands” (lapîḏ, torches), and put the torch “in the midst between two tails”, that is, tied to two jackals tails. This shows not only the power and speed of Samson, but also his cunning.

Samson dispersed 150 pairs of jackals with a torch between each pair, sending them through the fields of the Philistines.

Illustrate: It is like what happened with my little dog Bella. She pulled her leash out of my hand, and as the retractable leash hit the ground, she took off running! The sound behind her kept her running till she got home. These jackals started running from the torch behind them, and ran through the fields of the Philistines. They burned up the shocks of corn, the standing grain, the vineyards, and the olive groves.

The text does not tell us if Samson did this in just one day, or over several days. But when he was done, 150 fiery missiles ran through the Philistine fields, devastating that nation.

Judges 15:6 Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

Samson’s wife betrayed her husband because the Philistines threatened to burn her and her father’s home with fire. She did not escape her fate. When we give in to evil – even a little bit – evil is never satisfied, but grows and brings with it death.

The Wages Of Sin Is Always DEATH

When the Philistines burned Samson’s wife, he immediately attacks again. Samson’s concern is not the glory of God, but vengeance! Yet God is using him as an avenger. God is ultimately in control – and even the devil must bow to the will of God.

Judges 15:7-8 And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. 8 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.

Word Study: Samson obviously loved his Timnite wife, so he avenged her by ruthlessly slaughtering every Philistine he came upon. The phrase “hip and thigh” means to strike so as to relentlessly kill. After killing an unknown number of Philistines, Samson “dwelt in the top (Hebrew sᵊʿîp̄, pronounced saw-eef’, the cleft) of the rock Etam”. This “cleft of the rock” is south of Bethlehem on the main road, close to the foothills of Judah. This is a well protected cleft that was on a well known rock. Samson was not hiding from the Philistines, but wanted them to know where he was. They could not sneak up on him.

Judges 15:9-13 Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. 10 And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us. 11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. 12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. 13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.

God’s Judah Should Have Been Leading Israel,
But Has Compromised With The Philistines

The Philistines went to the Rock Etam in Judah’s territory. They knew where Samson was – everyone knew where Samson was – but they did not want to risk battling him. He had already killed a number of Philistines. So the Philistines come to Judah. Though Judah is supposed to be leading the nation, my commentary notes:

“The men of Judah did not respond to Samson as the judge whom God had raised up to deliver them from the Philistines. Instead of supporting him, they meekly bowed before their oppressors, and took the Philistines’ side against Samson (v. 11-13). Instead of affirming that Yahweh ruled over them, they acknowledged that the Philistines ruled over them (v. 11). “The Israelites are now no different from the peoples surrounding them: Canaanization is complete! And Judah, once the leader of the nation in 1:1-2, has now degenerated into being a lackey of the enemy.”

The men of Judah rebuked Samson for jeopardizing the peace of the land, and sent 3000 men to bind Samson. Though Samson’s faith was often somewhat worldly,

Samson never had an army, nor anyone to support him outside of God the Holy Spirit throughout his entire ministry.

Samson willingly allowed the Israelites to bind him, as long as they promised not to kill him. Samson knew that his ministry was to defeat Philistia, not Israel. When those who came to bind him promised not to kill him, Samson meekly allowed them to “bind him with two new cords”. He was then delivered to the Philistine army. Yet God was in this as well. Delivered to the Philistines bound hand and foot, they dropped their guard. Like the mythical Trojan Horse of Troy they received Samson …

and the Child of the SUN burned their house down!

Judges 15:14-17 And when he came unto Lehi, (names means “Jawbone”) the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. 15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. 16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. 17 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.

When the Philistines saw Samson bound, they shouted with glee. Here was the enemy who burnt their crops and killed their people. They were going to take their revenge. But as they shouted, “the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him”. When the Holy Spirit filled him, Samson became powerful, and broke the new rope as if it were dental floss. We are told that Samson found “a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith”. Skeletal parts of animals were often used to make farm equipment, like plows. Samson found a newly killed donkey, and with its jawbone killed 1000 trained warriors. After killing these warriors, Samson called the name of this place of victory “Ramathlehi”, or “Jawbone Hill”. One preacher came up with a five point sermon on the jawbone Samson used, saying:

It was a NOVEL weapon,
It was a CONVENIENT weapon,
It was a SIMPLE weapon,
It was a RIDICULOUS weapon, and
It was a SUCCESSFUL weapon.

God can take the strange or odd, and use it to create fantastic things. Samson uses this one jawbone to kill 1000 Philistines in full armor. Then and only then do we see Samson pray.

Judges 15:18 And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

Samson’s prayer is much like Samson’s life. His prayer does not glorify God, though he does recognize that God gave him the victory. Samson calls himself the “servant” of God, though he speaks to God as if God were HIS Servant. Samson does not ask God for water, but demands it, and nearly accuses God in the demanding.

Judges 15:19-20 But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water there out; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day. 20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

God made water come out of the Rock, much like He did for Moses and Israel (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11). In the New Testament we are told that the Rock that Israel saw was symbolic of our Lord Jesus:

1 Corinthians 10:4 (NIV) and {Israel} drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual Rock that accompanied them, and that Rock was Christ ..

Our “God is the ROCK, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful GOD Who does no wrong, upright and just is He (Deuteronomy 32:4). Because Israel “abandoned the God Who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior” (Deuteronomy 32:15), they are under the Philistine heel. As Israel has drifted farther and farther left of God, the Lord has given them a carnal savior. Samson is that carnal savior. Commentator Matthew Poole notes that Samson’s great thirst was “partly sent by God, that by the experience of his own impotency he might be forced to ascribe victory to God only, and not to himself”.

Samson Allowed Sexual Sin To Conquer Him

When God saves us, He saves us FROM our sins. When Jesus came, it was prophesied “He will save His people FROM their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus did not come to make us comfortable in our sins, but to conform us to God’s will. “He appeared to TAKE AWAY SINS” (1 John 3:5), “to PURIFY for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).

Samson was a sexual addict, who chased after the wrong women, and never learned from his mistakes. A person can be saved, and allow sin to drift back into their lives. If they do so, they will suffer the consequence of sin. The wages of sin is always death, even for the believer. The Bible warns us that:

1 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV) Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

All sins that you commit hurt others, and damage your soul. But sexual immorality (called “fornication” in the King James) specifically damages the body. You not only gather sexually transmitted diseases that attack your flesh, but sexual sins lead to bodily degradation. Sexual sins are the cause of the madness that we see in America today, where people declare there are many, many genders, and where perversity and confusion reign.

Samson is no exception. Sexual immorality will destroy the strongest person.

Judges 16:1-3 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her. 2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. 3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.

Samson goes to “GAZA”, one of the five chief cities of the Philistines, about 36 miles from his hometown. The Philistines knew who Samson was by now as he had judged Israel for 20 years. Samson would have been on Philistia’s “Most Wanted” list, so when Samson went in to fornicate with the Philistine harlot at Gaza, the Philistines gathered. They formed a large force outside the city gate. In ancient times cities were walled and gated, so that when night fell the gates could be closed, and the inhabitants be protected from roving hoards of bandits. Samson went into the harlot (whore) until midnight. When the enemy slept, he went to the locked gate, and “took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders”, carrying them some 36 miles to Hebron. Why did Samson do this? Again, it had to do with his pride, his ego. He could have broken the gate down and just left, but he wanted to taunt the Philistines.

For Superman, Kryptonite is his downfall. For Samson, Philistine women and his pride is his Kryptonite!

Judges 16:4-5 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

Twice Samson has sexually sinned with Philistine women, and twice he has evaded capture. But as they say, “The third time is the charm”. Samson fall for a woman named “Delilah”. Her name, the Hebrew dᵊlîlâ (pronounced del-ee-law’) means “delicate, devotee”. The name is a Hebrew name. Delilah was a Philistine convert, and very possibly a “temple prostitute”. The “the lords of the Philistines”, the governor of the five major Philistine cities, approached Delilah with a proposal. If Delilah would find out the source of Samson’s power, they would each give her “eleven hundred pieces of silver”. A person could live on just ten shekels of silver annually (Judges 17:10), so these men were offering Delilah a fortune. The Soniclight Commentary notes:

“… taking $25 thousand as the average annual wage, the governors’ total offer to Delilah would approach $15 million. This lets us see how valuable the capture of public enemy number one was for the Philistine governors and what an incentive Delilah had to betray her lover.”

Judges 16:6-9 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. 7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. 8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

The “seven green withs that were never dried” were seven pieces of catgut – often used for bowstrings or strings in tennis rackets. Samson allowed Delilah to bind him, and he easily broke the restraints.

Judges 16:10-12 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. 11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. 12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.

Again, Samson allows Delilah to bind him with new ropes – but he easily tears them apart. So Delilah demands again that Samson tell her what the secret of his strength is.

Judges 16:13-15 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. 14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web. 15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

This time Samson tells Delilah to loom the seven locks of his very long hair , to weave it together like a web. Delilah looms his hair, weaving it like dreadlocks … but this does nothing with his strength. Two things are true: Delilah is persistent, and Samson is persistently arrogant and foolish! He continues in his sexual sin.

Judges 16:16-19 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; 17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. 18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. 19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

Samson is trapped. He played with fire, would not repent, and now he is defeated. We’ll return next week and finish this story, as our time runs short. But one thing you should take away from this lesson today:

Galatians 6:7-9 (NASB) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

May God bless you as you follow Him, and not your heart. For Christ’s glory we pray. Amen and Amen.

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Doctrine Of Christ

Posted on May 28, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by D0N MIL04K: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photography-of-bible-895449/

2 John 1:9-11 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Christians Are To Walk Christ’s Pathway

John’s first words are “Whosoever transgresseth”. If he stopped here we’d all be in trouble.

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.

John is referring to a lifestyle characterized by guiltless sinning, and denial of who Christ is.

John warned us in an earlier scripture:

1 John 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Word Study: You DENY the Son when you live a life unworthy of the Gospel, unworthy of Jesus. Those saved by Christ are to walk in this world as salt (Matthew 5:13) and lights in the world (Matthew 5:14). We who are saved are to “walk worthy of the vocation we are called to” (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10). We are to stay on God’s Path, in step with Christ. The word “transgresseth” is the Greek parabainō, which means “to step off the path, to overstep, to abandon the right path, to go by the side of”. This word is only used four times in the Greek New Testament. The Pharisees asked Jesus,

Matthew 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress (parabainō) the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

The Elders or the Rabbis had established certain traditions as pathways of truth that the Pharisees thought Jesus and His disciples were violating. They were “leaving the right path” for their own way, or so the Pharisees thought. But Jesus replied:

Matthew 15:3 … Why do ye also transgress (parabainō) the commandment of God by your tradition?

Jesus countered them by saying “God has a pathway of truth that you are to be walking on … but you have stepped off that path in favor of a man made path”. Though they thought themselves religious, they were not walking on God’s path.

You are not “religious” if you are not in a daily “relationship” with Christ.

John tells us that if you step off God’s path (parabainō), that is if you are a transgressor or one who does not walk with God, then you DO NOT HAVE GOD. You cannot make sin your practice, and Christ your hobby. Jesus said:

Matthew 4:19 … Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Matthew 8:22 … Follow Me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Matthew 16:24 … Deny yourself, take up your Cross, and Follow Me
Matthew 19:21 … Come and Follow Me …
John 10:27 … My sheep … Follow Me
John 12:26 … If any one serve Me, let them Follow Me …

Christ does not follow us, but leads us. We are to be “God’s Children WALKING IN TRUTH” (verse 4). We as believers “WALK AFTER HIS COMMANDMENTS” (verse 6). If the Devil cannot keep you from being saved, he will do what he can to get you distracted and away from God’s side.

vs 9a Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.

Those Who Have God ABIDE In
The Doctrine Of Christ

vs 9b He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

Word Study: What is the “doctrine of Christ”, and what does it mean to “abide” in this Doctrine? The word translated “abide” is the Greek menō, which means “to remain or dwell in, to continue with, to make yourself at home in”. Jesus uses this word in a wonderful parable of the Vine. He said to His disciples (that’s you, if you’re saved):

John 15:4-7, 9-11 ABIDE (menō) in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it ABIDE (menō) in the vine; no more can ye, except ye ABIDE (menō) in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that ABIDE (menō) in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man ABIDE (menō) not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye ABIDE (menō) in me, and my words ABIDE (menō) in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. … 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: ABIDE (menō) in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall ABIDE (menō) in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and ABIDE (menō) in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might ABIDE (menō) in you, and that your joy might be full.

In this parable, Jesus shows Himself as the Vine rooted and grounded in the glorious Kingdom of God. Jesus is the Vine by which the believer is supplied LIFE and BLESSING. We are to ABIDE (menō), that is, make ourselves at home in Christ. If we ABIDE (menō) in Christ, we ABIDE (menō) in the love of God, and the JOY of God ABIDES (menō) in us. Those who are saved are ATTACHED to Jesus for all eternity. Not just temporarily, but eternally. This same ABIDE (menō) is used in our focal text:

vs 9b He that abideth (menō) in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

Salvation is a binding to Jesus. Those who are saved affirm the “doctrine of Christ”. Now, what is the “doctrine of Christ”. This phrase is found in only one other place in the Greek New Testament, in the Book of Hebrews. Turn with me to:

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

The Writer of Hebrews is describing the Doctrine of Christ to the first century Jew. Since Hebrews 6:1 says “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ”, we know that up to this point – in the first 5 chapters of Hebrews – we are being taught the Doctrine of Christ. So,

What is the “Doctrine Of Christ?”

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son …

For many years God spoke to humanity through the Prophets, telling us what He expected of us. But now God speaks to us “by his Son” Jesus Christ. Jesus was foretold by the prophetic writings. Micah 5:2 foretold that the Messiah, the Christ would come from Bethlehem Ephratah, and that this Ruler would exist before the days of eternity. Jesus is no mere man, no mortal as we are. The Prophet Isaiah spoke of the Christ, saying:

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus Christ is our Wonderful Counselor. He is Mighty God, Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). Jesus said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” (John 14:9). Jesus declared, “I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me” (John 14:10). We only have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 (ESV) … I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 10:9 (ESV) I am the Door. If anyone enters BY ME HE WILL BE SAVED …

There is no salvation, no word of God outside of Jesus Christ. The Scripture declares:

1 John 5:11-12 (ESV) … God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

If you believe that there are multiple paths to God, then you are off the path, walking without God!

Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

The Doctrine of Christ teaches that Jesus is the only Way to God. This Doctrine also teaches that Jesus is the Inheritor of ALL THINGS, for it was THROUGH HIM God made the worlds. The Apostle writes:

Colossians 1:16-17 For by {Jesus} were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Jesus Christ is God’s Son, Creator God Who became part of His creation. He lowered Himself into humanity. Why? Why would God become Man?

Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of {God’s} glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

God became man so that “He Himself could purge our sins”. The word translated “purged” is the Greek katharismos, which means “to cleanse or wash off, to expiate, to purify from”. Whereas in the Old Testament Israel sacrificed animals to ceremonially purge their sins, Jesus Christ died on the Cross of Calvary to actually and realistically purge our sins. Once Jesus rose from the Grave, He “sat down on the right hand” of God because His work of redemption and payment of our sins was finished.

What is fantastic to me is that people today believe that they can “make themselves right with God” by doing “penance”. Jesus BY HIMSELF purges our sins.

The saved person is “purged of all sins”. Jesus did not save us IN our sins, but FROM our sins (2 Peter 1:9). The Doctrine of Christ teaches that

Revelation 1:5 {Jesus} loved us, and washed us FROM OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BLOOD.

That which saves THE LOST is the Blood of Jesus Christ.
That which gives us access to God the Father is the Blood of Jesus
(Hebrews 10:19)
That which cleanses us DAILY from sin is the sprinkling of the Blood
(1 Peter 1:2)
That which cleanses us from ALL SIN is the Blood of Jesus Christ
(1 John 1:7)

What can wash away MY sin?
(working really hard and penance …. NOT!)
Nothing but the BLOOD of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
(satisfy a priest and count prayer beads … NOT!)
Nothing but the BLOOD of Jesus!
Oh, Precious is the Flow,
That makes me white as snow.
(admission to a church I know … NOT!)
No other fount I know.
Nothing but the BLOOD of Jesus!

Jesus Christ, Eternal God in the flesh, is told of the Father:

Hebrews 1:8 … Thy Throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy Kingdom.

Jesus is not one god among many, but is God the Son, co-equal and co-eternal with both God the Father and God the Spirit. He Who created all things, paid for the sins of all creatures. To those who come to Jesus by faith, they enter His Kingdom, a Righteous Kingdom, a Kingdom that hates iniquity. Jesus does not wink at sin, whether sexual sin of various types, or sins non-sexual in nature. Jesus came to purge sin, and build a righteous kingdom with a redeemed and loving people.

To whom is salvation available? To all who believe on Him. The Doctrine of Christ says:

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

No one is “elected” to hell.
Jesus tasted death for EVERY MAN.

God the Son became the Son of Man so that “he by the grace of God should taste death for every man”. Why did Jesus “taste death”. He did so because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The Scripture declares that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Sin brings with it the penalty of death, that is, temporal and eternal separation from God. We all deserve damnation. But Jesus Christ “TASTED DEATH” for us.

How do we know that Jesus is the Christ? “Jesus took upon Himself the seed of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:16). His lineage can be traced all the way back to the promise God made in Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and God made to King David (2 Samuel 7:13). Jesus Christ was born according to prophecy, according to promise, and His lineage through both King David and Abraham (see Matthew 1:1). Jesus “TASTED DEATH FOR EVERY MAN” so that “whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE” (John 3:16).

Jesus Christ Is The High Priest Of A Nation Of Priests

The Doctrine of Christ teaches that Jesus not only died for our sins so we could have access to the Father, but it also teaches that every believer has Him as our High Priest. Jesus continually represents us to the Father. We read:

Hebrews 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

As Jesus is our High Priest, He is High Priest of the House of Christ. We who are saved are of His House.

Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

We who are saved walk with Jesus daily. He is our High Priest, and we are His Priests serving under Him. We are partners with Jesus, commissioned to share the Gospel of salvation with a lost and dying world. We are called to encourage one another to stay on the path of truth with Jesus. The Doctrine of Christ says to stay close to Jesus, warning:

Hebrews 3:12-14 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end …

There are better days coming, dear Christian. Let us cling to Him Who saved us, and loves us so. The Father has made Christ to be the High Priest (Hebrews 5:5-8) of the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ is …

Hebrews 5:9 … the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him;

Those who are saved are called to walk on the pathway of truth with Jesus. Those who are saved are called to “obey Him”. Salvation always brings about a change in the person.

Before Jesus, you are enslaved to sin & darkness.
After Jesus, you are freed to walk in the light.
Before Jesus, you were a Son of Adam.
After Jesus, you are a Son of God by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26).
Before Jesus, you follow the spirit of this world (Ephesians 2:1).
After Jesus, you walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7).
You walk in the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25).

The Church Is Warned About Compromising
The Doctrine Of Christ

2 John 1:10-11 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

In the early Church, believers did not meet in buildings like we do today. Early believers met to worship Jesus house to house. Meetings were smaller and more intimate. This was a good thing, because the Roman Empire as well as the Pharisees began to persecute and kill Christians.

The Bible tells us that “if ANYONE comes and DOES NOT bring the Doctrine of Christ”, then “receive him not into your house”. Do not welcome that person, nor add that person as a member. If you allow this person access then you are a “partaker of his evil deeds”. You are helping the evil one spread lies, and will be judged for it. It is the Doctrine of Christ that makes Christians. It is the Doctrine of Christ that constitutes Churches. Apart from the Doctrine of Christ, we are no more than a self help society or a humanistic club.

We are called to Jesus! If you compromise the Biblical principles in order to please the world, then you are part and parcel of the problem. We are told that those who do so are “partaker(s) of his evil deeds”. God will not bless the life that is lived apart from Christ. Draw near to Jesus today. Only He can bring you peace with God. Amen and Amen.

Posted in 2 John, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment