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We Are Called Son Of God

Posted on March 5, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Alexey Makhinko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/baby-in-white-and-red-floral-pajama-929435/

1 John 3:1-2 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

On May 12, 2022 the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University led by veteran researcher George Barna released the results from a nationwide survey called “The American Worldview Inventory 2022”. In that survey it was found that only 37% of Pastors held a Biblical worldview. I find that disturbing – maybe you don’t.

What Is A “Biblical Worldview”?

A “worldview” is a set of basic beliefs, assumptions, and values that arise from a narrative about the world. The worldview produces individual and group external action. “Truths” are defined based on your worldview.

A “Biblical worldview” is a worldview dependent on God’s Word, the Bible. Not all professing Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God. For instance, Andy Stanley, the son of Charles Stanley and pastor of North Point Ministries has said:

“The Christian faith does not rise and fall on the accuracy of 66 ancient documents. It rises and falls on the identity of a single individual: Jesus of Nazareth.”

At first glance that might sound fine. The reality is, all we know about Jesus of Nazareth is tied to the Scripture. Is Jesus the One and Only Messiah? It is the Bible that declares this. We read in:

1 John 2:22-23 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

It is the Bible that tells us “Jesus is the Christ”. The word “CHRIST” is NOT Jesus’ last name, but the Greek Christos which means “Messiah” or “The One Sent from God”. There is but ONE Messiah, and the Bible declares it is Jesus.

People say, “There are many ways to God”. The Scripture says, “You are a LIAR if you believe this! There is only ONE WAY to the Fatherhood of God.”

Word Study: “Whosoever DENIETH the Son”. That word “DENIETH” is the Greek arneomai, which means “to refuse that which is offered, to disavow”. If you REFUSE Jesus, then God is NOT your Father. This is the clear sense of the text. One of the greatest passages on salvation is:

John 3:16 For GOD so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish, but HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

God is the CREATOR of all, but He is not the FATHER of all. God remains “God” until you receive His Son as Lord and Savior. The Scripture goes on to say:

John 3:17-18 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on {Jesus as Christ} is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Word Study: If you DENY the Son {arneomai}, God is NOT your Father, and you are NOT God’s son. If you acknowledge {Greek homologeō, to say the same thing about the Son that the Scripture says}the Son then you HAVE THE FATHER.

The Father says – through the Scripture – “If you receive My Son as your Savior and Lord, I receive YOU as my Child. When I receive you as My Child, you get all the blessings that come with this high state of being.

HOW do we know Jesus is the One and Only Messiah. Because the BIBLE says so. It is the BIBLE that tells us He is the fulfillment of prophecy. For instance,

Matthew 1:22 {Mary will bring forth Jesus} THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED what was written by the Prophet {Isaiah 7:14}

Matthew 2:15 {Joseph took his family to Egypt} until the death of Herod, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED the Word of the Lord by the Prophet {Hosea 11:1}

Matthew 2:23 {Joseph took his family and} dwelt in a city called Nazareth, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED the Word of God spoken by the PROPHETS, {Messiah} shall be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 4:13 {Jesus departed into Galilee, and} dwelt in Capernaum … THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED the Word of God spoken by the Prophet {Isaiah 9:1-2}

Matthew 8:16-17 … {Jesus} cast out spirits with His Word, and healed all that were sick, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet {Isaiah 53:4}

Matthew 12:16-17 {Jesus} told them to tell no one {that He was Messiah}, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED that which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet {Isaiah 42:1-4}

I could continue along this vein all day – but I won’t. The fact that Jesus is indeed the One and Only Messiah is that His ministry fulfilled every Scriptural prophecy that foretold His coming and manifestation. One of my commentaries notes:

“One scholar, J. Barton Payne, has found as many as 574 verses in the Old Testament that somehow point to or describe or reference the coming Messiah. 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.”

God Gave Us His Spirit To Teach Us The Bible

If you are saved and a child of God, this is only possible because you have believed what the Bible has said. It is the writings of the Bible that are the FOUNDATION of the Church. We are told in:

Ephesians 2:19-20 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone…

The writings of the Apostles and Prophets, that which we call the Holy Bible, is the foundation of the Church that our Lord Jesus died for. We are saved by faith in what we have presented to us from the Bible. We live our lives by what the Scripture has said. We read:

John 2:24-27 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Are you saved? We are told “IF”. We read, “If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father”. I was saved by the preaching of the Word of God, the Bible. I dare not walk away from that Word. IF that Word by which I was called “shall remain in” me, then I “shall continue in the Son, and in the Father”. What is this saying? I believe it’s saying this:

You cannot CHERRY PICK what you want to believe out of this Bible. You believe it as God’s Word, or you believe it as something else.

A lot of people today come in – like the serpent in Eden – and say “has God really said”? The proper response to the serpent is, “it is WRITTEN”. The Apostle speaks of the Son of God, the Christian, saying:

the anointing which ye have received
of him abideth in you

What is this “anointing” John is speaking of? The “anointing” is God the Holy Spirit. The day that you received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to you, just as He promised. Jesus said:

John 16:7, 13-15 (ESV) 7 I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you … 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

When you call on the name of Jesus for salvation, the Holy Spirit comes and causes you to be “born again” (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:3). You become a “Child of God by faith in Christ”,

1 John 3:1 … Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God …

It is the Holy Spirit that causes your “new birth”. But this Same Spirit comes to live within the framework of your life. Jesus told His disciples, “The Spirit lives WITH you, and WILL BE IN YOU” (John 14:17). If you are a Child of God, your very Body “is the TEMPLE of the Holy Spirit Who lives in you” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The Holy Spirit indwells you so that He can teach you the Word of God, the Holy Scripture. The Bible says of itself:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

It is the WORD of God that shows us the WILL of God, and teaches us how to do the WORK of God.

When the Chief Apostle spoke of the Old Testament Scripture, he wrote:

2 Peter 1:20-21 (ESV) knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit wrote the Scripture through holy men dedicated to God. The Spirit gives us understanding of the Scripture, so that we can understand the mind of Christ. The Spirit indwells us, and draws us closer and closer to the image of Christ in our own lives.

The devil hates that.
The world hates that.
The false preacher hates that.

While you are alive, dear one, Satan and the world will do all it can to draw you away from the image of Christ. The Bible warns us:

Romans 12:1-2 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.

The world will demand your conformity, but God the Holy Spirit will demand you be a Child of God.

The Spirit Through The Scripture Makes Us
More Like The Son Of God

People are fond today of appropriating Christianity, and then twisting it into their own image. The devil has done this from the beginning.

The Christian – a Child of God by faith in Jesus, a born again Child of God by the empowerment of the Spirit – is called to ABIDE. We ABIDE in the Scripture.

When someone comes to me with some “alternate theory” as opposed to what the Bible says, the Spirit whispers … ABIDE. We are to ABIDE in His Word. When God spoke of creation, we read these truths:

Genesis 3:1-3 (ESV) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

It was GOD Who CREATED all things. It was the SPIRIT OF GOD Who worked order from chaos. Each day of creation was a 24 hour day, as is clearly presented in the Scripture. “The evening and the morning was a day” (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). Who was it that made all things “very good” (Genesis 1:31)? It was GOD, not man. It was GOD, not the angels. What did MAN contribute to the Creation? The Bible says:

Romans 5:12 (ESV) … as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned …

We messed it up – but God fixed it in Christ. We as humans are always trying to mess it up. But praise God, our God is MERCIFUL. Again we read:

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us

Word Study: God in Love with His fallen creation BESTOWED something on us. The word BESTOWED is the Greek didōmi, which means “to grant, to give as a present, to pass over to stewardship of something to another”. What did God BESTOW on us? Jesus. Jesus went to that Cross to die for our sins. The Scripture says:

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

Jesus did not die on the Cross of Calvary to save us from our sins so that we might continue to sin. Children of God follow after righteousness. We are told:

1 John 2:29 If ye know that He (God) is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

You cannot be a Child of God and DO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. Sin and the Child of God are incompatible. The Christian does not pursue after sin. We pursue the will of God. We pursue the image of Christ. Let me use big word: oxymoron. Do you know what an oxymoron is?

Sin Loving Christian

If you are a Child of God, you are to DO RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now, what is “righteousness”? It is what God has said is righteous in His Word. It is what God has clearly defined as right. If you are saved, we read:

1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

As “now … sons of God” we work along with the Scripture and the Spirit to “put off” the old man, and “put on” the new man. We are told in:

Ephesians 4:22-25 put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

What does this mean? When you are saved, you put away everything that God says is abnormal and put on everything that God says is acceptable. You heed the scripture, the Word of God. You “cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12). You “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make NO PROVISION FOR THE FLESH, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14).

In short, if the Bible condemns it, you walk away from it because you are a Child of God. Salvation is by Grace, through faith in Christ. But once saved, you are to be like Jesus.

You cannot be a Christian, and practice racism.
You cannot be a Christian, and practice sexual sin.
You cannot be a Christian, and deny the Word of God.

So are you a Christian? If you are, the Spirit of God indwells you, and guides you to God’s Word to determine how to live your life so as to please the Father. You live to please the Father. You live to glorify the Son. You live not for yourself, but for Him Who …

2 Corinthians 5:15 … died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

May God the Holy Spirit move through this Word, and draw many to Him this very day. Amen and amen.

Posted in 1 John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Christ, Following Christ, righteousness, salvation, Scripture truth, the saved obey God, unrighteousness | Leave a comment

Whatsoever He Saith Unto You, Do It

Posted on March 3, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Please turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 2.

In the Book of John we will see seven miracles that reveal the goodness and Godness of Jesus. We will see Jesus:

Heal a dying boy (John 4:46-54)
Cause a crippled man to walk (John 5:1-18)
Feeding a the multitude with little (John 6:1-15)
Walk on water (John 6:16-21)
Restore sight to a blind man (John 9:1-41)
Raise a friend from the dead (John 11:1-57)

Today we see Jesus turn water into wine.

John 2:1-11 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 6 And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Back when Jesus walked the earth, the Jews celebrated marriages much differently than we do today. In a Jewish Wedding Feast the Bride and Groom would come together, and usually the whole village would turn out for the event. It was the responsibility of the Groom’s family to provide the food and drink for the celebration. Back then there was no Coca Cola, Mountain Dew, Pepsi Cola, coffee – all things served at our weddings today. It goes without saying there was no southern sweet tea, either. The Jews used wine – a very mild form of wine – at their celebrations. People did not drink wine at weddings to get drunk, but to celebrate. God never gives us anything that we are supposed to abuse or take too much of. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 104:1, 14-15 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honor and majesty. … 14-15 {The Lord} causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; 15 and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.

The Bible forbids drunkenness – and the wine that was used at Jewish weddings had very little alcoholic content. Christians are never to get drunk. The Apostle Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 5:11 (ESV) {Do not} associate with anyone who bears the name of “brother” if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

Christians are priests before God. We are God’s Children. The lost person “walks in EXCESS OF WINE” (1 Peter 4:3), and often engages in “rioting and DRUNKENNESS” (Romans 13:13). The Lord tells the Christian to:

Ephesians 5:18 (ESV) … do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

The Jews used a very mild wine in their celebrations.

If the Groom’s family allowed the food and beverage to run out, it was a stain on the marriage!

On The Third Day

John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee

It’s very important to read EVERY word of the Bible, for it is GOD’S WORD. Look at the words “And the third day”. What does this refer to? Well, here’s another thing about the ancient Jewish Wedding Feast. IT WASN’T JUST ONE DAY. The Groom’s parents were to supply the food and drink for up to 1 week of celebration. The Wedding Feast is now in “the third day”.

The “third day” is a very significant number in the Scripture. When God led Israel to Mount Sinai, He told the people through Moses:

Exodus 19:10-11 (ESV) … “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.”

“on the third day” God would come down from His Holy Mountain, and let Israel see Him. When they saw God in all His holiness “there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled” (Exodus 19:16). The people were not glad to see God, for the God of Sinai is the God of the Law. The “people in the camp trembled” because they realized they were so far from God’s holiness and righteousness.

“on the third day” has another significance in the New Testament. Jesus told us that,

Matthew 12:40 (ESV) For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jesus Christ would go up a mountain called Calvary, and be executed, crucified for our sins. Jesus would be laid in a borrowed Grave, and would stay there for three days and three nights. Jesus said:

Luke 24:7 (ESV) the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.

(see also Luke 9:22; 13:32; 18:33; 24:21; 24:46)

Our Jesus would die for our sins, and rise from the grave “on the third day”. He would descend from the Mountain of God and walk among us – and we no longer tremble, because Jesus makes us right and righteous with God.

Family Matters

Let’s get back to our text.

John 2:1-3 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

We are in the “third day” of this Wedding Feast. The earthly “mother of Jesus was there”. His mother is Mary, and she is related to the Groom’s side of the family. We are told that “Jesus was called” because, related to Mary, He is also related by blood to the Groom’s side of the family.

Family matters to God. When God came to an old man named Abraham in the Old Testament, Abraham and Sarah his wife were without children. God told Abraham:

Genesis 12:1-3 (Author’s paraphrase) “Follow Me. Go where I tell you, put Me first, and I will change you from a childless couple to a GREAT NATION. I will bless those who bless you, and punish those who harm you. And Abraham, through your children I will bring the GREATEST BLESSING on the earth.”

It was God’s intention to one day through the family to bring the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to this earth. This is why the devil in our day attacks the family. It is through family – the family of Abraham – that God sent Jesus to be with us. It is through Jesus that we are invited into the Family of God.

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Family matters to God. God designed the family male and female. The Bible says that when God created Adam,He said:

Genesis 2:18 It is NOT GOOD that man should be alone

God made the family. God commands “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). God commands “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). God commands “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right”(Ephesians 6:1). Anytime we see an attack against the family, whether it be “I have two mommies” or “men aren’t necessary”, you are seeing a Satanic attack on the stability of civilization. Family matters. This is why Mary is at this wedding, and why Jesus came to the wedding feast. When they run out of wine, Mary tells Jesus:

John 2:3 … They have no wine

There were no stores where you can get wine. Wine was made through natural fermentation. Grapes were picked, crushed, and put in leather wine sacks so it could naturally ferment. The Groom’s parents are out of wine – and will be shamed if they do not get some quickly. The Soniclight Commentary notes:

“To fail to provide adequately for the guests would involve social disgrace. In the closely knit communities of Jesus’ day, such an error would never be forgotten and would haunt the newly married couple all their lives.”

So Mary turns to Jesus. Jesus Christ is …

Luke 1:32-33 … the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Jesus is the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). There is nothing that Jesus cannot do. Mary knew that Jesus – her Savior and Lord – could fix the problem. Beloved, Jesus can fix your problems. So often we say, “I’ll not take that to the Lord – it is so petty, so small, that I’ll just try to fix it myself”. Oh no, Beloved. Jesus wants us to take our burdens to Him. THE POWER IS NOT IN ME, BUT IT IS IN JESUS. When Mary asked Jesus to handle the problem, our Lord replied:

John 2:4 … Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

When Jesus says “Woman” to His mother, He is not being disrespectful. Jesus came to this earth to “be about His Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). Jesus said,

John 14:9 … he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father

The Catholics believe that, if you pray to Mother Mary, the Virgin, that she will command Jesus for you. I believe Jesus used the word “Woman” instead of “mother” because Jesus does not follow the whim of anyone – not even His earthly mother. Jesus came representing the Father. When Jesus said:

what have I to do with thee?

This is an idiom that means “Your concern and Mine are not the same”. Jesus was not dishonoring Mary, but they weren’t on the same page. She wanted to help her family avoid embarrassment. Jesus came to earth not to enable a smooth human wedding feast, but to bring those who believe in Him into the Family of God.

Throughout the Gospels there is NO PLACE where Jesus refers to Mary as His mother.

Do What Jesus Says!

Mary says nothing else to Jesus, but turns to the servants or waiters at the Wedding Feast:

John 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

Notice that Mary “saith unto the servants”. The words translated “the servants” is the Greek διάκονος diákonos, {pronounced dee-ak’-on-os}, which means “those who wait on others, deacons, ministers, attendants”. Those who were waiting on the guests of the Wedding Feast had a need. Mary told them, “You have a need you can not fix. Whatsoever Jesus says unto you, DO IT”.

Jesus can do anything He wants to do!
Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, God in the flesh.

Colossians 1:15-17 {Jesus} is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 for by him 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.

Only God can turn nothing into something. Only God can do what Jesus does. Only Jesus can do what God does.

Mary tells the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it”. Just DO what Jesus says. WHATSOEVER. What ever He asks, do it. Only by this can Jesus bring a blessing to those at the Feast.

John 2:6 And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.…”

There are “six water pots of stone” at the Feast, and the purpose of these water pots is for the “purifying of the Jews”. What are these water pots and their significance?

First, there are “six water pots”. Not seven, not five, but six. God created the Heaven and the earth and all that is in it in six days, and rested on the seventh day. When God created everything – humans and animals included – God said it was all “very good” (Genesis 1:31). It was man that brought sin into the world, and death by sin. Not God, but man.

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

These six water pots were made “of stone”. Clay pots absorbed water, and could hold bacteria. So these water pots were “of stone” to make them more sanitary. These pots – each holding about 20 gallons of water – were used by the Jews attending the Feast. The Jewish tradition was that People were to wash their hands before eating (Mark 7:3; Luke 11:37–38). These water pots held the water that was used for washing the hands. Though people did not wash their hands directly in the pots, water was dipped out, and this water was certainly not sterile!

Jesus tells the servants in charge of this (suspect) water:

John 2:7 … Fill the water pots with water.

Jesus did not tell them to rinse out the pots, but merely to top them off. The water in those pots would not have been clean or fresh. Jesus did not ask the servants the scour the pots before filling them.

John 2:7 … Fill the water pots with water.

Beloved, Jesus does not ask us to clean up our lives when we come to Him. He asks us – commands us – to REPENT, to stop following our own way, and to follow Him.

God asks us to do the possible, and He will do the impossible. “Top off the pots”. Obey Christ’s command. He will do the rest!

In an article I read on this event, published by Revival Ministries International, I read …

“Many Christians want God to use them in a mighty way, but they are too full of opinions, questions, reasonings, and arguments! They say that they have faith, but they really don’t because they will not make a move without an explanation. They want to understand everything before they do what God is telling them to do.”

Murmuring or complaining against God stays His hand of blessing, and can bring His punishment down on us. The first generation of Israel murmured and delayed in doing God’s will, and lost the Promised Land. The Jews often murmured at Jesus as He ministered to the sinners. The Bible says:

Philippians 2:14-15 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world …

If you would be blessed by Jesus, do what Jesus says without argumentation. The Bible commands us …

Colossians 3:17 … whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Do not do what Jesus asks you to do halfheartedly. Do it with relish. Do it fully, completely. The servants heard Jesus say “Fill the water pots with water”. That’s what they did. We are told …

John 2:7 … And they filled them up to the brim.

Do not do things halfway when doing what Jesus says. Do it all the way. Excel in obedience to your God. We have studied these words before, but it bears repeating. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock…

When you both HEAR and DO what Jesus says, THEN you are blessed. Trials will come your way – trials come to all of us – but if you are in the habit of HEARING and DOING what Jesus said, your house will stand. Jesus said:

Matthew 7: 26-27 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

There Is NO Blessing Without Obedience

John 2:8-10 And {Jesus} saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

That which you receive from Jesus is the very best. Christ established a pattern throughout His earthly ministry of command – obedience – blessing. Though Jesus could have created wine – and the water pots – out of thin air, He came to this earth to be the Bridge between God and man. Jesus came to establish a relationship between fallen man and infallible God. Jesus came to give us a purpose filled life through faith in Him. Let us trust and obey Him. Let us take our problems – all our problems – to Jesus.

For He is able – and we are not. May God touch your hearts with His Spirit and His Word. Amen and Amen!

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Following Christ, miracle, obey, obey God, wine | Leave a comment

Othniel And The Spirit of God

Posted on February 27, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Mikhail Nilov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/masquerade-masks-on-gray-surface-9393609/

Judges 3:1-4 Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; 3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. 4 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

One of the prayers that Christians have prayed for years is:

Psalm 2:1-3 (ESV) Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”

Every preacher of the Gospel has wrestled with this. The Prophet prayed:

Jeremiah 12:1-2 (ESV) “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts”

How is it possible that a pervert named Hugh Hefner entice and deceive young women, and build a Playboy Empire worth $412 million? How can God allow Pablo Escobar – the King of Cocaine – to amass over 33 billion dollars of wealth? How many people did his drugs enslave, how many lives ruined? How is it that actors like Alec Baldwin can kill an innocent person, and get only a slap on the wrist? That ancient preacher Job asked:

Job 21:7 “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?”

God answers His people. The wicked have not escaped judgment, but a judgment day is coming. We who are mortal want this to come today. Our God tells us:

Psalm 37:1-7 (ESV) “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes”

There Are Two Reasons The Wicked Are Blessed

The Bible tells us that God allows the wicked to prosper for two reasons. The Apostle said:

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

God allows the wicked to live and even be blessed in their wickedness because HELL is FOREVER.

Those who leave this life without faith in Christ will find themselves in a place of “everlasting burnings” (Isaiah 33:14). God did not prepare hell for humans. It was made for the fallen angel. Jesus says to the unbeliever, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:14). Hell is a place of unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). The believer in Christ will:

Daniel 12:2 (ESV) … awake … to everlasting life, (but the lost) to shame and everlasting contempt.

Hell is not a place of destruction – but of eternal punishment. If it were a place where you just burn up, our Lord Jesus would have never said:

Mark 9:45-48 (ESV) … if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

When Jesus pictured hell (like in Luke 16:23-24), it is a place of torment, not destruction. It is a place of suffering and sadness. God wants no one to go to hell – He sent His Son to provide a way out of eternal damnation. So God allows the wicked to prosper – for a time – which is nothing compared to the length of eternity. But there is another reason God allows the wicked to prosper, and our enemy to be among us.

Judges 3:1-2 Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know

Word Study: God leaves us in the midst of the wicked to “prove” us. The word translated “prove” is the Hebrew nāsâ (pronounced naw-saw’), which means “to assay as to the quality of, to test, to try”. Back during the California Gold Rush in the 1800’s, around 300,000 people flooded that state looking for riches. The way that gold was assayed was by fire (called cupellation). That which is NOT gold will burn off or float to the top, and gold will be left behind. God uses trials to test our faith so that WE will know where we are on faith’s spectrum. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:10-12 (ESV) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

When you walk with Jesus, you will be persecuted. Why? Because the darkness will bid you to join with it. “Let’s just go along to get along”. If you belong to the Lord, you are to walk so as to please the Lord, not the world.

God tests INDIVIDUAL believers, but also tests His KINGDOM.

God left the unbelieving nations in Canaan because He wanted …

the children of Israel {to} know

God’s people need to know when to war, and when to walk. We need to understand NOT to compromise with anyone that will effect our walk with our Savior and King. The enemies that God left were the

Judges 3:3 … five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites

The Philistines were ancient enemies of Israel, much like land based Pirates or Vikings. The Philistines were very skilled blacksmiths, and were experts in forging swords, spears, and arrow heads, as well as making plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles (1 Samuel 13:19-21). The Sidonians (inhabitants of Sidon) were sea faring Phoenicians who relocated around the Mediterranean Sea. The Hivites or Horites (Genesis 36:2, 20, 29) were a warrior class of people. Together these enemies ruled the land and the water of the Promised Land. They were – together – undefeatable. We are told:

Judges 3:4 … they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

Surrounded by the enemy, would Israel cling to the Word of God, or would Israel compromise with the lost in order to live more comfortably?

Judges 3:5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

You cannot control who is around you. You cannot control how other people behave. God never expects His people to move off into monasteries and hide behind walls. Jesus told us:

Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV) You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

God’s people are to reflect the Light of God into the world. We are a “city set on a hill”. We are not to hide, but to stand up. The Bible says that the “children of Israel dwelt among” the unbelievers. That is not a sin. What is a sin is to allow the practices of the lost world to come into your life. Israel compromised.

Judges 3:6-7 And they {the Israelites} took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgat the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

Israel allowed themselves to be intimately connected to the lost. They intermarried with unbelievers. It is fine to eat with unbelievers (1 Corinthians 10:25-33). It is fine to work with unbelievers. But we are to be very careful not to get intimate with unbelievers. We are told in:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (ESV) Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

When you get into an intimate relationship with an unbeliever – especially if that relationship is sexual in nature – that unbeliever will cause you to drift into their way of thinking. King Solomon found this out when he married numerous women outside of our faith. He said,

“Above all else, GUARD YOUR HEART,
for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23)

I was asked the other day if I would consider binding with another mainline denomination in order to work together for the Lord. When I was told the name of that denomination I said, politely, “I’m sorry, I can’t do that”. I cannot compromise with any denomination or any people who do not believe the Bible as God’s Word establishes right behavior and life. I have decided I will not compromise with the “Woke Churches” of this age. I’ll love you – but I can’t walk with you, for you are walking in darkness.

Once Israel compromise with the lost world, they forgot Who God was. They forgot what God told them, and commanded them. Then they began to worship other gods.

Judges 3:8 Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.

God is generally known as the “Redeemer” of His people. The Prophet Isaiah (47:4) said, “Our REDEEMER, the Lord of Hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel”. It was God Who “REDEEMED Israel from the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 13:5). It is God Who “REDEEMS our life from the pit” (Psalm 103:4). God has …

Colossians 1:13-14 … rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Oh Redeeming Love, how can it be, You lived and died for me? Though “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). God had redeemed Israel – but now He is selling her back to her chosen master. She chose to follow the false gods of those around her, so God turned her over to the one she served. We are told:

the children of Israel served
Chushan-rishathaim eight years

This Mesopotamian King is called “Chushan-rishathaim”, which means “Cushan of the double wickedness”. Israel served this wicked unbelieving king for 8 years. Why eight years? Because it took that long for them to REPENT.

Judges 3:9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

I suspect that, over the eight years “Chushan-rishathaim” ruled Israel, that the Israelites used various methods to free themselves from their predicament. This is what we all do. We wander away from God, and get into a worst and worst state, much like the prodigal son that Jesus spoke of in Luke 15. After it becomes unbearable, the prodigal stopped eating out of the pig trough, and said “I’ll return to my Father – even if I’m no more than a servant”. Israel had gotten tired of eating at the pig trough.

Word Study: “when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord” I want you to notice that God does not delay. When they cried out, “the Lord raised up a deliverer”. The word “deliverer” is the Hebrew yāšaʿ (pronounced yaw-shah’) which means “A Savior” or “A Avenger”. The idea that “The Lord raised up” this Savior tells us that this is not a human solution to Israel’s problem. God RAISED UP Othniel, the nephew to Caleb. What did OTHNIEL do? God raised him up to be a Savior to Israel, and Othniel SAVED (yāšaʿ) them. But Othniel didn’t do this because he was particularly good or powerful.

Othniel was of the tribe of Judah, a nephew of Caleb, but just as we all are subject to failure. God raised him up … and God EQUIPPED him to do what he was called to do.

Judges 3:10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

Othniel is the first of twelve judges that God would raise up to save Israel. Over and over we see that these Judges or Saviors are not able to do what needs doing. God raises them up, then “The Spirit of the Lord comes upon them”. When God works through a human, it is the Holy Spirit Who does the work. Our Lord Jesus Christ – though Eternal God in human form – did the work that He did for the Father through the Holy Spirit. Jesus visited the Synagogue at Nazareth, His home town, and read from Isaiah 61:1-2:

Luke 4:18-21 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

The Spirit of the Lord was on Jesus. Jesus said “If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, the Kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28). It is the Spirit of God Who enabled Kings and Prophets to do the work of God. It is the Spirit of the Lord Who empowered the Apostles (Acts 5:9; 8:39) to do amazing things . It is the Spirit of the Lord Who enables us to be saved by convicting of sin (John 16:8-11). The Spirit of the Lord is on the Christian, making us more like Jesus through the intake of the Word of God and prayer (2 Corinthians 3:18).

With the other Judges, we will see God do amazing things. But with Othniel the emphasis is on the Holy Spirit of God. Othniel is open to God’s Spirit, and so God moves through him to defeat the enemy.

Judges 3:10-11 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the Lord delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. 11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Here are two key take-aways from the life of Othniel. First, If you serve God, you will find victory. But if you serve self, you will find slavery. Othniel focused on pleasing God. Though we know little about Othniel’s war, we know he was victorious. Second, Serving God, you will find rest. We read that while Othniel led Israel to follow God, “the land had rest forty years”. Contrast that the the first generation of Israel, who wandered in the wilderness 40 years. God says:

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Let us find our rest in God. Let us let His Spirit come upon us. Let us surrender our souls to Jesus. May God touch your hearts with His Word. Amen and Amen!

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged Christian responsibility, Judges, obedience, repentance, Savior, serving God | Leave a comment

Love Not The World

Posted on February 27, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Benjamin Suter: https://www.pexels.com/photo/aerial-photo-of-cityscape-at-night-2362004/

1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Worldly Solutions Will Not Fix Worldly Hearts

So I was reading an article in our local paper “Main Street Maury”, a letter written to the editor entitled “USA 37,000, Japan 101: but it’s not a game” (sic). It was the standard opinion piece where – in comparison to other countries – the gun deaths in the United States are much higher. It was obvious the author had access to the Internet, and knew how to research. The conclusion of the article was, “I know the U.S. will not adopt Japan’s strict standards, but it’s time to consider adopting regulations to lower the number of gun deaths in the U.S.”. The author then quoted Jesus, though he did not give Jesus credit for the quote (which is in Matthew 26:52). Continue quote, “If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword.” Many innocent people are dying because we are living by the sword in America’s obsessive gun culture”. There’s a few things I’d like to note in reference to this article.

First, Jesus not only said “If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword”, He also said at the conclusion of the Communion, also called “The Lord’s Table”:

Luke 22:35-38 {Jesus} said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

When Jesus said “If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword”, He was responding to Simon Peter’s rash attack against a Priest of Israel. Jesus did not tell us to use the sword offensively or aggressively. We are not to attack others (though, if part of the military, allowance is made for that in the Scripture). However Jesus never opposed use of the sword defensively, to protect yourself, your family, your community, and your country.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was hated, and lies were told about Him. Though His Judge Pilate could find no sin nor crime in Jesus, He was nonetheless executed. Why? Because the human heart is “desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9-10). Jesus encouraged His disciples to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:38-48), but was not against the defense of life. Life is precious. Every life is precious. God does not expect you to allow the rapist into your home, then look the other way while he molests your loved ones. We who are Christ’s are allowed to defend ourselves and our loved ones.

Secondly, I thought it amusing that the author would compare the U.S. to Japan. In its history Japan has had a long history of weapons bans, going all the way back to 1429 under King Sho Hashi, beginning the first Sho Dynasty. In 1470 the new Sho Dynasty prohibited the carrying of weapons. In 1609, the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan permitted the Satsuma clan to invade the island of Okinawa. The Satsuma samurai renewed the ban on all weapons. As the Japanese were forbidden to carry arms, they developed a fighting system using their farming tools. The martial arts weapons such as the Bo, the Sai, the Kama, Tonfa, or Nunchaku were repurposed from the field to the battlefield. As a young boy I often went to Bruce Lee movies to watch him defeat the enemy with many of these weapons. Japan has less guns because of oppressive laws, but it is no paradise. An article entitled “Despite Japan’s low crime rates, it’s seen a number of mass stabbings in the past decade” cites a killing spree where a 51 year old man kills a 39 year old man, a 12 year old school girl, and injures 15 school children. He carried no guns, but two knives. In 2016, 19 disabled residents were stabbed to death by an employee of that home. The employee said, “It is better that disabled people disappear”. In 2008 a 24 year old man went on a stabbing spree, killing 2 people and injuring 7. That same year a 25 year old man stabbed and killed 7, and injured 10 in a shopping hub of Tokyo. I could go on and on, but I won’t. The data is there.

Until the human heart is changed, no amount of law enforcement is going to lessen our self inflicted hurts. No human law can fix what ails us. We need to get back to the Bible. We need to meet with and surrender ourselves to Christ’s leading. Only through Jesus will our hearts be calmed. Only through faith in Him will we stop tearing one another apart.

Do Not Love The World’s Ways, Dear Christian

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

When you read this text, your first thought might be, “Isn’t John contradicting what Jesus said in John 3:16?” You know the text:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Word Study: The Greek word for “world” is kosmos, which can simply refer to humanity as God’s creation, or it can refer to a godless mindset. When God created the world, the kosmos, He created Adam and Eve distinctly separate from the animals around them. God created Adam and Eve as His representatives on the earth. The Bible says:

Genesis 1:26-30 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.”

God made Adam and Eve to have dominion over the earth and all that is in it. They were to oversee the planet as stewards of God. In their stewardship they were to “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion”. They were to build the family of humanity, and to oversee all things, maintaining order in the Name of God. But they didn’t do that. What did Adam and Eve do? Well, in particular, what did ADAM do?

Adam became WORLDLY.
He stopped working for God.
He chose another employer – Satan.

The WORLDLY mindset is incompatible with a child of God. The Lord Jesus Christ – Eternal God the Son become the Only Begotten of the Father – was tempted just as Adam was tempted. The Bible tells us that while the Son of God was in the wilderness,

Matthew 4:8-9 (ESV) … the devil took {Jesus} to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

The devil was not lying to Jesus. The devil is called “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and he “blinds the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, the image of God”. Satan as a serpent tried this with Adam and was successful. Adam allowed himself to become worldly in his thought process. Instead of referring to God and his Word, Adam used human resources and human reason to seek joy.

Adam lost – and we suffer because of it.
But Jesus wasn’t having any of it.

Jesus told the devil, “Go away Satan! The Bible says, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him ONLY shall you serve.” (author’s paraphrase). This is what a child of God should do.

If God’s Word does not support what is being said, then we need to reject the word we are hearing as inferior, a word from Satan and not God.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

We as Christians SHOULD love people – but we must not love the evil that people do. You can love someone, and yet hate their action … especially if their action is destructive and ungodly. Jesus told us:

Matthew 5:43-48 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

We as believers are to love those around us – to DO GOOD toward them even if they do bad toward us. But this does not mean that we worship their gods and goddesses. This does not mean that we turn away from the Word of God for the highly inferior word of man. You are called as sons and daughters of God to uphold the truth of God’s Word.

We are to please God, not man. The Apostle Paul said:

Galatians 1:10 (ESV) For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

It is not the Christian’s duty to please others. It is the Christian’s duty to please God, and to share the Gospel of salvation. The Apostle said in another place:

1 Thessalonians 2:4 (ESV) … just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

We cannot save the world by pleasing the world. We cannot reach the world by being like the world. We are to be like Jesus. We are to uphold the Word of God, for it is the Word of God that upholds us. The Apostle warns the Church:

1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Sherry and I have been working with little children at Riverside School. Just this past Thursday Sherry was working with a little girl, helping her with her homework. The little girl had it wrong – and wouldn’t listen to Sherry. She just KNEW that she was right … and she wasn’t. But as long as she was CERTAIN her wrong answer was right, she would never get straight.

There are “many antichrists” in the world, people whose sole function is to draw people away from God and into hell. I watched a priest the other day, wearing a “stole” with rainbow colors on it, as he preached the way of godlessness. This so called priest said, in effect,

“God is gay. God is a lesbian.
God is trans. God is gender non-binary.
God is straight. God is Cisgender.
God is you, and you are God.”

This is utter nonsense, divorced from both Scripture and the Gospel. It is certain that God can understand where you are in life. But God does not endorse human philosophies – no matter how sincere you may be – so that you not be offended. God has a standard, and that standard is clearly presented in the Scripture. “God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son”. Why was Jesus “given”? He was “given” to pay the penalty for our sins.

Jesus did not come to enable our sins – but He came to save us from our sins. Sin is barrier between us and God. We are to walk in love with God and with one another. We are not to walk in sin.

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

We are not to walk in sin, but are to repent of sin and walk with Jesus. The other day I had an appointment to meet with the Principal at Riverside. Being escorted into his office, we talked for about 30 minutes before I had to go. I got up, opened the door to go out, and stepped right into the mop closet. As soon as I did, I immediately backed out – amusing the Principal – and went out the right door. This is an illustration of sin. I was sincere when I stepped into the mop closet. I was certain I was on the right path when I stepped into the mop closet. But I was wrong. I could have stubbornly insisted I was in the right place, and invite everybody else into the closet with me. Or I could REPENT, back out of the weird place, and go toward the light. The Apostle said:

1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) {Jesus} Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

And again, Romans 6:1-2, 6 (ESV) What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? … 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

The intent of the Cross of Christ is not just to GIVE LIFE, but to KILL DEATH. The Cross does not just COVER sin, it CHANGES the person. If you are comfortable in sin, you are not saved!

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

There were many in the first century Church that professed Christ as Savior, but were not saved. In fact, there were many who followed Jesus, but who abandoned Him when His teaching became hard. In John chapter 6 Jesus fed over 5000 people with five barley loaves and two fish, a child’s lunch. After this, Jesus went to Capernaum to preach. The crowd followed Jesus – not because they wanted Jesus, but because they wanted their bellies filled. Jesus told them:

John 6:26-27 (ESV) “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

The people then asked Jesus, “What must we do to work the works of God?” Jesus told them,

John 6:29 (ESV) “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Jesus told them that He was the Manna from Heaven, the Bread of Life. Jesus said, “everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40). Jesus went on to explain that faith in Him is MORE THAN JUST WORDS. Jesus said,

John 6:51 (ESV) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.

What was Jesus saying? He was saying that saving faith is totally dependent on Jesus. The person saved receives Jesus, breathes in Jesus, puts his everything into Jesus. If you are saved, you are saved to be just like Jesus on this earth. Jesus even got more radical:

John 6:53-57 (ESV) Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.

Faith is feeding on Jesus. It is coming to Jesus hungry – and finding your hunger satisfied in Him. It is coming to Jesus thirsty – and finding your thirst satisfied in Him. That crowd of people thinned out that day. The Bible says,

John 6:66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

There were many who followed Jesus, and yet they were never born again. Those who were born again decided they would continue following Jesus – even if the whole world abandoned Him. Jesus has the words of truth!

Christians Are Called To Obedience

1 John 2:16-17 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Though salvation is a free gift from God, the PROOF of salvation is that we DO the WILL OF GOD.

You cannot be blessed in this life if you do not obey God. Before Israel went into the Promised Land, God told them:

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.

God will not bless His people if we go to those “other gods”. We are expected to live FOR and WITH God once we have been saved. God tells us:

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 (ESV) God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

The things of this world are but temporary. God’s Kingdom is eternal. Let us live for Him, and in Him. Let us by our lives glorify Jesus Christ our Savior. Let us follow the leadership of our Lord. We will end with these words:

1 John 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

As believers together, we are to DO the right thing. The Gospel saves from the inside out. If you belong to Jesus, you are called to act like Jesus. If you belong to Him, you will live your lives so as to please Him in all you say and do. May God the Holy Spirit drive this truth deeply into our hearts. Amen and amen.

Posted in 1 John | Tagged antiChrist, blended faith, Following Christ, love God, Loving God, loving the world, salvation | Leave a comment

Under The Fig Tree

Posted on February 24, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by veeterzy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-leafed-tree-38136/

John 1:43-48 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

Jesus Is Looking For Searching Hearts

Word Study: When Jesus meets people, He reaches out and meets all different types of people. In our text today Jesus meets Philip. Who introduced Philip to Jesus? If you read your text, it’s no one. The Bible says “Jesus … findeth Philip”. The word “findeth” is the Greek heyriskō (pronounced hyoo-ris’-ko), which means “to search for, to seek out to find something of value”. When Herod met the wise men, he told them

“Go, and search diligently for the baby Jesus – when you FIND (heyriskō) Him, come and tell me where He is ..” (Matthew 2:8, author’s paraphrase)

Jesus told us “seek, and you shall FIND (heyriskō)” (Matthew 7:7). Though Heyriskō may mean to stumble upon, it is often used to describe the results of diligently searching for something or someone of value. Jesus was diligently looking for Philip. Why is that?

I believe God is looking for those whose hearts are seeking Him.

The Psalmist said, Psalm 53:2 (CEV) From heaven God looks down to see if anyone is wise enough to search for Him.

In the Old Testament the first King of Israel was Saul. But Saul didn’t follow the Lord very well. Saul became prideful, and rather than follow the Lord began to follow his own agenda. God told Saul, “I seek a person after My own heart to lead My people” (1 Samuel 13:14). God led the Prophet Samuel to the home of Jesse, the father of the shepherd boy David. David the son of Jesse was “a man after God’s heart” (Acts 13:22). God looks for and desires those who look for Him. God is always looking for those who are looking for Him. We are told in the Book of Hebrews that “God rewards those who diligently look for Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Everyone has a knowledge that there must be a God Who made all things. Sometimes we – through human philosophies and foolishness – pretend that there is no God. That everything just “happened”. Yet common sense tells us that this is not true. God calls to our hearts, saying,

Psalm 27:8 “Seek My face”

“The Lord looks down from Heaven, and sees everyone” (Psalm 33:13). He doesn’t just see our outside, but our insides. He sees our hearts. God says,

“My eyes watch what you do – everything you do. There is nothing you do that is hidden from Me – I even see the bad.” (author’s paraphrase Jeremiah 16:17)

Since Jesus is God become Man, and God looks for those who look for Him, it is not hard to understand why Jesus sought out Philip. Philip had been looking for, longing for the Messiah, the Promised Savior of the world. When Jesus comes to Philip,

Jesus doesn’t introduce Himself.
He walks up to Philip and says, “Follow Me”.

What does Philip do? He doesn’t ask Jesus Who He is. Philip just follows Jesus. Verse 44 tells us that “Philip was of Bethsaida”, a town whose name means “the House of Fishing”. Both Andrew and his brother Peter live in Bethsaida, and it’s possible that they were all partners in the same fishing business. Yet Philip does not go to either Andrew or Peter, but to Nathanael.

Why did Philip go to Nathanael? I believe it was because not just Philip, but Nathanael was searching out and praying that the Messiah come. Though the text does not specifically state it, I believe that Nathanael was praying under a fig tree when Philip found him. Perhaps Philip and Nathanael were brothers in faith, who had often met and prayed that Israel would be saved from her sin, and restored to her land along with her King. When Jesus comes to Philip, Philip just knows this is the Messiah. The Holy Spirit confirms Jesus to his heart. And Philip with joy runs to where he and his friend Nathanael had often prayed for their fallen country.

John 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Word Study: Here’s that word heyriskō again. Philip finds his friend praying under a fig tree, and says, “We have found (heyriskō) him”. Nathanael, we’ve been looking for the Messiah. We’ve studied Him through the writings of “Moses in the law, and the prophets”. Our search for the Messiah is over – He is “Jesus of Nazareth”. The great Preacher C.H. Spurgeon said of Nathaniel:

“… Nathanael was an earnest seeker. Philip found him out because he felt that the good news would interest him. “We have found the Messiah,” would be no gladsome news to any one who had not looked for the Messiah; but Nathanael had been expecting the Christ, and perhaps had so well understood Moses and the prophets, that he had been led to look for his speedy coming. The time when Messiah would suddenly come in his temple had certainly arrived, and he was day and night with prayer, like all the faithful of the ten tribes, watching and waiting for the appearing of their salvation. He had not as yet heard that the glory of Israel had indeed come, but he was on the tiptoe of expectation.”

When Philip revealed that the Messiah was “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”, Nathanael responded

John 1:46And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?

For Whom Did Christ Come?

Some of the commentaries I read suggested that Nathanael was being a smart aleck or rude, but I don’t believe this is the case. Nazareth is in the Southern part of Galilee. Galilee was known as “Galilee of the Gentiles”, because there was a large population of Gentiles (non-Jewish people) living there. Nathaniel and Philip had studied about the coming of the Messiah, and knew the prophecies of Micah, that when Messiah came:

Micah 4:1-2 (ESV) It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, 2 and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.”

When Messiah came, Micah said that there would be peace in the land of Israel:

Micah 4:4 (ESV) … they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

Nathanael is under the fig tree praying that the Messiah would come. Oh, that the Christ would come and save His people. Then Philip says, “We’ve found the Messiah – He’s from NAZARETH”. But here’s the problem.

Nathanael has studied the prophesies of the Messiah and His coming. He knows from Micah the prophecy that Messiah would come from BETHLEHEM. Bethlehem is the City of David, the place where the Ruler – the Christ – would come from.

Micah 5:2 (ESV) But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

The Messiah would come to Israel from God to “Bethlehem Ephrathah”. We know that this is what actually happened. When the Wise Men from the East came looking for the Messiah, they came asking,

Matthew 2:2 “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star … and have come to worship Him.”

The Chief Priests and Scribes quoted the prophecy of Micah 5:2 (see Matthew 2:5-6) when citing where the Christ would be born. Good Orthodox Jews knew that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. So when Philip told Nathanael that Messiah was in NAZARETH, his natural reply would be

John 1:46 … Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?

Bethlehem is the City of David, the place of the prophecy. But Nazareth is in Galilee. Galilee was known as “Galilee of the Gentiles”. Why would the Messiah – the King of Israel – be found in Galilee of the Gentiles?

Because it was prophesied of God. God told Israel about the Coming Christ in …

Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV) 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. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

You’ve probably heard me preach this text during the Christmas season. It is very well known, along with the prophecy that the Messiah would be born of a Virgin (Isaiah 7:14). But what’s interesting about the prophecy of the Messiah in Isaiah 9 is what comes in the preceding context:

Isaiah 9:1-2 (ESV) But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

When the Messiah came, He would be found in “Galilee of the nations”. When Jesus began His earthly ministry the Apostle Matthew quotes the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2, saying that when John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus …

Matthew 4:12-16 (ESV) … withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

Jesus went into “Galilee of the Gentiles” to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 9:2. Jesus went into “Galilee of the Gentiles” because He did not just come to save Israel – Jesus came to save whosoever will. The Apostle Paul said:

Romans 1:16 (ESV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The Messiah did not just come for the Jew – but for the Gentile as well. Jesus is the:

John 1:29 … Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1 John 2:2 (ESV) {Jesus} is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

John 3:16 (ESV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only {begotten} Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 11:25 (ESV) … I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live …

1 Timothy 2:6 (ESV) {Jesus} gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Jesus came building the Kingdom of God. As sinners are led of God to repent and surrender to Christ as Lord and Savior, they become citizens of the Kingdom of God – and Christ is our King. When the Apostle John looked into Heaven from the Isle of Patmos, what did he see?

Revelation 7:9-10 (ESV) … I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Our Lord Jesus commanded us just before ascending into Heaven:

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

Nathanael’s confusion is understandable, but Jesus came not just for Israel – but for all who will receive Him as Lord and Savior.

God The Son Saw Nathanael Under The Fig Tree

Philip did not argue with Nathanael, but simply said:

John 1:46-47 … Come and see. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is NO guile!

Word Study: As Nathanael comes with Philip to see Jesus, when he gets to Jesus our Lord says, “Here’s an Israelite in whom there is “NO GUILE”. The word “GUILE” is the Greek dolos, which means “deceitfulness, craftiness, trickiness”. Nathanael wasn’t like so many today who, saying one thing, he means another. The Bible tells us that God’s standard is that we:

Ephesians 4:15 … speak the TRUTH in LOVE …

We live in a day where people are deceitful, who use word games to get around and twist the truth. Nathanael was not like that. He spoke the truth, without trying to cushion it, or hide his meanings. When Jesus said “You are an Israelite who is not tricky or deceptive”, our Lord was probably thinking of the Scribes and Pharisees who twisted truth to suit themselves. Nathanael replies:

John 1:48 … Whence knowest thou me?

How do you know me, Jesus? Jesus replies:

John 1:48 … Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

“When Philip came to see you – I was already there, watching you! I saw you under the fig tree. I saw you praying there. I heard what you said to Peter about Me. I’m not mad about it – it was honest. Though I was no where around – I was there. You know why … I’m the Messiah.”

I can imagine chills going down Nathanael’s spine. This is not just some Rabbi from Nazareth. Jesus is more. He is the Messiah, the Son of God. Nathanael says:

John 1:49-51 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. 50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. 51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

In Genesis 28:12 Jacob (who would be called Israel) dreamed about a ladder between Heaven and earth. Angels went up and down this ladder to serve God. Jesus refers to “Jacob’s Ladder”, and the truth that He is the Door to Heaven. No one gets to God apart from Jesus Christ. What a wonderful truth this is!

If you do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior, today is the day of salvation. Jesus is watching you. Jesus knows you. Do you know Jesus? If not, turn to Him today. Repent of your godless way of life, and believe that Jesus died for your sins, and rose from the grave to be your King. The Scripture promises:

Romans 10:9-11 (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. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Amen!

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Christ, Christos, Jesus is God, Jesus is Messiah, Messiah, Omniscience of Christ, prophecy | Leave a comment

The Cycle Of Judges

Posted on February 21, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-a-gavel-6077422/

Judges 2:6-10 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

We Are Saved To Shine Against Darkness

One commentary noted of Joshua:

“Joshua spent the remainder of his life leading the Israelites – first across the Jordan and then into battle after battle in the conquest of Canaan. His mission: to carve out a sizable beachhead which would serve as a launching point from which the individual tribes could finish the job in their assigned territories. Despite a few setbacks (Joshua 7, 9) Joshua enjoyed wild success, conquering six nations and thirty-one kings (Josh 11:18-23; 12:24).”

Joshua put the Lord first in all that he did. He did not try and conquer Canaan himself, but helped Israel get to the point where each tribe would be able – in faith – to reach out and conquer their own lands. There is a reason for this, one we can easily see in our present generation.

Costs Nothing, Worth Nothing: When I was growing up, very few parents bought their children their first car. When I wanted a car, dad told me to work for it, and that he would help. My granddaddy gave me a 1958 Rambler (wish I had it today) that I thought little of. It cost me nothing. It was old. Real old. Old As ME. So I really mistreated that car. But when I bought my first car, I spent part of every weekend washing, waxing, and polishing it both inside and out. The kids that received their cars gratis mistreated them, cared little for them. When you work for it, you care about it.

Joshua worked for God, and did as God said. But he expected each believer to do their part. It is a principle of Scripture that:

2 Thessalonians 3:10 … if a person will not work, that person shall not eat …

1 Thessalonians 5:18 … a worker deserves their wages …

Joshua did a great job for the Lord. We read in verse 7:

the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord,
that he did for Israel

The people served God while Joshua was alive. Joshua had seen “all the great works of the Lord”, and shared his testimony of victory with those around him. His testimony led others to trust in and obey the Lord – and this brought unprecedented victory. The people also served God while the “ELDERS THAT OUTLIVED JOSHUA” were alive. Again, these elders who served with Joshua saw how God had been faithful. God had helped Israel overcome impossible odds. God fed Israel with manna. God helped Israel conquer greater foes.

But Israel drifted from testing and trusting God. Faith believes in God, though the evidence appears otherwise. The Bible defines faith thusly:

Hebrews 11:1, 6 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. … 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The faith that saves “believes that God is” as He says He is. The faith that blesses must “diligently seek Him”. God blesses those who shine for Him.

When we come together as God’s people, we do so to encourage one another, to share how God has “given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). We come together as believers – whether as Israel under the Old Covenant or the Church under the New Covenant – to build up our faith. We read:

Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

You cannot “hold fast” your profession of faith if you are not working together with other believers. Your light MUST shine. You must live for God. People need to see Christ in you.

Plant The Gospel Seed Where You Can – Or Else

Judges 2:10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

Why didn’t this “generation” have a knowledge of God? Because God’s people got comfortable in their faith. They stopped telling their children about Jesus, stopped taking their kids to Church. It was too much work. God told Israel – and us:

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 7 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. … 7 and thou shalt teach your children {the Word of God} diligently …

I learned “hot” from my mama. She taught not to be burned, and how to harness fire to cook and care for the family. My dad taught me “fire”, and how to control it to burn off fields, burn trash, make campfires and barbecues. If someone doesn’t teach “hot” and “fire”, the child grows up ignorant and lazy … or an arsonist.

We must teach God to the new generation.
The government won’t do it, and often the parent won’t do it.
We are to get off the couch and shine!

When believers do not share the truths of God darkness grows. When believers stay in the Church and in the home and do not reach out in faith, in time no one remembers the great victories that faith brought in the previous generation. When we are told that this new generation “knew not the Lord”, this doesn’t mean they didn’t have a newspaper or dictionary knowledge of God. The Nelson Commentary notes, “The meaning of did not know [v. 10] is that the people deliberately refused to acknowledge God’s authority. It is not simply that they were ignorant, but that they were in unbelief”. This is much like our America today. Each person – each generation – must experience the power of God.

We live in a day of “easy believism” that touts a salvation without a Sovereign, and Calvary without a Cross.

When you do not pursue God’s presence and God’s will diligently, then in time complacency creeps in. Another commentary notes, “Biblical faith is only one generation away from extinction if parents and the community of faith fail to pass on, not just facts about God, but an intimate, daily, obedient faith relationship with Him (cf. Deut. 6:4-9)!”

It Is Evil For Us Not To Follow God

There are preachers today who teach that you can be saved, and never follow God. I believe these people are deluded – and need to read their Bibles. If you are saved, you MUST follow God. It is not optional.

Judges 2:11-13 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. 13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

You often see parallels in Judges that help explain the verses. For instance, in verse 11 we read:

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord,
and served Baalim

As I read the text, I see the “children of Israel did evil” where God could see it, then we have “and” followed by “served Baalim”. Let’s start with “What are “Baalim”? This is the Hebrew Baʿal which simply means “lord”. The Baʿal was the supreme male god of the Phoenicians or Canaanites. The Baʿal is a false god, totally detached from the God of the Holy Bible. Just before Jesus went to the Cross – dying for our sins – He prayed these words in …

John 17:1-3 {Jesus prayed} … Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

The God of our Bible, the God that sent Jesus Christ to this earth, is the “only true God”. There are no other gods and goddesses but One, that is our God. The Apostle wrote:

1 John 5:20 (ESV) … we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Moses came representing God under the Law, but man would not listen. So Jesus came representing God under Grace – and yet often man will not listen. Jesus is the Manifest Member of the Godhead. All other gods and goddesses that have ever been are but pale imitations of the True God. Many people chase after these imitations, but what they chase is a figment of the imagination. There is but ONE God, and His story is found in the Holy Bible. The Prophet said:

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV) Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Israel stopped following God, and instead followed Baalim or Baʿal. In verse 11 we read “the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim”. What led them to serving “Baalim”? The next verse says:

vs 12 they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them

Rather than honoring the God Who saved them, they turned away from Him to follow other false gods. Why? We were designed to worship. We are made in the image of God, to walk with God. When we do not pursue God, we will pursue false gods.

Judges 2:13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

Word Study: What is the difference between “Baal” and “Ashtaroth”? The male god Baal was associated with the sun and nature (rain, plant growth). The goddess Ashtaroth was related to sexuality and fertility. These false gods can be traced back to Nimrod, a mighty politician and a mighty hunter (Genesis 10:8-12) who built the cities of Babel, Erech, Accad, Calneh, Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen. He had no love for God, but for himself and his power. When the devil tempted our Lord Jesus in the wilderness, he said:

Matthew 4:9 “All these worldly kingdoms I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me.”

Many people have “gained the whole world, but lost their soul” (Mark 8:34-38). Jesus told Satan,

Matthew 4:10 … “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

You can gain much following Satan. But in time, you’ll find that it’s a bad path to follow. “The Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge” states:

“The greatest sin a human being can commit is not murder or rape or other despicable acts of atrocity. It is to turn his back on the living God to serve man-made gods”.

When we turn away from the God Who made us, the God of the Scripture, we turn against the God Who designed our conscience and our souls.

When God’s People Sin, The Great Shepherd Punishes

Judges 2:14-15 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

If you are a Christian, you are a part of the Family of God – and God is your Father. When God’s Children walk away and wallow in sin, God WILL punish. We are told in:

Hebrews 12:5-11 (ESV) “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

God disciplines His people when they wander away from what He has deemed righteous. Discipline should not discourage us, but encourage us. The proof of salvation is that – when disciplined – we repent and return to our Father and Savior. When God disciplines, He often uses others – sometimes our enemies – to punish us. God “delivered Israel into the hands of spoilers”. The word “spoilers” is the Hebrew šāsâ, the same word as the Egyptian name for the robber Bedouin of the desert, shasu.

These nomadic thieves would come in, rustle cattle, or destroy their crops. Since His people despised their birthright (as did Esau) and sold their Father’s love for a false god, God “sold them” to the unbelievers. They lost their liberty. When we walk away from God, we enslave ourselves to sin and the things of this world. The Scripture says:

Romans 6:16 (NLT) Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

God’s people are to walk in the light with God our Savior, obeying Him, living for Him. When we do so, we walk in victory. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4). Walking in faith with God, we will overcome, for our Jesus is the Overcomer. But Beloved, we must stand with Him. We must “let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus…” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Judges 2:16-19 Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. 17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so. 18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. 19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

Now the Bible describes the cycle of disobedience that Israel follows:

Disobedience
Discipline
Despair
Deliverance

Throughout the Book of Judges we do not see Israel gaining any new territory. We see a people stuck in disobedience. But we also see our God Who loves us so much that He raises up Judges to save the nation. We close with:

Judges 2:20-23 … And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; 21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: 22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. 23 Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

May we as His people not follow the cycle of discipline that Israel chose. May God the Holy Spirit teach us from His Word. Amen and Amen.

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged Following Christ, God Is Faithful, love, love God, prayer, salvation | Leave a comment

We Keep His Commandments

Posted on February 19, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Jens Johnsson: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-wooden-arrow-signed-66100/

1 John 2:3-6 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Opening: Yet another Church falls from the light of God. Last week the Church of England (Anglicans) decided it would bless “civil marriages and partnerships of same sex couples”. As with many other mainline denominations, compromise with the error of our age will not bless but divide the Church. The Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America noted:

“the Church of England is moving a step at a time to fully accept the practice of homosexuality as part of the life and practice of the English Church. … We have lived through this with other Western Anglican Provinces that continually wavered on the ‘faith once delivered’ (Jude 3) and now outright deny the doctrine of biblical anthropology regarding gender identity and moral behavior. Those in the secular press and culture will argue that these are matters of justice, but God’s justice can never contradict God’s righteousness, and we know these changes attack the very core of biblical authority. Have the Scriptures been clear on human sexuality through the centuries? Yes, they have. The majority of Anglicans around the world have concluded the same. And yet, now, the Church of England has authorized the blessing of sin and declared that sin is no longer sin.”

When sin is normalized, no one wins.

During World War II the German nation under Adolf Hitler began to normalize antisemitism and the destruction of Jewish businesses. Jews were caricatured in newspapers as rats and thieves, and blamed for the poor economy of Germany. It wasn’t long before Jews were gathered into ghettos, stripped of their property, and in time were objects of mass murder and cremation in concentration camps. Most of the Churches in Germany went along with the programs, which allowed for its widespread acceptance and inhumanity. One pastor named Dietrich Bonhoeffer died in Buchenwald prison on February 7, 1945. He was stripped naked and hung for the crime of working with the underground resistance and for helping Jews to safety. What is interesting about his death was that he could have avoided it. Christian History magazine notes,

“His death would not have happened if it had not been for his conscience. At the start of World War II, he had been safe in America. By his own choice he returned to his native Germany, saying “I shall have no right to participate in the reconstruction of the Christian life in Germany after the war if I did not share in the trials of this time with my people.” Bonhoeffer wrote in his book The Cost Of Discipleship, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die … Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God’s will ..”

Yes, We Avoid Sin… But Being A Christian Is More:
Christians DO What Our God Says.

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

Word Study: The word “know” is the Greek ginōskō, which means “to have a knowledge of, to intimately understand”. This same word is used of Joseph when the Angel told him that his virgin bride Mary was carrying the Messiah inside her. The Bible says:

Mathew 1:25 {And Joseph did not} KNOW her until Mary brought forth her firstborn Son: and Joseph called His name JESUS. (Author’s paraphrase)

When the Bible says “Joseph did not KNOW her” it is speaking of an intimate knowledge or experience e, in this case the wedding bed (Hebrews 13:4). To KNOW Jesus is not just to have a dictionary knowledgte of him. I “know” Abraham Lincoln. I “know” Ronald Reagan. Never met them, but I “know” them. But not like ginōskō. It is so important that we ginōskō or KNOW Jesus. If you don’t know Jesus, then one day you’ll meet Him and He’ll say to you,

Matthew 7:23 I never KNEW (ginōskō) you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity ..

Do you know Him? Are you sure? How can I KNOW that I KNOW Jesus? Here we are given the key to eternity:

we keep his commandments

Jesus expects us to “keep his commandments”. Didn’t He say,

John 14:15 … If you LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS …

Do you say you are saved, in a loving relationship with God through Jesus? Then you must OBEY Jesus. You must DO what he says do. The Apostle John repeats this in God’s Book:

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

We know we love Jesus because we obey Jesus. How do we KNOW that Jesus loves us back?

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

The Son of God obeys God. A son of God obeys God. As Jesus obeyed the direction of the Father, we obey the direction of Jesus. One of the most egregious lies ever promoted by Satan – and swallowed by many in the Church hook, line, and sinker, is that

“I can RECEIVE Jesus as SAVIOR and yet
REJECT Him as SOVEREIGN LORD and still be saved”.

Osborne Reef & False Evangelism: There is something called “The Law of unintended consequences”. For instance, have you ever heard of the Osborne Reef (1972)? There were too many old tires filling up land fills, so someone thought it would be a good idea to dump the tires off the coast of Florida. The idea was that it would create a reef that would benefit marine life. Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions! What could possibly go wrong? Tires are round, and they roll, rolling around in the tide and destroying the natural coral that grew nearby. Tires also are leaking toxins into the Florida Coastline. The tires have not helped, but have destroyed the reef in Florida. This mess will take years to clean up, and untold millions of dollars – if it ever gets cleaned up. Consider corn ethanol, found in much of the gasoline we use today. The word was that corn ethanol was cheaper, cleaner, and renewable. So the government mandated its consumption. Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong? Ethanol produces more greenhouse gasses than traditional gasoline, causing environmental damage. According to scientists at Cornell University and the University of California, making 1 gallon of ethanol requires 1.29 gallons of fossil fuel. How does this tie into the problem of false evangelism? Years ago well intentioned pastors and evangelists thought that preaching the salvation of sinners without the sovereignty of Christ would be a good idea. Let’s get people to walk the aisles of the Church and get them on a membership roll. Once they are on the roll, then we’ll blanket America with the Gospel. It was a great idea with the best of intentions. What possibly could go wrong? Everything! Being on the roll of the Church does not make you the LIGHT that Jesus demands we be. We as the LIGHT are not to compromise with the darkness – something that will often bring us into conflict with the culture around us. A salvation that SAVES but does not bend the knee to the SOVEREIGN Christ is not in the Scripture – A N Y W H E R E! One commentary I came across explained it this way: Many Churches today offer a BASIC salvation package where you can go to Heaven upon death, but it has no effect on your present life. Or you can choose the DELUXE salvation package that is less fire insurance and more like a home renovation package.

NEITHER is Biblical Christianity.

Jesus Christ gave ALL of Himself to save you, and you give all of YOURSELF to Him. If you’re saved, He’s the Boss. Jesus was very clear on what He expected:

Matthew 16:24-27 … If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Jesus will one day REPAY EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO WHAT HE HAS DONE. Yes, salvation is by Grace – it is a free gift from God, fully secured by the Blood of the Christ shed upon Calvary. You are saved by “receiving Jesus”. God the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel causes your spiritual eyes to open. Jesus comes along, and holds out His nail scarred hands. He calls you, “Receive ME”. Now Who is the “ME” that Jesus is? What did the Apostle Peter preach on the Day of Pentecost?:

Acts 2:36 … … God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Jesus is both LORD and CHRIST (Savior/ Messiah). He is not one or the other. He is both. Peter would write the Church long after this in:

2 Peter 3:18 … grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. …

One of my favorite Scriptures is Ephesians 2:8-10, which is a complete picture of salvation. In verses 8-9 we read, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” If you stop here, you see the declaration that “Jesus is Savior”. But when you read verse 10 you hear, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”.

The SAVED are following the SOVEREIGN Christ in works, in behavior, in manifest light – in loving opposition to the world.

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

We keep “his commandments”, not our desires. The soul that comes to Jesus for salvation will be saved from the self centeredness of sin. Your focus, dear Christian, is your RELATIONSHIP to Jesus. He reminds us:

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.’

If I am preaching to please ME, my target is wrong. If I am preaching to please YOU, my target is wrong. Now apply this to YOUR works. Everything you do should please JESUS. YOUR target is Jesus too. Jesus said that those who “hear His words and DO THEM is wise” (Matthew 7:24), whereas those who “hear His words and DO NOT DO THEM is foolish” (Matthew 7:26). Those who are saved are to be “Light in the Lord” (Ephesians 56:8). We are to live as

Philippians 2:15 … “sons of God, without rebuke, the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, AMONG WHOM YE SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD”

Jesus could not have been more specific when He spoke of His judgment, saying:

Matthew 25:33-40 … (ESV) He will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Jesus did things to lift people up. Jesus expects His sons and daughters to do the same.

We are to feed the hungry.
We are to give water to the thirsty.
We are to share the Gospel of salvation to all.
We are to go to those in need, and lift up.
We are to welcome the stranger,
But we are NOT to welcome the stranger’s false god.
We are to DO GOOD.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

Some professing Christians are NEVER weary in well doing because they’ve never done the first thing for Jesus. They were never baptized. They never give of their finances to others. They rarely read the Word of God, pray, or spend time with God’s people. One day these professors will hear Jesus say,

Matthew 25:41-46 (ESV) … “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ … 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

If you live like you belong in hell or live like you belong in Heaven – you’ll end up there.

Do You KNOW – Intimately Know – Jesus?

1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Word Study: We looked at the word “KNOW”, now let’s look at the word “keepeth”, the Greek tēreō. This word means “to watch for, to preserve, to hold fast to, to guard”. Jesus used this word when He told a young rich man:

Matthew 19:17 … If you want to enter into life, KEEP (tēreō) God’s commandments …

And Jesus told His disciples in the Great Commission:

Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe (tēreō) all things whatsoever I have commanded you…

And again Jesus said,

John 8:51 Verily, verily I say unto you, if a man KEEP (tēreō) MY SAYING, he shall never see death …

The Holy Spirit indwells the Saved!

When a person is saved, the “TRUTH” comes and indwells that person. What do I mean by that? It is the Holy Spirit of God Who draws a person to Christ. Jesus told His disciples while He was on the earth,

John 14:15-17 (ESV) “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

When you turn your life over to Jesus, receiving Him as Lord and Savior, He sends the Holy Spirit of God – the “SPIRIT OF TRUTH” to both “dwell with you and be in you”. When Jesus saves a person, He plants the Holy Spirit into our lives in a very real way. We are saved from the inside out. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. The Comforter, the …

John 14:26 (ESV) … Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

We who are saved do what Jesus said, because the Spirit of God Who indwells us leads us to do so. Our “body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and that YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit lives in us to lead to in the Way of Christ, to be like Jesus. The unbeliever stands convicted under the Law of God, unrighteous and lawless. But the Child of God by faith in Christ is “led by the Spirit of God, and is not under the Law” (Galatians 5:18). If you are saved, the fruit of your life is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit speaks to us, telling us that we a Children of God (Romans 8:9, 15; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 2:27).

A Christian is in a God indwelt relationship with the Creator

You may drift momentarily from God, but the Spirit of God will draw you back. If you say “I know him” and have no concern for Jesus’ commandments, then John very plainly tells you that you are “a liar”. God has given us a very clear illustration of the professing but lost and the possessing but confused in Christ’s Apostles.

Illustration: The Apostle Peter was “possessing but confused”. Peter told Jesus, “I’ll never deny You, Lord”, but Jesus told him, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me” (Luke 22:34). What happened? Peter denied the Lord. Later after our Lord was crucified, dead, and resurrected, Peter ran back to Jesus’ arms. Why? Because – though confused – Peter was possessed of God. He was indwelt of God.

But then you have the Apostle Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot followed Jesus just as long as Peter did. Judas not only denied Jesus, but he betrayed the Master for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). Whereas Peter repented and returned to the arms of Christ, Judas changed his mind (Matthew 27:3) and tried to return the money to the priests. He did not return to Jesus, but to the scene of the crime. He did not turn his heart over to Jesus, but “throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself”. God was not in his life, nor in his heart. Jesus chose Judas, but knew he was a devil (John 6:70).

Judas’ religion was external. It was man made. But Peter’s faith is God made. God’s people may stumble, but they are characterized by walking as Jesus walked.

Those Truly Saved Will Seek To Walk as Jesus Walked

1 John 2:5-6 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

When God saved you – if He saved you – He also predestined you to be like Jesus. We are told in

Romans 8:29 For whom {God} did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

If you are saved by faith in Christ, you are PREDESTINATED to be like Christ. In the first Creation God made all people to be “in his image” (Genesis 1:27). When you were born into this world you, like all humans, are made “in the image of God”. You are not animals. You are above the animals, but lower than the angels. BUT in the second Creation, the Creation you underwent when God entered your life and called you to salvation, you are programmed to be “conformed to the image of his Son”. You are to be like Jesus. You are to imitate Jesus. You are to think like Jesus. You are to love like Jesus. You are to live like Jesus. “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Perhaps in the course of this message, God the Holy Spirit has opened your eyes to the need to “call upon the name of the Lord and be saved”. If He has, today is the day to call upon Him. The Scripture promises you, “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”. My prayer is that you run into the arms of Jesus today. May God touch your hearts with His Spirit. Amen and Amen.

Posted in 1 John, Sermons Preached | Tagged be the Light, do good, fake salvation, Following Christ, Kingdom of God, obedience, salvation, true faith | Leave a comment

What Are You Looking For?

Posted on February 17, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Саша Лазарев: https://www.pexels.com/photo/toddler-wearing-floral-dress-holding-doll-3578326/

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Bible talks a lot about the glory of God. John saw the glory of God. The glory of God is the love of God. God loves us so much, that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us”. God became Man – Perfect Man – so He could save us from our sins.

Kids Illustration: You might wonder what “sin” is. Sin is something that our God says NOT to do. Sin is an act that shows you don’t love God and don’t love others. Blow up a red balloon & draw a smiley face on it. Jesus came to this earth to teach us that sin is bad, and that God doesn’t want us to sin because it is bad. Sin hurts us. It pushes us away from God. Sin hurts our families. Pull a pin from the Cross, & pop a balloon. Sin is like this pin. It’s never good. But Jesus came to show us what God thinks about sin, and about us.

When Did We First See “The Word Become Flesh?”

When John the Baptist – the Herald of Jesus (we studied him last week) first announced Jesus to the world, what did he say and where did he say it? Read with me:

John 1:28-29 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Define Bethabara: The area called “Bethabara” (means “Place of the Crossing”) where John is baptizing is today known as Al-Maghtas. When the second generation of Israel crossed the Jordan, it is believed they crossed at this place into the Promised Land led by Joshua (Joshua 3:14-17). Later the Prophet Elijah accompanied by his disciple Elisha would cross the Jordan at this place after Elijah commands it to part. After he crosses the Jordan with Elisha, God takes Elijah up into Heaven by a chariot of fire and a whirlwind. When Elisha heads back home he commands the water to part (2 Kings 2:8-14) just as Elijah did, and began to preach God’s Kingdom. John is baptizing in this same Bethabara when Jesus comes up. John declares:

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world

Word Study: The glory of the Lord is that God became flesh to “take away the sin of the world”. The words “take away” (Greek airō) means “to lift or bear up, to raise off of”. Sin is seen as a terrible burden that crushes the people it afflicts. The Word of God became flesh and showed us His glory. The Word of God became the Lamb of God, to pay for and lift up our sins. But Jesus didn’t just come to pay for our sins.

Jesus came to pay for our sins and to walk with us in life!

Jesus came to see John the Baptist baptizing one day, and John said “Behold, the Lamb of God”. John introduced Jesus. Well, Jesus walked away and no one followed Him! Even though John said:

John 1:34 I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Jesus is not only the Word become flesh, and God become Man. He is the Son of God, and the Lamb of God. As Jesus walks away you would expect someone to follow Him – but none do! They stay with John. A lot of times I tell people about Jesus, and Jesus comes into our midst, but no one sees Him nor accepts His invitation. But Jesus will come back (praise God). This is another part of Jesus’ glory.

The glory of Jesus is that He is persistent. He keeps on calling us, and keeps on bidding us to follow Him!

John 1:35-36 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 And looking upon Jesus as He walked, he {John} saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

The phrase “the next day after” shows us that Jesus came back. No one followed Him the first time John introduced Him, so Jesus comes back again. Two of John’s disciples respond to Jesus:

John 1:37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

These “two disciples” were not abandoning John the Baptist. They were doing what John wanted them to do – what any Christian wants you to do. We want you to follow Jesus. We want you to be saved. The only way you can be saved is to Follow the Lamb of God. Jesus said:

Luke 9:23-25 (ESV) If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Later on in this Gospel Jesus will tell us:

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

Several years ago Kyle Idleman wrote a book called not a fan. I thought it was a pretty good book. He wrote this:

“So in case someone left it out or forgot to mention it when they explained what it meant to be a Christian, let me be clear: There is no forgiveness without repentance. There is no salvation without surrender. There is no life without death. There is no believing without committing.”

Jesus calls us to follow Him. This is what John the Baptist wanted his hearers to understand. This is what Jesus wants us to understand. When you follow Jesus, you are blessed. When these two followed Jesus, what did He do?

John 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye?

As they follow Jesus He asks them, “What are you looking for?” In “The Gospel of John – A Commentary” by Frederick Dale Bruner he notes that these are the first words Jesus utters in the Gospel of John. Jesus asks, “What are YOU looking for?” The entire Gospel of John asks this question. What are YOU looking for in following Jesus?

Some people are looking for temporary blessing. That’s all they want. They are encountering sickness in their life, and want Jesus to take away that sickness. There’s lots of stories like this in the Bible. There was the story of Blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus. We are told in …

Mark 10:46-48 (NIV) {Jesus} came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Blind Bartimaeus followed Jesus, crying out for mercy. Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What do YOU want Me to do for YOU?” Bartimaeus told Jesus, “Teacher, I want to see”. And Jesus let him see – and Bartimaeus “followed Jesus along the road” (Mark 10:52). But he just followed Jesus a little way down the road. He got what he wanted, his eye sight. But Bartimaeus is lost to us after this. Will he be in Heaven? I don’t know.

There were some two other blind men that called out to Jesus, “Have mercy on us, O Lord” (Matthew 20:31). Jesus asked them, “What do YOU want Me to do for YOU?”, to which they replied, “Lord, open our eyes”. The Bible says:

Matthew 20:34 (NKJV) So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

Jesus healed their eyes, and “they followed Him”. Will they be in Heaven? I don’t know.

But I think if you follow Jesus, you’re pretty sure
you’re going to end up where He is!

A few chapters later in John we’ll read about a pitiful, crippled man who lays every day by a Pool called Bethesda. Jesus came up to him one day and asked, “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6). Though the man did not give Jesus a strictly “yes” or “no” answer, Jesus heard him out – then healed him. The man picked up his bed and walked – but he did not follow Jesus. Later Jesus came back to that man and said,

John 5:14-15 … “you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” 15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

The man did not follow Jesus. He got what he wanted from Jesus, and told the Pharisees that Jesus healed him. Will he be in Heaven? I don’t know. But I’ll tell you, the best place to be is following Jesus.

Two Disciples Get It Right

John 1:38-39 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? 39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

Jesus asks the two that follow Him (only TWO?), “What are YOU looking for?” Some follow Jesus for healing or good health. Some follow Jesus for a full belly. Some follow Jesus for a nice home, or money, or a good car. These two disciples of John got it right. Jesus asks them “What are YOU looking for?” and they say, “where dwellest thou?”. They want to see where Jesus lives. That’s the best place to be.

Throughout the Gospel of John Jesus describes Himself as “I AM”. He says,

I AM The Bread of Life (John 6:35).
It is Jesus Who supplies us with life.
I AM The Light of the World (John 8:12).
Jesus gives us light to see right.
I AM The Door of the sheep (John 10:7).
You cannot enter Heaven without Jesus.
I AM The Good Shepherd (John 10:14).
Jesus protects His sheep, His followers.
I AM The Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25).
Jesus has destroyed death for us.
I AM The Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).
Jesus teaches us the Way of God, the Truth of God, and the Life that leads to God.
I AM The True Vine (John 15:1).
As the grape clings to the vine, the Christian clings to Jesus.

If you are saved, you follow Jesus. But you do something else. Up to this point we don’t know who the two disciples are that follow Jesus. But now we read:

John 1:40-42 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias {Hebrew word messias transliterated by the KJV. Refers to the Greek Christos or Christ, the Savior}, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

Andrew went and got his brother “Simon Peter” and told him “We have found the MESSIAH or the Christ”. This is the Savior that God promised would come into the world in the Old Testament. Andrew “brought his brother to Jesus”. He just showed him Jesus. This is what we are called to do.

Closing: When Sherry and I were stationed in England for the United States Air Force we had the wonderful opportunity of riding the big red double decker buses in London. As a family (we had our three kids with us) we’d always go to the top of the bus – the upper “uncovered” floor, and enjoy a wonderful view as we rode around town. There were many times when we as a family were at a bus stop and, much to my dismay, the bus passed us by without stopping. Someone complained about this to the London Transit Authority, the organization that maintains the London City Buses. The London Transit Authority issued a public paper that stated the following: “It is impossible for us to maintain our schedule if we are always having to stop and pick up passengers”.

Obviously, the London Transit Authority forgot what its purpose is. Sadly many Christians have forgotten their purpose.

Without passengers the Transit Authority is unprofitable. Without passengers you need no buses. The business of the London Transit Authority is to take people around town in buses. The business of the Church is to lift up and glorify Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior. We are to follow Jesus. We are to kill sin in our lives, and shine as lights, glorifying Jesus as we follow Him. We are to bring others into proximity with Jesus. If you are saved, you are to live for and with Jesus.

May God touch your hearts with this devotional. Amen and amen.

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Following Jesus, genuine faith, going to heaven, salvation, true salvation | Leave a comment

From Gilgal To Bochim

Posted on February 13, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Johannes Plenio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-rice-field-1146708/

We saw last week how Israel, under the leadership of the Kenite turned Judite Caleb, followed God and was blessed. Before Joshua died he encouraged Israel to say true to God. Tonight let’s turn to Judges chapter 2 (though we will go back and finish Judges chapter 1). Read with me:

Judges 2:1-5 And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? 3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. 4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the Lord.

From Victory To Defeat

an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim

An “angel of the Lord” came to Israel with a message direct from God. The Angel spoke from God just as our Bible speaks from God. What caused the Angel to come? Because Israel had gone “from Gilgal to Bochim”. You read this as a Gentile and think, “so what?”. You have to look at the places, and see what happened in the contexts. The Angel came “from Gilgal”. The Bible tells us that ..

Gilgal (also called Bethel) is the place where the second generation of Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land.

It was at Gilgal that God had Israel cross into the Promised Land. The Priests were to go first, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, a holy box that contained manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the Ten Commandments on stone (Hebrews 9:4). As the Priests stepped into the Jordan, the Bible says:

Joshua 3:13 … when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.

God replicated what He did at the Red Sea with the first generation of Israel. While Moses (a Priest) held his rod over the water, the Red Sea parted and the people went through on dry land. As the second generation of Israel crossed the swollen Jordan River, the Priests step in carrying the Ark of the Covenant. As they step in the water, the water retreats, and stands up on both sides like it did with Moses 40 years before. Israel obeyed God, and started rolling forward.

Gilgal (the transliterated Hebrew word Gilgāl) means:
“a ROLLING WHEEL”.

Israel was on the move. Following God, they would be a juggernaut that nothing could stop! To help Israel remember this time, Joshua had every tribe pick set up a memorial stone at Gilgal (Joshua 4:19-20). When you follow God, you can do the impossible. The Scripture says:

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Jesus told us,

John 15:5 (ESV) I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

After Israel first entered the Promised Land at Gilgal, the Israelite men proved their faith by being circumcised at Gibeath-haaraloth (Joshua 5:3). The name Gibeath-haaraloth means “Hill of the Foreskins”. A circumcised warrior has trouble walking, much less fighting. Being circumcised by flint knives (Joshua 5:2-8), the nation of Israel – an estimated 6 million men – “remained in their places in the camp until they were healed” (Joshua 5:7). Had the enemy attacked, Israel would have been slaughter. But Beloved, if God tells you to do something, He will protect you while you do it.

God told Israel, “today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you” (Joshua 5:9). Israel was no longer enslaved to Egypt, sin, nor self. They followed the Living God. Israel celebrated the Passover at Gilgal (Joshua 5:10). On that same day God stopped providing Manna to Israel, as their sustenance would come from the Promised Land as they followed the Lord.

Israel went from Gilgal to “Bochim”. Gilgal means “a rolling wheel”. Israel was moving on and couldn’t be stopped. But “Bochim” (a transliteration of the Hebrew Bōḵîm) means
“Place of WEEPING”.

How did Israel come from a place of victory to a place of defeat, from a place of fullness to a hungering place, from a place of joy to a place of misery? Let’s go back and finish Chapter One.

Israel Started Great, But Began To Drift

Judges 1:17-18 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah. 18 Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.

Judah, led by Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite (Numbers 32:12; 34:19) utterly destroyed the Canaanite city called “Zephath” (which means “Watchtower”). I’m guessing this was a key stronghold of the enemy. After destroying the city it was called “Hormah” (Hebrew ḥārmâ) which means “devoted to destruction” or “broken rock”. Judah was on the roll. Why? Because we read:

Judges 1:19 And the Lord was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

God was with Judah. Judah found it easy to drive out the Canaanites in the mountains, BUT “could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley”. Those in the mountains had no iron chariots, as horse could only pull these heavily armored carriages on flat land. But in the valley they had “chariots of iron”. Why couldn’t Judah drive out the Canaanites in the valley? Was it because “iron chariots” are too strong for God? Is God like Superman – and IRON (the fourth MOST ABUNDANT element in the earth’s crust) just causes God to go, “Boy, that’s just too much for Me!” No, that’s foolish! “There is nothing too hard for God” (Jeremiah 32:17). The problem wasn’t God – it was Judah.

It was easy for Judah to defeat those in the mountains, but more difficult in the valleys. Too often Christians give up when things get hard. But God allows the hardness to grow our faith.

Joshua had told the Israelites, “You SHALL drive out the Canaanites, even though they have CHARIOTS OF IRON and though they are strong” (Joshua 17:18). It was not that Judah couldn’t do it. It was that it became what they thought was “too hard” or “too uncomfortable”. The Bible says in …

James 1:2-4 (ESV) Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

I’ll be the first to say I hate difficulties. I hate having to work things out. Once I get everything set up the way I want it, I want it to stay the way it is. But life isn’t this way. Life has ebb and flow. Life has high and lows. Life has good and bad. We are told in

Job 5:7 (ESV) … {people} are born to trouble, as the sparks {of a campfire} fly upward

Even Apostles had to learn that – though trials may come – we are to keep on following God one day at a time, one step at a time. Before the Apostle Paul said “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me”, he wrote:

Philippians 4:11-12 (ESV) … I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

Sometimes the Canaanites will be on the mountain, and we can easily knock them off, because God is on the mountain with us. But sometimes the Canaanites are in the valley in iron chariots. They can still be defeated, but we have to grit our teeth and do the unpleasant and difficult thing. And yet God has said,

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV) … “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Judges 1:20 … And they {Judah} gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.

Was Judah’s failure to defeat the Canaanites in iron chariots Caleb’s fault? Absolutely not! Caleb was following God. The “three sons of Anak” were giants, of a race of giants called the Anakim (see Numbers 13:33; Deuteronomy 1:28; 2:21). The giant that the Shepherd David fought named Goliath was descended from the Anakim. One commentary notes:

“The Masoretic Text, the Hebrew text that has long been accepted by the Jewish people, states that Goliath’s height was “six cubits and one span.” Taking a cubit to be approximately eighteen inches and a span to equal six, this figures to a height of approximately nine feet, six inches. … His bronze armor alone weighed 125 pounds (1 Samuel 17:5)”

The iron blade of Goliath’s spear weighed 15 pounds. The man was a beast! And yet Caleb defeated three Goliaths. Why? Because Caleb trusted God, and kept striving to do what God said. Too often we give up too soon – and suffer for it! We need to keep on following God.

Illustrate: A very weak and sickly Christian withdrew from his Church and his family, and just wanted to die. Coughing, he often spit up blood. He prayed, and asked the Lord to take him home to Heaven. The Lord spoke to him. “There’s a boulder near the edge of your property. I want you to push on that rock every day. Push it because I said so. Keep pushing, and I’ll bring you home”. So every day the man would get up, and go out to push the rock. It didn’t move. He pushed and pushed, until sweat popped out of his body. He pushed every day for several hours, rain or shine, cold or hot. After a few years passed he was rocking on his front porch, about to go out and push the rock again, the Lord spoke to him. The man said, “Lord, I did what You told me to do. I pushed the rock – but I couldn’t get it to move. The Lord asked, “How are you feeling?”. The man said, I feel great. But I can’t move that rock. Jesus said, “Go look in the mirror, and tell me what you see”. The man looked – and he was no longer sickly and broken. He was strong, fit, and able to stand up straight. His cough was gone. Jesus said, “I never asked you to move the rock. I asked you to push the rock. While you obeyed me, your life changed. That rock made you stronger, made you a powerful son of God”.

Mark 11:22 (ESV) .. Have faith in God …

Some Quit When It’s Hard, Others Compromise With The World

Judges 1:21 And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

The city of Jerusalem was on the border of Judah and Benjamin’s territory, but it was mostly inside of Benjamin’s lot. So the “children of Benjamin” were supposed to run the Jebusites out of that city. Yet the didn’t. Why? Was it because they couldn’t. Not, it was because they compromised with the unbelievers.

Churches today are encouraged by social media, network news, and other churches that have compromised with the world to “just go along to get along”. The Bible tells us to not compromise with the darkness. God had told Israel to run the Canaanites – including the Jebusites – out of the land. One commentary notes:

“As we go through this world, we will hear many calls to compromise. The “fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25), “hollow and deceptive philosophy” (Colossians 2:8), and “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) all tempt us to compromise in areas we should not. Usually, the temptation to compromise is heightened by some type of fear, such as the fear of being rejected or criticized. What makes compromise so dangerous is the subtle way it approaches us. Compromise, by definition, doesn’t involve a wholesale capitulation to worldly ways or ideals; rather, it accommodates them. Most of us would recoil at the thought of tossing Jesus aside and embracing an idol, but compromise never asks us to do that. Compromise says that we can have the idol and keep Jesus, too. There’s room on the shelf for one more object of worship, right? And what’s the harm, since we still have Jesus?”

Compromise with the world will spread through the whole Church if unchecked. We read:

Judges 1:22-26 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the Lord was with them. 23 And the house of Joseph (tribe of Ephraim & the half tribe of Manasseh) sent to descry (tûr, seek out, survey) Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.) 24 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy. 25 And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family. 26 And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day.

The House of Joseph (Ephraim and the half tribe of Manasseh) goes to the House of Bethel (means “House of God”) to take it. Rather than trust in the Lord, the House of Joseph sees a man and tells him, “Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy”. Some have compared this to what Jacob did with Rahab the Harlot and her family in taking Jericho. Rahab was at one time a Canaanite Prostitute, but she came to believe in Israel’s God, the God of the Scripture. When Rahab hid the spies from the Canaanites, she turned on her own people to do what God put on her heart. As a result she was saved. When God praises the faith of the elders in

Hebrews 11:30-31 (ESV)By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

James 2:25 (ESV) … was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

Rahab and her family was not only saved by faith in God, but Rahab became part of lineage of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 1:5). The man that the spies questioned did not believe in God, but was compelled to tell them a secret way into the city in order to save his own life. Once the man was released, he went to the land of the unbelieving Hittites, and built a city there. Though the House of Joseph took Bethel, they did so in the power of man, not the power of God. They compromised their faith in God. This would come back to haunt Israel.

Instead Of Obeying God – I’ve Got An Idea!

Judges 1:27-28 Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. 28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.

Israel’s tribes are compromising more and more with the Canaanites. Manasseh did not trust God, but instead made them their servants. The Canaanites were told to pay “tribute” or taxes to Israel. As long as they paid their taxes, they could keep on living in the land and in the various cities that were not conquered.

Judges 1:29-33 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. 30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries. 31 Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob: But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out. 33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.

You see the words “Neither did” repeated over and over again. Have you ever seen dominoes, stood in lines on end, and when one domino fell, it knocked the other down, and so on and so forth until ALL the dominoes are laying flat on the floor in total disarray. That’s what this section of Scripture is like. One nation compromised with the world, and then another, and then another. This is how evil spreads.

Jesus said to His Church:

Matthew 5:13-16 (ESV) “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

We as God’s people are commanded to obey Him, to do what He has said do. Israel refused to do this. Instead they started a slow drift away from God. So the Angel of God comes and tells them:

Judges 2:1 And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

God is not the problem that Israel has. God led Israel to the Promised Land, just as He said He would. God never broke His word.

Judges 2:2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

God was VERY CLEAR what He expected of His people. God is VERY CLEAR with us in the Church. He has given us two great Commandments:

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto {US}, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

That’s very clear. There is no ambiguity there. In fact, every Scripture that God gives us command is very clearly black and white. God is not hard to understand – unless our hearts are hardened. Israel knew EXACTLY what they were supposed to do. We read on:

Judges 2:3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

God gives us a choice. The way to blessing and peace is to follow the Lord. You can’t take the Promised Land if you don’t listen to the Voice of the Maker of the Promised Land. There are consequences for disobeying God. You can be saved, and drift away from victory and blessing to defeat and misery. Have you drifted?

I was talking to someone the other day about their faith in Christ. They claim to love the Lord, to be saved – and yet have drifted away. So I asked them some questions to do a little spiritual triage. What is spiritual triage? Well, medical triage is “a preliminary assessment of patients or casualties to determine the urgency of their need for treatment”. Spiritual triage is similar to this. If you are born again – saved by faith in Christ – there are certain evidences that this is true. So let’s examine three questions.

1 Do you love and honor the Word of God? It is faith in the Word of God that leads you to a state of salvation. The Gospel is found in the Word of God. The truths of our faith are found in the Word of God. If you are born again by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you should love and adhere to the Word of God.

2 Do you love the God Who saved you? Do you care more about what He thinks and says than what the world thinks and says? Do you keep His commandments. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments”. (John 14:15-24; 1 John 2:5-6). If you do not love God nor want to keep His commandments, then you are probably not saved.

3 Do you love the Church that Jesus died for? Jesus said, “Upon this Rock I will build MY CHURCH” (Matthew 16:18). Have you abandoned the Church to “do my own thing”? The Church is the Kingdom of God, the Family of God. If you do not love the Church, you may not be saved. What do you think Heaven will be, but a gathering of the Church?

I guess this could all be condensed to “Do you love?” Those who are saved love the Word of God. Those who are saved love God. Those who are saved love the Church, and truthfully, all people. Do not base your salvation on what the world says – but on what God says. Repent, and turn to Jesus Christ. Give your life unconditionally to Him, for He died unconditionally for you. Follow Him, for He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. May God the Holy Spirit draw you to a saving faith in God through Jesus. Amen and Amen.

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged Faith, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, Israel, love God, obedience | Leave a comment

IF You Sin

Posted on February 12, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Mitja Juraja: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-skull-970517/

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The Devil Is A Deceiver

It wasn’t very long from the time that Jesus raised up from the grave that the devil began his attacks against the Church. Satan started with lying and open persecution, the exact same thing that he did with Jesus. Satan encouraged the religious establishment – the Chief Priests of Israel – to band together on a lie. The guard that was at the Tomb of Jesus …

Matthew 28:11-15 (ESV) … went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

Based on this lie, the Priests of Judaism began to present Christianity as a harmful and treasonous cult. When the Apostles went out preaching the Gospel, “{the Pharisees} beat them and {commanded} them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go” (Acts 5:40, ESV). The Leader of the Church in Jerusalem, the Apostle James, was killed by Herod the King (Acts 12:2). The Evangelist and Deacon Stephen was stoned to death with rocks, a brutal death! (Acts 7:59, 8:2). A Pharisee called Saul of Tarsus was hired to systemically seek out and kill Christians (Acts 9:1). This continued throughout much of the early Church years.

The problem with martyring a person is that it has a boomerang effect. When you kill someone for their faith, you can make them a hero. The last know gladiator fight was on January 1, 404 AD. A Christian simply called Telemachus (from Asia, the area of modern day Turkey) felt led of the Lord to visit the Coliseum in Rome. When he saw two gladiators fighting, he somehow got out into the midst of the Coliseum. Pushing between the gladiators, he shouted out,

“In the name of Christ, forbear {stop}”

Pushed to the ground, the furious crowd, angry that the event was interrupted, began to throw stones at Telemachus until he died. Shocked and convicted by this death, Roman Emperor Honorius put a stop to the gladiator battles forever (Theodoret’s Ecclesiastical History, Book V, Chapter XXVI). An honorable person being martyred can stop Satan’s plans.

The devil loves deception and lies. He twists the Scripture.

The other day I watched a live “Open Microphone” from First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Their Pastor, Dr. Heath Lambert, invited anyone in the audience to ask him questions about the “First Baptist Statement on Biblical Sexuality”. The statement requires a signature by all members of the congregation, to be returned NLT March 19, 2023 if you want to remain on the membership roll. Pastor Heath was very clear that whether you signed the statement or not you were free to attend every service of the Church. The statement is:

“As a member of First Baptist Church, I believe that God creates people in his image as either male or female, and that this creation is a fixed matter of human biology, not individual choice. I believe marriage is instituted by God, not government, is between one man and one woman, and is the only context for sexual desire and expression.”

Some pastors were quick to speak up and condemn the statement. Brian Lays, Senior Pastor at Riverside Presbyterian in Jacksonville said,

“We don’t think that anything other than faith in Christ should be what determines membership. To anyone who has been ostracized by their church on account of their self-understanding or sexual orientation, I would first offer an apology on behalf of my fellow Christians for the ways in which we have pushed people away.”

First Baptist is not OSTRACIZING {that’s a fancy word which means “to exclude from a society or group”} anyone. What did the Apostle Paul tell the Church at Ephesus?

Ephesians 5:1-12 (ESV) Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

These are not MY WORDS, but the Words of God through the Apostle Paul. It is certain in my mind that homosexuality and transgender confusion is no worse than any other sins. Sin is sin. The Bible says over and over again:

Ezekiel 18:4 … the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Ezekiel 18:20 … the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Romans 6:23 … the wages of sin is death …

Illustrate: Throughout the Scriptures, you see over and over again that sin always brings forth death. Sin is a horrible thing. Sin is not like vitamin D. Not too long ago, my VA Doctor (Veteran’s Administration) told me that I was “vitamin D deficient”. She prescribed that I take 1000 IU (25 mcg) each day. I started out doing that, then I thought, “Hey, if 1000 IU is good, why not take 10,000? Certainly that would be better”. No, it wasn’t. The VA pulled me off of Vitamin D because I was taking too much in. A little sin is not like a vitamin. It’s not good. Sin is always bad. Pastor John Owen wrote in his book, “The Mortification of Sin”:

“Be killing sin or sin will be killing you!”

Pastor Adrian Rogers said:

“Don’t get the idea that Jesus died to save you from Hell. He died to save you from sin! If He doesn’t save you from sin – then He won’t save you from Hell!”

He also said, “Nothing is more destructive than sin. Sin fascinates – and then it assassinates. Sin thrills – and then it kills.”

One more. Adrian said, “I was born running TOWARD sin. But once I was BORN AGAIN, I started running AWAY from sin”.

As I listened the open mike, and the responses that Pastor Heath gave his people, it became evident to me that many (not all, but many) in the audience did not read their Bibles, but they sure loved Twitter and Facebook. Many were having a hard time understanding the difference between being a member of a Church, and professing salvation. I liked the illustration Brother Heath Lambert used. He said that the Head Coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars Doug Pederson has a standard that his players have to meet. ANYONE can come and watch a game, be in the stands, and cheer either for or against the Jaguars. ANYONE! But if you play on the team, there is a standard.

But I Thought All Christians Were Sinners

We saw in …

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Illustrate: John speaks in the present tense. We HAVE sin. While we are in this mortal flesh, we sometimes stumble, and do that which we should not do. Just the other day someone treated me disrespectfully. I don’t know if they knew they were disrespectful or not. But if I did to them what they did to me, they would have been angry with me. My initial response was to repay them in kind. That was in my heart. But after a little while, God the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, and told me that such behavior is NOT indicative of a Child of God. I repented, and did the right thing the the one who wronged me.

We sin, and are scarred by sin. The Apostle Paul said of his life:

1 Timothy 1:15 (ESV) The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

The Stepbrother of Jesus wrote that when a brother or sister in the faith of Christ “wanders from the truth”, then we are to … well, let’s see what James says:

James 5:19-20 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

When believers “WANDER FROM THE TRUTH” (what the Bible says is true), we as Christians do not say “well you wander all you want – I’ll just be here loving you”. No, we are to “BRING THEM BACK” to the TRUTH. When you bring that believer, here called “A SINNER”, back to the Truth (as God has defined truth), then you “save his {or HER} soul from death”. Sin always brings about death. James said at the beginning of his Book:

James 1:14-15 (ESV) …. each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

This is why John starts Chapter 2 with:

1 John 2:1 … My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

If you are God’s “LITTLE CHILDREN”, that is, “CHILDREN OF GOD BY FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS” (Galatians 3:26), then God’s standard for you and I is that “YE SIN NOT”. The Devil Lucifer is a master at twisting the truth, especially the truths of God’s Word.

Two of the ancient lies that the Devil has infiltrated into the Church from the beginning is Salvation By Works, and Saved Regardless Of Works. The first lie was brought in by Pharisees, and the second lie by those called Gnostics.

The Pharisees who infiltrated the Church said, “You can be saved by faith in Christ PLUS circumcision {or water baptism, or by tithing, or by Church membership, and so on}”. This is not true. Salvation is by FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE. The Bible says:

Ephesians 2:8-9 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.

It is God Who gives us Grace. It is God Who secured our salvation. It is God Who paid for our sins on the Cross. It is God Who opens our eyes to the Gospel of salvation. Jesus said,

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.

God DRAWS us to Jesus so that we can walk with Him, not against Him. Salvation is a free gift that we receive upon repenting and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. What does the Scripture say?:

Romans 10:9-13 (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. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

We are saved when we – drawn by the Holy Spirit if God – respond by repenting of our past, and believing that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord. Saved, we now walk with Christ.

If you profess to be a Christian, but are ENDORSING sin instead of RUNNING AWAY from sin, then you have deceived yourself. Remember the Gospel that John shared in Chapter 1:

John 1:5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Phariseeism says, “Work harder to be saved!” Gnosticism says, “Since you’re saved, sin all you want!” Neither teaching is compatible with the “Faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

The True Gospel Is God Balanced

The FALSE Gospel is MAN balanced, but the TRUE Gospel is GOD balanced. What does this mean?

When you are saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you become a child of God. You are no longer your own – you are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). We are to glorify God, not please others. We are called by God as His Children to “stand in awe of Him, and SIN NOT” (Psalm 4:4). We are to “AWAKE to RIGHTEOUSNESS, and SIN NOT” (1 Corinthians 15:34).

God does not call us to be “woke in culture” but “awake to God”.

As Children of God we are to avoid sin. But if we sin (and we will) we cannot fix it in our own power. We are saved by the power of God. We are also “kept by the power of God THROUGH faith” (1 Peter 1:5). John said:

vs 1 we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous

Word Study: I and every Christian has an “advocate”. This is a very interesting word in the Greek. It is paraklētos, which means “One Who comes alongside to aid or comfort, one Who pleads our case before a righteous Judge”. The word is used for our Jesus, and Jesus used the word for the Holy Spirit of God (see John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). When we sin the devil will whisper condemnation not only in OUR ears, but in the ears of those around us. “If she were a Christian, she’d know better!” The religious Pharisees did the same thing with our Lord Jesus (see Luke 7:39). We have a Savior Who – always righteous – nonetheless always stands with us, pleading our case, lifting us up. When we sin, we recognize and reject our sin. We then call upon the name of the Lord, and run into His arms.

Finally, we read:

vs 2 {Jesus} is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Word Study: The word “propitiation” is the Greek hilasmós, meaning “the atonement” or “that which appeases God’s wrath against sin”. God despises sin. Sin destroys, and brings the wrath of God on those who do it. It is only through faith in Christ our sins are covered. It is only by His Blood and His Representation that we stand in front of God as Children and not enemies.

Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile wrote:

“Only those who overcome, who persevere in faith until the end, will receive the Reward. We are kept by God’s power through faith. Our inheritance is preserved for us in heaven. But, forgive me, this is not easy. This is not achieved while rolling over again and again on our beds, while drinking in the poisons of sinful entertainments, or giving ourselves to unrighteousness. The one we serve is our master–whether mammon, sin, or Christ. We serve Christ by His grace through faith and in the power of His indwelling Spirit. He is our holiness with which we will see God. … We wage war in the power of Christ. We put to death the misdeeds of the flesh. We gouge out and cut off. We deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow daily. We do not shrink back from death and persecution and starvation and the enemy’s assaults. We stand. And doing all, we stand.”

God’s people do not minimize nor normalize sin of any type. We cast it off. This is what the Lord’s Table is about. Being saved from sin, we are to walk with Jesus. Not just today, not just tomorrow, but forever. I loved an illustration that commentator Neal Foard made. He said:

“When Teddy Roosevelt, our 26^th President, was 19 years old, his father sent him on a four month tour of Europe. Teddy was very diligent in sending back messages to his father about all the astonishing buildings and monuments and natural wonders that he’d seen. He was surprised … to get this furious response back from his father saying… ‘I did not send you across the ocean to get excited about seeing statues. I sent you there to learn about those people. What do they think? How do they think? What matters to them, country by country. You should share meals with them and speak their languages … their lives should be of keen interest to you. And through your interest and attention in them, you should leave them with a good impression of Americans.”

Do you know why God left us on this earth, dear Christian? It is so we could go out and show others how sons and daughters of Heaven live their lives. We are purposely NOT to be like the world. In fact, we should EXPECT to be hated. But we are to love others, and do good toward all. But here’s the truth:

We always love God first and foremost. And God despises sin.

Closing Illustration: When I was a little boy, I remember going to my Aunt Edna’s house with mama. While there, my brother Mark and I thought of a good joke we’d play on Aunt Edna. She hated bugs, so we went out in the woods, dug up some worms, cut them up, and put them on Aunt Edna’s door knob. When she saw it, sweet lady that she is, she was shocked. Mama yelled at my brother and I, and we cleaned the door knob off. I think we both felt ashamed, because we loved our Aunt Edna.

If you’re a Christian, quit rubbing cut up worms on Heaven’s Door Knob. God can’t stand sin. He proved that by killing His own Son for us. How dare we rewrite the Book of God in order to please the confused but lost? Let us live first and foremost for Jesus. Let us share the Gospel of salvation, that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins, but not only for ours, but for the sins of the whole world.

May God the holy Spirit draw your hearts to Christ and to salvation not to be repented of this very day. Amen and Amen.

Posted in 1 John, Sermons Preached | Tagged born again, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, Jesus Christ, Jesus is Lord, love God, overcoming sin, salvation, sin not my master | Leave a comment

Today The Day of Salvation
April 2026

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What Is A “Biblical Worldview”?

People say, “There are many ways to God”. The Scripture says, “You are a LIAR if you believe this! There is only ONE WAY to the Fatherhood of God.”

The Father says – through the Scripture – “If you receive My Son as your Savior and Lord, I receive YOU as my Child. When I receive you as My Child, you get all the blessings that come with this high state of being.

God Gave Us His Spirit To Teach Us The Bible

You cannot CHERRY PICK what you want to believe out of this Bible. You believe it as God’s Word, or you believe it as something else.

It is the WORD of God that shows us the WILL of God, and teaches us how to do the WORK of God.

The Spirit Through The Scripture Makes UsMore Like The Son Of God

The Christian – a Child of God by faith in Jesus, a born again Child of God by the empowerment of the Spirit – is called to ABIDE. We ABIDE in the Scripture.

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On The Third Day

Family Matters

Do What Jesus Says!

Only God can turn nothing into something. Only God can do what Jesus does. Only Jesus can do what God does.

God asks us to do the possible, and He will do the impossible. “Top off the pots”. Obey Christ’s command. He will do the rest!

There Is NO Blessing Without Obedience

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There Are Two Reasons The Wicked Are Blessed

God tests INDIVIDUAL believers, but also tests His KINGDOM.

“Above all else, GUARD YOUR HEART,for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23)

Othniel was of the tribe of Judah, a nephew of Caleb, but just as we all are subject to failure. God raised him up … and God EQUIPPED him to do what he was called to do.

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Worldly Solutions Will Not Fix Worldly Hearts

Do Not Love The World’s Ways, Dear Christian

If God’s Word does not support what is being said, then we need to reject the word we are hearing as inferior, a word from Satan and not God.

Christians Are Called To Obedience

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Jesus Is Looking For Searching Hearts

I believe God is looking for those whose hearts are seeking Him.

Jesus doesn’t introduce Himself.He walks up to Philip and says, “Follow Me”.

For Whom Did Christ Come?

God The Son Saw Nathanael Under The Fig Tree

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We Are Saved To Shine Against Darkness

The faith that saves “believes that God is” as He says He is. The faith that blesses must “diligently seek Him”. God blesses those who shine for Him.

Plant The Gospel Seed Where You Can – Or Else

We live in a day of “easy believism” that touts a salvation without a Sovereign, and Calvary without a Cross.

When God’s People Sin, The Great Shepherd Punishes

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Yes, We Avoid Sin… But Being A Christian Is More:Christians DO What Our God Says.

“I can RECEIVE Jesus as SAVIOR and yetREJECT Him as SOVEREIGN LORD and still be saved”.

Do You KNOW – Intimately Know – Jesus?

The Holy Spirit indwells the Saved!

A Christian is in a God indwelt relationship with the Creator

Those Truly Saved Will Seek To Walk as Jesus Walked

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When Did We First See “The Word Become Flesh?”

Jesus came to pay for our sins and to walk with us in life!

The glory of Jesus is that He is persistent. He keeps on calling us, and keeps on bidding us to follow Him!

But I think if you follow Jesus, you’re pretty sureyou’re going to end up where He is!

Two Disciples Get It Right

Obviously, the London Transit Authority forgot what its purpose is. Sadly many Christians have forgotten their purpose.

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From Victory To Defeat

Gilgal (also called Bethel) is the place where the second generation of Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land.

Gilgal (the transliterated Hebrew word Gilgāl) means:“a ROLLING WHEEL”.

Israel Started Great, But Began To Drift

It was easy for Judah to defeat those in the mountains, but more difficult in the valleys. Too often Christians give up when things get hard. But God allows the hardness to grow our faith.

Some Quit When It’s Hard, Others Compromise With The World

Instead Of Obeying God – I’ve Got An Idea!

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The Devil Is A Deceiver

The devil loves deception and lies. He twists the Scripture.

But I Thought All Christians Were Sinners

Two of the ancient lies that the Devil has infiltrated into the Church from the beginning is Salvation By Works, and Saved Regardless Of Works. The first lie was brought in by Pharisees, and the second lie by those called Gnostics.

We are saved when we – drawn by the Holy Spirit if God – respond by repenting of our past, and believing that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord. Saved, we now walk with Christ.

The True Gospel Is God Balanced

The FALSE Gospel is MAN balanced, but the TRUE Gospel is GOD balanced. What does this mean?

God does not call us to be “woke in culture” but “awake to God”.

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David Buffaloe

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Today The Day of Salvation

The Spirit Through The Scripture Makes Us
More Like The Son Of God

“Above all else, GUARD YOUR HEART,
for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23)

Jesus doesn’t introduce Himself.
He walks up to Philip and says, “Follow Me”.

Yes, We Avoid Sin… But Being A Christian Is More:
Christians DO What Our God Says.

“I can RECEIVE Jesus as SAVIOR and yet
REJECT Him as SOVEREIGN LORD and still be saved”.

But I think if you follow Jesus, you’re pretty sure
you’re going to end up where He is!

Gilgal (the transliterated Hebrew word Gilgāl) means:
“a ROLLING WHEEL”.