Speaking The Truth In Love

Posted on February 16, 2021 by bibleteacherorg

Ephesians 4:15 … but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ …

Ephesians 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

We live in a day where the truth is very scarce – even rare. The big thing we hear today is “Follow the Science”. Mike Huckabee recently stated on his February 7, 2021 show:

“..when I’m told that a biological boy can declare himself to be a girl, and even participate in girl’s sports, I’m wondering what the science is that says that makes sense. … How is a woman’s health protected by conducting an unnatural, irreversible, surgical procedure that results in the death of a baby? Especially when the baby is a girl … a future woman?”

That is a very truthful statement. What does the Science say? But here’s a better question. What does the Bible say? What does Jesus say? When Jesus was questioned about marriage, His response was:

Matthew 19:4-6 … Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

In today’s world we are being told to go along with the crowd. We are being told as God’s Church to use gender neutral pronouns, and to recognize that biological men are women because to do otherwise will be to offend them, and hurt their feelings. We are being told to redefine marriage as Jesus and our Father has said it should be, to toss away Biblical definitions, and go with what others feel. Truth today is relative, variable, based upon what the crowd says.

When Jesus prayed for His Church, He prayed that we would be “sanctified through God’s Truth – God’s Word is truth” (John 17:17). Throughout the Bible one of the most used phrases is “It is written”. God’s Word is TRUTH. When Jesus Christ left Heaven to come to this earth, He did so to reveal the TRUTH to us all. Jesus said:

John 18:37 … To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Jesus bears witness to the TRUTH. God’s people, heeding Jesus, HEARS His truthful voice. Though the world, just like the Governor Pilate in John 18:38, asks the question:

“What is TRUTH?”

Truth is not fluid, changeable based upon what we feel!

Illustrate I remember an old Andy Griffith show called Mr. McBeevee. It first aired on October 1, 1962 when I was but 3 ¾ years old! Opie Taylor begins to tell his dad about a man named Mr. McBeevee that he met in the woods. Opie did meet such a man, a fellow that was a lineman, someone who climbed trees to reach power lines that were near the woods the child played in. His dad Andy, good natured, goes along with Opie’s stories of Mr McBeevee – that is, until Opie starts coming home with gifts from what Andy believes is an imaginary friend. Andy tells Opie if he doesn’t start telling the truth, he will be spanked – but Opie, though tempted, refuses to change his story. Mr McBeevee “walks around in the trees”. He “jingles as he walks” (this is his tool belt making noise). He “wears a shiny hat on his head” (this is his helmet). The man is real, though Andy has never met him. At the end of the episode Andy decides not to punish Opie, but in frustration goes out to the woods where his son often plays. As he, frustrated, cries out “Mr McBeevee!”, above him in the trees a man hollers, “Hello!” He comes down from the lines via the trees, much to Andy’s surprise and relief, proving Opie was telling the truth all along.

Beloved, God’s people are to “speak the truth IN LOVE”. There is a truth, a truth that transcends all others, a truth taught in this glorious old Book we call the Bible. We are to – like Opie – speak the truth in love, even if it means getting a whipping from others who – like Andy – misunderstand us. It is only by speaking God’s truth – His Bible – that others are led to Christ. It is only by speaking the truth that other believers in Jesus near us “may grow up into {Christ} in all things, which is the head, even Christ”. God saved us, and wants us to be like Jesus. God wants others to come to know Jesus. We MUST speak the truth IN LOVE.

We Are To Be Like Jesus, Not The Devil
Speak THE TRUTH in LOVE

God despises lies. It was a lie spoken by the serpent Satan that led Adam to eat that which was forbidden. The devil said in Eden:

Genesis 3:4-5 … Ye shall not surely die: 5 for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Lies and liars pull people away from God! When you lie, and do not speak the truth of God’s Word, you imitate the Devil!

The Psalmist declared:

Psalm 5:4, 6 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak LEASING {leasing is the Hebrew כָּזָב kâzâb, pronounced kaw-zawb’ which means “deceitfully or dishonestly”}: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

We are to speak the truth in love. Not harshly. Not vindictively, nor pridefully. But in LOVE. We are to be kind in our speaking. We are to remember that we “once were lost, but now are found, were blind, but now we see”. Love should be in our hearts and our voices when we reject the world’s lies. Yet we ARE to SPEAK THE TRUTH. We are not to lie to either saved or lost people. If you are saved, you are commanded to “put off” that old way of life Jesus saved you from.

Colossians 3:8-9 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Fear may tempt us to lie. Look to the Lord!

Abram, who is also Abraham the father of faith, allowed fear to lead him to lie. As Abram went where the Lord told him to go, he and his family had to pass through Egypt. Abram told his wife Sarai:

Genesis 12:11-13 …. Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: 12 therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. 13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

What Abram did at this point was NOT a noble, faithful thing. He had Sarai lie in order to protect his own life. Fear rather than faith was driving him. I have heard some excuse Abram’s behavior by saying, “Well, Sarai was Abram’s half sister, so he really wasn’t lying. He was just hiding part of the truth out of fear for his life”. Beloved, Abram was lying. A half truth is a half lie. God never justified Abram’s action in Egypt, neither does He justify Abraham when he does the same thing with Abimelech king of Gerar. God has to intervene, and warn Abimelech that Sarah is Abraham’s wife. Abimelech chastises Abraham, saying:

Genesis 20:9-10 …. What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. 10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

Abraham justifies his action by saying “I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake. 12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife” (Genesis 20:11-12). Abraham bore false witness to Sarah, and by his actions nearly led an innocent but lost man into sinning against God. Beloved, lies are dangerous. To give a half truth is to give a half lie.

The Worst Of All Lies Is The False Witness

When people think about the Ten Commandments, they think that one of those ten is “Thou shalt not lie”. That’s not true. The Ninth Commandment states:

Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

To bear FALSE WITNESS is to make a statement about another person’s person that is not true. This was done to Jesus at His trial.

Matthew 26:59-63 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61 and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63 But Jesus held his peace.

God despises the false witness, the person who speaks lies about another’s person. God tells His people:

Exodus 23:1 Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

God’s people are to be salt and light. We are not to bear false witness against anyone. The Bible does not restrict this just for fellow believers, but speaks of your neighbor. Your neighbor is whoever is near you at any time. “Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor (Deuteronomy 5:20). The Bible tells us a shocking thing about God – God does HATE. What does He hate?

God HATES The False Witness!

Proverbs 6:16-19 says,These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 a proud look, a LYING tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A FALSE WITNESS THAT SPEAKS LIES, and he that sows discord among the brethren …

Two of the six things that God hates is LIES. The LYING tongue, and the false witness speaking LIES.

Have you ever heard that often quoted Scripture text, Deuteronomy 19:21? How many have ever heard someone say,

Deuteronomy 19:21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

This verse is usually quoted out of context. The context has to do with FALSE WITNESSES. The whole of the text is:

Deuteronomy 19:16-21 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; 17 then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; 18 and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19 then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. 20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. 21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

That “eye for an eye” thing is tied to the FALSE WITNESS. Whatever judgment would have been made against the accused would instead be made against the FALSE WITNESS. God said that by doing this, “you would put away this evil from among you”. God despises the false witness, the one who tells lies about another person’s character.

Why Doesn’t The Ten Commandments Say
“Thou Shalt Not Lie?”

Let’s look at the 9th commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor”, through Jesus’ eyes. Jesus said that “the GREAT COMMANDMENT in the Law” is…

Matthew 22:37-40 … 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.

Jesus made these two commandments the core of the Law of God. Every part of the Law must be interpreted through the lens of these two commandments.

When Abram, and later Abraham bore false witness about his wife in order to save his own life, he was violating the Ninth Commandment as well as the general principle, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”. Sarai was Abram’s neighbor, as was the Pharaoh who chastised Abram, saying:

Genesis 12:18-19 … What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? 19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

Abraham would later also be in the wrong when he did the same thing to Sarah and Abimelech (Genesis 20). The son born to Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, would follow in his father’s footsteps when he went through Gerar.

Genesis 26:6-10 Isaac dwelt in Gerar: 7 and the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. 8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife. 9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

First Abraham, now Isaac! Though Abraham had the excuse “Well, she IS my HALF sister”, Isaac had no such excuse. Abimelech chewed out Isaac, saying …

Genesis 26:10 … What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

Isaac and Abraham hiding the identity of their wives in order to protect their own lives shows us all that FEAR can rule us. It shouldn’t, but it can. Later on after these events their wives would make demands of them, or misuse them, because they had not been treated with love. What a horrible thing it is to bear false witness against another! The Bible tells us that in Heaven there will be NO ONE who “loveth and maketh a lie” (Revelation 22:15). Love does not bear false witness. God’s people are to “speak the truth in LOVE”.

So why doesn’t the Ninth Commandment say “Thou shalt not lie”? It is because there are times when love will demand we carefully use deception for a greater good.

A good example of this is in the Book of Joshua. Before Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, we read:

Joshua 2:1-6 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there. 2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. 3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. 4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: 5 and it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. 6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.

Somehow the King of Jericho heard of these spies, and knew they went to Rahab’s home. The King told Rahab to “bring those men forth”. Rahab hid the spies on the “roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof”. Rahab said (and I’m going to put this in modern English so you can understand it):

“Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. It came about, when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”

Rahab lied. She used deception for a greater good. So what does the Bible say about Rahab?

  • First, Rahab is in the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). Rahab married Salmon, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. She and Salmon bore a child, Boaz, the husband of Ruth. Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather, is a direct descendant of Rahab.
  • Second, Rahab hid the spies out of faith in our God. The Bible commends her action of hiding the spies in Hebrews 11:31, which says “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” Rahab had faith in God, saving faith, and her actions in hiding the spies and yes, lying, were acts of faith. Rahab told the two spies, “the Lord your God is God in Heaven above and on earth below” (Joshua 2:11). Rahab agreed to save the spies if her family was protected (Joshua 2:12-14). Rahab “bound a line of scarlet thread in her window” (Joshua 2:18, 21) as the spies asked, and she and her family were saved.
  • Third, the stepbrother of Jesus, James, commended Rahab for receiving and hiding the spies. “In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (James 2:25-26).

Illustrate 1: We can see from the story of Rahab that there are times in life when deception must be used to save life. Suppose you were a Christian in Germany during World War II hiding Jews. In a recent Breakpoint Daily article John Stonestreet wrote: “Le Chambon-sur-Lignon is a small village in south-central France. Back in 1940, the total population of this area, including the surrounding villages, was only about 5,000. Sill, under the leadership of their Protestant Pastor André Trocmé and his wife, Magda, the residents of these villages were responsible for saving up to 5,000 Jews from deportation to Nazi concentration camps during World War II”. The only way these Christians could do this was by deception. The Pastor and his Church created an underground network to help Jews travel safely across the Swiss border. When the local officials found out what Pastor André was doing, they demanded he stop helping the Jews. The Pastor said, “These people came here for help and shelter. I am their shepherd. A shepherd does not forsake his flock. I do not know what a Jew is. I only know human beings”.

The Lord Jesus told us in Matthew 22:39 … Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself…

Would you be “loving your neighbor” if you aided the Nazis in putting the Jews on the cattle cars to Auschwitz? No, you wouldn’t. Love would dictate I hide that innocent from the concentration camps and nearly sure death.

Illustrate 2: In 2 Kings 6 there is another interesting Biblical account where deception is used, this time by the Prophet Elisha. The King of Syria was upset with Elisha because each time the King planned the capture of the king of Israel, Elisha would reveal the plan to the King of Israel, and the King of Israel would be protected. The King of Syria decided to capture Elisha. He sent a mighty force down to Dothan to take that precious old Prophet. When Elisha’s servant woke up, he saw that Dothan was surrounded by the Syrian Army. “What shall we do?”, he cried out to Elisha. Elisha simply said:

2 Kings 6:16-18 … Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

After Elisha had God blind his enemies, he used deception, and led them to Samaria where the Army of Israel was. We read:

2 Kings 6:19-20 … This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. 20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria …

Elisha did not tell the truth. He told them that he would lead them to Elisha, and led them to Samaria and certain capture. Elisha deceived, but did so for a higher good. When the King of Israel had the Syrians surrounded he asked Elisha:

2 Kings 6:21-23 … My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? 22 {Elisha} answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. 23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

Elisha used deception. But his deception saved his and his servant’s life. His deception also caused a bloodless battle, and life was saved all about. “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”!

Conclusion Of The Matter

It is tough being a Christian in a lost world. Jesus told us that we would be hated – and even tried – for our faith in Christ. Jesus told us to remember:

Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

The Christian has been “chosen out of the world” to follow Jesus, and “the world will hate us” (John 15:19; 1 John 3:13). Let us speak the truth in love to our neighbors. Let us not compromise the integrity of God’s Word, nor of the truth found in His Scripture. Let us stay the course, no matter how hard it might be. But also let us remember, we are to never bear false witness against anyone. We are to love God with our all, remembering that our God is the Lord God of TRUTH (Psalm 31:5). We are to love our neighbor as we would be loved. But if we must deceive, let us do so not to harm others, but to help others. Let us live wholeheartedly for Jesus in this lost and dying world.

May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen!

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There Are friends And There Are Friends

Posted on February 12, 2021 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Chang Duong on Unsplash

Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

We Were Designed To Have Friends

Humans were designed by Gods to be relational, to care for someone besides ourselves. When God created Adam it was never with the intent that Adam be alone. God declared his intention, however, before He did it. The Lord said:

Genesis 2:18 … It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Though God said this, He did not immediately create a companion for Adam. God wanted man to know that singular solitude was not what we are created for. Our God “formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them” (Genesis 2:19). God did not do this because He Himself couldn’t think up names for His creation. Our God,

Psalm 147:4 … telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names

God brought the animals to Adam so that Adam would see every creature had a counterpart, a mate. After Adam named all the creatures the Bible says “for Adam there was not found an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:20). Adam had to recognize he needed a companion, someone to relate to. It was then that God formed Eve out of Adam’s rib (Genesis 2:21-22). The Bible says that:

Genesis 1:27-28 God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it …

In our current chapter, just above our focal text, we see these words:

Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

The first “friend” God created for man was woman, and for woman was man. Men, if you are married, you are to cherish your wives. The Bible says:

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

As Jesus loved us – and died for us – the man is to love and give his life for his wife. Brothers, you are to DIE for your wives. This is a command of God. The Apostle tells us in:

1 Peter 3:7 … ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Pastor John Piper said that “When we have HORIZONTAL problems we have a VERTICAL breakdown”. God will not hear our prayers when we mistreat our wives. And wives are commanded,

1 Peter 3:1-4 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the {way of life} of the wives; 2 while they behold your chaste {way of life} coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

God did not create humans to be solitary creatures. We are created in the “image of God”. God Himself is One, but He is Three. The Bible says that our God – which the Scripture names in Genesis 1:26 as אֱלֹהִים ‘ĕlōhîm – is an “US”. “God said ‘Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness’”. God is a compound unity.

God is ONE in essence, but THREE in Person.

The Father is God. Galatians 1:1 speaks of “God the Father”. The Son, Jesus Christ, is God. In John 20:28 Thomas called Jesus “My Lord and My God” – and Jesus did not correct him! The Holy Spirit is God. In Acts 5:3-4 the Apostle Peter asked Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? … You have not lied to men, but to GOD”. Our God is relational, not solitary. He made us relational, and not solitary.

I genuinely believe that Satan is doing all he can to make us solitary creatures, shunning friendship and embracing technology. Beloved, everyone needs a friend. Everyone needs a companion to speak to, relate to, share you heart with.

We Should CAREFULLY Pursue Friendship

Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:

Just as it is good to find a wife, it is a great thing to find a friend. We find friends by being friendly. Believers in Christ should be friendly and kind to others – but we should be careful in the friends we actually make. The Apostle Paul warns the Corinthian Christians:

1 Corinthians 15:33-34 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

When you read this in the King James the archaic language may cause you to miss the point. “Evil communications corrupts good manners” is the Greek

“kakos homilia phtheirō chrēstos ēthos”, which is better translated as:

“Wicked or evil COMPANIONSHIP destroys good CHARACTER”

Who you choose to make a friend or a wife will effect your walk with God. It will effect your very life. I know of a young man now who was in a great position. He had a grandfather that was going to leave him substantial properties and quite a bit of money in his will. The young man, ignoring the advise of his pastor and of his family, began to hang around with other men who were abusing drugs and generally were godless. The young man – once so full of promise – is today disinherited, and in a perpetually drugged up state. “Wicked companionship destroys good character”. The Bible tells us that, in choosing friends, we are to remember:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as 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 Christian is to be friendly toward all. We are to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), and are to “be kind one to another” (Ephesians 4:32). Like the Quakers of old, we should be friendly toward all. The Apostle said,

“I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake” (1 Corinthians 9:22-23). We are to be friendly. But Beloved, we are never to be FRIENDS to the WORLDLY. The stepbrother of Christ, the Blessed James wrote:

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Friends are people who help one another with their burdens. Friendship is a YOKE, a bond. If you choose the wrong friends, when you are in a bind and in need of help, these wrong friends can hurt you. The Apostle Paul spoke of two “fair weather” friends who abandoned him – but one good friend who stood by his side:

2 Timothy 1:15-18 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: 17 but, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. 18 The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

While Paul was writing his second letter to Timothy, he was in a Roman prison cell. Phygellus and Hermogenes were “fair weather friends” who turned away from Paul when he needed them the most. But there was one good friend named Onesiphorus who stood by Paul’s side. The name “Onesiphorus” literally means “one who brings profit to another”. We don’t know much about Onesiphorus, as he is only mentioned in 2 Timothy. We do know this, though. As a good friend, Onesiphorus:

  • Often refreshed Paul (vs 16). The word for REFRESHED is the Greek ἀναψύχω anapsýchō, {pronounced an-aps-oo’-kho}, which means “to recover one’s breath, to cool off or revive a sagging spirit”. When David was but a shepherd, and an evil spirit was upon King Saul (1 Samuel 16:23), “David took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him”. Being imprisoned, and hindered from preaching the Gospel, had to be a heavy burden on the Apostle Paul’s spirit. Onesiphorus did not add to Paul’s burden, but obeyed the command of 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Comfort yourselves TOGETHER, and BUILD UP one another” (my paraphrase).
  • Onesiphorus “was not ashamed of Paul’s chain” (vs 16). When Onesiphorus was in Rome, Paul said “he sought me out very diligently, and found me”. It was not SAFE to be a Christian in Rome at this time, but Onesiphorus did not hide from Paul. He sought Paul out. Why? Because Onesiphorus loved Jesus. Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed” (Mark 8:38). Onesiphorus loved Jesus, and as a good friend loved Paul. A good friend is not ashamed of your infirmities or needs. Paul was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel of salvation. Rather than run away from Paul, Onesiphorus ran toward Paul. He acted as Christ unto his friend.
  • Onesiphorus was not stingy with his love. The Apostle said, “many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus” (vs 18). The Bible tells us in Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity”. Fair weather friends only want you when they can use you. Good friends will stay by your side, through thick or thin. B
  • Because Onesiphorus loved Jesus and loved Paul, for he modeled Christ, his entire family was saved. As Paul closes this letter he writes, “Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus” (2 Timothy 4:19).

There is nothing better in this life than a good and godly friend. A friend will tell you the truth, though may hurt:

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Several years ago I approached a cross road in my ministry, and was uncertain as to the path I should take. I had several other active pastors that I prayed with every week, men I thought were my friends. The Bible says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). I shared my dilemma with my friends, they agreed together with me that I should take a certain path. Later, when that path turned out to be disastrous (though God meant it for good – Genesis 50:20), one of my friends wrote to me, saying, “I thought it was a bad idea – but I didn’t say anything”.

Choose your friends wisely, dear friends. Be friendly to all, but choose your friends wisely!

There Is One Friend Who Is Always Faithful

Proverbs 18:24 … there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

It is good to have a good friend. Not a fair weather friend. Not a worldly friend. But a friend sent from God. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Friends help one another out of trouble. They help one another with burdens. Our Lord Jesus is “A Friend that sticketh closer than a brother”.

When we choose good friends, do not forget that the BEST friend you can have is God Almighty. When you believe God, and prove your belief by listening to and doing His Word, He becomes our Friend. When God told Abraham to “offer up Isaac on the altar” (Genesis 22), that old man did not hesitate. He immediately set out with his son and all that he needed to sacrifice Isaac upon that altar. The Bible tells us that God stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac – it was but a test of his character. The Scripture tells us:

James 2:23 … the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

The best Friend you can have is a friendship with God. What was the most amazing miracle that happened in the lifetime of Moses? Was it:

– the pillar of fire and of cloud that led Israel (Exodus 13:21)
– the water parted at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21)
– the manna that God fed Israel from Heaven (Exodus 16:4 ff)
– the water that God gave Israel from the Rock (Exodus 17)

No, the most amazing and miraculous thing was when …

Exodus 33:9-11 … the Lord talked with Moses. 10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshiped, every man in his tent door. 11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.

Our God is looking for people who will receive Him as Friend. Jesus Christ left the glory of Heaven and came to this earth to save sinners, and to call people to friendship with God. Jesus told His disciples:

John 15:9-15 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 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. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

True friends lay down their lives for one another. Jesus laid down His life for us. He died on Calvary “to bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). As Jesus laid down His life for us, we who believe in Him lay down our lives for Him. We heed and do His commandments. We are Christ’s friends if we abide in His love.

  • Jesus is our Friend Who will always give us good counsel. The Prophet Isaiah said “His name shall be called WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus never gives us bad advise, or poor recommendations. As eternal God in the flesh (John 1:1-3, 14) He has the perspective of our Creator. He knows what is best for us. We are wise to heed His direction.
  • Jesus is our Friend Who will never forsake us. He is no fair weather friend. Jesus has promised “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). He has said, “fear not, for I am with thee” (Genesis 26:24). “Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee” (Jeremiah 1:8). “And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20).

The genuine Church that represents Jesus is filled with friends of Jesus, working together, honoring Him Who is our Friend. Where “two or more are gathered together in Jesus’ Name, there Jesus is in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

Galatians 6:1-2 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Friends lift one another up when hurt comes, and rejoice together when blessings come:

1 Corinthians 12:24-27 … God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: 25 that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

As friends we are to lift one another up to Jesus, our Best Friend. If you do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, may I introduce you to my Friend? He is the Best Friend you can have. He gave His life for you, and rose again so that He can represent us before God the Father. I close with those wonderful words of that grand old song:

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer

May God touch your hearts and minds with His Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen!

Posted in Proverbs, Sermons Preached | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Remember Lot’s Wife

Posted on February 8, 2021 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash

Last week we talked about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Gospel that saves you from sin is also the Gospel that brings you into the Kingdom of God.

Luke 17:20-21 … The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Is your heart submitted to Jesus Christ and his Word? Then you are in His Kingdom. God has always had a people in His Kingdom on this earth. God calls out a people to live for Him, to shine as …

1 Peter 1:14-16 … obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: (15) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; (16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

What has God said of those in His Kingdom, His children saved by faith in Christ?

2 Corinthians 6:16 …. ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

God’s people are called to follow God in love. We are to be ready, and help others to be ready. Jesus is coming again. In our text today Jesus tells us that He will come and the judgment of God will fall. Jesus compares this future judgment to Noah and Lot.

Luke 17:26-30 And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

I believe the latter days are upon us. I believe Jesus could come at any time. When He does, it will be QUICK. Like in the days of Noah, God has allowed the world to hear the Gospel. Much time has passed since Christ ascended to Heaven. There will come a day – maybe today – when the Father says, “Son, go get my children!” When that happens it will be quick. Noah was preaching, then he and his family got on the Ark, and GOD CLOSED THE DOORS. Judgment had come. The rains fell. God’s grace was locked on board the Ark, and if you were on it you were saved.

Do you have Jesus in your lives?

As we are reading about Jesus’ return, our Lord gives us a short command.

Luke 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife.

Word Study What a tiny verse this is! We might consider it so small, that we should skip it, and go read those larger texts. But our God often conveys great truths in short texts. They are no less important. Our Jesus tells us “Remember Lot’s wife”. The verb “REMEMBER” is the Greek μνημονεύω mnēmoneúō, {pronounced mnay-mon-yoo’-o}, which means “to say over and over mentally, to fill your mind with, to dwell on as a child might dwell on a primer, to hold it in your memory”. Jesus did not often tell us to REMEMBER other people. Jesus said of the woman who washed His feet with her tears, and anointed His head and feet with ointment from a precious Alabaster box:

Mark 14:9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

The glorious faith of this unnamed woman with an Alabaster box so impressed our Lord that her wanted her remembered. This is a standard we are to follow. But now Jesus says “REMEMBER Lot’s wife”. This is unnamed woman sets a standard that we are NOT to keep.

Who In The World Is “Lot”?

Go with me to Genesis 12. It does no good to tell you about Lot’s wife, if you don’t know who Lot is. Lot’s story begins with ABRAM, who would later be renamed ABRAHAM. To avoid confusion, I’ll use ABRAHAM as I speak of this great old man of faith. God came to Abraham, telling him:

Genesis 12:1-2 …. Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee …

Jesus said of Abraham, “Father Abraham rejoiced to SEE MY DAY, and was GLAD!” (John 8:56). I believe that Abraham was saved by faith in Christ. That the pre-incarnate Jesus presented Himself to Abraham, and called him to the Kingdom of God. Abraham was given a free choice. “Leave all you hold dear and follow Me, and I will bless you, or NOT”. Abraham did not hesitate. He heard the call to salvation, and moved. Jesus prayed for His followers:

John 17:16-17 They {who follow Me} are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

The Lord told Abraham “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred” (Genesis 12:1), and we read Abraham …

Genesis 12:4-5 … departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: … 5 … Lot his brother’s son …

Lot was Abraham’s nephew. Abraham was not supposed to take his kindred with him, but he took Lot. Beloved, no believer is perfect, not even Abraham. We are flawed. We grow. At this moment, Abraham is only Abram, a young believer. Why did Abraham take Lot with him? I think that – and this is my opinion, and not Scripture (though it seems to fit the context) – Abraham witnessed to Lot, and Lot was saved by faith in Christ also. Haran was a pagan land, as in this area was ancient Babylon. I suspect that Uncle Abraham did not want to leave his nephew, a believer in Christ, in that place. We know that Lot was saved because of what the Apostle wrote in:

2 Peter 2:6-8 … {God turned} the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes {, He} condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 {God} delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds😉

Word Study The Apostle calls Lot “JUST” and “RIGHTEOUS”, signifying he was saved. The Bible says:

1 Peter 3:18 … Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just {díkaios} for the unjust, that he might bring us to God

If a person is JUST or JUSTIFIED, it is because God has done it to us. “The JUST shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11).

Romans 3:24-26 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Lot was JUST and RIGHTEOUS, and he traveled with a JUST and RIGHTEOUS Abraham. But there’s one problem. When you disobey God, it will not be long before trouble comes.

If You Try Living Without God & His Kingdom
Trouble Will Come

It wasn’t long before there was strife between Abraham’s herdsmen, and Lot’s herdsmen. God had blessed both Abraham and Lot for following him, so much that their herds were too much for the land they were on. Abraham told Lot:

Genesis 13:8-10 … Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we be brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

Genesis 13:12 … Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

Word Study The name “Lot” means “a searcher”. Lot was saved by faith, blessed by God, but as “a searcher” he began to believe “the grass is greener over on the other side”. Lot’s eyes wandered, then he wandered, and strayed from God. Lot is like the compromising Christian who drifts away, little by little, from God.

Beloved, if you wander from God, you will fall!

Lot wandered to Sodom, married a wife, and set up a nice home in that area. But God wasn’t in it. If God isn’t in it, you are at risk! Enemy armies from five nations, led by Chedorlaomer, the King of Elamraided Sodom and Gomorrah. The destruction was overwhelming. We read:

Genesis 14:11-12 they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 12 And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

Had Lot been following God and not on bivouac in Sodom, he would not have become a casualty of war. But Abraham got word that lot was captured. Without hesitation, this grand old man of faith …

Genesis 14:14-16 … {Abraham} armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. 15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

Bear in mind that Abraham – with God’s blessing and just 318 men – defeated a five nation army. Oh, what a blessing it is to live in God’s Kingdom, heeding His Word!

Did not Jesus tells us to “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”.

When we live in God’s Kingdom, we will be blessed as Abraham. When our hearts depart from God, we enjoy the curse of Lot. Oh, it is so much better to live in God’s Kingdom, heeding His Word.

There is power in walking with God, obeying His rule over your life, in “imitating God as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1). The Psalmist cried:

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the {one} that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

You would think that Lot, being rescued by Abraham, would leave Sodom to follow God. But no, he went back to that foul place. Lot “pitched his tent toward Sodom”, and conformed to the world around him. He has placed himself and his family in the pathway of destruction. But Abraham has once more interceded for him, begging God for his salvation. So God sends a delegation to Sodom to rescue foolish Lot.

Genesis 19:1-2 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; 2 and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways.

Sexual sin had taken over Sodom, so much so that an angel could not even walk down the street without being accosted. Men of the city saw Lot take these angelic beings (who looked like men) into his home. The men of Sodom stormed Lot’s home, demanding that these “visitors” come out to them so they could be sexually molested. Lot refused to do this, and the angels confused the men at the door so they could not get in the house. The Angels tell Lot:

Genesis 19:12-14 … Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: 13 for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. 14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

Now We Meet Lot’s Wife

Genesis 19:15-16 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. 16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

This is the first mention of Lot’s wife. The Angels told Lot to move, but Lot dragged his feet – HE LINGERED. So the Angels grab hold of Lot, his wife, and his daughters. They literally drag them out of the city. The Angels then give them the COMMAND OF GOD:

Genesis 19:17-22 Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. 18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: 19 behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: 20 behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. 21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. 22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

God told Lot (through the angels) to escape to the mountains. But Lot still drags his feet, resisting God. Lot wants to go to Zoar. Zoar was one of the cities that God had planned to destroy, along with Sodom and Gomorrah. God in His grace spared Zoar for Lot’s sake. As Lot and his family entered Zoar:

Genesis 19:23-25 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; 25 and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

God’s destruction on those cities was complete. Now God had told Lot and his family:

Genesis 19:17 Escape for thy life; look not behind thee…

What did Lot’s wife do? The Bible says:

Genesis 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

The Bible warns us that “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Lot resisted God. He lingered. Now his wife, following his example, lingers. She crept along, and got far behind the Angels, and far from God. She toyed with sin.

So many professing believers are like this. They creep along slowly, getting farther and farther from God. “Look not behind you”, the Lord warns. Jesus said:

Luke 9:62 … No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Lot’s wife looked back. Certainly she had a poor example in Lot, but Lot kept his eyes on the Angels as he ran. Lot’s wife looked back. She did just as the first generation of Israel did when they left Egypt – they kept looking back. “The children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full” (Exodus 16:3). We are not to look backward to Egypt. We are not to look backward to Sodom. We are to look forward.

Hebrews 12:1-2 let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith

Faith looks to Jesus – it does not look backward to the old way and the old life. God would not allow Israel to enter the Promised Land because of unbelief. Lot’s wife was not able to enter Zoar because of unbelief. She looked back.

Lot’s Wife Brought A Terrible Doom On Herself

Genesis 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Sin in the life, even in the life of the Christian, destroys the joy of living. It can lead to a horrific loss of life.

Ananias and Sapphira “lied unto God” (Acts 5:4), and they both died.

Wicked Queen Jezebel was thrown from the palace, and dogs ate her
(2 Kings 9:33-37).

Corinthian Christians “are sickly, and many sleep in death”
(1 Corinthians 11:30)

As I dwelt on Lot’s wife as my Master commanded, I asked my God: “Why was Lot’s wife turned into salt? What is the significance of this?” It is because

The Christ Follower Is To Be Salt And Light

  • Salt was one of the most valuable minerals in the ancient world. Soldiers were paid in salt. Salt was also very valuable in the Old Testament Kingdom of God.

Leviticus 2:13 states “with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt”.

The Prophet Ezekiel said of the sacrifices made to God, “thou shalt offer them before the Lord, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the Lord.” (Ezekiel 43:24). Salt was part of the sacrifices made unto God.

  • In the New Testament Kingdom of God our Lord Jesus made His people out to be salt. Jesus said:

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

Beloved Christians, we are to be salt for God while on this earth. Lot’s wife should have been salt. Salt flavors. Salt blesses. Salt preserves. Salt was given in sacrifice. We are to live as “living sacrifices unto God”.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

If you are a child of God by faith in Christ, you are called to be salt. You are God’s salt. You live for Him. You live in Him. Our hearts belong to God. Our bodies belong to God. We are God’s people, children of His Kingdom. We are not to look back, to the world, to give our hearts to Sodom or anywhere else. God owns our hearts. Look unto Jesus! Live for Jesus!

If you are not a Christ follower, today is a wonderful day to come to Him. Jesus is coming soon. The Judgment of God hangs over the world. Will you escape like Lot, or will you be judged like Lot’s wife? The choice is yours. Receive Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior, and begin visibly living in His Kingdom this very day. Oh the blessings you will have when you have Jesus! May God the Holy Spirit drive this message into the hearts of both saved and lost. Maranatha! Come quickly Lord Jesus! Amen and Amen!

Posted in Luke, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Faces Of Genuine Faith

Posted on February 7, 2021 by bibleteacherorg

Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Do you have faith in Jesus?
If you do, you are in Christ’s Kingdom.

In Luke chapters 17 and 18 Jesus has been talking about the Kingdom of God. Jesus told the Pharisees:

Luke 17:20-21 … The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU.

The Kingdom of God comes within you, within your heart, when you receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This Kingdom spans the earth, as

every believer that follows Jesus by faith is in
the Kingdom of God.

After talking about the PRESENT Kingdom of God, Jesus began to speak on the FUTURE Kingdom of God. Beloved, Jesus is coming soon! We do not know when, but we know He is. Today Jesus asks us a question:

Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh,
shall he find faith on the earth?

When the “Son of Man” – that’s a title of Jesus as Messiah – “when the Son of man cometh, will He find faith on the earth?”. I believe Jesus will find some faith on the earth, but I also believe Jesus will find false faith.

There is a true faith that saves, and a false faith that damns.
There is a true faith from the Savior, and a false faith from theSatan.
There is a true faith given by God, and a false faith manufactured by man.
What does genuine, saving faith look like?

Genuine Faith Is An OVERCOMING Faith

The Bible tells us that those in the Kingdom of God, those justified by faith in Christ, must “live by faith”. This principle is revealed in both the Old and New Testaments:

Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

This principle is repeated in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11.

The Bible declares “no one is justified by the law”, and “{it is} not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which {God} shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Jesus Christ is the One Sent from God the Father
Who is the Key to Heaven!

When we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, He sends the Spirit (John 15:26)

The Holy Spirit causes us to be “born again” (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:23).
We are reborn as children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26).
We are “transferred from the darkness into God’s marvelous light”
(1 Peter 2:9).
We are not what we were, but are now “new creatures in Christ”
(2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15),
“predestined to be conformed to the image of God’s Son” (Romans 8:29)

Illustrate Our lives are radically changed by God when we surrender to His Son. A man came eagerly but very late to a revival meeting. He found the workmen tearing down the tent in which the meetings had been held. Frantic at missing the Evangelist, he asked one of the workers, “What can I do to be saved?” The workman, also a Christian, said, “You can’t do anything to be saved. It’s too late.” Horrified, the man said, “What do you mean? How can it be too late?” The believer told him, “The work has already been done. Jesus Christ died on Calvary for your sins. He rose again, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. You just need to believe and receive this. JESUS is THE ONE SENT from the Father, the Key to Heaven”.

Because Genuine, saving faith is GOD MADE, it is PERSISTENT. Jesus illustrates this.

Luke 18:1-8 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily….

This is a beautiful picture that compares a lost judge to the Holy and ever faithful Judge of all creation. The lost judge cared nothing for the widow. What had happened to the widow? Perhaps she had been robbed, as people stalk and rob senior citizens today by telephone scams, or shoddy workmanship. This widow had been done wrong. She went to the judge, and demanded that her adversary be punished. The lost and uncaring judge at first would not hear her. But as she came day by day, eventually he was wearied to the point where he decided to do his job, and punish her adversary. would do his job. Jesus asked:

Luke 18-7-8 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily…

God’s Chosen – the Saved – cry DAY AND NIGHT to Him. Genuine faith OVERCOMES. It looks to Jesus.

This is a concept that we see carried forward from the Old Testament. In the Old Testament God told Israel:

Deuteronomy 7:6-8 the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers

God calls all to salvation. He doesn’t call us because we are worthy. He calls us because WE NEED HIM. God chooses to save us, though we are broken. I love what the Apostle wrote, because it is so much like our Deuteronomy passage:

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 … God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: 29 that no flesh should glory in his presence.

God chose to love us.
God chooses to call us.
Once we are saved, we REST IN HIM.
God indelibly marks us by inhabiting Us.
We look to Him NO MATTER WHAT.

This widow kept on calling on the unjust judge. She persisted, though there was no indication that the judge would ever do anything for her. Beloved, the faith that saves is persistent.

  • When we are tried by the adversary the devil (1 Peter 5:8), cry out to the Father.
  • When we are tried by the adversary of sickness or disability, cry out to the Father.
  • When attacked by the world, we cry out to God in Jesus’ name. God loves us. He shed the blood of His Son on Calvary for us. God will hear us. God loves to hear us, and will avenge us. God fights for me!

Time may pass, but let us rest in Jesus’ work. We are now God’s for Christ’s sake. Be persistent in prayer. If you are the elect, the chosen of God, then you are to cry out to Him DAY AND NIGHT. Neither prayer nor God is not a spare tire, but is a daily way of life for the Christ follower.

Genuine Faith Not Only OVERCOMES,
But It RESTS In Jesus, The One Sent

Luke 18:9-14 And {Jesus} spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Two men went to the Temple to pray. One man had a proud focus on himself. Let’s break down the Pharisee’s position and prayer. First we read,

Luke 18:11 … The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself

The Pharisee did not kneel, but stood up. He made himself equal to God. He was too good to bend the knee – after all, he was a great and godly guy! He “prayed with himself”. His prayers went no farther than his own ears. God was not listening to Him. The Pharisee was not relying of God as he prayed. Notice how many times he uses the word “I”:

I thank Thee,
I am not as other men are,
I fast twice in the week,
I give tithes of all that
I possess.

The Pharisee started his prayer right. He said “I thank Thee”. But even his thanks was defiled. He was thanking God for making him better than those around him. As a Pharisee, he looked good on the outside. Jesus said of the Pharisees, the self righteous:

Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

If you’ll notice, the Pharisee uses the pronoun “I” FIVE TIMES. In the Bible FIVE is the number of GRACE. The Pharisee traded his works for the Grace of God. He was not relying on Jesus, the One Sent.

God does not judge us based on how others around us are. God judges us based on how we compare to HIM. This is why salvation MUST be by Grace. We are to rest in Christ, trusting Him and Him alone for salvation.

Hebrews 4:9-11 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Why does the text say “LABOR to enter into THAT REST”. Because our own worst enemy is ourselves, our pride, our self sufficiency. We have to battle that BAD ME, and force ourselves to rest in Him. God told Israel:

“The LORD God of Israel has given rest unto His people” (1 Chronicles 23:25 See also Exodus 33:14). Jesus Christ is the One Sent to give us rest.

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Compare the PUBLICAN to the Pharisee. The Publican humbled himself. We read:

Luke 18:13 … the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner

The publican (someone who collected taxes for the Roman Empire), was totally focused on his inabilities and sinfulness. He was NOT presumptuous with God, but prayed “God be merciful to me a sinner”. He was relying on the One Sent to save us. Jesus says:

Luke 18:14 … this man {the Publican} went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

The Justified) shall live by faith! You cannot be made right before God by your own works. You must Rest on the Lord Jesus. As the late Andrew Murray said:

“Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.”

Genuine Faith Not Only Overcomes and Rests,
But It Is Obedient To the One Sent From God.

Luke 18:16-17 Jesus called them unto him, and said, {Allow the} little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for OF such is the kingdom of God. 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

Many churches today have internal problems because they are not representative of the Kingdom of God. The Pastor is the king, the deacons are the kings, or certain well placed families are the kings, or the flock itself is the king. Beloved, the Kingdom of God has only ONE King, and that is God. It is not a democracy, but a monarchy. We are to become like little children. What God has said, we receive. What God has rejected, we reject. We base our beliefs on the Bible, not on what our opinions are. This is certainly not popular in our current politically correct, cancel culture – but it wasn’t popular in Jesus’ day, either. What does the faith of a child practically look like?

Almost before Jesus finishes speaking “a certain ruler” asks Jesus:

Luke 18:18 Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus tells the man:

Luke 18:19-20 … Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. 20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother.

When Jesus quotes the commandments to this man, He quotes the second part of the ten commandments. The first part of the ten commandments relate to loving God, i.e.

  1. God will be first in your life (Exodus 20:2-3)
  2. You will not worship anyone but God (Exodus 20:4-6)
  3. You will not take the Name of God in vain (Exodus 20:7)
  4. You will dedicate one day in seven to worship God (Exodus 20:8-11)

You can sum up these first four commandments as “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). This man was not doing these things. He was following an idol. So Jesus starts out with the second part of the ten commandments, which is to “love others the way you want to be loved” (Matthew 22:39). Of course, the man easily passed that part of the text. The man honored his parents (5th commandment), had murdered no one (6th commandment), had committed no sexual sins (7th commandment), had not stolen property from others (8th commandment), nor had he slandered anyone (9th commandment). The man replied, “I’ve done all these things from my youth up”.

But the man had committed idolatry. He put THINGS in front of God.

Luke 18:22-25 … when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

This man had made an idol out of his stuff. He was not following God as a little child, but had surrounded himself with stuff that he loved more than God. Genuine Faith rejects the golden calf, and looks to the One Sent from God.

Jesus told him “sell it all – give it away – and come follow Me”. We, as God’s children, are to love our Heavenly Father more than anything else we have.

Back in 1852 Pastor John Angell James preached a message entitled “What is the Idol of our Day”. In that message he noted three things as the idol of our day: Love of pleasure, Excessive worldliness, and Wealth. Truthfully, this has always been our problem. We place our trust in the wrong things – often to our damnation.

We called to put away our idols, and trust in the One Sent. The Apostle Paul tells us:

Philippians 3:4–9 … Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Do you have the faith, saving faith, the only faith that comes from God? Have you believed on the One Sent, Jesus Christ our Lord? Oh, what a blessing it is to have Him in your life, to be a part of His Kingdom. Come, and give yourselves to Him this very day. For the glory of God, for your earthly peace of mind, and your heavenly destination. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen and Amen!

Illustration Prior to the message I passed out Cross Pennies from the Cross Penny Ministries. Jesus Christ is the ONE SENT from God. You can order 500 stamped Cross Pennies by sending a check to Steve Petty/ Cross Penny Ministries. Details are at https://www.crosspennyministries.com/

Posted in Luke, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Harden Not Your Hearts

Posted on February 5, 2021 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Hush Naidoo on Unsplash

Hebrews 3:7-11 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

I want to talk today about hardening of the heart. I’m not talking about

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a hardening of the physical heart. We have had people in our Church afflicted with congestive heart failure. I myself take statins to keep my cholesterol levels down and so protect my physical heart. When there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries (this is called atherosclerosis), which hurts that muscle in your chest that they call “the heart”. The “heart” I’m talking about today is not the pump in your chest that causes your blood to flow, but the spiritual center of your soul.

The Bible Considers The Spiritual Heart To Be The Driving Force Of Our Lives With God

What is in the heart, the spiritual heart, determines what type of person you are. Solomon said:

Proverbs 23:7 for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

God looks at the heart of a person to determine whether they are His, or whether they are lost. God told Samuel when He rejected Saul as King of Israel:

1 Samuel 16:7 … Look not on {Saul’s face}, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

When God chose David to be King over Israel, the Scripture says “the LORD sought a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). “I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine Own heart, which shall fulfill all my will” (Acts 13:22). God has a heart, a spiritual heart, and He looks at our spiritual hearts.

The Bible tells us that the source of all sinfulness is the wayward heart. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote:

Proverbs 14:10 … the heart knoweth his own bitterness …

BITTERNESS comes from the heart, as does PRIDE:

Proverbs 21:4 An high look, and a PROUD HEART … is Sin

WORRY and SORROW come from the restless heart:

Ecclesiastes 2:23 For all his days are SORROWS, and his travail GRIEF, yea, his HEART taketh not rest in the night …

REBELLION against God comes from the heart:

Jeremiah 5:23 … But this people hath a REVOLTING and a REBELLIOUS HEART …

Our Lord Jesus told us that what defiles people is what comes out of the mouth:

Matthew 15:18-20 … those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

The Spiritual Heart of a person is very important. A person without Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will have a lost heart, filled with sin. But praise God, Jesus came to save sinners. The Bible says:

Romans 10:9-10 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

It is the HEART that must repent and believe on Christ. The HEART must be surrendered to God for salvation to occur. What are the two greatest commandments? Jesus said:

Matthew 22:37-40 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 neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

We are to love God with ALL OUR HEART. Our hearts are to be devoted to Him. When God has ALL of our HEART, and ALL of our SOULS (the life essence of humanity), and ALL our MINDS (our intellect), then we are where He wants us to be. When we love God with our ALL, then we will love the others around us as we want to be loved.

A person who treats those around him like furniture has a heart problem.

Illustrate I hate to text! I do, if I must, but I hate to text. Just yesterday someone texted my little flip phone, “This is Susan”. I texted back, “Who R U?” The text returned, “Don’t you know Susan?” My reply was, “If you don’t tell me who u r, I will block your number”. The message that returned stunned me. “I’m Susan’s husband, and I found your name and number in HER phone.” I still don’t know who this is, so I texted again, “Who R U?” He started texting more gibberish, and so I blocked his number. When I got home I told Sherry my wife about it, and she said “Don’t you remember you helped someone named “Susan” with groceries and gas money?” Well, then I remembered. Listen, I help a lot of people, and I can’t remember everyone who comes by needing help. But I digress. My question is this: WHY wasn’t this man asking his WIFE about my name and number? And WHY is he snooping in his wife’s phone? He obviously has a HEART problem, as well as a marital problem. If he loved and trusted his wife with his heart, he wouldn’t be snooping and irritating me with needless texts!

The heart needs to be given to Jesus.
The heart needs to be focused on serving the Father.
The heart needs to heed God’s Word, to be conformed to God’s heart.

God said “Let thine heart retain MY WORDS: keep MY COMMANDMENTS, and live!” (Proverbs 4:4). The Psalmist said:

Psalm 28:6-7 Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. 7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

When the heart trusts in God and His Word, there is joy in the heart. When the heart is focused Christ-ward,
there are songs on our lips!

The Heart Can Be Hardened To God

What you pursue is what you will become. You become a Christian by surrendering your heart to Jesus. You grow as a Christian by reading and studying God’s Word, by feeding your heart the Scripture. God said “Let thine heart retain My Words” (Proverbs 4:4). Jesus prayed for His Church.

John 17:5-6, 8, 14 … O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. … 8 .. I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. … 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. … 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

When the Word of God is heard and received into the heart by faith, then the heart drives the hand of the believer to do what God has said do. The healthy heart is open to God’s Word and His guidance.

The hardened heart rejects the Word and
the leadership of God.

Hebrews 3:7-8 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness …

The Holy Spirit saith. This is a word and a warning from God, and a quotation from

Psalm 95:7-8 … For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

What caused the hardening of the hearts of Israel? There were several things.

  • “To day if ye will hear his voice”. They hardened their hearts because they would not listen to what God was saying. God was talking, but no one was paying attention. God showed them grace, but no one was looking.

Israel’s FIRST failure was at Marah:

Exodus 15:23-25 … when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

The people complained instead of going to God in prayer. They grumbled, and murmured. God showed Moses a tree to drop in the bitter waters, and they became sweet. After this God told Israel:

Exodus 15:26 … If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

God told Israel, “Do what I tell you to do. Hear what I command you to do. I am the YAHWEH Who will heal you – UNLESS”. God is to be honored by His people. We are to trust Him, and trust that He knows what is best for us.

Israel’s SECOND failure was at Rephidim:

Exodus 17:1-2 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?

When Israel got to Rephidim there was no water there. Rather than pray, and seek God’s face, they murmured at Moses. Now Moses was God’s spokesman. As soon as they murmured (complained), Moses warned them: “Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?”. Moses has no power to give Israel water – Moses is not God. They need to be seeking God in prayer. God took Israel through the Red Sea – surely He can provide water.

When Moses asks “why do you TEMPT Yahweh?”, the word “TEMPT” is the Hebrew נָסָה nâçâh, (pronounced naw-saw), meaning “to put God to the test, to provoke Him”. The warning should have sufficed. But Israel ignored the great miracle at the Red Sea, and ignored the pillar of cloud that guided them by day and the pillar of fire that guided them by night. Israel ignored the lessons learned at Marah. They allowed their thirst and their opinions to drive their demand.

Moses went to the Lord in prayer, and the Lord told him:

Exodus 17:5-7 … Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah (means temptation), and Meribah (means strife), because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?

God had the elders – the leaders – stand up front while Moses struck the rock. The Bible tells us “that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). Israel saw Moses pray. They saw God’s provision. They were to watch and learn from this, to draw this lesson into their hearts. Yet they would not learn.

Hebrews 3:10-11 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

The straw that broke the camel’s back was when Israel refused to cross over the Jordan and enter into the Promised Land. They sinned repeatedly against God, but never really repented. God told the first generation of Israel that:

Deuteronomy 1:35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers

God did not punish all of Israel. He allowed Joshua and Caleb to enter the land 40 years later. God also said:

Deuteronomy 1:39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

Unconfessed and unrepented of sin causes the heart to harden, so much so that God cannot bless you. Taking advantage of the grace of God can also harden your heart. God punishes the hardened heart!

How Do I Avoid The Hardened Heart?

Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

How do I avoid a hardened heart? First of all, I need to examine myself daily. “Take heed, brethren”. Look at my own life. Examine myself. Am I living in the Kingdom of God. Is God my Father. Am I a “brethren”? Many Christians are like Pharisees, comfortable with their status in life, and always looking for fault in others. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:1-5 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote {speck of dust} that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam {the 2×4} that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote {speck of dust} out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam {the 2×4} is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam {the 2×4} out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote {speck of dust} out of thy brother’s eye.

Jesus is NOT saying that we are not to tell others that they are in sin when they indeed in sin. No, for later in our text we will see that we are to:

Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

The word “exhort” is the Greek παρακαλέω parakaléō, (pronounced par-ak-al-eh’-o), which means “to call to the side so as to encourage, admonish, console, or beseech, to teach”. In the Church we are to encourage one another to put away sin. However, we are not to be like the Pharisees, who judged everyone else, but never themselves. The Bible tells us:

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Examine yourself daily. Ask the hard questions. “Am I in the faith? Is God the Father in my life? Is my daily goal to exalt Jesus, and to honor my Father? Am I devoting enough time daily to read and heed God’s Word?”

There is no such thing as a part time Christian. You are either dedicated to God and His Kingdom, or you are not. The Scripture says:

Hebrews 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end

Those who continue to look to God daily, trusting in Him, are those who are partnered with Christ. God will not bless a part time, spare tire sort of faith. As God wrote to the Churches in the Book of Revelation, one word stands out. See if you can find it:

Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Revelation 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: (see also Revelation 3:5; 3:12; 3:21; 21:7)

Do you see a pattern here? What does it mean “he that overcometh”? It refers to the person genuinely saved by God. The Apostle John said it clearly:

1 John 5:4-5 For {whosoever} is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior look to Him one day at a time, one step at a time. We live as Christ’s Kingdom people. We live by faith in Him. We are to look unto Jesus. We who are saved are of the House of Christ. The faith that saves is the faith that endures. I’ll end with these words:

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

My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

May God the Holy Spirit fasten His Word into your hearts this very day. God bless you all. Amen and Amen.

Posted in Hebrews, Sermons Preached | Tagged | 1 Comment

Christians Are To Be Vessels Of Grace

Posted on January 31, 2021 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Balaji Malliswamy on Unsplash

Turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians 4:29.

Last week we studied the miracle of the Christian. We were in Ephesians 2:8-10, which tells us:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The Christian is saved by grace, not by works. Before being a Christian we were all dead in trespasses and sins. We were alienated from the life of God. We were followers of the world, and of the darkness. We were in a spiritual condition where we were lost, and could not save ourselves. Then God in Grace stepped in. He called us to salvation. He opened our eyes by His Spirit, and beckoned us to Him. We, like Lazarus, stumbled out of the tomb of our lives at Jesus’ call. We were saved by Grace.

Then by Grace God begins to work on us. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works”. God did not save us to abandon us. He saved us to shape us. To make us. To work on us. You are God’s Masterpiece. You are not done, but God is working in you.

It is by Grace the Word of the Lord came to you.
It is by Grace that God called you.
God now calls you, as His people, into the ministry of Grace.

Christians Are To Be Vessels Of Grace

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister Grace unto the hearers.

The Bible says that Christians are earthen or clay vessels, called by and inhabited by God (2 Corinthians 4:5-7). We are jars of clay filled with Grace!

God calls us by Grace to minister with Him, sharing the Grace of God with others. We who are His people are to be focused on “ministering Grace unto the hearers”.

Who Are The “Hearers”?

God hears us. God indwells the Christian. “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9). God indwells us. He is inside us. “The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1 Corinthians 3:17). “God is in you” (1 Corinthians 14:25). God is not in some distant place, far from His children. He has promised …

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

The Author of Eternity – the eternal and Great I AM – has said “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee”. Our Lord has said in:

Matthew 28:20 … I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

God is with us. He is ever with us. He listens to the words we say every day. He listens for us to speak Grace to others. God hears every word you speak. God hears the kind words, and the unkind words. God hears everything. But God is not the only One Who hears. Our other “hearers” are those in proximity to us.

Our wives,
Our husbands,
Our children,
Our fellow believers,
Our enemies,
Our friends,
Our employers,
and every stranger we meet.

Whoever is close enough to hear our voice, as vessels of Grace we should be speaking Grace. We are God’s Workmanship, not the devil’s dupes. We speak Grace, not corruption.

Ephesians 4:29 Let NO corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister Grace unto the hearers.

Word Study This is not a command given to the lost, but to the saved. “The plowing of the wicked is sin” (Proverbs 21:4). If even the most mundane act of the wicked is sin, their every godless word is sin. No, this command is not to the lost, but to those “saved by Grace” (Ephesians 2:5; 2:8). What is this “corrupt communication” we are to avoid?

  • The word translated “CORRUPT” is the Greek σαπρός saprós, {pronounced sap-ros’}, which means “rotten, putrefied, poor quality, worthless, unfit for use”. Jesus uses the word saprós in

Luke 6:43-45 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt {saprós} fruit; neither doth a corrupt {saprós} tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

“Good” trees – those saved by the Grace of God – are made alive from the inside out. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The lost person speaks without grace, speaks rotten words. The believer in Christ – the workmanship of God – is called to speak Grace, to speak Life, to speak Love.

One day Jesus’ disciples were following our Lord, and at that moment happened to pass a corn field. The disciples reached out, and in accordance with the Law of God, took an ear of corn to feed themselves. The Pharisees saw this, and asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples wash their hands when they eat? This is the tradition of the elders!” (Matthew 15:2, my paraphrase). Jesus told them:

Matthew 15:10-11 … Hear, and understand: 11 not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Graceless or rotted words defile a person. Graceless talk hurts others, drives people away. Graceless talk labels others. It is in the Congresswoman who calls another a “White Supremacist”. It is in the media talking heads that slaps labels on people, like “Homophobic”, “Transphobic”, or “Racist”. An old saying is:

What’s down in the well, comes up in the bucket!

Jesus said in Matthew 15:18-20 … those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man.

If you have been born again, you have been born of Grace. The lost know nothing of Grace. But we are not to be like the lost.

Ephesians 4:17-24 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

The world walks “in the vanity (the emptiness) of their mind”. They follow nothingness. Their “understanding is darkened” because they are “alienated or separated from the life of God”. God is not in them. They are yet in darkness. They are afflicted with “blindness of the heart”. They need Jesus. They need to be saved. They speak as they speak because they are bad trees – but God would make them good. We are to put off that old way, and put on the new man – put on Christ. We are to remember that we are vessels of Grace. Praise God!

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation

We have the “ministry of reconciliation”. We are to speak Grace, to share Grace, to be Grace oriented in act and speech.

Corrupt Communication Always Departs
From The Written Word Of God

The reason that we come together as a Church is to grow to be more like Jesus. We are to be like God’s Kingdom on this earth. When God established His Church, He gave the Church His Word through certain offices.

Ephesians 4:11-12 {God} gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

“And God set in the Church Apostles and Prophets” (1 Corinthians 12:28). The Apostles and Prophets were used by God to write the Scripture, this Holy Bible, that we cherish. When you enter this Church, the first thing you see is the Communion Table, and on it, elevated, the Bible. This is the Prophets and the Apostles. The Bible says that the Church is …

Ephesians 2:20 … built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone ..

It is the Bible that is true. When Jesus prayed for His Church, our Lord said:

John 17:17 Sanctify them through Thy truth {o God}: Thy Word is truth

The Bible is true. God gave the Scripture to us, His Children by faith,

Ephesians 4:12 for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

  • This Bible “perfects the saints”. Beloved, if you are saved by faith in Christ, you are a saint. You are set apart for God’s use. But you are – as we studied last week – God’s Workmanship, God’s Masterpiece. The Bible was given to shape you, and make you more like Jesus. WE MUST UNFLINCHINGLY SPEAK HIS WORD AND LIVE HIS WORD IF WE WILL GROW, being what God wants us to be.
  • This Bible is also “for the work of the ministry”. How is a person saved? By being good? No! By being saved by faith in Christ. By repenting of sin, and seizing the Savior in love.

Romans 10:9-13 if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

I have seen famous “Christian” music artists and actors, famous “Christian” preachers interviewed who were asked, “Do you believe that faith in Jesus Christ alone is the only way to be saved?” Several years ago Larry King (now deceased and standing before the righteous Judge of all) asked a famous preacher questions. King said:

“We’ve had ministers on who said, your record don’t count. You either believe in Christ or you don’t. If you believe in Christ, you are, you are going to heaven. And if you don’t no matter what you’ve done in your life, you ain’t.”

King asked this preacher if someone who rejected Christ as Savior would go to Heaven. The preacher choked. He spoke corrupt communication. He said,

“You know, I’m very careful about saying who would and wouldn’t go to heaven. I don’t know …”.

This is contrary to what Jesus said. He said:

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

To be fair, this same preacher later posted on his web site an open apology for that interview. I commend him for his retraction, and his apology. There but for the Grace of God go we. But corrupt communication kept Larry King from hearing the Gospel message before he died, and kept millions of Americans from hearing about the Grace of God only available through Christ. How many people will leave this life without Jesus because of corrupt communication?

Ephesians 4:12 for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

  • The Bible also edifies or builds up the Body of Christ. When God’s Church departs from the Bible, or begins deleting sections of the Scripture, then the Church is no longer the Church but the world. It is the devil that twists the Word of God. He did this in the Garden of Eden, and does it today.

Genesis 3:1 … Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? … {you may eat of that forbidden tree} … 4-5 Ye shall not surely die: 5 for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Just as the self righteous Pharisees and the corrupt Politicians struck at Jesus, they will strike at us. We will be tempted and pressured to go the way of the world, to get off the path of righteousness. Jesus said,

John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

The Church is not to be like the world. The Christian is not to be like the lost. The standard that God has for His Church is that …

Ephesians 4:13-15 we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 14 that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

The Church is the Kingdom of Christ. The believer is to be like Christ. We are not to be like the world, tossed about, confused and frightened. Corrupt communication leads to this type of instability. We have the Word of God. We Cherish the Word of God. We live the Word of God.

We Are Called To Speak The Truth In Love
Not Hatefully, Nor Vengefully, But Lovingly

Ephesians 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.

You tell a lie when you do not say that marriage is what God says it is. You tell a lie when you condone aberrations from the Divine Design of human sexuality. Beloved, speak the truth, speak the Scripture … for it is true! Jesus declared “God’s Word is truth” (John 17:17).

Psalms 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Psalms 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

Beloved, the truth is in Jesus (Ephesians 4:21). We are to let the Word of God be in us, and flow from us. We are to affirm what God affirms, and reject what God rejects. Corrupt communication will never bless others. It always tears down. “We are members one of another”. If our nation keeps drifting from the Word of God, our nation will collapse. Christians, we must speak His truth in love.

Ephesians 4:28 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 neither give place to the devil.

Guard your tongue when you are angry. When you are angry you are often going to say something that you will later regret. Before you say it, ask “Does this build up or does this tear down? Is this true to God’s Word, or is it my emotion talking”. Be like Jesus in your anger.

Ephesians 4:29 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Quit living your lives to satisfy yourselves. Live so as to satisfy the Lord Who saved you. Live so as to lead others to Christ. Live so as to lift others up to the Grace of God.

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Remember, God is listening. God the Holy Spirit indwells the Christian. We are to love God with all our hearts, so live and speak so as to please the Lord Who saved. To sum it up, Christian,

Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

John Piper put it this way:

“…it is not Christian just to stop stealing. It is not Christian just to work honestly in order to have things. It is Christian to work to have in order to give {to those in need} – to meet needs. All our work is to be a display of Grace. It is Christian to ask the deeper, internal question: am I speaking now to edify? … It is out of hopeless hearts of discouragement and frustration and anger and bitterness and resentment that all rotten and hurtful language comes … Is your mouth a means of Grace? … all our speech is to be a display of Grace.”

When we speak without Grace, we do not lead to Christ, nor do we build up the Kingdom of God. We must speak the truth in love. We must love God, and love our neighbor for the glory of God. Beloved, let us shine for Jesus in these Pandemic addled days. Let us grow in His Grace, and speak life to those around us. America needs Jesus. Let us lead others to Jesus.

May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen.

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The Kingdom Is Where The Eagles Are Gathered

Posted on January 31, 2021 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Sam Bark on Unsplash

Luke 17:20-21 And when {Jesus} was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

WHEN Will The Kingdom Of God Come In?

The Pharisees – constantly at war with the Lord Jesus – wanted to know WHEN the Kingdom of God would come. Why did they ask Jesus this question with such force? Because Jesus had previously presented Himself as the Messiah. Jesus called Himself “Son of Man”. Our Lord told people:

Matthew 8:20 The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

In Matthew chapter 9 Jesus told a crippled man,

Matthew 9:2 … Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

The Scribes on hearing this said “this man blasphemes God, for only God can forgive sins” (also Mark 2:6-7). Jesus told them:

Matthew 9:6-7 … that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house.

The phrase “son of man” was used in prophecy to describe the Messiah’s earthly Kingdom. The Prophet Daniel – of whom the Pharisees were well acquainted – wrote of the Messiah:

Daniel 7:13-14 … I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Jesus repeatedly, in His ministry, referred to Himself as “the Son of man”. When the Pharisees were upset that Jesus’ disciples picked corn to eat on the Sabbath, Jesus told them:

Matthew 12:6, 8 …. in this place is one greater than the temple. … 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

If Jesus is the Messiah then WHEN is He going to bring in his kingdom? They DEMANDED Jesus answer this. Jesus replies:

Luke 17:20-21 … The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

“The kingdom of God is within you”. God will one day send Jesus back to this earth. He is coming again. He may come tonight. Oh, how I wish He would. But the Kingdom of God is NOT just when Jesus returns. The “kingdom of God is within you”. When you receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you become a part of His Kingdom. After John the Baptist was imprisoned, our Lord …

Mark 1:14-15 … Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

“The kingdom of God is at hand”. To enter His Kingdom you must repent and believe the Gospel. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:4; 19:16). He is the King of His Church, the King of the Christian, the King of our hearts. His Kingdom at this time does not “come by observation”. The Scribes and Pharisees carefully watched Jesus, observing Him, waiting for Him to stumble, finding fault. They would not see His Kingdom because they would not believe. Those who will not believe Jesus, those who will not “keep His commandments”, will never be a part of His Kingdom.

Oh Beloved, there are so many “pretend Christians”, much like these Pharisees, in the world today. They hear His Word, but never DO it. Did not Jesus say:

John 14:15-17 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

If you will not love Jesus, the King of the Kingdom, then you will not receive God’s Spirit. But if you love Jesus, the Kingdom of God is within you. The Pharisees cannot know nor understand this. If Jesus is not King of your heart, you are not in His Kingdom. Religion does not make you a part of His Kingdom. Jesus said:

John 15:9-11 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 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. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Where Jesus is, the Kingdom of God is. If Jesus is in your heart, you are in His Kingdom RIGHT NOW. Just prior to this query by the Pharisees we read:

Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as {Jesus} went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

Jesus went through the middle of Samaria and Galilee. As Jesus was moving southward, the text should say “Jesus went through the middle of Galilee and Samaria”. But it doesn’t. It lists Samaria first. Now Galilee was an area that was thoroughly Jewish, but Samaria, oh, that was a different story! Samaritans were despised by Orthodox Jews. Samaria was an area that had been occupied by Assyria many years before. Many of the Jews that lived in Samaria intermingled with the Assyrians. Why would God give Samaria first billing in the text? It is because faith was found in a Samaritan. Read with me:

Luke 17:12-14 And as {Jesus} entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

The ten men, lepers, stand far off. God told Moses “Command the children of Israel to put out of the camp every leper” (Numbers 5:1-2). Those who were lepers in the Old Testament were often afflicted with the disease as a punishment from God (see 2 Chronicles 26:16-23; 2 Kings 15:5; 2 Kings 5:25-27). This group of ten men were Jews as well as Samaritans, all bound together by one common affliction. They cry out to Jesus, “Master, have mercy on us”. The word “Master” is the Greek word ἐπιστάτης epistátēs, (pronounced ep-is-tat’-ace), which means “overseer, boss, the One in charge”. Jesus’ disciples often called Him “Master” (see Luke 5:5; Luke 8:24, 45; Luke 9:33, 49), recognizing that He was in charge. These men recognize Jesus – at least outwardly – as the Lord. He is our Master. He is our King. Jesus is our Messiah.

The lepers asked the Master for mercy.
Mercy is to we receive that which we do not deserve.

Jesus does not hesitate. He tells them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests”. When Jesus came, He did not come to eradicate the Law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:18). The Law of God said that when a person was healed of leprosy, they were to go to the priests to diagnose their healing, as well as to make a sacrifice in thanksgiving to God (see Leviticus 13:1-46; 14:2-32). Jesus came to fulfill the Law. “Go, show yourselves to the priests”. They were healed at that very moment, but needed to be diagnosed healed, and to make sacrifice to God.

Luke 17:15-16 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

The ten men were healed. The priests diagnosed their healing. They made their sacrifices before God as the Law commanded. Then the nine went home. But one, the Samaritan, the hated Samaritan, the half breed Samaritan, he came back to the Master. This man did not just give Jesus lip-service – he honored Jesus with his life. He fell down at Jesus’ feet – Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus says:

Luke 17:17-18 … Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

Where are the nine? Jesus knows where they are, but He speaks so we can know this truth. Ten lepers went to the priests to be diagnosed, according to the Law. Ten lepers offered sacrifice to God at the Temple, according to the Law. But only one leper gave glory to God. Only one leper came and bowed down to Jesus, worshiping at His feet. Only one leper came to the King of the Kingdom of God, and honored the Son of God. Jesus told that Samaritan:

Luke 17:19 … Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

To HEAR Jesus and not HONOR Jesus is not faith.
Saving faith receives Jesus Christ as
both Savior and Lord.

John 5:22-24 … the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Beloved, the faith that saves is the faith that, from the heart, honors the Son. The Kingdom of God is within you – or it is not. Do you love Jesus? Then do as Jesus said. Do you love the King? Then you are part of the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God Will One Day Be Over The Earth

The Kingdom of God is within you. But there is a future Kingdom of God that will come. Jesus tells His listeners:

Luke 17:22-25 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

Jesus told those listening, “There will be a day when you will want to see the Son of Man, the Messiah, but won’t be able to. I must suffer many things and be rejected by Israel.” Jesus was living under the shadow of the Cross. He was getting ready to die for your sins and mine. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). The Pharisees will not miss Jesus, but His disciples, members of His Kingdom will. “Jesus is the satisfactory payment for our sins, and not just for us, but for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2, my paraphrase).

But Jesus is coming again.

Luke 17:26-27 And as it was in the days of {Noah}, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

When Jesus returns for His Church, it will be just like it was in the days of Noah. People will eat, and drank, and marry wives, or be given in marriage. People will live their lives without God, and consider life normal. God’s Word will be preached. It will be available. God’s Word is available in our Church in person, or in the parking lot, or on Facebook, or by mail. In our world today you can heart the Word of God. In Noah’s day, there was only Noah preaching the coming judgment. God was going to judge the earth because of sin, because of trespasses against his person and His Law. What was true in Noah’s day? The Scripture says:

Genesis 6:2 … the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

  1. God’s people stopped caring about the Lord. It has always been God’s commandment that

2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Believers in Christ are to love unbelievers, but are not to form an intimate bond – like marriage – with an unbeliever. When light marries darkness, the light dims. The beginning of the judgment of God on the world was when the sons of God (the saved) married the daughters of Adam (unbelievers). This is what has happened in America today. Christians and Churches have made covenants with those who are lost and without Christ.

When the Light becomes dark,
the judgment of God is not far off!

2 Peter 2:5 {God} spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

  1. When God’s people ignored God’s warning, it brought rampant evil on the earth – evil so great that God decided to wash it all away.

Genesis 6:5 God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Can we not say that this is true in America today? Everywhere you look, evil abounds. The Bible says in …

Isaiah 5:20-21 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Our God is not mocked – what you sow, you shall reap (Galatians 6:7). When you dabble in sin, it isn’t long before judgment finds you.

  1. However, God did not destroy the world immediately. He made Noah a preacher of righteousness, and allowed him to preach. God said,

Genesis 6:13 … Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make thee an ark

God gave mankind time to repent, and a way to escape judgment. This way was narrow and specific. There was only one way to life – and that was God’s way. In our world today, just as in Noah’s day, the lost believe there are many ways to salvation. They think they can build their own boat and escape the judgment of God. But beloved, there is but one way, and that narrow way is through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

There was no way of salvation in Noah’s time but the Ark.
There is no way of salvation in our time but the Cross of Christ.
Noah manned the Ark. Jesus died on the Cross.

The Scripture without shame declares:

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other {but Jesus}: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

It is Jesus only who suffered for our sins, one time only, on Calvary. The Righteous Jesus died for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:15). There was no other way to be saved, then our now, but by the means that God has given. Ark or Christ? Have you been saved?

  1. When judgment came, it came suddenly and unexpectedly. God told Noah:

Genesis 7:1 … Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Jesus warned us in:

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Our Lord told us in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Sudden destruction will come. Beloved, we do not know when Jesus is coming for His Church, but once He takes His Church from this earth the Great Tribulation will come. There will be seven terrible, frightening years on the earth as Satan’s son the AntiChrist reigns. Judgment is coming. It is certain. But we do not know when. God says over and over again “the day of the Lord will come as a thief” (2 Peter 3:10). Will you be ready? Are you on the Ark that is Christ? Oh Beloved, do not wait. You do not know when Jesus will return – but He will! You do not know when the last day of life is, when you yourself will leave this body. God knows, but you do not. It is appointed to each person a time to die, and after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? Oh Beloved, today is the day of salvation:

2 Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I {helped} thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, now is the accepted time – now is the day of salvation.

When we started our sermon today, I quoted two texts. They were:

Luke 17:20-21 And when {Jesus} was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

In the first text we talked about WHEN the Kingdom of God would come. But we never examined the second text. The Pharisees asked Jesus “WHEN is the Kingdom coming?” The disciples asked Jesus “WHERE is the Kingdom of God?” Jesus’ response sounds cryptic, but it’s not. Jesus said, “Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together”. What is this “BODY” Jesus is speaking of? It is simple – He is still discussing the Kingdom of God. The Bible calls the believers, united together by faith in Jesus, the “Body of Christ”:

Romans 12:4-5 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

God’s people are those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God’s people are united, loving God with all their hearts, all their souls, and with all their minds (Matthew 22:37). God’s people are those who, loving God most, obey His commandment:

Matthew 22:39 … Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

In fact, God’s people are those who obey the new commandment Jesus gave us,

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Where the Body gathers, the Eagles are. Eagles are often presented in the Scripture as believers who rest on the Rock of Christ. The Prophet said:

Isaiah 40:31 … they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Eagles escape those that would prey on them by making their nests high up in the rocks. That Rock is Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). If you are in Christ, you are not the devil’s prey. You are an eagle. You are to soar on wings of faith, looking to the One Who saved you. Eagles soar without flapping their wings, being lifted by the wind. The Christian soars by spreading the wings of his faith, and by resting on God’s Spirit and His Word. “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). Are you resting on Jesus? Are you obeying His Word? Oh Beloved, I pray you will. May God’s Holy Word and His Holy Spirit draw you to Him this very day. Amen and Amen.

Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear
Freedom we all hold dear now is at stake
Humbling your hearts to God saves from the chastening rod
Seek the way pilgrims trod, Christians awake

Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon
Many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound
All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the skies
Going where no one dies, heavenward bound

Amen and Amen!

Posted in Luke, Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Battling Anxiety The Jesus Way

Posted on January 29, 2021 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Sometimes I will have bad nights where I toss and turn rather than rest. You probably never experience that (yeah, right), but I do. What keeps me up at night? Anxiety. I’ll get something on my mind that I can’t get off of it. What about this? What about that? I contacted my tax preparer H&R Block yesterday to set an appointment when I was told they do not do “walk ins” right now because of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The office manager sent a link to my email account that I was supposed to use to “upload” my files. I lay down last night, wondering how I was going to scan these documents into the computer. It’s not something I usually do. So anxiety and worrisome thoughts got in my head. I began to overthink what I had to do.

Worry. Anxiety. It Comes To Every Human

Even our Lord Jesus was afflicted with anxiety. As He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to His betrayal and crucifixion we read:

Matthew 26:37-39 … {Jesus} took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

What Jesus was preparing to do for us is certainly a greater matter than are my taxes. But I want you to notice that our Jesus was not at peace as He entered Gethsemane. Look at the way that Matthew describes our Master.

  • Jesus was sorrowful (λυπέω lypéō, [pronounced loo-peh’-o]), which is literally “was in distress, filled with sorrow”. Jesus was going through what one preacher called “a dark night of the soul”.
  • Jesus was “very heavy” (ἀδημονέω adēmonéō, [pronounced ad-ay-mon-eh’-o]), literally “to be troubled to the point of depression”.

Jesus knew what the Cross would entail. Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him, and shared His burden with them, saying “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death”. He was hurting emotionally so much that He felt like He was dying. Three times Jesus prayed:

Luke 22:42 Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

As Jesus prayed, you could see the struggle on His very person. The Bible says that:

Luke 22:43-44 there appeared an angel unto {Jesus} from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

What a battle Gethsemane was for our Jesus!

Our Jesus never sinned, and never could sin. Jesus was tempted in all points as we are tempted, yet He never sinned. As our High Priest, Jesus suffered as we suffer.

Hebrews 4:14-15 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus agonized and suffered anxiety. Yet He did so without sin. Anxiety and worry are conditions that come to all humans – it is a part of our human nature. Yet anxiety and worry should not keep us from doing what God calls us to do. I want to look at anxiety tonight, and examine how our Lord and His Word tells us to continue to move forward in spite of our fears.

Jesus Did Not Hide His Anxiety From The Father

Anxiety and worry can become sins if we do not handle them correctly. One thing that people often do about anxiety is they hide it, or try to deal with it by themselves.

Too often we hold anxiety in, hiding it in shame, or trying to overcome it by spiritual pride.

Jesus told us:

Matthew 6:31-34 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Do not let worry consume you. Look up. Look to the
Father. Submit to the Father’s Kingdom.

Jesus said, “when you are anxious, seek FIRST the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness”. That is exactly what Jesus did. He came into Gethsemane with the express purpose of telling the Father of His anxiety. But Jesus did not just demand that the Father take away the anxiety by taking away the trial. No, what Jesus repeated three times in His prayer to the Father was:

Matthew 26:39, 42 … {Jesus} fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. … 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. … 44 … And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

Jesus was focused on obedience to the Father’s will. In Mark we see Jesus praying:

Mark 14:36 … Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

Jesus’ prayer was proper before God. He did not just demand that the Cross be removed from His life, but He prayed “if it were possible, that the hour might pass from Him”. Lord, is it possible? Lord, is there any other way I can secure the salvation of your Beloved?

Jesus Christ, Eternal God of Eternal God, the One Who “Was in the beginning with God, and was God. Of Whom all things were made” (John 1:1-3), this Jesus humbled Himself before the Father and the Spirit.

He did not demand, but requested. The Apostle Peter put it this way:

1 Peter 5:5-7 … God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Jesus “cast His care – His anxieties upon God – knowing that God cared for Him”. And God certainly cared for Jesus. Several times the Father said:

Matthew 3:17 … This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Matthew 17:5 … This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

The Father loved the Son, and expressed His love numerous times in front of witnesses. The Son knew and knows that He is loved of the Father. As He cries our from Gethsemane, He does not doubt the Father’s love. He asks. He seeks the face of the Father’s will. Jesus cast that anxiety on the Father, not once, but three times, resting in the love of Yahweh. Jesus humbled Himself under the will of the Father.

When God took His Israel, Whom He loved, to the Promised Land, He allowed them to send one man from each tribe of Israel into the land to do reconnaissance. God wanted His people to know how wonderful the land was that He was giving them. When the twelve spies returned, they all said:

Numbers 13:27 … We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

Had they stopped here they would have been fine. But then ten of the spies said:

Numbers 13:28-29 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

Joshua and Caleb encouraged the people. “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” (vs 30). But the majority “brought an evil report of the land” (vs 32), and convinced Israel to abandon the will of God. THIS IS SIN. Though Joshua and Caleb encouraged the people, the damage was done. Israel rejected the rule of God. And thus that generation wandered in the wilderness for forty years, until all died – and God’s will was done.

Beloved, we are to do as Jesus did. We are to “cast our anxieties on our Father”, but are never to rebel against His rule. As Jesus said,

Matthew 26:39 … nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou
{o Father} wilt.

Tell the Father your anxieties. Cast them upon Him – but do not doubt His love nor His plan for your life. The Apostle said:

Philippians 4:5-7 The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The “Peace of God that passes all understanding” only comes when we cast our anxieties of God. In Philippians we see the Apostle using three words:

“prayer and supplication with thanksgiving”

“Prayer” is our unburdening to our Father, communicating our hearts to Him. But “supplication” is a word that notes we must be surrendered to God, as Jesus was surrendered to God. “Nevertheless, not My will, but THINE be done”. Father, if You desire this of me, then strengthen my heart, and give me the courage to receive Your Word. And never forget thanksgiving. Praising God, because our Father is always near to us. If you are a Child of God, then even in the midst of trials you should be thankful. The Scripture says:

2 Peter 1:3-4 his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We are “partakers of the divine nature”. We are “children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). God will not abandon His children in the valley, no more than He abandoned Jesus in Gethsemane.

Jesus Did Not Hide His Anxiety From His Companions

Matthew 26:38 Then saith {Jesus} unto {Peter, James, and John}, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

Jesus shared His anxiety with His followers. He did not hide it, but asked them to stand with Him as He went into this terrible valley. Sadly, the disciples kept going to sleep, and were no help at all for the Lord.

I had someone ask me once if “watching preaching on Facebook, or watching Charles Stanley, was a good replacement for Church attendance”. My answer is, absolutely not! When we go through trials, we need the touch of other believers, encouraging and helping us. The Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 12:24-26 … God hath tempered the body {the Church} together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: 25 that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.

When we go through our valleys, we need our fellow brothers and sisters helping us, encouraging us. The Scripture commands:

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.

We are to “provoke or encourage one another to love and good works”. We are to “exhort or encourage one another”. What agony it must have been for Jesus to go through Gethsemane by Himself, with only an angel of God to minister to Him! As we go through trials and tribulations, it is our Church Family that can help us.

As the Apostle Paul ended his letter to the Philippians, he writes:

Philippians 4:23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. It was written to the Philippians from Rome by Epaphroditus.

Who was this disciple Epaphroditus? He was a brother in Christ who ministered to Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome. His name, Epaphroditus, means “lovely, agreeable”. As Paul was not able to come and go as an Apostle, he used Epaphroditus as his messenger and clerk. Epaphroditus wrote the letter to the Philippians as Paul dictated it, and then used him to carry the letter to the Church. We see him mentioned in:

Philippians 2:25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

Paul uses several words to describe Epaphroditus.

  • He says “he is my brother”. Epaphroditus was a Christian, saved by faith in Jesus.
  • Paul calls him “a companion in labor”. He was willing to do whatever Paul asked him to do – nothing was beneath him.
  • Epaphroditus was a “fellow soldier”, a term that means he was willing to die for the faith.
  • Epaphroditus was also “your messenger”. He was a conduit between Paul and the Church at Philippi, working as an intercessor to bless the Apostle, though he was imprisoned. Paul wrote in:

Philippians 4:18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.

He was comforted because of this dear Christian brother. May God encourage us to do the same one with another as we travel through this life. We cannot make it by ourselves. We need the love of Christ, and the love of our fellow believers.

When The Father Answered Christ’s Prayer,
Jesus Willingly Moved To Obey The Father

Matthew 26:44-46 And {Jesus} left {Peter, James, and John}, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

Jesus was willing to accept the will of the Father.

Casting all His anxiety on Him, our Lord now moved confidently forward into the plan of the Father. There are times when the trials must come, and we must go into the fiery furnace of affliction. When those times come, know that God is with you. The Father numbers the very hairs of our head (Luke 12:6-7). The Father knows what we need before we even ask (Matthew 6:8). The Bible tells us that:

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God has a purpose and a plan for our lives. When the trials come, we are cast our anxiety on our Father. But we are also to rest in the calm assurance that He loves us, and has our best intentions in His heart.

The Apostle Paul recounted a time when he was afflicted by a “thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me” (2 Corinthians 12:7). What did Paul do when this happened? What he did is very similar to what Jesus did in Gethsemane. He writes:

2 Corinthians 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

Three times Paul asked for relief, sharing his heart with the Father. What did the Father say?

2 Corinthians 12:9 … My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. ..

Receiving this answer the Apostle did not pout or murmur against God. No, his response was “this, then, is the will of God”. He writes:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 … Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Paul accepted the purpose of God in his life, knowing that this was ultimately the best for him. Dr. Joe Pettigrew writes:

“God changed Jacob’s name, which means “deceiver”, to Israel, which means “a prince with God.” He did it through crisis. Realizing he had to go home and face the wrath of his brother Esau, whom he’d mistreated, Jacob became desperate. That night in his tent he wrestled with the angel of the Lord. And the change in his life didn’t come quickly or easily, because we’re told he wrestled until daybreak. But suddenly it dawned on Jacob that he was wrestling with God, and it was a fight he couldn’t win.

Likewise, God will let us wrestle with an issue we can’t resolve, to get our attention. He’ll bring us to the place where we must concede, “I can’t handle this situation. It’s too big for me. I need God!” If that’s where you are today, you’re on the cusp of a breakthrough. If you’re asking God to make you comfortable in the mess you’re in, forget it—it’s not going to happen.”

Sometimes God sends us through trials so that we can grow in faith. This is what He did with Paul. This is also what the Father did with the Son. We are told in:

Hebrews 5:5-9 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. 7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Jesus in Gethsemane “offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered”. Those are powerful words. Trials teach us all the faithfulness of God. Let us not let anxiety turn into sin. When tried, let us do as Jesus did. Let us cast our anxiety on our Father. Let us call on our brothers and sisters in Christ for strength. And let us accept the eternal purpose of the Father in what we are suffering. May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen!

Posted in Matthew, Sermons Preached | Tagged | 1 Comment

Unprofitable Servants

Posted on January 25, 2021 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Alexis Antoine on Unsplash

Last week we saw Jesus’ illustration of Heaven and Hell in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Lazarus relied upon God for life – the rich man relied on his riches. When Lazarus died the angels of God took him to Abraham’s Bosom, symbolic of paradise. But when the rich man died, in hell he lifted up his eyes. He lived a life without God on the earth, and now was confined – and in torment – in a place that he could not leave. The rich man’s heart was hardened by sin. Though in hell, the rich man still saw Lazarus as a thing to be used. Remember what he said?

Luke 16:24 … send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

This man has no love for anything or anyone but himself. Send Lazarus from the glory of Paradise, to this flame where I am, and have him wait on me.

No, rich man, this is not possible. There is a great gulf fixed (Luke 16:26) where no soul can cross. Then the rich man shows concern for his brothers.

Luke 16:27-28 {send Lazarus} to my father’s house: 28 for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

This is the first evidence of any love at all in this man. Though it is a selective love, the rich man is concerned about his brothers. He does not want them to enter the same hell he is in. Since he can’t go to them, he wants Lazarus to go, and warn them of hell. Abraham replied:

Luke 16:29-31 They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

It is the Bible that the rich man’s brothers need to heed. Lazarus cannot go to them. But I want to focus on this again: the rich man did care for his brothers. But he can no longer do anything good for these brothers. He can no longer tell them about Heaven or Hell, as he is trapped in Hell. Beloved, the time to tell others about Jesus is while we are on this earth. Abraham was not insensitive to the brothers of the rich man. He just is not able to witness from Paradise, no more than the rich man can witness from Hell. As the Scripture says:

2 Corinthians 6:2 … behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation

God Is Driven By Love – And We Should Be, Too

Luke 17:1-2 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offenses will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Do you notice how our text starts: “THEN said he unto the disciples”. Even though this starts a new chapter in our Bibles, this THEN ties what Jesus is now going to say back to the story of the rich man and Lazarus. This rich man – in hell – finally cared for his brothers. Though it was a case of too little, too late,

God expects those who are His Children to care about His family. We need to care about adding to it, and lifting up one another. The Light of Christ’s Kingdom must grow.

Jesus cautions His disciples – that’s us – against offending “one of these little ones”. Who is He talking about? Jesus is talking about younger, less mature Christians. In a parallel text Jesus calls these “little ones” …

Matthew 18:6 … these little ones which believe in me ….

If you are a Christian, you were saved by the unmerited mercy of God’s Love. No one deserves salvation – we are all fallen creatures, far, far from God. The Bible says:

Romans 3:10-12 … There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Vs 1 “It is impossible but that offenses will come”

We are all sinners, but God in His infinite love reaches out to us. He touches our hearts, and calls us to salvation in Christ. The Bible says that “we are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

Standing before Jesus as He speaks are two groups of people:

  1. the Pharisees who were more concerned with religion and ritual than they were about their relationship with God. Jesus often called these people “hypocrites”.
  2. the disciples of Christ who believed in Him for salvation. Jesus cherishes the souls of those whom He has saved. He cherishes them, because He shed His blood for them, as He has for us. Jesus says, “do not offend the little ones – the young Christians – who believe in Me”.

Jesus wants us to be better than the lost rich man. We are to be concerned about our brothers and sisters NOW, not LATER when we leave this life.

The rich man wanted to be responsible for his brothers after he ended up in hell. The lost person only wants what they have for themselves. The lost person defines life by what they can get out of it. The Christian is called to LOVE – to LOVE God and LOVE those around him.

Illustrate An angel came to a rich man and asked, “What can I do for you?”. The rich man, caring only for his wealth, said: “Show me the Wall Street Journal one year from today. I can use it to invest my money, and become even richer!”. The angel handed the man the Wall Street Journal, just as he asked. The man flipped to the stock exchange report, and quickly noted the best stocks to buy. He then turned one more page, and tears began to roll down his face. In the obituary section there was his picture – he had died!

The Riches Of The Christian Is Our God And
Our Family In Christ

The “Apostle of Love” wrote:

1 John 3:10-12 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

The true Christian does the works of God, and loves his brother. He does not love as the rich man loves, only when he leaves this life. He does not love as Cain loved. The Christian is called to love as Jesus commanded. The faithful believer will love! Jesus said:

Matthew 22:37-40 …. 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.

Love, as Jesus loved, is commanded to every believer in Christ. We are to care for our brothers and sisters. We are to care for the lost.

Luke 17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

Jesus tells His disciples – that’s us – “Take heed to yourselves”. We are to examine our lives. We are to …

Philippians 2:12-13 … work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Is God working in you? Then it will show in your life when your brother or sister offends you. It will show in how you resolve conflicts. Jesus said:

Luke 17:3 … If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him

Word Study The word REBUKE is the Greek ἐπιτιμάω epitimáō, {pronounced ep-ee-tee-mah’-o}, which means “to censure or admonish”. We are to tell our brothers and sisters when they have offended us. We are not to gossip about them, but to tell the offense to the offender alone. This is where you start. You do not bear a grudge, nor allow the offense to fester, but seek reconciliation NOW. Jesus said:

Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

Once you tell your brother what he did, THEN …

Luke 17:3 … If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

If the offending party changes their attitude – asks forgiveness – then you are to forgive that person. How often? Jesus said:

Luke 17:4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

So often we are offended, then carry grudges. Sadly, many times people who profess Christ as Savior have arguments and breaches, then one will move to another Church without doing what Christ has commanded. Jesus said that forgiveness in non-negotiable. We are to love one another. And if one offends us, we are to seek to mend the rift. We are not to cherish a grudge. When Peter heard this teaching from Christ, he sought a loophole, saying:

Matthew 18:21-22 … Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Doesn’t God forgive us when we repent, confessing our sins? The Bible says:

1 John 1:9 … If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God does not place a limit on His forgiveness of our breeches against Him. He does not place a limit on the number of times we are to forgive. The Apostle said:

Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Colossians 3:12-13 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Don’t Make Excuses – Just DO It!

When the disciples hear what Jesus said, they reply in an almost comical way. They said:

Luke 17:5-6 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamore tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

The disciples felt that what Jesus was asking was so hard, so impossible, that they asked that He increase their faith. Jesus said, “All you need is faith the size of a grain of mustard seed”. It doesn’t take much faith to forgive your brother or sister.

When you do what Jesus says, you prevent a mountain of trouble in your life, and in the life of the Church.

Just do what Jesus said do. Unity is so important in the life of the Church. It is only when “two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20). A disharmonious Church cannot be empowered of God. When others fail you or hurt you, remember this.

We are all UNWORTHY servants.

Jesus uses this simple illustration to make His point. He says:

Luke 17:7-9 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? 8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? 9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I {think} not.

Do you get the picture? The SERVANT (that’s us) has been plowing all day. Now it’s supper time. When we come in from the field, do we tell the MASTER (that’s God), “I’m going to sit down and eat. YOU feed me, then YOU feed Yourself”. Absolutely not! When the servant comes in from the field, that servant FEEDS THE MASTER FIRST, and then sits down to eat. DOES THE MASTER THANK THE SERVANT? Absolutely not!

Illustrate Every month I pay my mortgage. My bank doesn’t thank me for paying my mortgage. I owe the mortgage. I owe what I borrowed back to the bank.

If you are saved by faith in Christ, you have received the greatest of all gifts. You are of the Family of God. You owe God everything. God has given you not only life, but has given His life for you. He has prepared a place for you in Heaven, a glorious place that we neither have earned nor will ever deserve. We fail God daily, and yet, He loves us as His children for Christ’s sake. Jesus said:

Luke 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things {forgiving your fellow believers. Loving the unlovable} which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

We who are Christians have a duty we owe toward our Master. As we have been loved of God, we are to love others. We are to forgive offenses, knowing this is the will of our Master. Jesus warned us:

Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

We are expected to love one another as Christ has loved us.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

The Church of Christ is called to be filled with love: love toward God, and love toward one another.

Romans 12:1-2 … present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Our love is to be like Christ’s. Not like the world’s love, but like Jesus’ love. Let us love and serve one another. Let us be the Light that Christ has called us to be. May God touch our hearts with His Word and by His Spirit. Amen and Amen.

Posted in Sermon Series "Red Letters", Sermons Preached | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

For By Grace

Posted on January 24, 2021 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Jonny McKenna on Unsplash

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Today we’re going to look at one of the most profound Scriptures in the Bible. I love this verse! If you can understand this verse then you can begin to appreciate the richness of God’s blessings in Christ.

Salvation Is By Grace Through Faith

“For by GRACE are you saved through faith”. It is GRACE that saves the sinner. The Apostle says in another place:

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Word Study I have heard GRACE described as “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”. That’s a good definition, for GRACE comes to us because of what Jesus did for us – praise His holy Name! A more proper definition is found in the Greek text. GRACE is the Greek χάρις cháris, {pronounced khar’-ece}, which means “unmerited favor, unearned love”.

A beautiful picture of GRACE is found first in the Bible in Eden. Though the Law of God demanded Adam’s death “for the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God had warned Adam:

Genesis 2:17 in the day that thou eatest {of that forbidden fruit} thou shalt surely die.

It was the LAW that rightly said to Adam,

Genesis 3:17-19 … cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

The Law of God must fulfill what it said. “By one man sin entered the earth, and DEATH by sin, for all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). Spiritual death came on Adam, and physical death became a part of life. “In Adam, all die” (1 Corinthians 15:22). It was the LAW that pronounced rightful death on Adam and his children.

Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

But it was BY GRACE that God allowed Adam another day of life. It was by GRACE that God clothed Adam and Eve by killing the innocent creature. Pastor John MacDuff said:

“No sinner would have sought God – but “by grace”. The thickets of Eden would have proved Adam’s grave had not grace called him out.”

Saul would have never become Paul
had it not been by GRACE.

Saul the Pharisee would have continued killing Christians had not God by GRACE reached out on Damascus Road and said, “Saul, Saul, you persecute Me! I am the Lord Jesus!”. Had it not been for GRACE, two thieves would have died next to Christ, and would have ended up in hell forever! It was GRACE that opened the eyes of one of those thieves, GRACE that caused him to say:

Luke 23:42 Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

It was GRACE that called Abram from Ur of the Chaldees, saying:

Genesis 12:1-3 …. Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

It was GRACE that tolerated the failures of mankind year after year, until God reached out to Jacob and bestowed GRACE on him to turn him into ISRAEL. The Lord told Israel:

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

It is the Grace of God through the preaching of Christ’s Gospel that reaches out and brings the dead to life. “By Grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves”. God must reach out and open our eyes.

Before Christ We Were Spiritually Dead

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

The Christian is a person who has been “quickened” – made alive from the dead. Prior to salvation the reality of every person is “you are DEAD in trespasses and sins”. All Children of Adam are born physically alive into this world, but are spiritually dead. A person without Christ is spiritually dead. The Apostle Paul said of the lost that …

Ephesians 4:17-19 {they walk} in the VANITY or EMPTINESS of their mind, 18 having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.

The person without Christ is spiritually dead. They are separated from God. Isaiah 59:2 “your sins have made a separation between you and your God. Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear your prayers” (my paraphrase). The lost person does not follow the God Who created them. Dead in trespasses and in sins, you follow not God. The Apostle said:

Ephesians 2:2 wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,

Before you were saved, dear Christian, “you walked according to the course of this world”. What the world said was true, you were in step with it. You had no use for the Bible, the Word of God. You went along with the crowd. You did not choose the narrow way of salvation. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the {narrow} gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 because {narrow} is the gate, and {tight} is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

A person without Christ is spiritually dead. You must be quickened. You must be raised from the dead. A fellow by the name of Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, flattering the Master. Jesus told Nicodemus:

John 3:3 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:5-8 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

God must work in a person’s life to open their eyes to their need of Jesus. Prior to Jesus, we all follow the crowd. We all follow the devil himself.

Are You Following A Prince, Or The King?

Ephesians 2:2 wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Lost people cannot save themselves. They walk – live their lives – according to the Prince of the Power of the Air. The devil has power over Adam’s children because of Adam’s sin. “The whole world lies in the power of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). Satan, also known as Lucifer, leads the world into darkness. But note that he is ONLY A PRINCE. He is not KING. God is KING. Jesus Christ is …

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

Prior to meeting Jesus (blessed be His Name forever) we followed the crowd, the fallen crowd:

Ephesians 2:3 among whom {these lost people} also we all had our {conversation – WAY OF LIFE} in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

We were “by nature the children of wrath”. The Apostle puts it this way in another place:

1 Corinthians 2:9-14 as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The LOST or NATURAL MAN cannot receive the things of God. Their eyes are blinded to it. What people – dead in trespasses and sins – need is Jesus. Our Lord Jesus told His disciples while He walked this earth:

John 5:24-25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

It is by Grace that God calls us to salvation. He opens our eyes by His Spirit, calls us to repentance, and then raises us from spiritual death. The Scripture says:

Colossians 2:13-15 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

“By GRACE are you saved THROUGH FAITH
and that NOT OF YOURSELVES”

Jesus reached out to us. He reaches out to sinners today. When you repent, and by faith reach out and grab that nail scarred hand, we come into a new state, a new place of life.

Quickened Together With Christ

Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Because we called upon the name of Jesus to be saved we are “quickened” or “made alive together with Christ”. The Apostle goes on to say that God the Spirit “made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. What does this mean? It does not mean that we are now LITERALLY sitting with Christ, but that we are LEGALLY seated with Christ (Pastor Jeremy Treat). We are united to Christ, not to this world. We are bound to Jesus, not to the darkness. We are “in Christ”, united to Him both now and forever. Jesus’ perspective is our perspective.

Beloved, we no longer belong to the devil. We no longer are as we were. We are now Children of the King. We have a place in Heaven. God has called us from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18).

Ephesians 2:7 that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

We are trophies of God’s Grace. “By GRACE are you saved THROUGH FAITH, and that NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast”. It is not through the “deeds of the Law” that we are saved. The Law of God gives us knowledge that we are sinners (Romans 3:20), but it is the Grace of God that saves the sinner. The Bible declares:

2 Timothy 1:9 {God} hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Titus 3:3-5 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Praise God for His glorious Grace!

God Works In His Children

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

If you have been saved by faith in Christ, you are God’s workmanship. God is working in us and through us. We have been brought near to God. God the Holy Spirit indwells us, and guides us, and uses us for the glory of God.

Because of Christ our spiritual position has changed. The Apostle said:

Ephesians 2:11-12 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

When we were without Christ, we were cut off from the blessings that God offered Israel. We were without promise from God. We were in a helpless and a hopeless place, “without God in the world”. But now?

Ephesians 2:13 but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

We as Christians are brought near to God, so that we can walk with God daily.

  • We are brought near to God literally, for God the Holy Spirit indwells our bodies.

Romans 8:9-11 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

  • We are brought near to God, being adopted as His sons and daughters. We are no longer sons of Adam, but are children of God.

1 John 3:1 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.

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit {Himself} beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

  • We are brought near to God in our behavior.

1 John 4:11-13 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

1 John 4:20-21 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

If you belong to God in Christ, your behavior toward God and others is now more like Christ’s. The stepbrother of Christ Jesus, James, wrote:

James 2:17-20 faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Faith is a verb, but it is also a noun

When you “have faith” in Christ (the verb), then the “faith you profess” (a noun) will be evidenced by your works. The whole point of salvation is to bring us to God:

1 Peter 3:18 … Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God

God the Son died for our sins so that He might “bring many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10). Because of Jesus, our Father is now God, not Adam. Because of Jesus we are now sons and daughters of God. The Apostle said:

2 Corinthians 5:17 … Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

You are called to be like Jesus. You are called to live close to God. Let us end with these wonderful words:

Ephesians 2:14-18 For {Jesus} is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 for through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

You are the people of God, if you are saved by faith in Christ. You are to be imitators of God, children of light, a city set on a hill that cannot be hid. You are the “children of Abraham” that the Lord foresaw in Genesis 12:1-3. Let us live for Jesus! Let us live in His Kingdom. May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit this very day. Amen and Amen!

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