Grace Community Church Ramona Podcast: Recent Episodes
Grace Community Church Ramona
Though we willingly walked in the way of this ungodly world doing what the devil and we ourselves wanted, God extends His mercy toward us because He loves us and knows we are helplessly entrapped in our own snare.
We, too, like Elisha's servant and the believers of Ephesus struggle to see spiritual realities. Like Elisha, Paul prays God the Father open the eyes of the Ephesians that they may see, understand and be transformed by the spiritual realities of which they are now part. So, also, ought we to pray for ourselves and one another.
Contrary to the impulsive, unpredictable and self-serving ways of the gods, the Ephesians are coming to know that the true God is loving, gracious and centered on His human family to reconcile and restore them through Jesus to the warm, loving, personal relationship for which He created them in the beginning.
The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to Jewish and Gentile believers who were members of house churches located in and around the ancient city of Ephesus.
Love does not insist on its own way. Love is not irritable or resentful. Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things.
The response of: Judas, deep regret leading to death. The Religious Leaders, Hostile rejection. Pilate, Indifference. The Centurian, Profound Confession. Nature, Cosmic Protest. God, Wrath applied. Jesus, Sacrificial Obedience. What is your response to the death of Jesus the Messiah?
These religious leaders have determined to condemn Jesus at any cost, clearly violating the very LAW that they pretend to hold so preeminent. They had a conviction and were in search of a crime.
Facing the darkest hours of His human existence, Jesus masters His flesh and brings it into submission to His spirit which is committed to doing His Father's will. In contrast, the flesh has the upper hand and undermines the desire of the disciples to be loyal to Jesus.
Jesus knew the purpose of his death. It was for the forgiveness of sins. Not just for the disciples, but for many. This is the working out of God's plan that was revealed through the prophets (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 53:10-11).
The role of these young ladies was to escort the bridegroom in a torchlight procession to his house and the wedding feast. The "lamps" were actually torches for outdoor usage - cloth wound round a stick and soaked with oil.
We believe that verses 4-35 describe the events leading up to the destruction of the temple in AD 70, with two brief comments regarding the Parousia in verses 27-28; 30-31. Verses 36-51 deal with the Parousia.
We believe that verses 4-35 describe the events leading up to the destruction of the temple in AD 70, with two brief comments regarding the Parousia in verses 27-28; 30-31. Verses 36-51 deal with the Parousia.
The hypocrisy Jesus denounces is not personal deceitfulness; it is a distorted perspective which makes the scribes and pharisees think they are doing the will of God when, in fact, they are missing the main point.
And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:34-40)
The invitation will be extended to Gentiles, but for Jews and Gentiles alike, acceptance into the Kingdom is conditioned upon one requirement (22:8-14).
The consequences will be two-fold: the religious leaders will suffer divine judgment (v.41, 44) and the mediation of God's Kingdom will be taken away from these religious leaders and given to a people who will produce the fruit of righteous living before God (v. 41, 43).
By His authority, Jesus executed instant judgment upon the fig tree. Jesus assured the disciples that, when they were absolutely confident it was God's will, they, too, will be able to execute instant judgment.
Honor and recognition will come to believers who follow Jesus' example of sacrificial service.
Jesus has made it clear He is going to reward His followers who faithfully serve Him in this life because it is His right and it pleases Him to do so. Jesus is generous. Amazingly, He will be generous in the rewards with which He will reward His faithful in the Messianic Kingdom (i.e. hundredfold).
The disciples assume wealth is a sign of God's blessing - divine affirmation a person is living in the kingdom now. Jesus warns it is impossible for a rich person to enter kingdom life. The disciples ask, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus responds that God's will is that the man and woman whom He joins in the "one flesh" union of marriage be not separated by man. Jesus' answer makes clear that God's original design for marriage did not include divorce.
The two or more gathered are agreeing on the sin of the brother and bringing a request to God in relation to that. They can be confident that the very presence and authority of Jesus is with them as they "bind and loose" the various issues, attitudes and actions that would arise in the early church.
The Apostle Paul explicitly forbids his readers from paying attention to any Pseudepigraphal myths. Therefore neither Jesus nor the Apostles, even if they were aware of them, would ever use the Valley of Hinnom as a metaphor for hell even if there was an example of that equivalence in these fantasies.
Though Jesus, as the Son of the God of the Temple is "free" (exempt), He pays the Temple tax anyway for Himself and Peter to avoid giving offense. Some things are just not worth hassling over.
The Transfiguration makes clear that the rejection, murder and resurrection of Jesus does not mark the cancelation of the promised earthly Messianic Kingdom (vss.10-11). The Transfiguration was a glimpse of the coming Kingdom.
It is far better to follow me to Jerusalem even if it costs you your life and wealth because the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
Jesus warns His disciples to not fall prey to the false teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees. You need to watch and beware of those who twist the scriptures!
Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah promised to the Jewish nation of Israel. We gentile believers are eternally grateful Yahweh included us in the spiritual blessings of His New Covenant with Israel.
The Scribes and Pharisees use the tradition of the elders to justify breaking Yahweh's command to honor fathers and mothers. In addition, they horribly dishonor Yahweh by using Him as the reason for their transgression when, in fact, they are serving themselves.
Jesus will train those who follow him, despite their limited understanding and their doubts.
They were the evidence given when John the Baptizer doubted. They forced the Pharisees to accept or reject his claims. So, how would his "home crowd" respond? How will Herod, who has only heard of him, respond?
Jesus has been rejected by the nation of Israel. His offer of the Messianic Kingdom has been withdrawn from that generation. Through the following parables Jesus reveals the nature of the interim Kingdom. He is preparing His disciples for their role in interim Kingdom.
The sign of Jonah is the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth after three days in the grave! The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate sign and proof that Jesus is the promised Messiah-King. But as Matthew will report, even the ultimate sign of the resurrection of Jesus will be rejected by the scribes and Pharisees.
Matthew interprets Jesus' withdrawal as the fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1-4 which emphasizes that Messiah's ministry will be Holy Spirit empowered, non-combative, expanded to include Gentiles and ultimately successful.
Jesus shifts from persuading the nation to liberating individuals from the bondage of Pharisaical Judaism in order that they may truly know God and experience His life of soul-rest (11:27-30).
The campaign may have taken well over a year as the goal was to reach every town and village in all Israel. The Pharisees have begun a counter-campaign likely utilizing the network of synagogues to spread their lie. The lie: Jesus is empowered by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, not the Holy Spirit of Yahweh.
Everything between 10:5 through 11:1 pertains to this Big Push to evangelize all the towns and villages of Israel. It is likely this campaign lasted many months or more, possibly a year. Jesus will go to those towns/villages the disciples discover are favorable to Him.
To repent means "to change one’s mind". About what does Jesus call the Jews to repent? Jesus calls His fellow Jews to change their minds about whom they are following. He calls them to follow the new wine of His teachings and to turn away from the old wine of the scribes and Pharisees.
Jesus calls His fellow Jews to change their minds about whom they are following. He calls them to follow the new wine of His teachings and to turn away from the old wine of the scribes and Pharisees.
Jesus proved He has authority to forgive a person’s sins. Sin includes all the ways we fail to love and honor God, our fellow man and all the ways we violate God’s revealed will. Our sin separates us from God. Forgiveness of our sins restores us to God. Do you need forgiveness?
Scribes were highly educated, highly trained in reading, writing, record keeping and in copying the Scriptures. They were considered experts in the Law (Torah). The scribe expressed his desire to join Jesus on this trip across the Lake.
Beware of false prophets. They won't represent themselves truthfully, but you can recognize them by the fruit of their lives and you can't fake fruit.
Critical judgment and prideful correction tear down. Persistent prayer for wisdom and humility builds up.
Work for the Kingdom of God and seek His righteousness, and He will take care of your future.
Be careful not to do good things just to get attention. If you do them so people will notice you, the only reward you’ll get is their praise. There won’t be a reward from God.
God sets the incredible example for us in loving His enemies, not only by giving them life and provision, but ultimately by sending Jesus, who would give his very life as a gift for his enemies.
Jesus teaches that God’s will is for a man to be faithful to his wife both physically and mentally; God’s will is for a man to be faithful to his wife in body and soul. This is the true righteousness of Jesus that continues to be true to this day. All of us married men should be striving for this quality of faithfulness with our wives.
The repentance required of the Jewish people was to embrace Jesus as their Messiah and spiritual teacher and break away from the teaching and example of spiritual externalism modeled by the scribes and Pharisees.
Externalism: The belief that what was required by the law was adherence to outward behaviors and rituals rather than inward righteousness.
Jesus was calling Israel back to obeying the Law. In obeying the Law, Israel would be "Salt & Light."
Mosaic Law (Written Law - 613 commandments: moral, civil, ceremonial) Oral Law (Traditions of the Elders - Detailed rules expanding how to apply Mosaic Law)
The second coming of Jesus and the establishment of His earthly kingdom will be in response to the repentance and reception of the Tribulation generation of the Jews who will embrace Jesus as their Messiah King (Zech. 12:10-14:21).
Israel's mission was to reveal God to the nations (Deut. 4:6-8). But Israel failed to accomplish her mission because she failed in the three ways the devil will test Jesus. Will Jesus, the new Israel, fail too?
God Will Send Another Prophet Like Elijah. This prophet will prepare the way for the LORD. There will be judgment on the proud and wicked. There will be mercy and rejoicing for the righteous.
Jewish communities were spread throughout the Nile Delta and along trade routes. Many Jews settled in Egypt for economic opportunities, military service, or as refugees from persecution.
Though Herod was only half Jewish, he was given the title of “King of the Jews” by Rome in 40 BC. He took control of Jerusalem in 37 BC until his death in 4 BC. Despite great achievements, he was a vicious man consumed by suspicion and paranoia.
Joseph became the earthly father through marrying Mary and adopting Jesus. In doing so, Joseph willingly accepted all the fatherly responsibilities, and simultaneously, legally established Jesus as a son of Abraham and of David.
Throughout his gospel, Matthew will show over and over again the various ways Jesus fulfills the COVENANTS and PROPHECIES of the Hebrew Scriptures.
What Are Matthew’s Main Themes? Matthew proves Jesus is the Messiah. Matthew shows that Jesus did not fail to establish the kingdom (the failure was the nation of Israel’s). Because the nation of Israel failed to respond, the Gospel was now open to Gentiles.
Like a root, bitterness puts off poison fruit like slander, lying, malice, hatred, anxiety, division.
Manipulation comes in many forms, but in all its various forms it is always a matter of control and it always plays on the desires of the other person. The manipulator plays on the other person’s desire for love and acceptance. Manipulation plays on the other person’s desire for safety and security for themselves and for others they love.
The delay of Jesus’ second coming is not evidence of a failed prophecy, but the manifestation of God’s loving patience. The delay has and is giving opportunity for people from every tribe, tongue and nation to be reconciled to God. God wants a big family with Him in the New Heaven and the New Earth (3:13)! It is our privilege to serve God’s patient purpose by sharing the way of salvation with those not yet reconciled.
Contrary to the contention that everything has continued the same since God created all things by His Word, Peter points out that God destroyed all things by His Word and with water through the Flood. Though the false teachers deliberately leave out the Flood, Peter makes clear a cataclysmic event of judgment happened in the past and that another is promised for the future, only this one will be through fire.
False teachers are doomed for destruction. As they introduce destructive heresies, they are “bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” (2:1). Their judgment is certain: “Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (2:3).
In verse 10, Peter calls these false teachers bold and willful. Together, these words describe people who are recklessly and ruthlessly determined to have their own way. Their arrogance is driven by claims to have received direct revelation from God by means of dreams. Jude notes that "relying on their dreams" these false teachers will blaspheme/slander spirit beings (Jude 8).
The Flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah are historical examples of how God, on one hand, punished the unrighteous, and on the other, rescued the godly from temptation.
These false teachers will secretly bring in what Peter calls "destructive heresies". Originally heresy meant "to make a choice", but over time and usage it came to mean "a sect, or party". The false teachers will be divisive because their teachings will cause division and schism within the church family instead of unity (Eph. 4:1-6).
The Old Testament prophecies of the second coming of Jesus are so reliable, Peter encourages his readers to give constant attention to them. They are like lanterns of truth and hope guiding believers through the dark journey of this life. The lanterns will no longer be needed when the light of day dawns, when Jesus comes. And Jesus’ coming means a new life for believers has begun like the morning star signals the beginning of a new day.
How you live your life now will determine your service, your authority and the honor you receive in the Kingdom. Now is the time to learn and take on the kingdom virtues of agape love, brotherly affection, service, humility, grace, forgiveness, faithfulness, diligence, integrity, wisdom, righteousness. Jesus will exalt believers who seek to partake of the divine nature. But He will rebuke those who continue in the old nature of self-centeredness.
We believe in a promise that Jesus is literally, physically coming a second time to this earth. Is this promise of such a nature that it warrants such a belief? The answer to this question is based on the premise that a promise is only as good as the one who makes it. This is the issue of our study this morning.
Disciple making incorporates the entirety of the Christian life, and it is one of the clearest ways that we can show love towards our family and the world. Now that we are clear on what it means to be/make a disciple of Jesus, let's turn our attention to the brief but helpful pattern that Peter gives to us.
In our study today, the Apostle Peter uses clear and powerful language to describe two very different roads a believer could choose to follow.
2 Peter 1:3-8 reveals that Jesus has granted us everything needed to become like Him in character, values, attitudes and actions. But to what end? For what purpose? We have also discovered that becoming partakers of the divine nature; of possessing the character, values, attitudes and actions of Jesus Himself, requires effort on our part.
As followers of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to become like Christ in character, values, attitudes and actions. This transformation starts with a growing knowledge of Jesus and His promises. Then we are to make every effort to supplement, or add to, our faith with the qualities found in 2 Peter 1:5-7.
Self-control is the war between impulsivity and doing what's right or beneficial. It's the ability to control emotions, impulses or behaviors to achieve a greater goal.
Jesus has granted us everything needed to become like Him, but we must put effort into the process of transformation as well. The very first principle we see in this passage is that: Becoming partakers of the divine nature; of possessing the character, values, attitudes and actions of Jesus Himself, requires serious effort on our part.
The goal of God’s salvation plan for you wasn’t completed the moment you trusted in Jesus as your Savior; that was just the beginning. God wants to reform you into the character, values, attitudes and actions of Jesus Himself. This is the message of 2 Peter.
Peter introduced himself, which was usual for a letter, but did so with an unusual juxtaposition. He identified himself with two nouns that could not be farther from each other. He began with the title of "servant / slave" in greek, doulos. This word was used to describe someone who was fully and completely under the authority of another.
As we embark on a study of 2 Peter, it is always so important for us to rightly understand the context. We practice the historical-grammatical approach to interpreting the scriptures, seeking to arrive at the author's original intent and then we can appropriately apply God’s Word to our lives.
Down through the centuries of the church, many things have been taught and practiced with regard to water baptism. Some churches sprinkle, some baptize infants, some make baptism a requirement for church membership, some believe baptism is necessary in order to be reconciled to God. This morning I will share what we believe about baptism and why.
Peter concludes his letter to his beloved brothers and sisters in Christ to endure the humiliations that come with suffering knowing a day is coming when God will make all things right.
Wise leadership is a blessing from the LORD especially during times of stress and calamity. Peter calls upon the elders of the churches of Asia Minor to shepherd their church families as they suffer persecution for being Christians.
Persecution is here in the United States and by all indicators, it will increase in frequency and intensity. This is hard for Christians in America because of the support Christianity has enjoyed historically. Those days are gone. We need to learn how to think about and respond to Christian suffering from Peter’s instructions to his suffering audience.
How are we to understand this? We’re prone to think Peter was saying that the end of the world was near. With the resurrection, ascension and exaltation of Jesus (3:22) God’s plan of salvation here on earth entered its final stage that will culminate in the second coming of Jesus. This may well be what Peter had in mind when he made this statement. The point being that in light of the fact that we’re in the home stretch, we should be about these three things that follow.
Pagans of the first century viewed Christians as killjoys who lived gloomy lives devoid of pleasure. The pleasures from which Christians of the first century typically abstained earned Christians the reputation of being haters of humanity and traitors to the Roman way of life.
Peter is writing Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, who were expelled from the vicinity of the city of Rome and resettled in remote parts of Asia Minor which is modern day Turkey. They are foreigners living in hostile communities.
Peter wrote to Christians expelled from Rome and resettled in remote parts of Asia Minor. They were foreigners living in hostile communities. Even in a hostile setting like that of Peter’s readers, believers can live in such a way as to get along peacefully with their neighbors. Being honest, being respectful, working hard and doing good work go a long way towards garnering good will from one’s neighbors.
When faced with unjust insult and evil, Peter’s readers must decide whether to respond in kind out of the old nature and perpetuate strife or to demonstrate the power of God’s grace through radically new conduct.
The phrase "with all fear" specifies the way that servants are to be subject to their masters. However, we need to identify the object of that fear. The one they should fear is determined by 2:17 building off of 1:17, where Peter makes the claim that one of the primary motivations for Godly living in a hostile environment, is the "fear" of the Lord.
God has honored your faith in Jesus by making you a living stone and a holy priest in His Temple; His dwelling place on earth today.
Because LOVING ONE ANOTHER is one of the primary purposes of God’s Covenant Community of which you are a member.
In our section today Peter will address how the various trials we face should be thought of, and that when we are thinking rightly about these difficulties, there is even joy to be had in the midst of them. That there really is "Good Grief."
Not only was Peter setting out to teach and remind these "chosen foreigners" that they were indeed the children of God, but he wanted them to rightly understand their new birth into God’s family and some of the incredible truths that were part and parcel of being born again.
There were some believers (Christians) in the Thessalonian church who were not working to support themselves. They were ‘walking in idleness’. Instead of working, they were relying on the church or those in the church to provide for their daily needs. This caused discouragement, and unnecessary strain on the rest of the believers.
In his previous letter Paul taught the Thessalonians they would be rescued from the day of the Lord (Tribulation) by being gathered to Jesus before the beginning of the day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Since receiving that first letter, someone, somehow had begun to spread the lie that the day of the Lord had come and therefore, by implication, the Thessalonians would suffer the wrath of the day of the Lord.
2 Thessalonians was written soon after 1 Thessalonians; perhaps within a few months in the summer of 51 A.D. Before writing 2 Thessalonians, Paul received news that both encouraged him and concerned him. He was encouraged to hear the Thessalonians were growing in faith and love in spite of persecution. But he was concerned to learn false teachers were troubling the church family. This prompted Paul to write this letter.
Paul closes this letter in the same manner as he does his other letters – with instructions how to live out the Christian life as a church family.
The day of the Lord is an idiom used to emphasize the swift and decisive nature of the Lord’s victory over His enemies on any given occasion. The day of the Lord to which the Apostle Paul refers in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 is the Great Tribulation, the time period Jesus described in Matthew 24:21-22a.
To choose to walk in sexual purity is a profound step of faith. It is God’s will that we walk in sexual purity and it pleases Him when we walk in sexual purity. Through the Holy Spirit Whom He has given us, He empowers us to walk in sexual purity; the Holy Spirit producing in us His fruit which includes patience, faithfulness and self-control.
In the time Paul had with the Thessalonian believers it appears he taught quite a bit on end times. He certainly taught that Jesus was coming again and very possibly in their lifetime. When Timothy returned from Thessalonica, he came with questions from the Thessalonian believers.It appears that a few believers in the Thessalonian church family had died.
Paul's enemies in Thessalonica were slandering Paul saying 1) the Thessalonians’ conversion was not real, therefore Paul’s message was not from God. 2) Paul was a charlatan peddling his message for money and fame, and 3) Paul had abandoned them because he didn’t care about them. Realizing these accusations had teeth, Paul felt compelled to defend himself in order to defend the truth of the Gospel. Beginning in 2:17, Paul defends himself against the third and probably most damaging accusation that he had abandoned them because he didn’t care about them.
In our study today, we will see Paul answered numerous vicious accusations by reminding the believers of both his character and theirs. And we will be reminded that - Our character either supports or undermines the gospel message.
For the Apostle Paul, there were many concerns on his heart and mind as he waited to hear the report card that Timothy was bringing him from the young church in Thessalonica. Paul had been run out of town by those who opposed the gospel and he was anxious to hear if the opposition had been successful with the fledgling believers, or if they had overcome the persecution and were remaining faithful.
The book of Acts records for us how the Good News of Jesus the Messiah spread from city to city across the world. In our study today, we will begin a series on the letters to the church in Thessalonica, but before we dive head first into 1 Thessalonians, it is important for us to look at the background and context of these incredible letters.
WHEN GOD FORGIVES A BELIEVER: He releases the believer from having to personally bear the punishment for his sins on the basis that JESUS has already suffered the punishment for all his sins. He accepts the substitutionary death (the blood sacrifice) of JESUS as the full and sufficient payment for the entirety of the believer’s sin debt.
FORGIVENESS is only possible because GOD punishes all violations of His Law. WHEN GOD FORGIVES A BELIEVER: He releases the believer from having to personally bear the punishment for his sins on the basis that JESUS has already suffered the punishment for his sins.
In this world we need more, not less, forgiveness. But seeking and granting forgiveness are not well understood and poorly practiced. One Christian counselor teaches that apologizing is the world’s substitute for forgiving. He points out that there is not a single reference in the Bible to apologizing. It is an unbiblical concept. It allows the wrongdoer to tell you how he feels ("I’m sorry") without acknowledging his sin and it does not ask the one sinned against to grant forgiveness.
What cancer is to the body; bitterness is to the soul. It eats us up from the inside out. Like a root, bitterness puts off poison fruit like slander, lying, malice, hatred, anxiety, and division.
The rebuilding of the Temple was not a cure all, however, and the nation of Israel needed to be rebuilt, for they had a serious lack of spiritual maturity and leadership. Into this void of leadership stepped Ezra. He was the Godly leader who YAHWEH would use to bring His people out of idolatry and back into obedience.
Two weeks ago, we discovered the name “Israel” means “he struggles with God”. The Jews have a long history of struggling with Yahweh. But a day is coming when the name “Israel” will no longer fit. A day is coming when Yahweh will give His people a new nature and a new name.
In Isaiah 44 & 45, Yahweh, speaking through Isaiah in 700 B.C., revealed in detail how He will accomplish His people’s return to Israel and how He will accomplish the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple.
The majority of Jewish exiles were idolators. They considered Yahweh as one god among many. They interpreted the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 B.C. as the defeat of Yahweh at the hands of the Babylonian gods. They doubted Yahweh’s commitment to the covenants He had made with them. They doubted Yahweh’s ability to fulfill His promises regarding the return. Only a small remnant were faithful to Yahweh.
The truth that there is only one God has been part of Israel’s history since its very beginning. The Hebrew prayer known as the “Shema” was taken from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and recited daily by devout Jews, and its first line clearly expresses that monotheistic truth, “Hear Oh Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.” There is and has ever been only one God, yet there were times when Israel would doubt their God’s strength, sovereignty, and singularity.
God gave an explicit promise to Israel. He would bring down the mighty nation of Babylon and turn them into refugees and fugitives. The ships that they once took pride in will be used to help them flee from the destruction God would bring on them at the hands of the Persians. God desired for His people to be free and to worship Him, so He promised to bring low the mighty nation of Babylon for their sake.
Israel was experiencing God's hand of discipline, but instead of rightly interpreting it, they felt abandoned and rejected, which could not have been further from the truth! In our study today, we will see that Our lives should be a testimony to the marvelous love of The Lord our God, the Holy One of Israel, our Savior.
The Book of Comfort contains prophecies of comfort to the returning Jews. The Book of Comfort also challenged Isaiah’s generation to repent, live by the covenant and trust God.
The year 701 B.C. was a tough year for King Hezekiah. Not only did he fall deathly ill, but his capital, Jerusalem, was attacked by the mighty Assyrian army.
This oracle is about a city and a king. The king’s name is Sennacherib and he reigned over the Assyrian Empire from 705-681 B.C. Sennacherib was a contemporary of Isaiah the Prophet (740-680 B.C.). At this time, Assyria was the dominant world power. Assyria ruled over several kingdoms including the kingdom of Babylon. In fact, “King of Babylon” was one of Sennacherib’s titles.
In Isaiah 9, it was revealed to these downtrodden and defeated people how incredible their future was, and if they had Faith in God and His promises, even this time of darkness would be filled with hope. For... Faith In Our Heavenly Father Results In A Life of Hope.
Following last week’s study, God had a message for Isaiah regarding the unavoidable Assyrian invasion. This time, it wasn’t a message to be given to King Ahaz but was for Isaiah, his disciples, and the remaining people of Judah. This message was and is abundantly clear: Fearing God and believing His Word is the only way to salvation.
Ahaz, the king of Judah, was in serious trouble. The kingdom of Judah had been invaded by Rezin (king of Syria) and Pekah (king of Israel). The remaining citizens of Judah were huddled in Jerusalem, looking out over the devastation of their entire land, awaiting the final blow, shaking “as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.” This was the setting for our study today.
In order to accurately understand the message of Isaiah chapter one, we need to understand the essence of idolatry or spiritism. The essence of idolatry is manipulation. Those who "worship" these spirits seek to manipulate the spirits to give them what they want. One means of manipulation is appeasement. Another means of manipulation is trickery. The idol worshipper is able to manipulate the spirits because the spirits are themselves driven by their desires.
The book of Isaiah is a unique type of literature. We say its genre is prophetic; genre refers, in this case, to various types of literature that have certain characteristics. For instance, American poetry is a literary genre characterized by rhythm and rhyme. Historical narrative is a literary genre that gives factual retellings of real events.
We hold to the correspondence theory of truth that says: truth is when an idea, belief, or statement matches (or corresponds with) the way the world actually is (reality). The pronouns he/him and she/her have been used for millennia to articulate the way the world really is—specifically, that sex and gender are binary by their very nature. There are men and there are women, there are males (XY chromosomal pair) and there are females (XX chromosomal pair). And this is by design, God’s design for humanity.
Pronouns, him, her, he, and she, seem like little things. But they have become big things. Some of us may be facing this issue in our workplace, amongst our neighbors and within our families. All we’re being asked to do is change one word. What’s the big deal? Some Christians encourage the church to practice “pronoun hospitality” and use the preferred pronouns of a person who identifies as transgender. They believe it’s an act of kindness that engenders relationship and avoids unnecessary distress in a transgender person’s mental health. But it’s not that simple.
We are engaged in a cultural and spiritual conflict about truth; not simply what is true, but more fundamentally what is the nature of truth itself. For the sake of completeness, you need to be aware that there have been three dominant theories of truth put forth by philosophers. First, there is the pragmatic theory of truth: truth is what works. Second, there is the coherence theory of truth: truth is logical consistency (coherence) among a set of beliefs an individual holds. Finally, there is the correspondence theory of truth: truth is when an idea, belief, or statement matches (or corresponds with) the way the world actually is (reality).
In our passage this morning we discover that if it hadn’t been for Jesus, the Apostle Paul would have given up. Here is the main idea of these verses - Weakened by desertion, loneliness, and imprisonment, Paul was tempted to give up, but Jesus stood by him and strengthened him to proclaim the Gospel at his first defense.
The Bible teaches us to live our lives now in light of our final accountability before Jesus. In 2 Timothy 4:1-5, Paul alerted Timothy to the fact that a growing percentage of people in the Ephesian Church would reject Timothy’s teaching. Be that as it may, Paul charged Timothy to persist in preaching the Word because every human being is going to be judged by Jesus.
Apostasy, turning away from the truth of God’s Word, was going to increase in the Ephesian church. That meant Timothy and his teaching would be welcomed in some house churches, but not in others. Some house churches rallied around “their” teacher because he or she told them what they wanted to hear.
The year 67 A.D., the year the Apostle Paul was re-arrested, also brought a crisis of leadership in the Church. Because of Rome’s persecution many first-generation Bible teachers, trained by Paul, abandoned the faith. It fell to Timothy to train replacements. The main subject of this letter is found in 2 Timothy 2:2. How was Timothy to train the next generation of Bible teachers? This is the subject of 2 Timothy 3:10-17.
When Paul wrote of the "last days", he was referring to the time period between the resurrection of Jesus and his imminent return in glory as King. For Paul and the other Apostles, there was an expectation that Jesus could return at any point, but until he did, the situation in the world, including within the churches, would grow steadily more difficult, oppressive, and godless.
In our study today, Paul gives Timothy instructions so that the leaders in the church will be holy, useful, and ready to serve the Lord.
In our previous study of 2 Timothy 2:1-13, we discovered that the Roman persecution against Christianity created a shortage of trained Bible teachers because of the many who abandoned the Faith. Paul assigned Timothy the task of training up a new cadre of Bible teachers (2 Timothy 2:2). In 2 Timothy 2:14-19 Paul emphasized to Timothy the need to train his students to avoid the practices of false teachers, and to work hard to teach God’s Word correctly.
By the time the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to Timothy in 67 A.D., persecution had broken out against Christians instigated by Nero’s lie that Christians had set fire to the city of Rome. Paul, abandoned and lonely, wrote his beloved partner from a Roman dungeon where he awaited what he assumed would be the trial that would lead to his execution.
Paul was lonely, having been abandoned by many on account of the persecution. Only Dr. Luke and a man named Onesiphorus were with Paul in Rome. Paul recognized death was near. He longed to see Timothy and asked him to come to Rome. In this, his final letter, Paul sought to fortify and inspire Timothy to persevere in faith and service in the midst of persecution.
Paul was encouraging Timothy and reminding him of some of the most important truths for Timothy to make the foundation of his life, both as a man of God, and a shepherd of God’s church. Paul reminds Timothy, and would teach us, that the eternal and rewarding way to live is not up to our imagination and desires, but is instituted and directed by God.
Elder Commissioning of Nick Lowther and Eric Benson The purpose of this commissioning service is to emphasize the spiritual importance of Eldership. Eldership is the sacred privilege and responsibility to lead the church family to love God, to love others and to make disciples of Jesus at home and abroad. By the laying on of hands, the Elders convey upon Eric and Nick the spiritual authority to lead, provide, protect and love the Grace Church family to accomplish its mission.
Youth Sunday / Why Praise God? Sometimes, as Christians we can narrow down the gospel to just one or two things that happen to us the moment we put our faith in Him. Usually, we tell others, "Jesus died on the cross for my sins so I can go to heaven when I die." While that is a part of the gospel, it is only two of the many blessings that God has given us in Christ. Paul, the author of the Ephesians understood that there are so many blessings that we have in Christ and made sure his readers know what those blessings are.
Money. We all have to deal with money. It's a dangerous thing. In our study today we’re going to learn the Christian way to earn money and the Christian way to relate to money.
In chapter five, the Apostle Paul instructs Timothy in three ways love is to be lived out practically in the life of the church starting with Timothy himself.
In our study this morning the Apostle Paul acknowledges that some Christians will be deceived and will abandon the faith. His instructions in 1 Timothy 4 teach us how to respond to this problem. The main idea of 1 Timothy 4 is this: Believers are best protected from deception and apostasy when their church leaders stay focused on teaching and modeling the Scriptures.
As we look at our passage today, we will see that Paul directly contrasts the Christian church in Ephesus with the temple of Artemis. He wants his brothers and sisters to know just how important the revealed truths about Jesus are, as well as the important role they play in establishing and sharing that truth with the world. He used the backdrop of the magnificent temple of Artemis as he wrote of the true glory of the family of God and the importance of that family to each other and the world. His main point?
There are only two official positions in the New Testament, the office of elder and the office of deacon. In our last study, we looked at the role of the elder, and in this study, we will see how important the role of the deacon is as they take care of the physical needs of the local church, and how it complements the role of the elders.
As we have seen so far in our study of Paul’s letter to Timothy, there were a number of serious issues in their local churches that needed addressing. There was false teaching, arguments, useless debates, a lack of love for one another, misunderstanding of the gospel, lack of prayer, men being angry toward one another, and women using the gathering as a chance to show off their attire rather than show their good works, women teaching and exercising authority over the men, and men failing in their God-given leadership role within the church, and maybe worst of all, there were current elders there who were proving to be wolves amidst the flock!
Some people would say I'm about to do something really dumb today in teaching 1 Timothy 2. But here at Grace, we believe every word in the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and God’s Word for us today. So buckle up and please open your Bibles to 1 Timothy 2 through which the Holy Spirit teaches us that: In our church family gatherings, we should pray both generally, and then, more specifically for the spread of the Gospel and we should serve according to our God-ordained roles as men and women.
Timothy had a tough assignment charged as he was by the Apostle Paul to stop the false teachers and to restore biblical teaching in the Ephesian church. In our passage this week, Paul encourages Timothy to be grateful he has been appointed to serve and to serve with confidence knowing he’s been equipped to accomplish his ministry.
The Apostle Paul sent Timothy to the Church of Ephesus to stop the false teachers and restore order. In verses 3-4 identifies one of several ways the false teachers were mishandling Scripture. They devoted themselves to “myths and endless genealogies”, in other words, they were allegorizing Scripture. Their allegorizing of Scripture was hurting the church in two ways: 1) it promoted "speculations" which refers to arguments and division, and 2) it was leading them away from focusing on God’s plan for this dispensation which is centered in Jesus the Messiah. Paul charged Timothy to stop these false teachers.
The false teachers were devoting themselves to myths and endless genealogies. To put it into contemporary terms, the false teachers were allegorizing the Old Testament Scriptures. What does it mean to allegorize?
The question to ask yourself is this - "Am I rich toward God in what I give financially to the work of His Kingdom?" Only you can answer that question and it's not in comparison to others. You must answer that question in the context of your personal finances. Some of us live close to the bone; our income barely covers our needs. The widow was rich towards God when she gave her two mites. On the other end of the spectrum, some of us have barns that are overflowing. Most of us are in the middle. Regardless, if we are committed to obeying and serving Jesus, we need to take seriously what He teaches here: be rich toward God.
As we have seen in our study through Acts, the Apostle Paul (along with many others) proved himself to be a faithful servant of Jesus the Messiah, devoting his life to disciple-making in "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth." As Paul neared the end of his life, he deeply desired to see those 1st-century believers remain faithful.
It is through testing that our character is revealed. What do we yell when we are cut off on the highway? How do we talk about the boss who overlooks us for the promotion? What is our attitude toward others when we are sick, exhausted, and beaten down? God can and will use these and many other difficult situations to bring about His kingdom and our transformation.
From June 57 A.D. to July 59 A.D. the Apostle Paul remained under guard in Caesarea in the palace of Herod the Great. Finally, in July 59 A.D. it began to look like Paul’s case would be revisited.
As chapter 24 opens Paul has been a prisoner in Caesarea for five days. During that time the Roman Governor Felix awaited the arrival of the prosecution team from Jerusalem. That prosecution team included Ananias, the corrupt high priest, several members of the Sanhedrin and an attorney named Tertullus.
Jesus is teaching there comes a time when we stop talking to another person (or persons) about spiritual things. When is that time? It is time to stop talking to a person about spiritual things when they clearly demonstrate they have no interest in spiritual things. They show themselves to be like dogs and pigs in their lack of capacity to discern what is holy and valuable. This does not mean we reject that person or that we stop praying for them; we just stop talking to them about spiritual things until they’re interested. In our story today, Paul himself will put this parable in practice.
Learning to love our enemies is hard in large part because we most often feel justified in hating them for what they have or are doing to us. If ever there was a man who faced that internal struggle, it was the Apostle Paul. We pick up the story in Acts 21:27.
Paul wraps up his third missionary journey by coming to Jerusalem and delivering the financial gift from the Gentile churches. Four years have passed since Paul’s last visit to Jerusalem. Paul should have been celebrated by the Jerusalem Church, but instead he was met with hostility. We pick up the story as Paul and his companions conclude their visit with the Elders of the Ephesian Church in Miletus and continue their journey to Jerusalem.
As Paul wraps up his third missionary journey, he delivers a moving challenge to the Elders of the Ephesian Church.
The "church" is most often cast in a negative light in modern literature and entertainment. But historically, wherever the gospel and the true church has spread, she brings blessing. Marriages and families are strengthened. Schools are established and people are taught to read. Hospitals are built and the sick are treated with compassion. Social morals improve. Fair business practices lead to prosperity. But wherever the gospel and church spread, there will be a fight. Satan doesn’t give up territory easily.
As we’ve followed Paul on his first, and now, his second missionary journey we’ve learned that the Apostle Paul is one tough man. Yell at him, threaten him, falsely accuse, beat him up, put him in prison, stone him to death; he just keeps coming. There was no quit in Paul.
In April 50AD, about six months after the Jerusalem Council, Paul set out on his second missionary journey. His partner was Silas. Paul and Silas started by visiting the churches Paul had planted on his first missionary journey: Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch in Pisidia.
In our section today we will see a few of Paul’s strategies for his missionary journey and their varied results. Some strategies brought heartbreaking conflict, some seem confusing, some needed divine correction, some resulted in incarceration and some in conversions. Regardless of the outcome, through them all, you can see Paul’s commitment to the work God had called him to, and the power of God at work through Paul to achieve His purposes.
In our section today we will see a few of Paul’s strategies for his missionary journey and their varied results. Some strategies brought heartbreaking conflict, some seem confusing, some needed divine correction, some resulted in incarceration and some in conversions. Regardless of the outcome, through them all, you can see Paul’s commitment to the work God had called him to, and the power of God at work through Paul to achieve His purposes.
To better understand our study today, we must consider the role and importance that circumcision had in the Jewish community. The act of circumcising all male children on the 8th day was one of Judaism’s most essential and critical practices. It was the mark of the covenant God had made with Abraham, the Father of the nation of Israel (Genesis 17:9-14).
Whether it is the difficulties faced when presenting the good news of Jesus to loved ones, or the challenging hardwork of our own sanctification process, it is only through various trials and tribulations that anyone embarks on the kingdom life. In our section today we will see that this has been the case since the birth of the church until now.
After Peter’s miraculous rescue from the murderous hands of King Herod in 44AD, Luke fast forwards three years to 47AD. The Holy Spirit had a special assignment for the Church of Antioch, Barnabas and Paul.
Sometime between 41 AD and 44 AD, Emperor Claudius installed a new king over Judea and Jerusalem. This new king observed the animosity of the Jews towards the leaders of the Way and saw in it an opportunity to score political points with his newly acquired subjects.
The more information you have, the greater the level of clarity, resulting in a much higher level of confidence. In our study today, we will see how God clarifies a massive change in His program, and how this clarity results in unshakable confidence in the early church.
The more information you have, the greater the level of clarity, resulting in a much higher level of confidence. In our study today, we will see how God clarifies a massive change in His program, and how this clarity results in unshakable confidence in the early church.
We left Peter in 8:25 when he returned to Jerusalem with John from their visit to Samaria. Now we find him, taking advantage probably of the collapse of the recent persecution, engaged in an itinerant ministry of visitation among the dispersed Christian communities of Judea. There was one such community in Lydda (the Greek name of Lod). The nucleus of this community was most likely formed of fugitives from the persecution in Jerusalem. Little did Peter know that this ministry trip would result in a radical Kingdom breakthrough.
We left Peter in 8:25 when he returned to Jerusalem with John from their visit to Samaria. Now we find him, taking advantage probably of the collapse of the recent persecution, engaged in an itinerant ministry of visitation among the dispersed Christian communities of Judea. There was one such community in Lydda (the Greek name of Lod). The nucleus of this community was most likely formed of fugitives from the persecution in Jerusalem. Little did Peter know that this ministry trip would result in a radical Kingdom breakthrough.
Immediately following his encounter with Jesus (9:1-9), Paul the persecutor baffled the Jews of Damascus. They knew he was coming to arrest members of the Way, but when he came to their synagogues, he actually promoted their movement!
Immediately following his encounter with Jesus (9:1-9), Paul the persecutor baffled the Jews of Damascus. They knew he was coming to arrest members of the Way, but when he came to their synagogues, he actually promoted their movement!
For the past two episodes we've been celebrating all that God accomplished through Philip in bringing the Gospel to Samaria and leading the Ethiopian official to faith in Christ. It is exciting to see the ways the Kingdom of God grew and expanded to Samaria and Africa. But persecution continued to rage against Jewish believers lead by an extremist Jewish rabbi named Saul.
God redeemed the persecution of the Jerusalem Church by bringing salvation, healing and joy to the city and territory of Samaria. God accomplished this through Deacon Philip and then used Philip to spread the Kingdom to Africa!
Philip brought joy to the city of Samaria. He could have brought bitterness and hatred for the Jews which would have found a receptive audience. But Philip accepted persecution and stayed focus on serving the Kingdom. Like Stephen, the Holy Spirit empowered Philip to do miraculous signs; signs that validated the message that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah and Savior.
Many Jews were coming to faith through Stephen's preaching and men from the Synagogue of the Freedmen (perhaps Stephen's former synagogue) didn't like it. But when they attempted to disprove Stephen's preaching, they couldn't. To defeat Stephen, his enemies resorted to false accusations which they communicated to the Sanhedrin.
Whether it is a business, a product, or a religious movement, rapid growth often results in growing pains and problems. If these issues aren’t handled wisely, they can go from bad to worse very quickly. Just because the early Church was a good and godly movement did not make it immune to these pains and problems. It was, after all, a rapidly multiplying family, and every family has its "growing pains."
It is becoming increasingly clear to us as we study Acts that the power of God is in His messengers, and His message is not going to be stopped, not by man nor the devil himself. In our study this morning, we will see that the religious leaders have hardened their hearts in resistance, but God’s messengers will not be intimidated or silenced.
As the Apostles presented the mighty power of God and proclaimed the message of the Messiah, Satan was working to bring destruction to this early church family. We have already seen the growing aggression from forces outside the church, that Satan would use to silence the Apostles and kill the church, but in our section today, we will see how Satan used a family within the church community to launch his attack.
The healing of a lame man in the Temple caused quite a stir (Acts 3) and led to the arrest of Peter and John (Acts 4:1-4).
One day, as Peter and John made their way to the Temple to participate in the daily prayers, they were presented extraordinary opportunity to bear witness to Jesus (Acts 1:8).
It was Pentecost, 30AD. Jerusalem was overflowing with devout Jews and proselytes from Israel and abroad gathered to celebrate the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). The Apostles of Jesus were in Jerusalem as well. Before returning to heaven, Jesus commanded them to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit. About 9AM, Sunday morning, May 28th, 30AD, the Holy Spirit came with a bang.
The Book of Acts continues the story of Jesus and how He, through the power of the Holy Spirit began to build His Church through the Apostles and early believers. The Book of Acts continues the story of Jesus because Acts is the sequel to the Gospel of Luke written by the physician Dr. Luke.
In our passage today, we will see that Jesus clearly teaches there are certain spiritual activities that will be rewarded, but they must be done the right way and for the right reasons. Now, I would argue that all spiritual disciplines and exercises are "rewarding" in one way or another, but Jesus made particular mention of the four we will look at today.
All who have faith in Jesus are his children and have been made right with God our Father, by His grace alone. This is the most incredible gift ever given and all who are justified will rejoice in what is to come. Yet, there are those believers who have gone "above and beyond" in their kingdom work, attitude, and service, and they will be recognized and rewarded based upon their faithfulness.
There is no record of your sinful deeds, past, present and future. They have been blotted out by the blood of Jesus. Therefore, without question, we will not be judged nor punished for sin at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Jesus, our Substitute, was judged and punished for our sin.
As we discovered in our previous study, our Christian race will be evaluated and compensated at the Judgment Seat of Christ. In this study we will discover the where, the when and the who of the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Many Christians do not realize the way they live their lives now matters not only for this life, but for the life to come. The Bible teaches it very much matters how we live our lives after we receive the gift of salvation by faith. We are going to give account for our Christian lives to Jesus and from Him receive reward or rebuke.
As James brought his letter to a close, he hoped his beloved brothers and sisters would take his instruction and correction to heart. James’ closing summary and application actually began in 5:7 where James encouraged his people to be patient towards one another as they waited for the coming of the Lord.
Life was hard for many of the believers to whom James wrote, and they longed for the Lord’s return. In this section of his letter, James encourages his beloved to be patient as they wait for the Lord’s return. The key idea in this passage is to be patient in the midst of suffering as we wait for Jesus’ coming.
An interesting thing happens to some people as they become wealthier, they become less generous and more protective of their wealth. Even though they have more than they could ever need, they are unwilling to help others in need. Lack of care and generosity on the part of wealthy church members were two of several sins James confronted in 5:1-6.
Amongst James’ readers were businessmen whose success seems to have led to an over confidence. Turn to James 4:13-17 and let’s read what James had to say to these members of his church. What attitude is James confronting in these businessmen? Arrogance. About what were they arrogant? They presumed to know the future as if they controlled it. They assumed their plans would come to fruition without consideration of God or their own frailty.
It is important we correctly understand what James is addressing. James is not forbidding confronting one another's sin. If that were the case, much of James' letter would violate this prohibition. There are many Bible passages that make it clear we are our brother’s keeper.
As in previous chapters, James begins chapter 4 addressing a practical problem among his readers, who are, by way of reminder, Jewish believers. In chapter 3 he instructed them to avoid leaders motivated by bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (3:14-16) and to affirm leaders motivated by heavenly wisdom and understanding (3:13, 17). Godly leaders will lead their churches in peace (3:18). But their churches will not experience peace until church members themselves repent of their worldly ways This is the problem James attacks in 4:1-10.
The teaching of God's Word is absolutely essential to the sanctification process. Therefore, it is critically important those who teach be qualified. To that end, James encouraged his people to listen to a brother's words, in order to identify spiritually mature men qualified to teach the Word of God.
Our speech has the potential to do great good or great harm. Our passage today talks about the "tongue", but we understand that our "tongue" is driven by our character. Jesus made this clear on the Day of Rejection when He rebuked the Pharisees (Matt. 12:34).
Our passage today deals with functional faith. Faith has a purpose. The purpose of faith is to deliver us from both the penalty and practice of sin on the one hand and to enable us to serve God. Faith is meant to accomplish these things in our lives. Functional faith is belief in action.
One of the glories of the New Testament church is that we are a family that loves and values all peoples (Col. 3:11). The makeup of the local church should baffle the world. The world should not be able to explain how people of different races, economic and social levels, and age groups can come together in love and harmony. James was very concerned that favoritism not be practiced or tolerated in the churches to which he wrote.
As we read James 1:19-21, picture a group of 20-30 Jewish men and women gathered in a home listening to the reading of Scripture. They have the Hebrew Scriptures and James’ letter. It was very unlikely they had personal copies of the Scriptures. So when these believers met together they would listen to God’s Word as it was read. Knowing his Jewish brothers and sisters and their propensity to argue, James wrote the following instructions beginning in verse 19.
A believer who faithfully endures a trial has, in the eyes of God, accomplished something extremely significant. So much so that He honors His faithful child with the reward reserved for overcomers, for victors who have bested their opponents in the arena or on the battlefield.
Fairly soon after the ascension of our Lord, the murder of Stephan ignited persecution against the newborn Church of Jerusalem (Acts 8). Numerous Jewish believers were driven out of Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch (Acts 11:19). Perhaps as early as 34AD, James, the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem Church, penned this letter to strengthen the faith of his brothers and sisters in the face of persecution. Rather than punishment, James taught trials are an opportunity.
Things happen to Christians that rock our faith in God. Cancer, fires, car accidents, persecution for the faith. Trials can make or break our relationship with God. How are we to respond to our trials? This morning we begin a study of a letter written by a pastor to members of his church who were suffering trials of various kinds.
On Friday, April 7th, 30 AD, Jesus was arrested, tried, condemned, tortured, crucified and buried. He was buried quickly, between 3PM and dusk before the dawn of the Sabbath at approximately 6PM. His body lay in the tomb the entire Sabbath. In the wee hours of the "first day of the week", Sunday, April 9th, 30 AD, Jesus rose from the dead.
I’ve shared with you my testimony; that I came to a crisis of faith after graduating seminary. I realized Christianity stands or falls on the evidence for the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead. I studied the evidence and am convinced it overwhelmingly proves Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead settling for all time and eternity that He is the Messiah King and Savior.
This morning, as we study the death of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew it is important you know there are several ancient documents that record the death of Jesus - Mara bar Serapion (ca. A.D. 73), Josephus, Antiquities 18.3.3 §64, Agapius, Book of the Title (summarizing Josephus), Tacitus, Annals 15.44 (ca. a.d. 110–20), Babylonian Talmud, tractate Sanhedrin 43a. It is important this crucial event that stands at the center of our faith can be shown to have historical evidence in addition to the historical accounts we have in the Gospels.
The enemies of God always fight dirty. Nowhere will that be more evident than Jesus’ religious trial before the Sanhedrin, the ruling council and supreme court of Israel. In their craze to kill Jesus, they violated 22 of their own judicial laws.
The coming Holy Spirit will have some unique differences to Jesus, and yet will still be very familiar to them. For starters, the Helper will be with them forever, whereas Jesus has been specifically telling them that he will only be with them for a little while longer.
Jewish tradition that has been celebrated for thousands of years: The Passover meal. As Jesus leads his disciple in this celebration He brings a new meaning to the tradition and a greater significance to the elements that are represented in this meal. In order for us to grasp the significance of Jesus’s last supper with his disciples, it would benefit us to learn the story and the tradition behind the Passover.
It has been no secret that the religious leaders have been seeking to arrest and put Jesus to death. In this time where they should have been focused on the upcoming Passover celebration, they were spending their time plotting for a way to "arrest him by stealth and kill him".
Though it is difficult for us to fully understand, the significance of the temple in the life of God’s people is hard to overstate, as is the shocking statement of Jesus in Luke 21:6. "As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." In our study today we will seek to more fully understand the significance of the Temple as well as the massive changes Jesus was prophesying about.
It is Day Two of Crucifixion/Resurrection Week. Jesus has bested several attempts by His enemies to discredit Him. In Matthew 23, Jesus takes the lead and confronts the scribes and Pharisees.
I want to fire up the imagination of your minds to picture that glorious day when we will be resurrected. I want to encourage you to think often and to think deeply about the resurrection that you might be set free from the fear of death and live with the joyful expectation of your resurrection.
As Jesus returns to Jerusalem on day two, Jewish leaders come after Jesus trying to discredit Him in the eyes of the crowds and trying to catch or trap Jesus in something they can use to accuse Him before the Romans. On day two, when Jesus returned to the Temple compound a delegation of the Jewish leadership confronted Jesus and demanded to know who had given Him authority to clear the Temple the day before.
Our series is titled, "Yeshua, Messiah King" and yet, we have not seen Yeshua embrace his role as king. Rabbi, prophet, miracle worker, sage… but not king. We know from the Old Testament that men have to wait various times to become kings of Israel, and in our study today we will see that for Jesus, the wait is over, the King has come to the royal city and it causes quite a stir.
Today we will see another man who sought out Jesus, and when he encountered the Messiah, not only did he find justification by his faith in Jesus, but he immediately embraced the truth that the rich young ruler found impossible to follow.
In this section of our study, we pick up with Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler, where the Messiah makes it clear that the way the world views status, is exactly opposite of the way of the Kingdom. The truth Jesus would have us learn is this. Those who willingly give up the pursuit of power and possessions for the sake of the kingdom, will not only have great joy and purpose in this life, but will be rewarded with power, authority, and possessions in His coming kingdom.
How we identify ourselves reveals something about who we are, what we believe and what we do. As followers of Christ our primary identity is found in Christ and our lives should reflect that identity. Living according to your identity does not automatically happen. It is a process. In the letter to the Colossians, Paul gives us a roadmap as to how we can live according to our identity. A road map to living the Kingdom life here and now.
I’m going to suggest the simplest fix is the right fix though it may be very different from what you’ve been taught. As we resume our series, Yeshua Messiah King, Jesus is in the final days of public ministry leading up to His crucifixion in April of 33A.D. Along the way he encounters the man we’ve come to know as the rich young ruler.
The name “Nahum“ means comfort or consolation. His book, a message of destruction for Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, brought comfort to the nations under Assyrian domination. The only thing we know about Nahum is found in 1:1 which says he was from Elkosh, a town or village about which we have no information. When did Nahum serve as God’s prophet?
Through their words and sometimes strange actions the prophets cautioned a rebellious Israel that the way they lived their lives would have consequences unless they repented and turned back to God. This pattern of God calling His people back to faithfulness through warnings, the warnings either heeded or ignored, and the resulting blessings or judgement is repeated throughout the prophets. But overriding this pattern something else is also at work - the faithfulness and goodness of God; His unwavering covenantal love for His people.
Amos was from the southern kingdom of Judah. His hometown, Tekoa, was about five miles from Bethlehem. He was a sheep herder and a “dresser of sycamore figs (7:14). These trees are also called "fig-mulberry." The fruit is like a fig. Each fruit had to be pierced individually in order to ripen properly. This was a very important crop to the Near Eastern people. King David even appointed a special supervisor to oversee these crops (cf. I Chr. 27:28). Amos' agricultural knowledge is evident in his message.
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God revealed the Exile would last 70 years after which the Jews would be allowed to return (Jer. 29:10). In 539B.C. Jews began to return to Jerusalem. It took years to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. The second Temple was completed by 515B.C. About this time disaster struck.
Seems the Israelites of old didn’t like paying taxes any more than we do. In 921B.C., the nation of Israel was split in two over the issue of taxes. This tax revolt not only split the nation, it also ushered in the age of the prophets like Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah and others.
Enabled by the grace of God and ministry of the Holy Spirit, our heartfelt obedience to the Law of Messiah, is the only way to be saved from the carnal life, and enjoy the current and future blessings of the kingdom life.
Do we take Jesus' instructions seriously? Having received the gift of justification salvation by faith, are we working hard to keep Jesus’ commands? We've discovered from Jesus Himself that the only way to gain kingdom life here and now is through obedience to His law.
If we don’t work hard at the Christian life, we will not gain kingdom life and the rewards it brings now and in the Messianic Kingdom. We seldom, if ever, talk in terms of working hard at the Christian life. But as we will discover in Luke 13:24, Jesus Himself urges us to work hard to gain kingdom life.
Group projects were all the rage when I was in 4th, 5th and 6th grades. I hated group projects. They were a lot of work and, inevitably, I did most of it. There were always 1 or 2 who did next to nothing. I was a conscientious student driven to make good grades. It wasn’t fair we all got the same grade when I did all the work. Is heaven going to be a huge Christian group project? Will all Christians receive the same heavenly blessings because we’re all part of this “group”?
As we turn in our Bibles to John 10:22, we find Jesus in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Dedication. He was in Jerusalem about two months prior celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:1-10:21). He will again be in Jerusalem in about four months to celebrate Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits (John 12:1ff). At that time, He will be arrested, crucified, buried and resurrected. On this occasion, Jesus is accused of being obscure, of being unclear about His claim that He is the Messiah.
As we turn to Luke 12:49-59 remember Jesus is in the final six months of His earthly ministry. Jesus continues to reach out to His people, the Israelites, the Jews, with the good news He is their promised Messiah. Jesus is preaching in those towns and villages His 72 disciples discovered were still open to His ministry.
Jesus is now going to teach His disciples that part of seeking first the Kingdom of God includes being ready and watchful for His return.
This morning we will continue on in Luke chapter 12. Jesus warned his disciples to avoid greed when they had an abundance of possessions and worry when they were fearful that they would not have enough. Jesus taught that an effective disciple has to be free from greed and worry.
Jesus knew and taught His disciples they would be persecuted (Matt. 10:24-25). Persecution will tempt them to deny Him. In our passage today, Jesus trains His disciples how to defeat persecution fear temptation.
Far from being critical of the Mosaic Law, Jesus honored the Law of Moses and taught it was the key to kingdom life. Jesus was not critical of the Mosaic Law, but the Oral Law.
You and I are accountable for what we believe and the way we live. In fact, all humanity will give account to Jesus for what they believe and how they lived either at the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Great White Throne Judgment.
Jesus is in the final six months of His earthly ministry traveling to the towns and villages His disciples discovered were receptive to Him (Luke 10:1-12). Undoubtedly the disciples frequently observed Jesus praying. In the Sermon on the Mount, given almost three years earlier, Jesus taught His initial group of disciples a template for prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). Perhaps on this occasion, it was a disciple recently joined to Jesus who asked Jesus to teach them to pray.
Jesus is in His final six months of ministry. He is traveling to the towns and villages His disciples found receptive on their survey tour. In one of those towns, Jesus has a conversation with a man in which He tells one of His most well-known parables; the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Jesus had just left the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. While at the Feast Jesus confronted both the crowds and the Pharisees about their spiritual condition, specifically their false belief that their national heritage made them right with God. He also rebuked the Pharisees for being bad shepherds of Israel and encouraged people not to follow them.
Due to our sin, we are all like dead men walking. There are two kinds of death, physical and spiritual. We are going to die physically, but we don't have to be dead spiritually.
The image of sheep and shepherd is very prominent throughout the Old Testament scriptures, and was very familiar to Jesus’ Jewish audience. Yet, despite their familiarity with the picture, these Jewish leaders struggled to understand exactly what Jesus was trying to communicate (see 10:6), as a result Jesus came at this teaching from two different starting points.
For the past few weeks, we have been studying Jesus as he attended the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem, and it’s been pretty intense. Intense because Jesus has been physically in front of the Crowds and Religious Leaders, verbally sparring over His claim to be the Messiah. His words have been straight and clear. He is the Messiah, His message is true, and it comes from God. Not only that, but whoever follows him will not walk in darkness, but in light. In other words, those who follow Jesus have Spiritual Sight.
For the last two weeks, we have been reading John 8, and specifically a conversation that Jesus had with a crowd during the Feast of Booths. He has been explaining to them many truths about himself and concerning their spiritual condition. There are those in the crowd who seem to accept some of the truths that Jesus has said but are later offended when Jesus contends that they are not free.
What we are going to see today is that Jesus shifts the conversation from truths about Himself to truths about the people to whom he is speaking.
Jesus spoke plainly and clearly. These Pharisees were going to die in their sin. Lest there be any confusion, Jesus repeated this bleak truth two separate times. They would not be able to join Jesus where he was going.
The nation of Israel had been selected by God to be a light to the world, revealing God’s character to the gentile nations, and drawing them to Himself. In fact, the promised Messiah was prophesied to be the "light to the nations" (Isa. 42:6, 49:6). The apostle John begins his Gospel with a discussion about Jesus the Messiah being the “light”. It is with this prominent and powerful theme in mind, that we read Jesus’ words today.
“Sanctity of Life” Sunday.
Special message from the Ramona Pregnancy Care Clinic and our brother Alan Shlemon from Stand to Reason coming in to lead us in our study of the word, titled “Making Abortion Unthinkable.”
While Jesus is teaching in the temple, the Pharisees attempt to impale Jesus on the Horns of a Dilemma. Placing a woman in front of him who they claim was caught in the act of adultery, they challenge Jesus with the fact that the Law demands she be put to death by stoning. They ask him, "Should this woman be put to death?". They believe that they have caught him and that no matter how Jesus responds they will have a charge to bring against him.
The Feast of Booths was one of the seven annual feasts that God commanded the nation Israel to celebrate each year. It was a seven day feast that started with a sabbath day of rest and ended with an additional Sabbath day of rest. The purpose of the feast was to thank God for the harvest and to stand as a reminder to God’s provision. How He had carried them out of Egypt and provided for them as they lived in tents in the desert.
This morning we are going to glimpse the brilliance of Jesus on display. He so brilliantly handles a conflict at the Feast of Booths that it causes many who witness it to come to the conclusion that he is the Messiah.
As we follow the story of our Lord there is definitely a sense of urgency in the passage before us. It is fall, 29AD, three years into Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus must leave the safety of Galilee for the dangers of Jerusalem in order to observe the Feast of Booths. Jewish leadership want to kill Him (Jn. 7:30). After His brothers leave, Jesus follows, but privately. This may explain why He takes the road less traveled through Samaria.
As we pick up Yeshua’s story, it is Fall of 29AD, late August or early September. In a few weeks, devout Jews from all over Israel and the Mediterranean seaboard will gather in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Booths, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus has not been to Jerusalem since the previous feasts in April. He has limited His ministry to the area around the Lake of Galilee in northern Israel.
Jesus continued his discussion with his twelve disciples concerning pride but expanded the issue slightly. What do you do if your brother or sister sins against you?
The twelve disciples of Jesus had been having an ongoing conversation. Well, it was more than just a conversation; it was a full-on heated disagreement. Who would be the greatest in the kingdom? They couldn’t come to an agreement, so they wanted Jesus to decide. Jesus did, but not in the way they expected.
By the time Jesus begins his public ministry, the Jewish people have been eagerly awaiting the Messiah for over 1000 years! There were numerous prophecies about the Messiah (Anointed One) who would come, set the Jewish people free from their oppressors and set up the new kingdom of Israel. As a result, the nation of Israel had developed some strong expectations regarding who the Messiah would be, and what he would do.
Throughout scripture, we see that all born again believers in Jesus are disciple-makers. Like the fishermen on Barangonan, there are two types of disciple-makers that we observe throughout the New Testament. The ‘as you go about your business’ disciple-makers and The ‘disciple-making is my business’ disciple-makers.
By now, most all of us understand that God does not forbid the drinking of alcohol; He forbids drunkenness (Ephesians 5:15-21). When you are drunk, you are out of control of your mind, your emotions and your bodily functions. When you are drunk you are extremely vulnerable to the forces around you and to the evil inclinations within you.
In Pride, there is no honest self-evaluation, there is no desire to improve, there is no recognition of shortcomings and inward sin, there is no bending the knee in confession or repentance.
The Biblical term for living according to God’s Word is righteousness. If you do what God tells you to do, you are a righteous person. If you do not do what God tells you to do, you are a wicked person. To do right is to obey God’s law. Proverbs has a lot to say about righteousness. There are 102 verses in Proverbs that speak about righteousness. The up-shot of all these verses is that doing right in the eyes of God is the best way to live.
Is Jesus coming soon? To answer this question we need to ask, which coming are we talking about? Jesus is coming twice. The first coming of Jesus is for the Church. The second coming of Jesus is for Israel. These are two distinct, separate events.
The book of Proverbs devotes a considerable amount of space to discussing two types of people; the sluggard and the wise worker. The first we are to not be like while the second we are to pattern ourselves after.
Join Nate as he discusses missions in the early church and gives an update on Matt and Jeannine.
It is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the now and lose sight of the things that we are to be doing as followers of Jesus. In Acts, the early church provides us great insight into what we should be doing during all seasons of life.
Proverbs has a lot to say about your mouth. It does so using terms like tongue, lips, mouth, speech, words. If you take to heart what Proverbs teaches about your tongue, your speech will improve and become a blessing.
The book of Proverbs puts a high premium on developing a teachable spirit. Proverbs speaks of this in terms of accepting discipline, reproof, instruction and correction. In general, these proverbs are dealing with teachableness. Being teachable, not just being willing to learn from others, but seeking to learn from others, is a quality you need to possess if you’re going to become a wise person.
The Christian life is meant to be a life of spiritual transformation. God’s goal is to re-form you to be like Jesus; to think, feel and act like Jesus. This is all part of God’s salvation plan for you. It’s not an add-on or an after-thought. God’s salvation plan has always been multi-faceted; to first restore you to a living relationship with God and then to re-form you into the likeness of Jesus.
Wisdom is valuable, but it will not fall in your lap. If you want it, you have to go and get it.
Death is separation: physical death is separation of the soul and body. Spiritual death is separation between us and God. God is holy and pure. We are unholy and impure. God cannot have relationship with us. In addition, God is just. The wrongs we have committed must be judged and punished in order for justice to be served.
If your life is like building a house, let your parents’ wisdom be the foundation. Be humble enough to admit that your parents are wiser than you. Be thoughtful enough to recognize that nobody loves you more or is more concerned for your well-being than your parents. Build on their foundation with the wisdom God will show you from His Word and with the wisdom you will gain through experience.
As we begin our series in the Proverbs, “Skillful Living”, we will see how the authors of these Proverbs (mostly Solomon), give clear and concise instruction in Skillful Living. These instructions are based on such clear and simple principles, that I believe we will find them just as helpful in our time as they were in the time of Solomon over 3000 years ago. Over the next number of weeks, let us sit at the feet of Solomon and company, and learn the principles of Skillful Living. For this week, let us start by thinking about the supplies that we will need for our trip to be most successful.
If asked, most Christians would say they are going to spend eternity in heaven. But that’s not correct. The Bible does not teach that we will spend eternity in heaven. In fact, we will spend very little time in heaven.
Once we have our new bodies, each of us will meet with Jesus. At that meeting we will give an account of our service for Him and receive from Him what we are due.
I hope this study on Your Future In Christ will increase your longing for heaven and eternal life. If you are a follower of Jesus, your death is the beginning of a fantastic adventure!
A clear understanding of your future in Christ will strengthen your courage and give you peace in challenging times like these. A clear understanding of your future in Christ will set you free from the fear of death.
This argument erupted among the disciples most probably because of recent events. Most recently, Jesus paid the temple tax for Peter and Himself, but not for the other disciples. Prior to that, Peter, James and John had been selected to accompany Jesus on the mountain where they experienced the Transfiguration. Having returned to Capernaum, this argument broke out among the disciples; they were arguing over who, amongst them, was going to be the greatest in the Messianic Kingdom.
As we continue our series, Yeshua Messiah King, Jesus was presented a situation where He needed to pick and choose whether or not to go to battle. After many weeks away in the north, Jesus and His disciples made their way south and entered Galilee once again. Along the way, Jesus revealed His death and resurrection a second time to His disciples.
It is the power of God that “moves mountains”; it is the power of God that accomplishes the impossible. We partake in the work of God as we trust Him, rely upon Him to accomplish His will. It is this truth Jesus drove home with His disciples as He returned from the Transfiguration on Mount Hermon.
Jesus may have been concerned that news of the Transfiguration would be misunderstood as the beginning of the Messianic Kingdom (as did Peter) His followers might then attempt to enthrone Him before He went up to Jerusalem to die for their sins. Not until after His death, burial and resurrection were the disciples to reveal their experience on the mountain. The resurrection would reinforce what the Transfiguration declared; that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah.
After Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus began to reveal that He must go to Jerusalem where He will suffer many things at the hands of the spiritual leaders, be killed and rise on the third day. After Peter responded negatively, Jesus issued a challenge to His disciples: to continue to follow Him would require them to give up their lives and follow Him even unto death.
The story takes place in Caesarea Philippi, gentile territory north of the Sea of Galilee. It was here that Jesus quizzed the disciples asking them who the people thought He was. In the midst of this, Peter declared his conviction that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God.
In our study this morning we discover that Jesus gave Peter two important roles in establishing the early Church.
Join Pastor Paul, Nate, and Phil, as they lead us in a study of John 20:11-18 on this blessed resurrection day of 2020.
As we will see in our study today, Jesus sought a decision from His disciples. Once made, Jesus responds with a decision of His own.
Who we listen to shapes who we are and that for which we live. It is critically important we choose wisely those to whom we listen. This was a lesson our Lord Jesus taught His disciples after the feeding of the four thousand recorded in Matthew 15.
Genuine, biblical Christianity is the ultimate solution for racial discrimination for at least two reasons. First, we know that every person of every people group is created in the image of God. Therefore, every human being has intrinsic worth and is to be valued. Second, Jesus models cross-cultural, cross-racial care and acceptance that we should emulate.
A test proves the quality of the thing tested. In our story today, Jesus tested a woman. As the story unfolds, we’ll see why.
Jesus had just done some amazing things in the area of Capernaum. He fed 5,000 people (more like 15,000 if you include women and children) by multiplying bread. He walked on water during a storm, and powerfully taught in the local synagogue. There were many who loved His miracles and moved closer to Jesus, but there were others who stopped following Him due to the ‘hardness’ of His teachings.
There are some who believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah, there are some who don’t, and there are still others who are on the fence. Then, to add to this already mixed group, a crowd arrives from Bethsaida. These are the ones who had just been fed by Jesus and, because of that, have come looking for him. They want him to provide for them once more. They want more bread. Jesus doesn’t give them the bread they are looking for, instead, he offers them BETTER BREAD.