BBC Sermon Cast: Recent Episodes
Brackenhurst Baptist Church
Matthew 7:21–23 is one of the most sobering passages in all of Scripture. The mark of the King’s servants is that they live according to the will of the King. There are many who are quick to speak in the name of the King, but will one day find themselves unwelcome in his presence.
As Paul prepares for this third visit to the church at Corinth, he is apprehensive over what he might find. He is concerned about the damage done by the false apostles and by those who are self-willed and self-indulgent. He writes, therefore, to give them the heads up by:1. making a foolish admission (vv. 11–13),2. professing his fatherly affection (vv. 14–18), and3. pastorally admitting his fearful apprehension (vv. 19–21)
As Paul continues to warn the Corinthian church about false apostles, he informs them of a remarkable revelation he had experienced. But he goes on to show another remarkable revelation: God’s power revealed in our weaknesses. In doing so, he writes a passage that has brought comfort to millions of Christians by its revelation of God’s all sufficient grace.
Anyone who has taken a hike in the wild knows how difficult it often is to identify certain plants and fruit. But in times of survival, being able to identify plants and fruit could mean the difference between life and death. In Jesus’ next warning in the Sermon on the Mount, we find an exhortation to identify teachers and Christians by their fruit. Anyone can mask their true intention, but a discerning Christian will know the difference.
In this very personal, pastoral address to the Corinthian church the apostle Paul is doing something that he hates to do: talk about himself—a course that can be foolish. He is quite literally “playing the fool” to protect God’s flock. Sometimes, fools need to be answered (Proverbs 26:5) and in this passage Paul wisely answers them for the welfare of the church.
Matthew 7:12–14 contains two of Jesus most famous Sermon on the Mount sayings: the golden rule (v. 12) and his teaching on the wide and the narrow gate (vv. 13–14). Taken to heart, these exhortations rescue us from pursuing a life of ease and help us to die to self, take up our cross, and daily follow him. We consider two things from these verses:1. Christian Love (v. 12)2. The Way to Life (vv. 13–14)
Matthew 26:64 wonderfully points to the victorious rule and reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. In response to Caiaphas’s cynical question about his identity, Jesus responded, “Yes, I am Messiah and I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Jesus was prophesying and promising his ascension.
As the spiritual father of the Corinthian church, Paul was deeply concerned about apostolic pretenders who had infiltrated the church attempting to lead her astray; leading her away from her betrothed Saviour. As Paul writes to warn the church, we benefit, for we also need to be alert and aware of Satan’s dark servants who pretend to be servants of righteousness. We will study this passage under three headings:1. A Father’s Jealous Care (vv. 1–6)2. A Father’s Sacrificial Commitment (vv. 7–11)3. A Father’s Bold Courage (vv. 12–15)
Corporate worship happens regularly. When Jesus rose from the dead, Christians began to gather on the first day of the week and so, two thousand years later, we continue to do this, every seventh day. Familiarity all too often breeds contempt and we can begin to allow worship to become mundane, or to morph into something that is more about us and our needs than it is about God and his glory. Hebrews 12:28–29 reminds us of some truths about the God that we are gathering to worship, and helps to refocus our hearts and minds, grateful for the opportunity we have each week to worship together. We ask three questions of this text:1. What is worship (v. 28)?2. Who do we worship (v. 29a)?3. How should we worship (v. 29b)?
In Matthew 7:7–11, Jesus tells his followers to ask, knock, and seek for the good things that God promises to his children. We learn two lessons from these verses about the prayers of God’s people:1. Pray with Persistence (vv. 7–8)2. Pray with Confidence (vv. 9–11)
Matthew 7:1–6 contains a well known teaching about hypocritical judging. Jesus presents us with a warning about harbouring an overly critical spirit towards others and challenges us to see the hypocrisy of doing so. Rather, we are to learn to see clearly so that we may be a help to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Only once we have learnt to see ourselves clearly will we be able to clearly discern between good and evil. We unpack this section in four steps:A warning (vv. 1–2)A challenge (vv. 3–4)Learning to see clearly (v. 5)Clearly discerning (v. 6)
Paul’s opponents in Corinth were commending themselves and criticising Paul by the use of a worldly metric. In their estimation, the Corinthians should reject Paul and replace him with them. But, of course, the metric that Paul used was very different to the metric the imposters used—as different as night and day; as different as spiritual light and spiritual darkness. This passage helps us to measure ministry by God’s metric.
God’s loving provision enables us to not be overly concerned and distracted by our material needs; rather, we are free to obey Jesus’ command to seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness first and foremost.
This passage begins the final section of 2 Corinthians, in which Paul calls the church to join with him in opposing false teachers who threaten the spiritual health of the church. These opening verses serve as a call to spiritual warfare. In these six verses, the Christian is encouraged in God’s divine power and equipped to go forth with gospel confidence, confronting a world seeking refuge in unbelief.
The purpose of the chapter was to encourage the Corinthian church to gracefully and hence gratefully keep their promise of giving an offering for a suffering church. Because of gratefulness for God’s grace in Christ, believers are to give wilfully (vv. 1–5), worshipfully (vv. 6–11), and wonder-fully (vv. 12–15). What was true for them remains true for all Christians, in all places, at all times.
In Matthew 6:19–24, Jesus urges his readers to lay up their treasures in heaven rather than on earth. If we treasure Christ, we will have lived the life!
Financial integrity, like every ethical matter of the local church, is influenced by the gospel. When church members, including church leaders, live as witnesses of the resurrected Lord, funds entrusted to the church for ministry will be safeguarded to the glory of God. Having highlighted grace giving (vv. 1–7) and gospel giving (vv. 8–15), Paul next speaks of glorious giving (vv. 16–24). We see this in three ways:1. Glorious Responsibility (vv. 16–17)2. Glorious Accountability (vv. 18–22)3. Glorious Credibility (vv. 23–24)
Good Friday presents another opportunity for us to be reminded that Jesus came as the King of the Universe to deal with the world's greatest problem: sin. Men and women can easily take Christ for granted, just as they did in the days Jesus lived. We are reminded from Matthew 26:6–13 that, like the original disciples, we will not always have Christ with us. This is a sober warning for those who have yet to put their faith in him, but a joyful reminder to believers of God’s love for them. We consider this text in three stages:1. Jesus Was Born to Die (vv. 12–13)2. What a Waste (vv. 6–9)3. You Will Not Always Have Me (vv. 10–11)
At the last Passover he celebrated with his disciples, Jesus implemented what has since become known as the Lord’s Supper. The Last Supper (of a particular kind) was replaced with a new kind of Supper, which is uniquely the Lord’s possession. We will consider Luke’s narrative of these events under three broad headings.1. The Anticipated Hour (vv. 14–15)2. The Announcement of the Hour (vv. 16–20)3. An Alarming Hour (vv. 21–23)
Fasting is not a practice that we tend to frequently include in our worship, but Jesus taught on it in the Sermon on the Mount. In these verses, we discover two categories of lessons on fasting:1. Lessons on How Not to Fast (v. 16)2. Lessons on How to Fast ( vv. 17–18)
Grace and gospel are inseparable truths informing Paul’s instruction for the Corinthian church to financially assist the suffering church in Jerusalem. Their gospel-induced giving will equip the church in Jerusalem to persevere in her gospel ministry. Our text informs us that gospel giving:1. declares belief in the gospel (vv. 8–9)2. demands perseverance in the gospel (vv. 10–12)3. demonstrates partnership in the gospel (vv. 13–15)
Sadly, the subject of financial giving is often considered “controversial.” This is both harmful and needless because biblical giving is both a result and a revelation of God’s gospel grace. As Paul begins a two-chapter discourse on “giving and the church,” he grounds us in the biblical teaching of grace giving. He helps us to see that giving is a gospel issue. We will discover this under these headings:1. Grace Experienced (vv. 1–2)2. Grace Exemplified (vv. 3–5)3. Grace Excelling (vv. 6–7)
The Lord’s Prayer lies at the heart of the Sermon on the Mount. Its purpose within the broader context is to distil the prayerful desire of Jesus’ kingdom disciples. If we desire to flourish within God’s kingdom, we must rightly relate to God in prayer the way that Jesus teaches. After addressing God as our Father (v. 9a), we pray for heaven to come on earth (vv. 9b–10) and for our Father to provide what we need (vv. 11–13). All of this is only possible in the life of a person who has taken hold of the forgiveness of their sins (vv. 14–15).
As we continue to study the Sermon on the Mount, we see Christ elaborate further on how genuine citizens of the kingdom do not practise their righteousness to be seen by others. In Matthew 6:5–8, Jesus addresses the critical distinction between hypocritical and righteous prayer. He shows how prayers motivated by a desire for public admiration or a transactional approach are empty and offensive. Conversely, he emphasises the nature of genuine prayer as intimate communion with the Father, a natural expression of a believer’s relationship with God. Jesus underscores the reality that true prayer is not about the perfection of words or the performance of piety, but is rather an exercise of faith rooted in a transformed heart. We consider this text under two broad headings:1. Hypocritical prayer (vv. 5, 7)a. Practice of pietyb. Perfection of words2. Righteous prayer (vv. 6, 8)
Deuteronomy presents Israel on the brink of great things: They’re about to enter the land of promise, conquer mighty nations, and have God go before them. But at this junction, God, speaking through Moses, decides to temper Israel’s excitement with a dose of realism. Even with the blessings come temptations to forget and fall away. So God reminds us, as he reminded Israel, to remember where we are, remember who he is, and remember where we came from. We consider these three exhortations from this text.1. Remember Where You Are (vv. 1–3)2. Remember Who God Is (vv. 4–5)3. Remember Where You Came From (vv. 6–12)
Our recent WOC provided the context for us to once again be reminded that the Lord has blessed BBC so that we are a church that refreshes the many “Tituses” with whom we have a Great Commission relationship. It also reminded us of our responsibility to maintain such a refreshing demeanour. Remarkably, the church of Corinth provided refreshment to Titus, and Paul commends it for this. In this passage, we will look at: 1. What a refreshing church does2. What a refreshing church is3. What a refreshing church is not4. What a refreshing church requires
In this passage, Jesus warns against the outward righteousness of the Pharisees and religious leaders by exposing the self-worshipping posture of their hearts. The true child of God practises these acts of worship with a pure motive for God to receive the glory. We consider three things from this text:1. The Warning of Hypocrisy (vv. 1–2a)2. The Spectacle of Giving (v. 2)3. Confidential Giving (vv. 3–4)
World Outreach Celebration 2025 focuses on the theme: “Don’t Waste Your Worship: How Missions Flows from Worship and to Worship.” On Day 4, Daniel Bennett, pastor-teacher of Bethany Community Church in Washington, Illinois, speaks from Acts 13:13 on “Sustained Worship: Faithful to the Mission,” emphasising the truth that God uses weak vessels to proclaim the glorious truths that transform idolators into Christ-exalting worshippers. He addresses three things from this text:1. Why we abandon the mission2. What happens when we fail3. How we care for our missionaries
World Outreach Celebration 2025 focuses on the theme: “Don’t Waste Your Worship: How Missions Flows from Worship and to Worship.” On Day 3, Daniel Bennett, pastor-teacher of Bethany Community Church in Washington, Illinois, speaks from Acts 13:4–12 on “New Worship: The Missionary Task,” emphasising what missions is and what a missionary is. He addresses three things from this text:1. The task of missions (vv. 4–5)2. The opposition to missions (vv. 6–10)3. The hope of missions (vv. 11–12)
World Outreach Celebration 2025 focuses on the theme: “Don’t Waste Your Worship: How Missions Flows from Worship and to Worship.” On Day 2, Daniel Bennett, pastor-teacher of Bethany Community Church in Washington, Illinois, speaks from Acts 13:1–3 on “Purposeful Worship: The Church that Sends Missionaries,” emphasising that a church that loves and worships God sets apart and sends out people who yearn for others to love and worship God. He addresses two things from this text:1. The church that sends missionaries (vv. 1–3)2. The missionaries the church sends (v. 2)
World Outreach Celebration 2025 focuses on the them: “Don’t Waste Your Worship: How Missions Flows from Worship and to Worship.” On Day 1, Daniel Bennett, pastor-teacher of Bethany Community Church in Washington, Illinois, speaks from Acts 11:19–30 on “True Worship: Missions and the Local Church,” emphasising that you must participate in Christ’s church if you desire to participate in God’s kingdom. He highlights three truths from this text:1. The local church is the goal of evangelism (vv. 19–21)2. The local church is the primary place discipleship takes place (vv. 22–26)3. The local church is the primary means through which God accomplishes ministry (vv. 27–30)
In this passage Paul writes about God’s comfort to him—comfort arising from the soil of great grief. Gospel faithfulness can be grievous. Yet what is sometimes great grief can by the same gospel be transformed into good grief. We will study this “good grief” under three major headings:1. Graced Grief (vv. 1–4)2. Great Grief (vv. 5–9)3. Godly Grief (vv. 10–16)
According to Jesus those who flourish are righteously related to the Father through his Son. They have a righteousness that exceeds a merely external righteousness; that is, they truly, whole-heartedly, “whole-personally” keep the Law of God. This is the kind of life expected of those who have been born again, precisely because the gospel that saves us also empowers us for such Father-like flourishing. We consider the text before us under two headings:1. Love Like Your Father (vv. 43–47)2. Live Like Your Father (v. 48)
Jesus overturns the principle of “an eye for an eye,” teaching that true discipleship means turning the other cheek, giving generously, and going the extra mile—even for enemies. This challenges worldly justice, modelling God’s mercy and love. Through Christ’s example of selfless sacrifice, believers are called to break cycles of retaliation, trust in God’s provision, and embody a transformative grace that points others to the kingdom of God. We hear four exhortations in these verses:1. Challenge Conventional Justice (vv. 38–39)2. Choose Generous Giving (v. 40)3. Commit to the Extra Mile (v. 41)4. Convey Christ’s Compassion (v. 42)
Paul’s pastoral concern is the holiness of the church. In this passage, filled with imperatives to holiness, he exhorts the church at Corinth to separate from spiritually unhealthy relationships, while pursuing holy ones. There are three major sections to this passage:1. The Relationships to Reject (6:14–16a)2. The Relationship to Reflect (6:16b–18)3. The Relationships to Receive (7:1)
In this passage, Paul transparently describes what he has experienced in his ministry as an apostle. It serves as an autobiographical self-commendation for the purpose of calling the church at Corinth to repent of their estrangement from the apostle. This was necessary for their spiritual health (6:14–7:16). Among other lessons, we learn, under three headings, what characterises God-commended ministry:1. A Faultless Claim (v. 3)2. A Favourable Commendation (vv. 4–10)3. A Fatherly Concern (vv. 11–13)
As we continue our journey through the Sermon on the Mount, we find Jesus describing surpassing righteousness in terms of truth-telling. Tradition had distorted God’s truth in this regard, and Jesus points to two things to correct this distortion:1. Truth-telling according to the standards of tradition (v. 33)2. Truth-telling according to the standards of Jesus (vv. 34–37)
The only way to accurately examine our profession of faith—the only dependable diagnostic—is scanning our profession with the light of the gospel: the message of what God has done to remove the cause of our being estranged from God—our sin. This is the heart of this passage and, at the heart of the heart is v. 21, where Paul writes one of the most profound verses in all of Scripture—what Calvin called “the wondrous exchange.” We consider three things about this exchange:1. New Creation and the Wondrous Exchange (5:17)2. Sovereign Reconciliation and the Wondrous Exchange (5:18–21)3. Urgent Proclamation of the Wondrous Exchange (6:1–2)
In this text, Paul makes clear that his worldview has been re-shaped by God’s work of “new creation.” By God’s work of reconciliation, a new creation transformation takes place in the life of the believer, including how he or she evaluates the world and everything in it. In this passage we see three aspects of new creation living:1. New Creation Transformation (5:16–17)2. New Creation Reconciliation (5:18–21)3. New Creation Proclamation (6:1–2)
Matthew 5:31–32 gives us Jesus’ teaching on divorce, which reminds us that the citizens of the kingdom are people of the covenant. Though we are unfaithful, as those joined to a covenant-keeping husband, we have the opportunity to display the glory of Christ as we keep our earthly covenants in his power. We consider these verses from the dual lenses of man’s mess and God’s glory.
In Philippians 1:27–2:4, Paul speaks to the petty grumbling and empty conceit happening among his gospel partners in Philippi. It was a kind of unrest that not only dulled their gospel witness in the city but eroded their ability to stand firm side by side for the sake of the gospel in the face of strong opposition. The remedy? Our relationship with God in Christ calls us to live united in the gospel. We consider these verses under two broad headings:1. Stand Firm as One in Christ (1:27–30)2. Exercise Humility as One in Christ (2:1–4)
In Jesus’ authoritative application of the Old Testament in the Sermon on the Mount, he unearths the truth behind the command to not commit adultery. The righteousness that God requires involves more than merely abstaining from certain behaviours, but desiring the right things—desiring a covenantal relationship more than the fleeting pleasure of sin; desiring eternal life more than the indulgence of the flesh. In another convicting teaching, Jesus asks each one of us: What do you want? We consider this question under two broad headings:1. The heart of the law (vv. 27–28)2. The life it requires (vv. 29–30)
Chap Bettis, author of The Disciple-Making Parent, addresses the topic of anger and impatience in parenting—and more generally. He does so by addressing four truths from James 4:1–3:1. We need to understand what anger is2. We need to understand that sinful anger usually comes from a blocked goal or desire.3. We need to understand that anger is a foe.4. We need to understand that anger can be a friend.
According to Jesus, those who flourish are righteously related to the Father through his Son. They have a righteousness that exceeds a merely external righteousness. Jesus begins to unpack what this looks like by teaching concerning the sixth commandment. Here, we learn that honouring the sanctity of life is much deeper than not taking the life of another. We can summarise this teaching in four key ways: 1. Acknowledge Dignity (vv. 21–26)2. Avoid Animosity (vv. 21–22)3. Appreciate the Necessity (vv. 23–24)4. Act with Urgency (vv. 25–26)
In this passage, Paul makes clear that the controlling factor in his life and ministry is the love of Christ as experienced in the gospel. He unpacks what it means to live with gospel motivation. Christ’s love for him was his life’s controlling motivation. It should be ours as well. We see this in three areas: 1. Paul’s Uncompromising Commitment (v. 11)2. Paul’s Unconventional Conduct (vv. 12–13)3. Paul’s Unconquerable Constraint (vv. 14–15)
The flourishing life, as revealed throughout Scripture, and as expounded by the Lord Jesus Christ, is rooted in “the Law and the Prophets.” That is, it is grounded in a commitment to love and to live (and therefore to learn) the word of God. As Jesus reveals in Matthew 5:19–20, this flourishing life is both radically religious (v. 19) and radically righteous (v. 20).
Christians live between two homes: our earthly home of a fallen, mortal body, and a promised and prepared heavenly home of a sinless, immortal body. Therefore, we are at the same time “at home” and “almost home.” This raises a question: In the meantime, how should we live? Paul answers this, instructing that Christians are to have:1. A Confident Disposition (vv. 6–8)2. A Concentrated Motivation (v. 9)3. A Certain Expectation (10)
Christians sometimes have extrabiblical and/or unbiblical ideas about life beyond the grave. Second Corinthians 5:1–5 provides clarity about our future hope. Paul is at pains to make clear that Christians will be resurrected with a physical body into a material existence. He argues that that future hope provides us with what need to faithfully persevere until we die. There are four aspects to this future hope: 1. Confidence about the Future (v. 1)2. Craving the Future (vv. 2–3)3. Continuity with the Future (v. 4)4. Confirmation of the Future (v. 5)
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) prescribes the way of human flourishing, human happiness, human blessedness. In 5:17–18, the Lord Jesus reveals that such a life is lawful. The flourishing life is faithful to the word of God, all of it. The way to human flourishing has not changed one bit up the Incarnation. Those in the kingdom of God are committed to living in accordance with God’s word.
Zephaniah 3:9–20 offers a series of staggering promises to those who will seek God. We hear in these verses four sounds of salvation, which serve to encourage us as to what God promises and what God does for his people who seek him: 1. The sound of purity (vv. 9–10)2. The sound of humility (vv. 11–13)3. The sound of festivity (vv. 9–15)4. The sound of deity (vv. 16–20)
Psalm 11 offers an encouragement to the righteous during times of crisis, when godlessness and wickedness increases around us, and it seems as though the foundations of justice, righteousness, and order crumble. The psalmist asks and answers two questions for the believer in times of crisis. The psalmist urges his readers to take refuge in the Lord and not to be overcome or give in to unworthy desires to “flee like a bird to the mountains” for safety. We consider this psalm under two broad headings: 1. Encouragement in Crisis (vv. 1–3)2. Questions in Crisis (vv. 4–7)
At the birth of Christ, the sovereign Lord used his human means of Joseph and Mary to fulfil his purpose. Mary’s betrothed and eventual husband Joseph, was a good and godly man, whom God used in the life of his incarnated Son. He was a righteous man who raised Jesus in a righteous manner. As we consider Matthew 1:18–25, we consider three truths about Joseph and how God used him:1. Joseph’s Trial (vv. 18–19)2. Joseph’s Task (vv. 20–23)3. Joseph’s Trust (vv. 24–25)
Having considered some of the characteristics from the beatitudes by which citizens of the kingdom can be recognised, we saw the description of a happy people. As we prepare to celebrate the incarnation, we turn our attention to Psalm 1 to consider the basis for Christians being happy people in the first place. Psalm 1 teaches us that Christians are happy because they:1. are free from the thinking of sinners (v. 1a)2. are free from the lifestyle of sin (v. 1b)3. are free from bitterness and cynicism (v. 1c)4. know and delight in God (v. 2)
Psalm 93 is a psalm about the unshakeable reign of the King. We learn here that the Lord has proclaimed himself as King, ruling and reigning because he is the Creator of everything. We see three aspects of the Lord’s reign in these verses.1. Our God Who Reigns Majestically (vv. 1–2)2. Our God Who Reigns Powerfully (vv. 3–4)3. Our God Who Reigns Righteously (v. 5)
Though self-preservation is a prominent characteristic of this age, the apostle Paul took his cue from the Lord Jesus and was willing to suffer that others might live. Motivated by the faithfulness of Jesus, he was committed to the dying process of the Christ-centred life with the result that he truly lived. This is God’s call to everyone whom he saves. The rejection of a life stunted by self-preservation requires four things: 1. Be willing to speak up (v. 13)2. Know that you will be raised up (v. 14)3. Long for praise to be offered up (v. 15)4. Learn to look up (vv. 16–18)
We live in a world marked by discord, alienation, conflict, and war, with seemingly little hope that things will change. But Christians know that, because of who God is, things are not always as they appear and, in fact, a new day has dawned. This is Paul’s burden in 2 Corinthians 4:1–6, which we must appreciate and believe today.
Faith in God’s sovereignty does not imply perfect submission to him at all times. Rather, he is a gracious God who invites us into a deeper relationship with him as we strive to grow in trust, faith, and understanding of his sovereign nature.
A major theme in 2 Corinthians is God’s strength revealed in our weakness. The passage before us powerfully makes this point and, in so doing, provides the Christian with wonderful encouragement as we engage in gospel ministry. The passage divides into at least four main points:1. Powerless Pots (v. 7)2. Powerful Paradoxes (vv. 8–9)3. Powerful Perspective (vv. 10–11)4. Powerful Partnership (v. 12)
This passage is rich with encouragement for those discouraged in their evangelism. We are reminded of our responsibility and inability and yet of God’s creative ability to save the lost as he reveals the glory of Jesus Christ to them. It serves as a wonderful tonic to those taking gospel ministry seriously. We will look at this under three main headings:1. Don’t Lose Heart (vv. 1–2)2. Don’t Hold Back (vv. 3–4)3. Don’t Lose Hope (vv. 5–6)
Who you are tells you what to do. As we manifest the beautiful attitudes of the beatitudes, we are preservers and revealers to the world. We consider two truths relating to this: 1. The Preserving Power of Salt (v. 13)2. The Revealing Power of Light (vv. 14–16)
Paul teaches us that all those who, by the Spirit of the Lord, come to see the glory of Christ in the gospel will be transformed by that glory. All those who believe the glorious gospel will be made glorious themselves. Therefore, the Christian is to live with the hope of holiness. This hope is because of three things the Spirit of God provides to the believer: (1) Glorious Regeneration (v. 16); (2) Glorious Liberation (v. 17); and (3) Glorious Transformation (v. 18).
“Christ is to us just what the cross is. All that Christ was in heaven or on earth was put into what he did there. You do not understand Christ till you understand his cross” (P. T. Forsyth). We consider three things about what it means to boast in the cross of Christ:1. Never forget the one and the why2. Uphold the majesty of the gospel3. Live a cruciform life
The concept of glory looms large in this passage. The church must appreciate the glory of the gospel, not only intellectually, but also actually. Gospel information is necessary, and so is gospel transformation—being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. The key to all of this is the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
As we reach the final beatitude, we will see that it really is the culmination and effect of all of the preceding characteristics of the blessed citizen of the kingdom. We will see that, by experiencing persecution for righteousness’ sake, we experience blessedness as:1. our citizenship is verified (v. 10);2. our inheritance confirmed (v. 11); and3. our lineage is approved (v. 12)
Having claimed that his gospel ministry was one of integrity (2:17), Paul now points to what we might call “ministerial credentials” to support his claim. The church at Corinth needed to appreciate this if they would benefit from his ministry. Every local church needs such a God-accredited ministry. We consider two things about an accredited ministry:1. Evidence of an Accredited Ministry (vv. 1–3)2. Empowerment for an Accredited Ministry (vv. 4–6)
As we continue our journey through the beatitudes, we consider the blessing that Jesus pronounced on peacemakers. We will consider both the radical requirement of a peacemaker and the fruit of fulfilling that radical requirement.1. The Radical Requirement of a Peacemakera) What is a peacemaker not?b) What is a peacemaker and what are they to do?c) Why should we be peacemakers?d) What enables us to be a peacemaker?2. The Fruit of Fulfilling the Radical Requirement
God will triumph in saving his people, bringing in his kingdom and fully ushering in the new creation. Therefore, be faithful. There is no justification for adulterating the gospel message to secure results. This is the major theme of our passage. We consider three aspects of this truth:1. A Minister Troubled (vv. 12–13)2. A Minister Triumphant (vv. 14–16a)3. A Minister Tested (vv. 16b–17)
As believers, we are called to be witnesses of, and be in service to, our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. The testimony of John the Baptist, recorded in John 1:19–34, highlights the attitude and focus we should have in our own witness and service.
David, in Psalm 61, cries to God from a faint heart, asking to be led to the rock that is higher than he. As he cries to God for protection in his affliction, we see two elements:1. his prayer for the present (vv. 1–5)2. his prayer for the future (vv. 6–8)
The beatitude in Matthew 5:8 speaks of the blessedness of being pure in heart. To be pure in heart refers to a simple, undivided affection and longing to live the life God requires. The reason such a person is called blessed is because they will be rewarded by seeing God. What are you seeking? For you will find what you are looking for. We will consider this beatitude under two broad headings:1. Seeking God2. Seeing God
When a local church is called upon to discipline sin in its midst, pain accompanies the process. But, as Paul argues in this passage, forgiveness empowers us to move beyond the pain. May God grant us grace to move beyond the pain of being wronged to the place of pardon, for the good of our souls, for the growth of the church, to the glory of our God. We will study this reality under three headings:1. Corporate Pain (vv. 5–6)2. Corporate Pardon (vv. 7–10)3. Corporate Protection (v. 11)
We never imitate God more than when we show mercy to others. Christians, or citizens of the kingdom are blessed because, not only have they received mercy, but they continue to receive mercy and expect to receive mercy in future. This makes them people who likewise show mercy to others.
In this passage, Paul begins the main body of this letter, in which he uncomfortably is forced to defend his ministry against malicious attacks by false apostles. His pastoral pain for the welfare of the church compels him to explain the integrity of his ministry, particularly from here through chapter 7. As we study “A Minister’s Pain,” we will do so under three headings: 1. The Pattern of The Minister’s Life (1:12–14)2. The Proclamation of the Minister’s Lips (1:15–22)3. The Purity of the Minister’s Love (1:23–2:4)
This passage has much to say about God’s promised comfort for those committed to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ten times, in the course of a few verses, Paul speaks of the encouragement God gives to his children who are committed to what he is committed to: the proclamation of the gospel and the wellbeing of the local church. We will look at this under several headings:1. The Celebration of God’s Comfort (vv. 3–4)2. The Participation in God’s Comfort (vv. 5–7)3. An Illustration of God’s Comfort (vv. 8–10)4. An Anticipation of God’s Comfort (v. 11)
We live in a distracted age, in which we are always tempted to be busy about a variety of things. Mary’s heart, revealed in Luke10:38–42, has much to teach us in our distractedness. It challenges us to prioritise that which is both necessary and good rather to be anxious and troubled about many things.
When we hunger and thirst for Christ’s righteousness, we will be satisfied with what he gives. But, counterintuitively, that satisfaction will cause us to hunger for more because it is so satisfying.
Paul begins his second inspired letter to the Corinthian church by sharing his experience of God’s comfort amid much affliction. He does this to both bridge a relational gap as well as to remind them that the gospel is not a trouble-free message. As we commence our study of this book, we will come to appreciate the significance of this comforting introduction.
In a world that values power, dominance, and self-promotion, Jesus calls us to a different way—a way of meekness, humility, and trust in God. And the promise is clear: The meek will inherit the earth, both now and in the world to come.1. Examples of Meekness2. Our Call to Meekness3. Promise for the Meek
John 17 is one of the best-known and well-loved prayers in Scripture. It is unique in that Jesus prays for not only his first-century disciples but also for us in 2024 who have believed through the word of the original disciples. We will see what we can learn about prayer ourselves by examining this the greatest of prayers.
We are often concerned with the appraisal of others, their evaluation of our situation, and their being impressed with who we are, what we’ve done, or what we have. But who of us would be impressed with someone who mourns? What is blessed about mourning? Matthew 5:4 invites us to consider the blessed state of the blessed kingdom people who, although broken, will one day be bandaged.
For Noah, times they were about to change—from bad to good; from the old world to a whole new world; from hopeless to hopeful. And faith in God’s word was key to his hope remaining afloat, quite literally. This “Noahic” faith will keep our hope afloat as well. We will study this verse looking at both the context and character of hope that floats.
For Noah, times they were about to change—from bad to good; from the old world to a whole new world; from hopeless to hopeful. And faith in God’s word was key to his hope remaining afloat, quite literally. This “Noahic” faith will keep our hope afloat as well. We will study this verse looking at both the context and character of hope that floats.
The beatitudes introduce us to God’s description of human flourishing as discovered in the Sermon on the Mount. Whatever else can be said of this passage, and of the beatitudes specifically, they are a reversal of all merely human evaluations. May we be so blessed!
In this important chapter, the Lord Jesus makes clear to his newly announced church that every member matters. The disciples needed to know that then and to keep it mind as the church grew. So do we. In this fundamental passage for the local church, we are instructed about the value and vulnerability of each member and our responsibility to take this seriously. We will follow this outline:1. The Context in Which We Fail (v. 1)2. The Correction We Need (vv. 2–4)3. The Caution We Must Hear (vv. 5–11)4. The Concern We Must Have (vv. 12–20)5. The Characteristic We Must Practice (vv. 21–35)
As he recounted his confrontation with Peter at his hypocrisy in Antioch, Paul launches into an explanation of justification by faith alone. He urges his readers to understand that if they abandon this precious truth, they abandon the very hope of their salvation. We consider these verses under two broad headings.1. Just another sinner (vv. 15–19)2. Alive in Christ (vv. 20–21)
The book of Romans is a kind of “gospel introduction” from the apostle Paul to the church at Rome. Paul expounds the gospel to build up that church as well as to prepare the way for their support of his ministry to take this gospel to regions beyond. In the opening section Paul reminds the Roman church of three things necessary for every gospel-faithful church:1. Gospel Stewardship (vv. 1–7)2. Gospel Partnership (vv. 8–15)3. Gospel Confidence (vv. 16–17)
We have an unshakable kingdom, because we have an unshakable King, who is worthy of acceptable, reverential, awe-inspired worship.
Pride is a sin with which we all struggle, to one degree or another. It seems to sink its tentacles into almost every area of life and give rise to other sins. Psalm 31:23 contrasts pride and faithfulness and God’s response to both. We consider three things from this text.1. Recognising pride2. The Wages for Pride3. The Cure for Pride
In this passage, though Paul is writing “in conclusion,” he could just as easily have written “to be continued.” For, of course, the challenges he addressed will continue to resurface, as they do in any local church. Paul closes this epistle providing at least five truths that, if practiced, will guard the progress we have made and will promote the maturity we need:1. Examples to Follow (vv. 15–18)2. Greetings to Embrace (vv. 19–20)3. Warnings to Heed (vv. 21–22)4. Affirmations to Receive (vv. 23–24a)5. An Amen to Declare (v. 24b)
Just as the local church in Corinth was independent and yet interdependent, so our local church needs to be. As Paul shares some travel plans with the church, we learn that we must be both intentionally independent and intentionally interdependent.
The writer to the Hebrews exhorts his readers to not get into the habit of neglecting the Lord’s Day gathering but to instead gather faithfully to stir one another to love and good works. We will consider three elements of this exhortation:1. Who gathers2. Why we gather3. Results of gathering
As Paul concludes his epistle to the Corinthian church, the resurrection of the Christian (chapter 15) has everything to do with what follows. This closing chapter provides practical examples of how to “be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (15:58). The opening four verses instruct us how “the work of the Lord” is funded by the local church and its need to be “steadfast” in this privilege and responsibility. We consider four elements of new creation generosity:1. New Creation Responsibility 2. New Creation Solidarity3. New Creation Continuity4. New Creation Accountability
As Paul draws his teaching about the resurrection to a close, he does so in a spirit of appropriate confidence, the kind of confidence produced by heartfelt belief in the resurrection of the Christian. We will examine Paul’s confident conclusion under the following headings:1. A Confident Expectation (vv. 50–53)2. A Confident Exaltation (vv. 54–57)3. A Confident Exhortation (v. 58)
When it comes to the resurrection, Christians need a biblically instructed imagination. Not in the sense of make-believe, but rather the biblically realistic ability to look at what is decaying and normally to be discarded with the eyes of faith seeing a new creation, made in the image of Jesus Christ. We will look at this passage under four headings:1. Interrogation (v. 35)2. Illustration (vv. 36–41)3. Implication (vv. 42–44)4. Image-ination (vv. 45–49)
The Christian life is both useless and hopeless if there is no resurrection. But as Paul reminds us, “Christ has been raised from the dead!” Therefore, Christians remain committed to the theology of the resurrection, conduct themselves in accordance with the theology of the resurrection, and contend for the theology of the resurrection. We will consider three things about resurrection theology from this text:1. Resurrection Theology Pictured (v. 29)2. Resurrection Theology Practiced (vv. 30–32)3. Resurrection Theology Protected (vv. 33–34)
How are we supposed to apply the truth that God is light? According to 1 John 1:5–2:1, it means living our lives exposed to God and one another. Being true to ourselves and God about the reality of our sin will produce true fellowship and help us experience true forgiveness. God’s light not only exposes our sin, but in Jesus, purifies us. Therefore, before God, we may be naked but unashamed. We will consider this truth under three broad headings:1. God’s Exposing Light (1:5)2. True Fellowship (1:6–7)3. True Forgiveness (1:8–2:1)
The passage in Matthew 20:26–28 centres on Jesus addressing the disciples’ request for prominent positions in his future kingdom. He challenges their ambition by emphasising servanthood as the essence of true greatness. Jesus exemplifies this through his own life, sacrificially serving others rather than seeking authority. This call to emulate Christ’s humility and selflessness extends to modern believers, encouraging them to prioritise serving others within their communities as a reflection of their faith.
In Psalm 53, David famously writes, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” highlighting the truth that it is folly to reject the God who is. Atheism requires an infinitely greater measure of faith than to receive all the great truths that it would reject. David goes on to describe:1. The depravity of the fool (v. 1)2. The discovery of the fool (vv. 2–5a)3. The destruction of the fool (v. 5b)4. The deliverance of the faithful (v. 6)
We often say, “Act your age.” But we also say, “Quit the act.” Either way, we are encouraging someone to bring their lives into conformity with the truth. Galatians 2:11–16 records the most intense conflict between Christian leaders in the New Testament. Peter had stepped out of line and Paul had the uncomfortable task of encouraging him, just as he encourages us, to not act out of fear but rather out of faith. Quit the act and act like a Christian. We consider this text under two headings:1. Acting Out of Fear (vv. 11–14)2. Acting Out of Faith (vv. 15–16)
There was never a greater experience of acute stress than the stress Jesus faced, beginning in Gethsemane’s garden and leading to the cross. Gethsemane was a time of acute stress for both Jesus and his disciples, and how he faced the stress, and how his disciples failed the stress, teaches us a great deal about how we should respond to acute stress. We will consider three things from this text:1. The failing followers2. The successful Saviour3. The pertinent principle
Paul was dead certain that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and therefore dead certain that the dead in Christ will also rise again. He was certain that those who die in Christ will rise again like Christ and therefore he was certain that this truth will shape how Christians live. Certainty is a theme of the text before us. But certainty, in this context, is more than mental assent; it must make a difference to the way we live. We will unpack this text under three broad headings: 1. Dead Certainty about the Resurrection (vv. 20–22)2. Dead Certainty about the New Creation (vv. 23–27a)3. Dead Certainty about the Consummation (vv. 27b–28)
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential to the gospel. And, by logical necessity, so is the resurrection to everlasting life of those for whom Christ died and rose again. Paul is concerned to make this point in the passage before us. We will study this under two broad headings:1. A Logical Problem (vv. 12–13)2. A Logical Peril (vv. 14–19)
Without the resurrection, there would be no good news. This is Paul’s overriding theme in 1 Corinthians 15 as he reminds the Corinthians about the resurrection of Christ and affirms for them the future resurrection of believers. The gospel of the resurrection makes a real difference. But for us to benefit from this gospel we need to appreciate several matters related to it. We will consider three in the opening eleven verses of this chapter:1. Gospel Continuance (vv. 1–3a)2. Gospel Content (vv. 3b–4)3. Gospel Confirmation (vv. 5–11)
The work that Jesus began was to be completed by his disciples, who were to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the very remotest part of the earth. Luke’s account of the early apostolic church concludes with Paul, under house arrest, preaching the gospel in Rome “with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31). He was bound but the gospel was not. And for two thousand years, this gospel has continued to go forth with all boldness and, despite many attempts to stop it, without any true hindrance.
Prayer is a privilege Jesus purchased for his people. In Luke 6:12–13, Jesus spent all night in prayer prior to appointing his apostles. We will take a brief look at what Dr Luke records for us about this prayer and see what lessons we can learn to apply to our own times of prayer. We see here that:1. Jesus’ prayer was deliberate (v. 12a)2. Jesus’ prayer was intense (v. 12b)3. Jesus’ prayer was followed by action (v. 13)
Paul knew that our view of God (theology) shapes our corporate worship and that our corporate worship shapes our view of God (theology). This is at the heart of his concern about this church’s obsession with the spectacular gift of speaking in tongues. Previously, we considered vv. 20–25 under the broad theme of mindful worship. In this study, we will consider, from vv. 26–40, that rightly understanding the character of God results in:1. Meaningful Worship (vv. 26–33)2. Mundane Worship (vv. 34–40)
The death, burial, and resurrection are the fundamental elements of God’s good news for believing sinners (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Jesus’ death informs us that the penalty has been paid on our behalf. Jesus’ burial declares that that price really was paid. Jesus’ resurrection declares that the price was accepted. But with the resurrection, we are reminded that Jesus is alive. But where is he alive? What is he doing? Why does this matter? What does this mean for his people?
How the church behaves in corporate worship communicates something about the nature and character of God. This was Paul’s concern as he addresses the Corinthian church about their exercise of the gifts of tongues and prophesy. This is a major theme in this passage which we will study under two headings: (1) Mindful Worship (vv. 20–25) and (2) Meaningful Worship (vv. 26–33).
Psalm 32 is a Psalm of David, which rejoices in the blessedness of those who have repented and embraced God’s forgiveness. As we study this Psalm together, we will consider the wonderful reality that joy comes to those who are forgiven (vv. 1–2), confessing (vv. 3–5), and prayerful (vv. 6–11).
It has been said of John 1:1 that it “deserves to be written in golden letters in every Christian church.” In our fallenness, we are prone to think of our sin as a small thing. When we see how John magnifies Christ in this short verse, we are reminded of its true cost. We consider four things:1. Our sin must be big because Jesus is revealer2. Our sin must be big because Jesus is eternal3. Our sin must be big because Jesus is the Son4. Our sin must be big because Jesus is God
Paul unlocks the secret to being content, no matter his circumstances. Through our study, I trust we will be encouraged, as the church at Philippi was. As G. K. Chesterton once said this: “Christians ought not to be better than other people ought to be. But they ought to be better than other people are.” Why? Because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We consider three truths from Philippians 4:13:1. Suffering Saints2. Suffering Saviour3. Suffering’s Secret
Spiritual maturity requires biblical corporate worship, unlike the kind experienced by the church in Corinth. Lots of people wanted to speak, but what they had to say was, for the most part, unhelpful. In chapter 14, Paul aims to set the matter right and, in doing so, helps us to see the best way to use our tongues in corporate worship. We will look at this under three headings:1. Corporate worship must be informed2. Corporate worship must be intentional3. Corporate worship must be intelligible
Whether the Beatles understood the nature of true love is highly questionable, but they weren’t far off the mark when they sang, “All you need is love.” The church at Corinth needed to learn this. And perhaps so do you and I. To help us to see, savour, and seek this love, we will study 1 Corinthians 13:8–14:1a under three headings:1. The Permanence of Love (13:8–12)2. The Pre-eminence of Love (13:13)3. The Pursuit of Love (14:1a)
As the early church was characterised by praying together as a part of corporate worship (Acts 2:42), as well as when there were particular needs (Acts 4:23–31; 12:1–5), so our church should be characterised. Tonight, we spend some time looking at what it means to pray without ceasing and to do so with understanding. We see:1. We Are to Pray Dependently2. We Are to Pray Deliberately3. We Are to Pray Devotedly
The psalmist prayed that God would open his eyes to behold wonderful things out of his law. This is a prayer that God’s people do well to pray today.
Disciples of Christ are called to focus on one main priority: seeking God’s kingdom and his righteousness above all else in this fallen world. There are two elements to this priority in Matthew 6:33:1. A Divine Priority (v. 33a)2. A Divine Promise (v. 33b)
The resurrection is not only the cornerstone of our faith and hope for eternity, but by it we experience power to live and endure suffering to the glory of God here and now. We consider Paul’s words under three broad headings: 1. Knowing God (vv. 1–10a)2. The Power of the Resurrection (v. 10b)3. The Resurrection of the Saints (v. 11)
The gospel is a simple message that calls for a simple response with eternal consequences. It is a choice between life and death: We acknowledge Christ and live or deny Christ and die. We see the dynamic between acknowledging or denying Christ played out in four scenes in Mark 15:21–39: 1. The man who acknowledged Jesus (v. 21)2. The people who denied Jesus on the cross (vv. 22–32)3. The Father who denied Jesus on the cross (vv. 33–38)4. The Roman Centurion acknowledged Jesus on the cross (v. 39)
What makes the Lord’s Supper so special? Of course, there is much we can say to answer that question, but why did Jesus leave us with a meal? What is so significant about the fact that the second sacrament of the church is a meal? When we survey the Bible’s examples of meals and look especially at meals in the Gospel of Luke, we learn three truths: Meals involve fellowship; fellowship requires reconciliation; and reconciliation produces fellowship. When we understand that, we can join in with the angel in Revelation 19:9: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
Mark 11 begins a long section (11:1–15:47) detailing the events of Passion Week, commencing with what is often called Psalm Sunday. As Jesus approaches the walls of Jerusalem, the crowd accompanying him cries out, “Hosanna!” What they supposed would be a triumphal entry would at first be a traumatic entry. We will study this entry with a view to sharing in the blessing that Jesus secured for those who enter with him.1. Messianic Expectations (11:1–10)2. Messiah’s Examination (11:11–19)3. Messiah’s Exhortation (11:20–26)4. Messiah’s Expectation (11:27–12:12)
As we continue our journey through Africa’s most popular verses, we come to Paul’s famed words to the Roman church in Romans 12:2. Rightly interpreted, this verse shows us that true worship flows from a renewed mind.
Paul wanted his young disciple, Timothy, to remember the charge he had given him to guard the good deposit of the gospel. In 2 Timothy 1:6–7, he issues a twofold reminder as he reiterates this charge:1. A reminder to attend to the gift he received (v. 6)2. A reminder to act on what he was called to do (v. 7)
God’s global decree is that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). We were encouraged last week that this is the mission of the local church. When it comes to this mission, local is lekker while the goal is global. Philippians 4:10–20 reveals three principles related to meaningfully supporting this mission:1. Providential Resource (vv. 10–18)2. Personal Relationship (vv. 14–18)3. Promised Resupply (vv. 19–20)
The whole mission of the whole church is to take the whole gospel to the whole world for the whole person. This is God’s mission, and we have been commissioned to be on mission for him. Thankfully, his mission in this world is relentlessly advancing and there is no power or government or Satanic scheme that can stop it from covering all the ends of the earth. Habakkuk both promises the ultimate victory of God’s mission and serves as a model for how we should respond to the conditions in the world around us as we carry out his commission.
Zionism is one of the great challenges to gospel advance in South Africa today. Sipho Mfusi has ministered for years among the Zionist people and, in this sermon, he brings some insight, from Mark 12:28–34, into the nature of Zionism and offers some counsel as to how to effectively minister the gospel to Zionists.
The Great Commission demands obedience from Christians and Christian churches, but it can be easy to forget that our obedience should be Christ-centred obedience. It can be easy, in the bustle of church planting ministry, to leave Jesus on the fringes. Karabo Msiza, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Rustenburg, offers four important principles to help us keep Jesus at the centre of missions: (1) Show up to meet with Jesus (vv. 16–17); (2) Believe in Jesus’ authority (v. 18); (3) Do all Jesus says (vv. 19–20a); and (4) Have comfort in Jesus’ assurance (v. 20b).
Athi Mgqibelo, pastor of Vaal Reformed Baptist Church in Vereeniging, speaks from Matthew 9:35–10:33 on six necessities for church planting in South Africa. God has called his church to the difficult task of planting churches by preaching the gospel. Faithfulness to this task will require compassion (9:35–36), prayer (9:37–38), calling and sending (10:1–6) and proclamation (10:7–15), might invite persecution (10:16–25), and can only be carried by by reliance on divine sovereignty (10:26–31).
What’s love got to do with it? Well, everything. When it comes to one’s relationship with the Lord and with one another in the local church, love has everything to do with both salvation and service. The major lesson of 1 Corinthians 13 is that the Spirit’s ordinary grace excels extraordinary gifts. We will study this under three headings:1. The Priority of Love (vv. 1–3)2. The Personification of Love (vv. 4–7)3. The Permanence of Love (v. 8a)
God’s revelation drives us to a humble acknowledgement of who he is and who we are without him. In Psalm 19, God, through David, offers us self-revelation, which causes us to ascribe greatness to him. We will consider this text under three broad headings:1. The General Revelation through God’s Creation (vv. 1–6)2. The Specific Revelation through God’s Word (vv. 7–11)3. The Response after the Revelation (vv. 12–14)
When it comes to historical books like Joshua (and also to many of the prophetic books), there are at least three audiences to consider. As we consider these three audiences in Joshua 1:6–9, we find the exhortation to be strong and courageous three times. When this exhortation is considered in light of three audiences, the repetition helps us to see how we can embrace the principles of the text for us today. We find three principles at play:1. Strong and Courageous to Believe God’s Promises (v. 6)2. Strong and Courageous to Obey God’s Precepts (vv. 7–8)3. Strong and Courageous to Enjoy God’s Presence (v. 9)
In Mark 10:28–30, Jesus gives to his disciples, who had left all to follow him. In return, Jesus gave them a wonderful promise about how the church can be a family. In this text, we learn something about what we, as Christians, are called to leave, what we, by his grace receive, and what we provide.
Ever since the first week of creation, God has been preparing a body in which to dwell and through which to reveal his glory. That body is now the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and each member is gifted by Christ, through his Spirit, to contribute in building it up. The Christian is called to body building. Paul addresses this in our passage under three broad themes:1. An Immersed Body (vv. 12–13)2. An Interdependent Body (vv. 14–26)3. An Intentional Body (vv. 27–31)
As we continue to zoom in on Africa’s most loved (but, sadly, most abused) Scripture verses, and try, with God’s help, to rightly divide the word of truth, we come to spend time in Jeremiah 29:11, a glorious promise for the people of God when we look at it with eyes of faith. In this study, we aim to clear away some unbiblical flotsam and glory in God’s grace through Jesus Christ.
There are many things regarding God’s sovereign purpose that we don’t understand and might never understand this side of eternity, but right here, in Romans 8:28, we have a revealed truth, a sure promise that we can hold on to. We will consider two broad things about this promise:1. The Promise Declared2. The Promise Qualified
Anxiety, worry, and fear are experienced by people of every age, gender, and background. It is no wonder that Philippians 4:6 made the YouVersion’s top ten list of favourite Bible verses in Africa. Some might see this verse as a cure-all: a mantra that, when quoted, causes all worry to depart. Some might assume that to pray when tempted to worry guarantees that all worrisome situations will go away. Others might view this verse as proof that all anxiety is sinful and hence prayer is vital. Still others might view this verse as teaching us that, amid our anxiety, we should pray. That is, some may interpret it as an encouragement to what I want to call faithful anxiety. Let’s learn and live this well-known text.
The church in Corinth was experiencing division due to both social (11:17–34) and spiritual stratification (chapters 12–14). Having addressed the matter of “spiritual things” in 12:1–6, Paul begins in vv. 7–11 to teach the church about spiritual gifts and, practically, how they are for the purpose of corporately confessing, conforming, and communicating the lordship of Jesus Christ. He instructs concerning:1. The Expression of the Spirit (v. 7)2. The Effect of the Spirit (vv. 8–10)3. The Empowerment of the Spirit (v. 11)
In 1 Corinthians 12–14, Paul is concerned with the reformation of corporate worship in a church, which was largely disregarding the Spirit’s ministry of pointing believers to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Therefore, in 12:1–6, he begins a long discourse on the essence of what it means to be “spiritual.” We will study this under three headings:1. Ignorant Worship (vv. 1–2)2. Intelligent Worship (v. 3)3. Instructive Worship (vv. 4–6)
The book of Isaiah is known for its majestic view of God: his power over the nations; his judgement of sin; and the vindication of his righteousness. All the more striking, then, is the truth communicated to us in Isaiah 41:10. This well-known verse speaks so personally of God’s loving and protective relationship to us. Yet, if we’re not careful, we may confuse God’s care for us with his indebtedness to us. Studying this verse in context will help us appreciate it more, for it teaches us the significance of being loved by the one whose wrath we deserve.
One of the challenges faced by conservative, evangelical churches in our day is the mishandling of Scripture. When Paul wrote to Timothy, instructing him to “rightly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), he was cautioning his readers to handle God’s word with care. He was exhorting his readers to handle God’s word with care by accurately interpreting it and appropriately applying it in their lives. The Bible is not to be treated as a talisman but as God’s self-revelation, which leads us to God’s full and final revelation in Jesus Christ.
The church at Corinth had ruined the rite of the Lord’s Supper and, in this passage, Paul provides the remedy. He tells them to sober up to the seriousness of the Supper and the consequences of not doing so. We will look at three important points that should help us get real about this meal.1. Get Real about Worthship (v. 27)2. Get Real about the Warning (vv. 28–32)3. Get Real about Waiting (vv. 33–34)
Our faithlessness in covenantal relationships stems from losing sight of our God-given purpose and mission. Malachi 2 shows how losing sight of God’s glory leads to the destruction of every other relationship because we live contrary to God’s wisdom by default. Malachi exhorts the people of God to guard their spirits if they will avoid destruction. We consider, from these verses:1. An argument from the greater to the lesser2. The mission of marriage (and all Christian relationships) 3. The detriment of the faithless
The church at Corinth was guilty of worldly division over social differences. This reared its ugly head in various way, including mistreating poorer members when it came to the Lord’s Supper. Though the Lord’s Supper was intended by our Lord to be a remembrance of the gospel story, some in the congregation were telling a different story. They needed to be corrected and to get on the right page of the story. We will study this passage under three major headings:1. Rebuking the Saints (vv. 17–19)2. Ruining the Supper (vv. 20–22)3. Remembering the Story (vv. 23–26)
As we enter a new year, headlines suggest that there is plenty of bad news on the immediate horizon for South Africa. Neither prosperity nor peace is being prophesied. And yet for the Christian, we can—we must!—have peace on this troubled earth. Psalm 29 points us to this peace, which moves from heaven to earth. May we be encouraged to pursue this as we study these words under three headings:1. A Call to Worship (vv. 1–2)2. A Call to Wonder (vv. 3–9)3. A Call to Wellness (vv. 10–11)
The confession of confidence in God alone demonstrates deep security in the Lord in both life and death. As we study Psalm 16, we consider three things about the security we find in the Lord:1. The Plea for Security in the Lord (vv. 1–2)2. The Proof of Security in the Lord (vv. 3–8)3. The Perpetual Joy that Comes with the Security in the Lord (vv. 9–11)
The story of Christmas is a true story, but one that too often becomes sentimentalised, sanitised, and/or secularised. The truth to be told is that that the Christmas story is both triumphant and tragic. It is a story of God breaking in to the darkness of a sin-cursed, and too often hopeless, world, but it is also a story filled with tragedy of suffering and persecution. Fundamentally, it is a story of God’s faithfulness. We consider this story, from Matthew 1, under four broad headings:1. The Christmas Story is a Marvellous (and Messy) Messianic Story (vv. 1–17)2. The Christmas Story is a Majestically Mysterious Story, (v. 18)3. The Christmas Story is a Mercifully Miraculous Story (vv. 19–21)4. The Christmas Story Needs to Be a Personally Meaningful Story (vv. 22–25)
The Gospel of Luke recounts the narrative of Jesus and John’s births, both which happened in extraordinary circumstances. It is in this context that Mary’s song (her Magnificat) takes place. It is a song extolling God for the great things he has done, not only for Mary or for Israel, but for all who are humble enough to plead God’s mercy. Since God has looked on the humble estate of his servants Mary and Israel, and since God assumed human flesh in Mary womb, he is worthy to be praised as the God of the humble. We consider, in this text:1. God’s Mercy to Mary (vv. 46b–49)2. God’s Mercy to the Humble (vv. 50–55)
David has showed that, redemptively, the Shepherd is sufficient because he is the transcendent Jehovah of his people. Moreover, he is imminent in the person of Christ, which makes him the sole source of your every living moment. We consider two truths as we reflect on how the sheep follow the Shepherd:1. Redemptively Significant 2. Desperately Dependent
As we approach the countdown to Christmas, we examine a prophecy given by an angel to Joseph, detailing the destiny of the child to be born to Mary. Many things in life are uncertain. Many things about the Messiah had been assumed or misunderstood by the people of Israel. But this prophecy outlines, in no uncertain terms, the purpose for which the Son of God became a man. We will consider our text under four headings:1. The Child of Destiny (v. 18)2. The Destined Mission (v. 21)3. The Destined People (v. 21)4. The Destined Debt (v. 21)
Dressing “for church” used to be a major concern for those in Christendom. Perhaps not so much in our day. Nevertheless, 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 addresses this very issue, though in a perhaps surprising way. Our text offers five principles to help us think about what to wear to church.1. Genesis Tells Us What to Wear (vv. 2–3, 7–9)2. Our Gender Tells Us What to Wear (vv. 4–6)3. God’s Glory Tells Us What to Wear (vv. 7–10)4. The Gospel Tells Us What to Wear (vv. 11–12)6. God Tells Us What to Wear (vv. 13–16)
The opening chapter of John’s Gospel draws attention to the marvel of the incarnation of Christ. As we reflect on God with us in Christ, John 1:9–14 helps us to answer the question, what can we do when it feels like we serve an invisible God?
Having been powerfully converted by the gospel of Christ, Paul was unashamed of the gospel that had converted him and confident that it was able to convert the most stubborn of sinners. We can share his unshakable confidence in the power of the gospel because the same God who created the universe and resurrected Christ is the same God who saves souls. Paul offers three reasons, in Romans 1:16–17, that we can be confident in the gospel:1. It Has Massive Power2. It Offers and Awesome Gift3. Its invitation is Wide Open
The apostle Paul lived a cruciform life for the good of others, to the glory of God. He loved his neighbour because he loved his God. He cared about the ultimate good of others because he ultimately cared about God’s glory. We see this in the text before us, which we will study under three broad headings:1. Love Your Neighbour (10:23–27)2. Love Your God (10:28–33)3. Live Like Your Lord (11:1)
Paul is exhorting his readers to faithfully run the Christian race (9:24). Christians are like runners seeking the victor’s prize. To finish the race, we must bring our body into subjection and do whatever is necessary to persevere to the salvific end. We must run as though our lives depend on it—for they do! The Corinthian believers needed to run away from idolatry. As do we. We will study how to do so under three headings: 1. The Inspiration of Command (v. 14)2. The Illustration of Communion (vv. 15–20)3. The Impossibility of Compromise (vv. 21–22)
Hebrews 2:1–4 serves as a reminder to saved Christians that they should not become complacent in their faith but should persevere in it. It emphasises the seriousness of neglecting the great salvation that has been granted to believers and underscores the importance of the evidence of salvation in the life of a Christian. While salvation is secure for the elect, believers are still called to live faithfully and obediently as a response to God’s grace. We will consider these verses under two broad headings: 1. The Command (vv. 1–2)2. The Warning (vv. 3–4)
Worship is the only appropriate response to the revelation of God’s deepest truths. Paul begins with adoration of the heart, then theological praise, affirming that all things were made by God for God, then concludes with devotional worship. Our spirit, soul, and body belongs to the Lord, and we are no longer slaves to sin, for he paid a high price to buy us back from the slave-market of sin. We owe glory to God because of his great gracious loving sacrifice on our behalf. God gave his all for us and the only appropriate and respectful response from those he gave his all for is to glorify him. We study these verses under three headings:1. Adoration of the Heart (vv. 33–35)2. Theological Praise (v. 36a)3. Devotional Worship (v. 36b)
First Corinthians 10 refers repeatedly to both the books of Exodus and, particularly, Numbers. Paul uses the history of God’s old covenant people to help God’s new covenant people. In vv. 1–13, Paul uses the past to point to the future, which is now the present. His purpose is to make the church aware so it will beware of present danger. It is for this reason that he takes them back to the future. We need this same awareness. We will study this passage under three headings.1. Be Aware (vv. 1–5)2. Beware (vv. 6–12)3. Be Assured (v. 13)
Orienteering is a sport in which participants must use clues and follow instructions, while making use of tools like a map and compass, to reach a particular destination. Orienteering is very often a team sport. In many respects the Christian life can be compared to orienteering as we together follow our leader, the Lord Jesus, speaking the truth in love to reach the destination of Christian maturity. We will consider Ephesians 4:15–16 under three broad headings:1. The Destination2. The Route3. The Leader
The local church is the custodian of the gospel, which of course is a matter of life and death—eternal life or eternal death. Properly stewarding the gospel includes dying to one’s rights in order to remove unnecessary obstacles to believing the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul provides a personal example of what dying to self looks like. His example is a powerful argument for the urgency of adorning the gospel, practically demonstrating the Christian’s responsibility to live for the sake of the gospel. We will study the chapter under four broad headings:1. The Christian’s Rights (vv. 1–14)2. The Christian’s Restraint (vv. 15–18)3. The Christian’s Rationale (vv. 19–23)4. The Christian’s Race (vv. 24–27)
The extended sections of greetings at the end of Paul’s letters hardly strike most of us as conveying applicable meaning. However, Colossians 4:7–18 reveals the kinds of relationships that exist not only between Christian ministers, but all Christians. Paul was deeply dependent on others for his edification and support. We, likewise, ought to connect ourselves to the web of relationships Christ weaves us into if we are to glean support and encouragement from others.
Paul was concerned that the church in Ephesus guard the gospel deposit entrusted to it. He expressed this concern in three ways:1. Paul’s Thankfulness for Gospel Heritage (vv. 3–7)2. Paul’s Confidence in Gospel Suffering (vv. 8–12)3. Paul’s Charge to Gospel Ministry (vv. 13–14)
Wrapping up the body of his epistle, Paul gives two final exhortations to the Colossians. First, he exhorts them to pray with open eyes, thereby keeping up their prayers of thanksgiving and their prayers for gospel expansion. Second, he exhorts them to walk the talk, living in such a way that helps rather than hinders their witness in the world. We all need these exhortations to keep on keeping on and so walk in Christ.
We need to learn and live out the principles of 1 Corinthians 8–10 as we wrestle with how far to exercise our personal liberty as Christians. The principle of Paul’s exhortation is simple: Your liberty to do what is permissible ends where your brother or sister’s spiritual well-being begins. In other words, permissible liberty is to be governed brotherly concern. We will unpack this as we study vv. 4–13 under three major headings:1. A Settled Confidence (vv. 4–6)2. A Sensitive Conscience (v. 7)3. A Selfless Concern (vv. 8–13)
Last Saturday, the terrorist group, Hamas, unleashed horrible violence on Israel, sparking a new war in that region, which has, to date, killed thousands of people and injured thousands more. With the outbreak of this war has come a huge wave of prophecy pundits, wresting many Scriptures from their context, including the command to pray for peace from Psalm 122. How should Christians be thinking, and praying about this horrific war? Psalm 122 provides an answer.
In the Corinthian culture, and in much of the Graeco-Roman culture of the day, one could not escape the ubiquitous presence of idolatry. So, how should Christians respond? Rather than merely chapter-and-versing, Paul pastorally exhorts the congregation to build one another up to overcome idolatrous participation. He begins by warning of the limitations of knowledge (vv. 1–3) and pointing to the lordship of Jesus Christ (vv. 4–6).
In Psalm 119:136, we see the heart of someone who loves the word of God because he loves the God of the word. In this verse, which quite literally sobs with a heart for God, we are given a metric to examine our own love for God and his truth. May this metric be the means to fill our eyes with tears over those things that truly matter.
Having spent several weeks studying 1 Corinthians 7 it is clear that the subject matter is very important, but it might also seem to be very complicated. Well, while at first glance (and even after several glances!), the issue appears complicated, Paul removes all complications as he concludes his instructions in vv. 39–40. Let’s listen to Paul’s: 1. inspired instructions (v. 39) and2. inspired intentions (v. 40)
The New Testament tells us that the Christian life is a race, and the author to the Hebrews exhorts us to fight for endurance in the race. In 12:1–2, the writer shows us three ways in which we can fight for endurance in the race of faith.1. Fight for endurance in the racea. Remind yourself of the crowdb. Lay aside the hindrancesc. Look to Jesus
God forgives sinners innumerable sins. Such gracious forgiveness should transform the forgiven person to also be a forgiving person. To fail to forgive another brother while claiming to enjoy the forgiveness of God is nothing short of hypocrisy and a cancer to the body of Christ.
Paul wrote to the Ephesian church to remind them of the grace of God that had been extended to them in Jesus Christ. This grace that they had received (and that we as believers have received) required of them (and requires of each of us) to walk worthy of our calling in Christ. God has given us his Spirit to enable us and empower us as image-bearers of his Son. Paul gives us three qualities that we should be looking for in our lives, and in each others’ lives, as evidence that the Spirit is at work in us.1. Spirit-filled Singing2. Spirit-filled Thanksgiving3. Spirit-filled Submission
To marry, or not to marry? That is the question Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 7:25–38. Even more importantly, he addresses devotion to the Lord. His concern about undivided devotion to Jesus Christ is directly related to the question of marriage and singleness. We need to hear the apostolic marriage counselling that he provides. We consider this text under four broad headings:1. Listen to Pastoral Concerns (v. 25)2. Consider Your Present Circumstances (vv. 26–31)3. Remember Your Primary Calling (vv. 32–35)4. Seek Your Parent’s Consent (vv. 36–38)
When God called us to salvation, he calls us to a life of faithful living under his lordship—regardless of our circumstances. We can say that, when God saves us, he expects us to bloom where we are planted. Paul addresses this in the passage before us this morning. We will flesh this text out this morning as we study it under the following headings: 1. Commanded to Bloom (v. 17)2. Called to Bloom (vv. 18–23)3. Content to Bloom (v. 24)
It is obvious to all that life is filled with pain and suffering. The effects of the fall and the natural energy we must expend to minister in the church take their toll. But how is it that someone like Paul could rejoice in his sufferings? That almost seems paradoxical. Colossians 1:24–2:5 explains that, if we are to rejoice in our suffering, we must remember two reasons for suffering. Our suffering is for the church and for Christ.
Some in the church at Corinth were minimising the gift of marriage through both hyper-spirituality and scriptural ignorance. Paul wanted to rescue the biblical ordinance of marriage from wrongheaded assessments and from worldly perversions. He therefore aimed to bring the shadow of the cross—the message of the cross—to bear its weighty influence on marriage. We will see this under three main headings:1. an honourable Christian marriage (vv. 10–11)2. a holy Christian marriage (vv. 12–14)3. a hostile Christian marriage (vv. 15–16)
Sine qua non is a Latin phrase, which refers to something without which another thing would not be possible. It refers to an essential element, which, if missing, causes the whole enterprise to fall apart. The account of the rich young ruler provides us insight into the sine qua non of eternal life, which will serve as a call-to-arms as we live lives of worship, praying that God’s kingdom would come here on earth.
The Christian is not left in the dark concerning sexual sanctity, for the Bible equips the Christian with sexual sanity. First Corinthians 7 provides what we need to think both clearly and cleanly about God’s good gift of sex: its parameters, its principles, and its practice. “Sex and the City” is to be countered by sanity in the church. In our study, we will address this by looking at the opening nine verses under the headings:
- Sexual Morality (vv. 1–2)
- Marital Mutuality (vv. 3–5)
- Singular Purity (vv. 6–9)
In 1 Corinthians 6:12–20, Paul gives instruction about the sanctity of the saints. In doing so he tells believers to pay attention to the importance of their bodies. And to the degree they do so, as the rest of 1 Corinthians reveals, the body of Christ is blessed. In other words, what the Christian does with his or her body effects the local body of Christ. To a large degree, the problem of sexual immorality in both the wider culture as well as within local churches is a similar challenge in our day and therefore this passage is of great relevance and importance to us.
William Carey famously said, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” Because he believed God is very great (Psalm 104:1), he attempted for God what God expected of him. And great things happened! Psalm 126 carries a similar theme and one that, in our days, we may particularly need to be reminded of. That is, God can again do great things in a church, in a life, in a nation, all for his glory. In these six verses we are encouraged to not be forgetful (vv. 1–3) and to be faithful (vv. 4–5a, 6a), with confidence that we will be fruitful (vv. 5b, 6b).
In John 21, the Lord Jesus Christ pastorally confronts Peter and predicts that he will grow old, weakening in body, yet dying a death in which he will glorify God. In other words, he will finish well. Finishing well is the goal of everyone who has been saved by the gospel of Christ. We will look at this passage under four headings:
- An Existential Crisis (vv. 1–14)
- An Essential Confrontation (15–17)
- An Eventual Contrast (vv. 18–19)
- An Erroneous Comparison (vv. 20–23)
There is so much that militates against our praising of the Lord, whether the busyness of life, heartache, depression, trials, or simply distractions. The psalmist commands us to praise the Lord and enter his presence. We are not to do this simply out of willpower or guilt. The psalmist teaches us that the reason we are to praise God amid all that we experience is because of who he is. Our praise is to be rooted in and motivated by the very character of God as seen supremely in the life of Jesus Christ.
What do you fear? What do you long for? How does your expectation of those things influence the way you live? Second Peter 3:14–18 highlights that, whether we are aware of it or not, our expectation of the future has a significant impact on the way we live. Peter presses this truth by calling us to live with an expectation of the coming judgement of Christ. Expecting his imminent return should produce in us:
- a pursuit for holiness (vv. 14, 17)
- a consideration of the Scriptures (vv. 15–16)
- growth in Christ (v. 18)
In chapter 2, Peter exposed the false teachers and plainly told of their end. As he moves into chapter 3, he continues addressing false teachers, but now shifts focus slightly to reassure his readers that, despite its delay, Christ’s coming was certain. There would be a tomorrow and, more significantly, a brighter day after tomorrow, despite the protestations of the false teachers. We consider these verses under four broad headings:
- The Denial of the Day After Tomorrow (vv. 1–7)
- The Delay of the Day After Tomorrow (vv. 8–9)
- The Definiteness of the Day After Tomorrow (v. 10)
- The Difference of the Day After Tomorrow (vv. 11–13)
Having examined the presence and punishment of false teachers, we return to 2 Peter 2 to examine the character of false teachers. We see from vv. 10b–22 that they are insolent, ignorant, insatiable, and impotent, and the tragic result of rejecting the only Saviour for sinners in favour of a different gospel. We will examine these verses under two broad headings:
- The temperament of false teachers (vv. 10b–19)
- The tragedy of false teachers (vv. 20–22)
As we move into 2 Peter 2, Peter, for the first time, makes explicit reference to the false teachers who were “secretly bring[ing] in destructive heresies.” In this chapter, he is not concerned with refuting the “heresies” of the false teachers but with denouncing them in the strongest terms. The chapter involves a threefold movement. First, Peter warns of the presence of false teachers in their midst (vv. 1–3). Second, he addresses the punishment of the false teachers (vv. 4–10a). Third, he discloses the character of the false teachers (vv. 10b–22). We will consider the first two of these movements in the time we have in this study as we consider the truth that God’s rescue plan
- assumes the presence of false teachers (vv. 1–3); and
- assures the punishment of false teachers (vv. 4–10a)
The believer’s life is a life of remembrance. Peter teaches us something about this truth in 2 Peter 1:12–21. In these verses, Peter asks and answers two basic questions:
- What should we remember? (vv. 12–15)
- Why should we remember the truth? (vv. 16–21)
We often long for more than we need, in various aspects of life. When it comes to living a life of godliness, however, the apostle Peter assures us that we have everything we need, by God’s promise, to confirm our calling and election.
John Newton once prayed, “When I see thee as thou art, I will praise thee as I ought.” If we are honest with ourselves, we often fail to worship God the way we ought, because we so often lose sight of who God is. Perhaps we’ve become too familiar with him, perhaps we’ve fashioned him after our image, or perhaps we’ve side-stepped him completely. Regardless, we would do well to remember who our God is: a God who kills people. We will study 2 Samuel 6 under four broad headings:
- The God who Deserves Our Worship (vv. 1–2)
- The God who Demands Our Obedience in Worship (vv. 3–11)
- The God who Discerns Our Hearts in Worship (vv. 16, 20–23)
- The God who Delights in Our Blessing (vv. 12–19)
Tychicus was a faithful brother, whom Paul trusted to encourage the church in Ephesus. In Ephesians 6:21–22, we learn that this faithful brother was trusted to offer gospel encouragement to stand for gospel work and to offer gospel encouragement to stand in gospel holiness.
Those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God have been washed, sanctified, and justified, which means that they respond to conflict in a radically, because reverently different way. We see this in the text before us as we continue to learn about the sufficiency of the saints to govern the church through scriptural church discipline. As Prior points out, “There will always be disagreements among Christians, but the disciplined approach of Jesus to such matters needs more uninhibited obedience (cf. Matthew 18:15–17).” This was a lesson the Corinthian church needed to learn, and we do as well. We will study these verses under three broad headings:
- A Scandalous Question (vv. 1–3)
- A Shameful Question (vv. 4–8)
- A Sobering Question (vv. 9–11)
Having examined the importance of having a pure membership (as opposed to a mixed membership of saved and unsaved members) (vv. 1–5), and then emphasising the need for each member to pursue an increasingly holy, purified membership (vv. 6–8), the closing verses of this chapter (vv. 9–13) address the sobering matter of excommunication, the final step of church discipline in which the church membership is purged of an individual who has proven to be an unrepentant covenant-breaker. We will consider these verses together under the following headings:1. Purging Requires Dissociation (vv. 9–11)2. Purging Requires Discernment (vv. 12–13a)3. Purging Requires Dismissal (v. 13b)
First Corinthians 5 teaches us vital lessons about essential and meaningful church membership. We saw, in vv. 1–5, that the local church is to be a pure membership, and, in vv. 6–8, we learn that the local church is to be a purified membership. Paul was passionate about confronting and condemning intolerable behaviour in the church because the church is to be holy. In fact, as we will see in this text, the church is holy, which demands the imperative to be holy. The church is therefore to be an increasingly purified membership. We will consider this truth under three headings:1. Purification is a Corporate Concern (v. 6)2. Purification is a Corporate Commitment (v. 7)3. Purification is a Corporate Celebration (v. 8)
Our hidden figure for this study, Abigail, is set against the backdrop of a self-seeking man, who cared for no one but himself. This foolish man—Nabal—showed utter disdain to anyone who would not benefit him directly, but his wife—Abigail—who is our hidden figure, radiated godly wisdom as she interceded to safeguard her family and home. We will draw four lessons as we consider her story—lessons about:1. Foiling Folly2. Committed Convictions3. Prolife Perspective4. Modelling Mediation
When a congregation tolerates what God declares intolerable, such indifference demonstrates a woeful rejection of the cruciform life, both individually and corporately. This lies at the heart of what Paul writes in the chapter before us. And what he writes to that ancient church is just as relevant for our church today. Chapter 5 informs us that the cruciform life calls for congregational exercise of church discipline. We will begin our study of this important matter by examining the first five verses under the following headings:1. A Pure Membership (vv. 1–2)2. A Powerful Membership (vv. 3–5)
As much as he would have enjoyed a conflict-free ministry, Paul was committed to the message of the cross, which sometimes included the uncomfortable consequences flowing from it. He was willing, when necessary for the glory of God and the good of the church, to enter the conflict of confronting comfort zones that tempted his fellow believers. He aimed to move them from a cross-less comfort to a Christ-consuming commitment. We see him doing this in at least three ways in the text before us:1. An Affectionate Confrontation (vv. 14–15)2. An Appealing Confrontation (vv. 16–17)3. An Authoritative Confrontation (vv. 18–21)
A. W. Tozer once wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” It is equally important that what comes into our minds when we think about God must be what God has revealed about himself. One of the starkest revelations of the character of God is found in Exodus 34:6–7, where God reveals himself to Moses. These verses, and their surrounding context, show us four things we need in our pursuit of the knowledge of the holy:1. The Law We Need (v. 1)2. The Mediator We Need (vv. 2–4)3. The God We Need (vv. 5–7)4. The Response We Need (vv. 8–9)
If we believe the red-lettered words of Jesus, we must affirm what he believed and taught about the black-lettered words of Scripture’s human authors.
Christians who love and appreciate the church walk in the truth through being hospitable and by giving sacrificially.1. A Faithful Servant a) Being Hospitable b) Giving Sacrificially
Perhaps there is not a more uncharacteristic sin among Christians than the sin of conceit. “Conceited Christian” is a glaring contradiction. Or at least it should be. An arrogant follower of Jesus Christ is repulsive and should be almost unthinkable. Sadly, conceit had crept into the Corinthian church, and it was tearing the church apart. Paul, therefore, in 4:6–13 and with strong language, rebukes the church for its conceit and provides the antidote. He offers a threefold prescription for confronting and cancelling conceit:1. Confront Conceit with Scripture (v. 6)2. Confront Conceit with Reality (v. 7)3. Confront Conceit with the Cross (vv. 8–13)
The opening three chapters of 1 Corinthians are an exhortation to the Corinthian believers to stop immaturely evaluating messengers of the gospel by worldly standards. In urging them to grow up in Christ, Paul reminds them, in 4:1–5, that it is God’s assessment of one’s ministry, rather than human assessment, that will ultimately matter. Paul points to both the responsibility and accountability of Christian leaders, using himself as an example. His conclusion is straightforward: His ultimate audience is God. This Divine evaluation is what matters. In explaining this, Paul points to three related truths that matter:1. The Mindset that Matters (v. 1)2. The Metric that Matters (v. 2)3. The Motivation that Matters (vv. 3–5)
On the first day of the week, the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, leaving behind his grave clothes in an empty tomb. This sealed the good news of the gospel that, indeed, God’s work of the redemption of his people was finished by Jesus’ sacrificial and substitutionary death on the cross. However, on that initial Lord’s Day of the new covenant era, the early believers had lost sight of Jesus’ promise that he would rise from the dead, “as he said.” Too often, we also lose sight of the promises of our risen Lord. Matthew 28 reminds us that he is risen and how this should daily influence us. We will study this chapter under four headings:1. A Grave Expectation (v. 1)2. A Graced Experience (vv. 2–10)3. A Guarded Explanation (vv. 11–15)4. A Great Expectation (vv. 16–20)
Good Friday is called “good” because, on it, we remember, not a gruesome crucifixion, but the incredible gift of forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life that Christ purchased by his death for all who believe. The cross of Christ is therefore the Christian’s only boast. The cross of Christ invites persecution due to its implications for man’s pride and the cross of Christ leads not just to a new name, but a whole new creation. We consider our text under three broad headings:1. The Cross of Christ is Our Only Boast 2. The Cross of Christ Has Implications for This Life 3. The Cross of Christ Leads to a New Creation
Christians often say, “Jesus died for my sins.” When we say that, what exactly do we mean? Matthew 26:26–29, the institution of the Lord's Supper, gives this common Christian phrase real meaning. When Jesus said that his blood was poured out “for many for the forgiveness of sins,” he was identifying himself with the Passover lamb from Exodus, as well as the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. As we reflect on the new substitute, Jesus, we’ll approach the Lord’s Supper with a contrite confidence that Jesus died for our sins.
The book of Jonah, often thought of as a story about a great fish, is actually about a great God who saves. In the opening chapter, we find three characteristics of our God’s persistent commitment to reconcile himself with humanity:1. Our Great God Reveals His Instruction2. Our Great God Reveals His Presence3. Our Great God Reveals His Grace
In 1 Corinthians 3:16–23, Paul continues with the theme of building up the local church, which he refers to as God’s temple. Though God causes the growth of the church, he uses the means of both leadership and congregation in its construction. Each church member has a responsibility to participate and to protect what God is building. We can summarise this passage under the title, “Danger: Construction Site,” which we will study under three headings:1. Remember What You Are, and Don’t Destroy It (vv. 16–17)2. Remember Where You Are, and Don’t Be Deceived by It (vv. 18–20)3. Remember Whose You Are, and Don’t Diminish It (vv. 21–23)
In vv. 1–4, Paul rebuked the Corinthian church for behaving like as “mere humans” rather than those with the Spirit of God. In vv. 5–15, he reminds them that, even though they have the Spirit of God and are therefore more than “mere humans,” those who serve them nevertheless remain human.! That is, though they may be among the best of men, they are only men at best. The church must therefore focus on the Lord rather than on men who work for the Lord.
Even with a fully regenerate membership, it is possible for a church to, at times, behave in ways that belie its profession: for the regenerate to behave in ways that are unregenerate, displaying the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:16–21). This will not be characteristic of the church, but it may be true occasionally and sinfully. As was the case in Corinth. The church had grown in a number of ways, but not in Christlike maturity. The church looked too much like the world in which it existed. It was tragic. It needed to change. Repentance was called for. We will consider Paul’s call for repentance under three broad headings:1. A Disappointing Contrast (v. 1)2. A Debilitating Condition (vv. 2–3a)3. A Dominating Culture (vv. 3b–4)
In the third session of World Outreach Celebration 2023, Harshit Singh shows that a gospel-centred church finds joy in Christ’s righteousness and longs for the day of resurrection and gospel-centred Christians find joy in Christ’s righteousness and long for the day of resurrection.
In the second session of World Outreach Celebration 2023, Harshit Singh shows that a gospel-centred church finds joy in emulating Christ in living other-centred life and gospel-centred Christians find joy in emulating Christ in living other-centred lives.
In the opening session of World Outreach Celebration 2023, Harshit Singh shows that a gospel-centred church finds joy in the advancement of the gospel and gospel-driven Christians find joy in the advancement of the gospel.
As Paul draws to the end of his letter, he doesn’t end abruptly but lets his thoughts run back over the letter. His final remarks were added to affirm the most important themes to his readers. These themes are all about spiritual relationship. These last verses contain two doxologies intertwined with a few brief words of greeting. Behind these words we see the importance of spiritual relationships with God, people, and Christ. We will consider this text under three broad headings:1. Relationship to God (v. 20)2. Relationship to Other Christians (4:21–22)3. Relationship to Jesus Christ (vv. 21–22)
Paul was concerned about the condition of the local church in Corinth. All was not well, and Paul knew the solution: a proper appreciation for the message of the cross. Having addressed the message of the cross (1:18–31) and the messenger of the cross (2:1–5), Paul then wrote about the maturity of the cross (2:6–13). This maturity is inseparable from the mindset of the cross (2:14–16), that is the mind of Christ. Paul points to several characteristics of those with this mindset: (1) They Love God (vv. 6–10); (2) They Listen to God (vv. 11–13); (3) They Learn from God (vv. 14–15); and (4) They Live for God (v. 16).
One could be mistaken for assuming that Paul was anti-wisdom in view of what he has written from 1:18ff. Of course, one would be wrong. Though Paul was anti the “wisdom of the world,” he was pro the wisdom of God, for it is the power of God for salvation (1:23–24). Here, in 2:6–13, Paul exalts God’s wisdom and exults in the Spirit’s grace in giving such wisdom to those who embrace the message of the cross. He designates these as the mature. In this passage we will discover:1. The Identification of the Mature (vv. 6–8)2. The Illumination of the Mature (vv. 9–12)3. The Instruction of the Mature (v. 13)
We are all familiar with popular, even famous, character in the Bible. Much is known about Peter and Paul, but the biblical record similarly highlights the equally significant, though lesser known, ministries of more hidden figures—like Tertius (Romans 16:22). Little is known about this amanuensis, but we are humanly indebted to him for having received the book of Romans. He literally published the good news of the gospel. Historically hidden, his skills were nonetheless used by God to pen a book which God has used throughout history to reach the lost and to reform his church. In this study, we consider some lessons we can learn from the brief record of this man’s ministry.
Paul, having spoken of the message of the cross (1:10–31) now writes about the messenger of the cross. Both appear foolish to the world. But so be it. In reminding them of his ministry among them, Paul instructs Christians what should characterise us as messengers of the cross. 1. The Messenger of the Cross is Determined about the Message (vv. 1–2)2. The Messenger of the Cross is Deliberate about the Method (vv. 3–4)3. The Messenger of the Cross is Discerning about the Motive (v. 5)
Despite it being a repetitive and somewhat silly Sunday school song, we take another look at the truths and far-reaching implications of the promise that God gave to Abraham, that he would indeed be the father of many sons.
Schisms were surfacing in the church of God in Corinth. The serious fractures required more than a superficial and temporary solution. They required the radical power of the cross. As each member gazed at the Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified on their behalf—riveted on him because of his cross work—harmony would prevail. This was Paul’s burden, as he explains in 1:18–31, which we will consider under three broad headings:1. The Message of the Cross: Its Power (vv. 18–25)2. The Message of the Cross: Its Proof (vv. 26–29)3. The Message of the Cross: Its Purpose (vv. 30–31)
Until now, Paul has exhorted the whole church in Colossae to conform their lives to the pattern of Christ. But now, in 3:18–4:1, he singles out certain groups of people in the church and tells them to live out their roles in society in a way that is Christian. We aren’t only Christians on Sunday, but we need to be Monday Christians too. In part one of “Monday Christians,” we’ll look at Paul's exhortations to Christian couples and Christian families.
Symptoms are indications that something is wrong but are not themselves the cause. Discerning and diagnosing the cause of a symptom is the (very necessary) challenge because treating a wrongly diagnosed illness can do more harm than good. This is true medically; it is also true as we study 1 Corinthians. Only as we understand the source of the problem will we appreciate the treatment Paul prescribes. In this study, we consider 1:4–17 with a view to diagnosing the root problem of the various conflicts experienced by the Corinthian church, which will point to the solution. We will conduct our diagnosis, and discover and prescribe the remedy, under two major headings. I. A Church Graced by God (vv. 4–9)II. A Church Grieving God (vv. 10–17)
In Paul’s previous exhortation, he applied the metaphor of casting off old garments to the practice of killing sin. However, this is only half the picture. In Colossians 3:12–17, he applies the other half of the metaphor: putting on Christ. He applies this to virtues of the heart and virtues of the church. If we have cast off the works of the old man and put on Christ, we will be a well-dressed church.
As troubled (and, at times, as troublesome) as was the church in Corinth, Paul was committed to helping it to fulfil its purpose of being a truly Christian church—a Christlike church amid a graceless and godless culture. Brackenhurst Baptist Church too needs to be always reforming to be a Christian church. The triune God commands and expects us to be a Christian church—not merely a gathered people, but rather a grace-empowered, godly people that gather to grow in the Lord so we will go with and for the Lord. We consider these verses under the following broad headings:1. Paul: Called (1:1)2. Paul: Confident (1:2–9)3. Paul: Concerned (1:10–17)4. Paul: Crucified (1:18–2:5)
With a new year comes an opportunity to stop and look back over the past year and hopefully make some course corrections for the year ahead. All Christians should aim to become people of the word by investing time in Scripture. Second Timothy 3:16 gives us some helpful insight into the value of knowing and loving Scripture. We consider this verse by asking three questions:1. What are the Scriptures?2. Why should we invest in the Scriptures? and3. To what end do we have the Scriptures?
In 2 Timothy 4:9–18, Paul delivers some final, personal instructions to his young friend, Timothy. Part of those instructions was a plea for Timothy to bring some necessary supplies. We see, in v. 13, that Paul desired care for both his physical and spiritual needs. In the midst of this, we see his desire, even in his later years, to continue growing in the Lord.
In one of the earliest Christian creeds on record, Paul writes about Christ’s incarnation, earthly ministry, and ascension to glory. This creed gives us insight into the person and work of Christ that we need if we will love Christ, as we should, in 2023.
The Gospel of John profoundly presents Jesus as the Son of God (20:31), a theme that causes careful readers and expositors to feel overwhelmed and inadequate. The prologue (1:1–18) is a case in point. It is so profound, and yet John expected his Spirit-guided readers to get it: that God became man in order to save us from our sins. Yahweh, the great “I AM,” became a man to rescue us from spiritual and eternal darkness. To benefit from this rescue, we must believe that the Jesus of history is the God who precedes history. We must believe that Jesus is the I AM—that, on Christmas, the I AM was born and laid in a manger. We need to believe that, on Christmas, the I AM was born.
Peter received a vision on the roof in Joppa that was both perplexing and, to him, unacceptable. In this episode, we see a serious disease in Peter that the Holy Spirit diagnosed and cured.
One major challenge in the Christian journey is the various distractions that tempt us to “let go” of what is truly important—like eternal life. The apostle Paul addressed this reality in all of his epistles, perhaps most clearly in 1 Timothy 6:11–12, 17–19. Numbers 36 challenges us in the same regard, as we will see by considering its four major sections:1. A Faithful Request (vv. 1–4)2. A Faithful Responsibility (vv. 5–9)3. A Faithful Response (vv. 10–12)4. A Faithful Record (v. 13)
As we approach Numbers 35, God’s people stood on the verge the Promised Land. They were to enter and, with God’s help, to transform it from a bad land into a holy land. But this would require certain precepts—such as those in Numbers 35. This chapter contains what appears to be archaic laws, but they were foundational to a just society in the Promised Land and have a great deal to teach god’s people in the 21st century. We will consider this chapter under three broad headings:1. Provision for the Levites (vv. 1–8)2. Protection and Punishment Under the Law (vv. 9–29)3. Pollution of the Land (vv. 30–34).
The land of Israel is of deep interest to Christians, and rightly so. At the same time, many Christians over-emphasise the “holy land,” forgetting that, under the new covenant, that piece of real estate is nothing special. While Numbers 33:50–34:29 focuses attention on the holy land, it is important for new covenant believers—Jew and Gentile—to understand that Christians should think less about the land of Israel and more about the true Israel of God (Galatians 6:16) and the promise that the true Israel will inherit the earth. We will study these verses together under four broad headings:
- It was a Bad land (33:50–56)
- It was a Bordered Land (34:1–15)
- It was a Blessed Land (34:16–29)
- Conclusion: There is a Better Land
In 2 Timothy 1:3–7, Paul reminds Timothy of the wonderful gift of sincere faith that he inherited from his mother and grandmother, and then cautions him not to neglect this gift. Though these words were written directly to Timothy, there is much we can learn from this text. We will study it under two broad headings.
- Paul Reassures Timothy of His Gift (vv. 3–5)
- Paul Reminds Timothy Not to Neglect His Gift (vv. 6–7)
As is true of many chapters of Numbers, chapter 33 is not exactly stimulating reading—until one understands the context. For the handful of Israelites from the first generation, along with the multitude of the second and new generation, the travel itinerary recorded here served as a record of remembrance intended to lead to reverence. This “journey journal” was intended to jar the memory of God’s people concerning God’s faithfulness to his promises and to his people. It also served to remind them of God’s grace so that they would not be overwhelmed with guilt. It will help us in the same way as we study this text, which we will do so under four broad headings:
(1) A Glorious Exodus (vv. 1–15) (2) A Groaning Experience (vv. 16–40) (3) A Growing/Great Expectation (vv. 41–49) (4) A Grave Exhortation (vv. 50–56)
It’s all too easy to make the Christian life mystical and completely miss the boat. May God help us to think more like our Saviour as we seek to live lives of muscular, rather than mystical, faith.
Numbers 32 records what at first blush seems to be a common-sense and harmless idea by the leaders of two tribes of Israel. Yet as we dig into their request, and as we study the outcome of this decades and even centuries later, we see that it was not a harmless suggestion at all. The decision to live on the fringe apart from the community of faith is rarely a good idea. Living on the fringe can be dangerous to the spiritual welfare of both the individual Christian and to the local church. May God teach us and protect us. We consider this chapter under the following headings:
(1) An Indifferent Request (vv. 1–5) (2) An Indignant Rebuke (vv. 6–15) (3) An Innovative Response (vv. 16–32) (4) An Instructive Result (vv. 33–42)
It has a been a long journey for Job—and for the reader. But it has been worth the effort. As we consider the final chapter, we finally come to the part of the book that the reader anticipates: Job’s restoration and renewal. If we think, however, that the moral of the story is “hand onto God and everything will work out,” we have missed the point of the book. As we consider the final chapter of this incredible book, we seek to glean its true lesson under the following broad headings:
- Job Repents (vv. 1–6)
- The Friends Rebuked (vv. 7–9)
- God Restores (vv. 10–17)
It is all too easy to forget that we are in a spiritual battle. This loss of focus can cause us to grow complacent and open ourselves up to spiritual attacks and even to falling away from the faith completely. As we take a closer look at Hebrews 3:12–15 we will do well to heed the warning of the writer, and to thank God for the church as his means of grace to persevere together. We consider these verses under three broad headings:
- The Reality of Apostasy (v. 12)
- The Deceitfulness of Sin (vv. 13b–15)
- The Blessing of the Ordinary Church (v. 13a)
Job thought he knew how the universe should be run. He assumed that he had the wisdom as to how and when justice should be exercised. He wanted his day in heaven’s court to argue his case before God. That day came, but he was not the one speaking. God spoke. And what he said would change Job’s life. Job learned that if he could not understand the basic elements of cosmology, meteorology, or zoology, who was he to tell God how to run his universe? Job was assured that God is able and willing and committed to crushing the chaos—whether chaotic Behemoth or chaotic Leviathan. We consider God’s second speech under the following headings:
(1) Big, Bad but Beaten Behemoth (40:6–24) (2) Loosed, Lurking but Leashed Leviathan (41:1–34) (3) Jolted and now Joyful Job (42:1–6)
A major theme of Numbers 31 is the spoils of victory. The handling of these spoils with integrity is very important at this stage of Israel’s history for soon she will cross the Jordan, conquer many peoples, and be tempted to take what God has prohibited. This final conflict, west of the Jordan, provides an opportunity for Israel to be alerted to this temptation and how to handle it: by taking God seriously. Though our world is very different, and the church’s commission radically different, nevertheless we too must take God seriously if we will please him as we engage an evil world. This chapter will help us to do so as we consider it under four broad headings:
(1) A Holy Mandate (vv. 1–2) (2) A Holy Motive (vv. 3–24) (3) A Holy Mindset (vv. 25–47) (4) A Holy Mercy (vv. 48–54)
Job’s words, and those of his three friends, have ended. Elihu has also finished speaking, seemingly preparing the way for the Lord. The sky has cleared (37:21–24), anticipating the most important speeches: those of Almighty God. What will he say? What does Job need to hear? What does Job need to do? For one thing, he needs to learn to doubt his doubts about God. And I dare say that we have the same need. These final chapters in Job are designed to do this. The Lord’s first speech (38:1–40:5) can be considered under the following headings:
- God the Creator (38:1–21)
- God the Controller (38:22–38)
- God the Carer (38:39–39:30)
- Job the Convicted (40:1–5)
Israel was to be a promise-keeping people, reflecting Yahweh’s integrity of Yahweh. Their yes was to be yes and their no to be their no. Their word was to bind them to their promises. This matter of promise keeping was essential for the welfare of their family, community, and nation. But, of course, promise keeping was vital for the integrity of their faith as expressed in their corporate worship. Promise keeping would bring blessing and promise breaking would bring judgement. This remains true for God’s people today. Numbers 30 addresses this theme under two broad headings:
- Promissory Responsibility (vv. 1–4)
- Patriarchal Responsibility (vv. 5–16)
Numbers matter. Literally. They are essential for sound engineering, accurate accounting, measuring health, and a host of other disciplines. The book of Numbers also matters. The book of Numbers matters, and the numbers in the book matter, for they instruct us about divine faithfulness. Numbers teaches us that, with God’s grace, we can do better. In this study, we will seek to understand the purpose and plan of Numbers as we view its broad structure.
- God Prepares His People: Sinai (chapters 1–10)
- God Punishes His People: Kadesh (chapters 11–16)
- God Preserves His People: Moab (chapters 17–36)
One of the interpretive challenges of Job is discerning the tone of the speakers. Many interpreters assume that Elihu was an angry young man who vomited anger all over Job. I believe, in fact, that Elihu spoke carefully, if straightforwardly, to help Job. He had the last (human) word as he proclaimed God’s truth, which served to prepare Job to meet his God. As we consider the second part of Elihu’s extended speeches, we do so under the theme of preparing to meet your God, following the following outline.
- Elihu’s Conviction (35:1–16)
- Elihu’s Comprehension (36:1–33)
- Elihu’s Conclusion (37:1–24)
God’s favoured ones don’t always respond with immediate, unshakeable faith, but we are all on a journey that should culminate in submissive faith, even if it starts with consternation and confusion.
Doug addresses some lessons for discipleship arising from a consideration of Zelophahad’s daughters.
The primary thrust of Peter’s closing burden is that humility in suffering is the path to exaltation. Rather than vindicating ourselves by fighting back, we should embrace a posture of humility as we trust God to vindicate us in his own time. We will consider this theme in these closing verses under four broad headings:
- The Plea for Humility (v. 6)
- The Practice of Humility (vv. 7–9)
- The Promise of Humility (vv. 10–11)
- The Partners in Humility (vv. 12–14)
Though Elihu was at times a bit bombastic and perhaps a little harsh, his intensity stemmed from reverent concerned that Job was attacking God’s integrity. Ultimately, God did not rebuke Elihu—perhaps because he recognised Elihu’s desire to be a true friend by speaking truth to help a brother who was sinning in his suffering. For simplicity’s sake, we will consider the text before us under three broad headings:
- Elihu Introduced (32:1–22)
- Elihu Initiates (33:1–33)
- Elihu Instructs (34:1–37)
Those who are forgiven are changed people. Those who have been forgiven much—namely, every son or daughter of Adam who has come to Christ—love much. Their lives are characterised by actions that display their love for Christ and his body, the church. Their appetites are changed and they look different. As you evaluate your life, do you see a love for Christ, which spills over from the heart in actions?
In chapters 29–31, Job has his final say in his argument against both his friends and his God. He recounts all the Lord had blessed him with (chapter 29), recalls all the Lord had taken from him (chapter 30), and testifies to a life of integrity that pointed to the blessed name of the Lord (chapter 31). He remembers his happy past, laments his humiliating present, and concludes uncertain about his future. We will consider these chapters under the following headings:
- Job Happy and Hopeful (29:1–25)
- Job Humiliated and Helpless (30:1–31)
- Job Holy and Hurting, chapter (31:1–40)
As he begins to wrap up his first epistle, Peter writes words of exhortation to the shepherds (pastors or elders) of the various flocks in what is today Turkey. He does so with the theme of suffering still in his mind. In 5:1–5, he gives instructions to suffering shepherds who are overseeing the welfare of their suffering sheep. We will study these five verses under two major headings:
- The Responsibility of Shepherds (vv. 1–4)
- The Responsibility of Sheep (v. 5)
When your expectations are unfulfilled, and you are tempted to turn your back on your God and your faith, respond instead with devotion, with service, with prayer, and with obedience, trusting the wisdom and the power of God.
In our modern-day society most people do everything they can to avoid suffering. Peter is pointing to the contrary. He urges believers to endure suffering for Christ as it reveals their identity. We will look at this text under the following headings:
- The Pattern of Suffering
- The People of Suffering
- The Purpose of Suffering
- The Perseverance in Suffering
It is not uncommon to experience emotional shifts under affliction: from calm to chaos; from trust to worry; from rest to despair. So in Job 28. Job is in a good place in this chapter—but he will soon again experience some meltdown. For now, Job makes some good observations about good wisdom. But observations are not enough. He will need to move from theory to reality; from the theoretical to the experiential. We all need to do so. We will consider this chapter under three broad headings:
- The Clever Search for Wealth (vv. 1–11)
- The Clueless Search for Wisdom (vv. 12–22)
- The Crucial Source of Wisdom (vv. 23–28)
Shadow servers are rarely celebrated for their untiring, faithful service. But there are dozens of church members who serve faithfully in these shadow capacities week after week, who will rarely be acknowledged, but who are ministering “in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”
It is an indication of the sinfulness of man that we can take wonderful theology and use it as a club. So Bildad does in his final and short speech. Job’s response, on the other hand, reveals a far deeper theology than Bildad’s. He was not unaware of God’s majesty. Indeed, he stood in true awe of God. But it was his awe that left him in the fog of mystery. We will consider Bildad’s final speech and Job’s response under the following headings:
I. Bildad’s Final Speech (25:1–6) A. Bildad’s Theology: God the Majestic (vv. 1–3) B. Bildad’s Anthropology: Man the Maggot (vv. 4–6)
II. Job’s Theology (26:1–14) A. Job's Stinging Sarcasm (26:1–4) B. God’s Awesome Affirmation (26:5–14)
III. Job’s Anthropology (27:1–23) A. Job’s Innocence (27:1–6) B. Job’s Imprecation (27:7–12) C. Job’s Instruction (27:13–23)
A gospel community should live the life Jesus did. Jesus’s life should manifest itself in the way the gospel community live their lives. In the text before us, we learn that a Christ-following gospel community is:
I. a praying people (v. 7); II. a loving people (vv. 8–9); and III. a serving people (vv. 10–11).
Church buildings have no magical power to ward off the forces of Satan. Christians, empowered by the gospel of Jesus Christ, have the responsibility to do so. Some of the ways in which we do that are by guarding against anti-gospel worldviews, philosophies, and teachings; living lives of Christlike integrity; putting away the sins of bitterness and unforgiveness; and, in humility, counting others more significant than ourselves.
Chapter 22 commences the final round of speeches between Job and his three friends. Eliphaz, probably the oldest of the three, speaks first but doesn’t add much, if anything, to previous arguments. He adds to the building condemnation but to his credit, Eliphaz concludes with a call to repentance and hope of restoration. Of course the problem is that Job had nothing to repent of! For his part, Job continues to love and trust God, even though he remains confused about what God is doing. Christians sometimes live there: in the dark as we face trials. These chapters, which we will consider under the following headings, might help us:
- Eliphaz’ Brutal Vilification (22:1–11)
- Eliphaz’ Bold Condemnation (22:12–20)
- Eliphaz’ Beautiful Invitation (22:21–30)
- Job’s Longing (23:1–7)
- Job’s Lament (23:8–17)
- Job’s Dark World (24:1–17)
- Job’s Disordered World (24:18–25)
The book of 1 Peter is about hope-filled suffering. He wanted his readers to happily, holily, and hopefully do the will of God in the face of persecution. In the text before us, we see that Peter expected his believing readers to live as testimonies of the power and grace of God, who transforms spiritually dead and sinfully enslaved sinners into Christlike saints. That is, he expected his readers to live as those who love doing the will of God. In this study, we will look at what it means to live for the will of God, what this requires, and what is its result. We do so under three headings:
- The Christian is Intentional about Doing the Will of God (vv. 1–2)
- The Christian is Insulted for Doing the Will of God (vv. 3–4)
- The Christian is Invigorated for Doing the Will of God (vv. 5–6)
May the Lord increasingly help us to let go of our grievances, to taste the gospel afresh, enjoying and experiencing the freeing fruit of free grace in Christ!
Christians can endure suffering for righteousness’ sake, not because Christ left an example to follow, but because Christ gained victory over the forces of evil and promises victory to all who are in him. First Peter 3:18–23 highlights victory in Jesus by showing us that this victory:
(1) was purchased by Christ’s death and resurrection (v. 18); (2) was proclaimed by Christ’s ascension (vv. 19–21); and (3) is portrayed in Christian baptism (vv. 22–23).
The gospel has both and audio and video components. As you live your life, may your life movie play in sync with the gospel soundtrack to the glory of God.
As we continue to delve into 1 Peter, we come to the next section in 1 Peter 3:13–17, which deals with Christian identity and how a firm comprehension of who you are in Christ equips believers to live and suffer righteously. We will consider this text under the following headings:
- Christian Identity Means That God is for Us (vv. 13–14)
- Our Christian Identity is Public (v. 15)
- Our Christian Identity Protects us against Slander (v. 16)
- Our Christian Identity Makes Our Suffering Meaningful (v. 17)
The recent disappointing theft in our building reenforces our need to be diligent in protecting one another amid a sinful world. Though we want to assume the best of those who attend our gathering, at the same time we need to be aware of the presence of evil.
Unity in the church is a major source of strength in suffering. Peter unpacks this truth in 1 Peter 3:8–12. We will consider these verses under three broad headings:
- The Preparation for Suffering
- The Power of Suffering
- The Prize of Suffering
God wants us to see and acknowledge our sin so that we can take hold of the only remedy: the gospel of his Son. Until we acknowledge our sin, we won’t see a need for the Saviour. Rather than being stubborn and kicking against the goads, let’s embrace this process and repent early and often!
When we cave to the passions of our flesh, we are prone to contention. Submission, and/or dying to self, are the last things the old flesh wants to do. Peter therefore exhorts, as we have seen, Christians to respectfully submit to governing authorities, Christian servants to respectfully submit to their masters, and, in the text before us, Christian wives to submit to their husbands. He adds an exhortation to Christian husbands to so live with their wives that they will have little problem with holy submission. We will study this text with a view to wives and husbands being holy spouses, which requires biblically submissive wives and biblically sensitive husbands. We will do so under three broad headings:
- The Power of Submission (vv. 1–4)
- The Power for Submission (vv. 5–6)
- The Partner in Submission (v. 7)
In Amos 3, the Lord addresses Israel’s guilt and warns of judgement to come. The text presents us with a simple but important question: How are you reacting and preparing for the day of judgement?
- A Call of Accusation
- A Call of Judgement
Peter wanted his readers to face injustice with grace. He knew that sometimes those who hold power abuse their authority and therefore abuse those under their authority. But those redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ should respond in a way that glorifies God, as they “abstain from the passions of the flesh” by respectfully subjecting themselves to those in authority over them—even when they manage that authority very poorly. The only way we can respond graciously to injustice is to be consciously committed to pleasing our Lord. We will consider and apply this thesis under three headings:
- A Gracious Exhortation (vv. 18–20)
- A Gracious Example (vv. 21–23)
- A Gracious Expectation (vv. 24–25)
The psalmist asked, “From where does my help come?” In response to his own question, he answered, trust the Lord and he will protect you all the way to heaven. We consider this brief psalm under the following headings:
1) Trust the Lord (vv. 1–2) 2) Your Protector (vv. 3–8)
a) from slipping (vv. 3–4) b) from fainting (vv. 5–6) c) from failing (vv. 7–8)
In a world of consumers, Christians are to be fruitful. We are to be characterised by fruitfulness, which is full of love and joy because we are connected to the Vine, because it is God's will for our lives, and because it has been God’s design for his people from the beginning. We will consider our text under the following headings:
- The basis for fruitfulness (vv. 1–7)
a. Where there is fruit there is life; where there is no fruit there is death (vv. 5–7)
- Fruitfulness as God’s will (vv. 8–10)
- The fruitfulness of Joy (v. 11)
- The fruitfulness of love (vv. 12–17)
Clear-thinking Christians are united in their agreement that Christ, not Caesar, is our ultimate authority. Clear-thinking Christians are also united in their agreement that Christians owe some form of respect to human government. But there is a diversity of opinion on what that submission looks like. Does the Bible have any guidance for us in this regard? As we continue to work our way through 1 Peter, we come to a text that tackles head on the Christian response to human government. We consider 2:13–17 under the following headings:
- The Expectation of Submission (v. 13a)
- The Specification of Submission (vv. 13b–14)
- The Motivation for Submission (v. 15)
- The Disposition of Submission (v. 16)
- The Qualification of Submission (v. 17)
The Bible is filled with accounts of believers who illustrate the faith of the distraught father, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). It is perplexing that believers can sometimes be confident and yet not confident at the same time. We might call this a confused confidence. This describes Job in the text before us, which we will consider under the following headings:
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Job Confident: Lord, I Believe! (13:6–28) A. A Confident Rebuke (13:6–12) B. A Confident Resolve (13:13–19) C. A Confident Request (13:20–28)
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Job not so Confident: Lord, Help My Unbelief (14:1–22) A. Disturbed by Depravity (14:1–6) B. Discouraged by Mortality (14:7–12) C. Delighted by Immortality (14:13–17) D. Depressed by Futility (14:18–22)
Having previously emphasised his readers’ need to love those within the community of faith, Peter, in the text before us, begins to exhort them to love those outside the community of faith. In light of their identity in Christ, they should respond to outside opposition in a Christlike, rather than a fleshly, manner. We consider these verses under three broad headings:
- An Exhortation to Hear (v. 11)
- An Expectation to Honour (v. 12a)
- An Examination to Heed (v. 12b)
Of Job’s three friends, Zophar appears to have been the most zealous in his attempt to defend God’s honour and condemn Job’s critique of how God was running his universe. His verbal thrusts, no doubt, wounded Job deeply, who responded with great angst. We find in this interaction the familiar pattern in which those at ease offer suffering saints simplistic but unhelpful platitudes. We should pay careful attention lest we fall into the same trap. We will consider the text before us under six major headings:
- Job Insulted (11:1–12)
- Job Indicted (11:13–20)
- Job’s Complaint (12:1–12)
- Job’s Conundrum (12:13–25)
- Job’s Contempt (13:1–5)
- Job’s Confused Confidence (13:6–14:22)
The local church is God’s chosen and holy community, which displays a holy conduct (1:1–21) as it grows in holy communion with one another and with the Lord (1:22–2:3). In 2:4–10 Peter reminds his readers that they are a holy community. He employs uses several descriptive phrases, grounded in the Old Testament, to remind them of their identity and to show them that, if they will live properly as a community of faith, they must appreciate their amazing identity as assigned by God. We will consider these verses under the following headings:
- A Community that is Drawing Near (v. 4)
- A Community that is Building Up (vv. 5–8)
- A Community that is Speaking Out (vv. 9–10)
In the chapters before us, we consider the counsel that Bildad offered Job and Job’s response to his friend. Bildad’s approach was simplistic yet satanic, truthful yet trite. Job unhappily responded to this unhelpful counsel in chapters 9–10 with perhaps his most depressive speech. As we work through these chapters, it is helpful to remember that Job’s counsellors held to a form of prosperity theology. And while Job shared some of their theology, his confusion stemmed from the fact that he knew he had not, in fact, sinned. We will consider the material before us under seven broad headings.
- Bildad’s Blast (8:1–7)
- Bildad’s Belief (8:8–22)
- Job’s Agreement (9:1–13)
- Job’s Argument (9:14–24)
- Job’s Agony (9:25–35)
- Job’s Distressing Words (10:1–17)
- Job’s Death Wish (10:18–22)
In chapters 6–7, Job responds to the speech of Eliphaz while repeating much of theme of chapter 3, where he lamented that he is alive. In despair, Job just wanted to die. But, before he died, he wanted to know why God had targeted him with such trouble. He felt as though he was living with a target on his back that invites the arrows of the Almighty. We consider Job’s first response to Eliphaz under four broad headings:
- A Hopeless Feeling (6:1–13)
- Heartless Friends (6:14–30)
- Human Frailty (7:1–10)
- Honest Faith (7:11–21)
It is one thing to claim that you have been born again by the word of God and another to evidence this by your life. This is Peter’s broad theme from 1:22–2:10. Having been well instructed about the believer’s responsibility for a life of holy conduct (1:1–21), we turn our attention in this study to our responsibility to live a life of holy communion (1:22–2:3). We will see that a holy communion is a loving communion. Love and holiness are inseparable. Holy living is inseparable from loving living. This is Peter’s point in the text before us. We will study these verses under four headings:
- The Responsibility for a Holy Communion (1:22)
- The Resource for a Holy Communion (1:23–25)
- The Resolve for a Holy Communion (2:1–2)
- The Reason for a Holy Communion (2:3)
The world views fear as an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. The fear Peter writes about is not the fear of unpleasantness caused by threat. It’s pleasantness caused by a relationship to live in holiness—not wanting to disappoint our God.
Though the particular words used by Job’s three friends vary, they share a common theme: Job was experiencing calamity because he had sinned. If he would simply repent and ask for forgiveness, all would be well with him. But this missed the mark. In fact, he was not suffering because of a lack of faith but rather because of and for his faith. Chapters 4–5—as well as the remainder of the speech cycles—highlight this truth. We will consider chapters 4–5 under the following headings:
- A Sincere Introduction (4:1–6)
- A Simplistic Observation (4:7–11)
- A Sensational Revelation (4:12–21)
- A Cruel Admonition (5:1–7)
- A Creedal Exultation (5:8–16)
- A Condescending Exhortation (5:17–27)
With our hope in Jesus comes a lifestyle—a lifestyle of active thinking and holiness. This lifestyle will reflect back to where our hope is. We learn about this hope-filled lifestyle in 1 Peter 1:13–16. We will consider this text under two broad headings:
- A Healthy Hope is Ready (v. 13)
- A Healthy Hope is Holy (vv. 14–16)
Our faith must be more than words. That is, our verbal profession to faith must be attended by works in keeping with faith. In the words of Jesus, we must be salt and light. In this study, we consider Matthew 5:13–16 under the following headings:
1) Not Saved by Our Works 2) Saved Unto Good Works 3) Purpose of Good Works
Our hope is secure in Jesus Christ. This hope is an assured confidence that whatever happens to us now, we are alive in Jesus. Through this hope we have an imperishable inheritance waiting for us and is kept safe by the Father. We will consider these verses under three broad headings:
- God is Worthy because He Keeps Us (vv. 3–5)
- God is Worthy because He Prepares Us (vv. 6–9)
- God is Worthy because He Shows Us (vv. 10–12)
Friendship with the world is enmity with God, and the cause of many avoidable perils in the church. But God gives more grace. We consider the text under three headings:
- Worldly Passions and Desires (vv. 1–3)
- Worldly Identity (vv. 4–5)
- Heavenly Grace (v. 6)
Paul was at pains to ensure the Colossians didn’t miss the main thing about Christian living: Christ. They were tempted to replace Christ with all sorts of religious practices and duties. According to Colossians 3:1–4, the only way to genuine holiness is through Christ: remembering his accomplished work over the grave, seeking the things that are above, and looking toward the future.
Peter addressed his first letter to “elect exiles of the Dispersion.” We discovery in these verses that believers are exiles, not because they are displaced from their homeland, but because of their adoption into a new homeland.
There are texts in Scripture that remind us of the truth this world cannot always be easily fixed. Sometimes, re-creation is the only hope for a broken world. Daniel 12 point us to that truth. The messenger angel had delivered news of great trouble in chapter 11. Chapter 12 continues that theme as the angel tells Daniel that he shouldn’t expect things to be fixed between prophecy and resurrection—but how he and his people should live in the space between.
Daniel 10–12 comprises one long section, in which Daniel received his final vision. It was a vision of a coming conflict and, by far, the most detailed vision in the book. As we consider these chapters together, we must not miss the overriding message, which was to highlight God’s sovereignty so as to provide comfort and hope to his people despite present appearances. God remains sovereignly in control, and continues to fulfil his plan, despite the unexpected moments of life.
When Christians experience affliction, they often wonder, “What’s the point?” If you ever have asked, or currently are asking, this question, you will be able to relate to Job 3. In this chapter, Job asks, “What’s the point?” in a three-fold way: “Why was I born?”, “Why can’t I just die?”, and “Why am I living?” The good news is that we who live on this side of the incarnation have a clear answer.
The Roman philosopher, Seneca, once said, “The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity.” If that is true, then Job serves as a fitting example. He was a great man (1:3). Even more so, he was a truly good man (1:1). The book of Job asks, “Will a great man continue to be a good man even when he ceases, in the eyes of the world, to be a great man?” After the events of chapter 1, so far, so good. How will this great and godly, and therefore good, man respond in chapter 2 when his afflictions boil over?
Daniel’s famed prophecy of seventy weeks is one that has aroused a great deal of discussion amongst Christians. While the prophecy contains a mixture of good and bad news, from Daniel’s perspective, it is ultimately a prophecy of the best news every delivered to the human race: the news of an Anointed One who would make reconciliation for iniquity and bring in true righteousness. We will consider both the context and the content of the good news as we consider this prophecy.
The book of Job is considered Old Testament “Wisdom Literature.” The story concerns a godly man experiencing unparalleled trouble and seeking answers to important questions—seeking wisdom. Confused by the actions of his Creator, he seeks clarity. The result is that he is exposed to the various types of wisdom offered in his land of Uz.
We live in an age of seeker-sensitivity. We are told that our churches must make things accessible and unoffensive to those who are “seeking God.” Daniel 9 gives us some insight into what it means to “seek God”—and how to do so by prayer. The chapter teaches us some valuable lessons.
Jesus is life. Without Jesus there is only death. The way you respond to that statement will reveal whether you are alive or dead. John 11 highlights this truth.
There is more to the Christian life than justification. Justification is where the Christian life begins. The same Jesus Christ who is our justification is also our sanctification, who has secured our eventual and ultimate glorification upon our resurrection from the dead. These three are inseparable from a growing, meaningful, experiential, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul drives this home in Philippians 3:12–21, where he emphasises the Christian’s pursuit of holiness.
We live, as someone has said, between the Easter of Christ’s bodily resurrection and the Easter of our future, bodily resurrection. We live in a time of spiritual resurrection through the gospel, but the spiritual resurrection we experience in Christ is but a foretaste of a fuller hope. True Christian victory will be fully realised at the resurrection of our bodies, when all of creation will be brought into subjection to Christ. That future victory has powerful practical implications for the way we live in the present.
Paul was deeply offended by anyone who minimised the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He lived to glorify Christ, who rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father. As he put it in Philippians 3:10, he was passionate to know Christ and the power of his resurrection—and passionate that others should share his passion.
The resurrection of Christ is the central tenet of the Christian faith and, in many ways, the central event of human history. According to Paul, if the resurrection never happened, the Christian is powerless, the Christian’s salvation pointless, and the Christian life hopeless. Thank God for Easter!
The cross is central to the life and faith of the church because Jesus’ death on the cross was effective to fully atone for sin and reconcile sinners to God. Philippians 2:5–8 sheds light on what it was about the Messiah that made him fit to perform his vital work on the cross; namely, that he was fully God, fully Man, and fully obedient to the Father.
Luke 22 records Jesus’ institution of the Communion meal at the Last Supper. As we consider this text together, and particularly vv. 7–20, we will consider Christ’s provision through preparation, Christ’s provision as the Bread of Life, and Christ’s Provision of the cup of the new covenant.
Did you ever start your day on the wrong foot and just know that it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day? How did the start to that day affect the rest of the day? Did you approach it with enthusiasm, itching to get at it and face all the problems you knew were coming? Or did you feel like crawling back into bed and sleeping the terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day away? Daniel 8 helps us approach our terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad days in a hopeful way.
Having expressed his thanksgiving for the gospel’s fruit, Paul now moves to a hymn of praise. He recounts the centrality of Christ in God’s work of reconciliation. Moving from this, he then locates the Christian’s identity within this work of reconciliation. If we are to continue in the faith, we need to know who Christ is and who we are in Christ.
Readers who find themselves either perplexed or frightened by the strange visions of Daniel 7 are in good company: Daniel was both! Nevertheless, careful and level-headed study can both clear some of the confusion and lift some of the fear that readers might feel when approaching the text—if we will but lift our eyes from the beastly waters to the heavenly thrones.
Have you ever found yourself wondering what is going on in the world around you—astounded at the turmoil you see, confused at the chaos of the political and social landscape? Have you ever wondered, with Jeremiah, “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?” If you have, you are not alone. God’s people throughout the centuries have asked that very question, and the Bible provides hope as we ask it today.
As much as we love to imagine ourselves as able to fully obey God, the reality is that we far too often fail when the heat of temptation rises. There is wonderful news for those who find themselves unable. That news is the news of one who is able—of one who never failed, and never fails, precisely where we so often fail. The good news of the one who is able is found for us in Hebrews 2:14–18.
Daniel and the lions’ den is one of Scripture’s best-known stories. “Dare to be a Daniel” is an oft-taught Sunday school message. There is much in Daniel’s life which merits imitation. In Daniel 6, we are exposed to a faithful servant of God who lived out his supreme allegiance to Yahweh in the midst of a pagan culture. But even beyond an example of faithfulness, Daniel 6 points us forward to Jesus Christ, the one to whom we owe our supreme allegiance, and the one who rescues us from eternal death.
No one writes greetings like the apostle Paul. But more than being a collection of fancy and high-browed theological terms, Colossians 1:1–8 is practically instructive for us. It instructs us to find reasons to be thankful for the gospel. It teaches us how to have gospel gratitude.
Daniel 5, which records the demise of the Babylonian kingdom, is the story of a crashed party. God used Daniel to warn King Belshazzar of coming judgement: His days were numbered. He had been weighed and found wanting. We have much to learn from this text.
As we have worked our way through the book of Daniel, we have witnessed Nebuchadnezzar slowly moving toward recognition of Yahweh’s utter sovereignty. Chapter 4 is a breaking point, however. In this chapter, the proud king will be finally humbled to recognise and bow to the everlasting dominion of Daniel’s God.
Elisabeth Elliot wrote, “We want to avoid suffering, death, sin, ashes. But we live in a world crushed and broken and torn, a world God himself visited to redeem. We receive his poured-out life, and being allowed the high privilege of suffering with him, may then pour ourselves out for others.” Titus 2:11–14 points us to Jesus Christ as our Redeemer.
Christ promised to build his church. This should stir confidence in his final and full victory, which he will bring through the Great Commission-minded church.
Christians must not neglect our responsibility to testify of the work of the saving gospel in our own lives. A truly missions minded church and individual Christian must not just give to missions or send missions but must live the mission of personal gospel witness.
Paul’s sufferings show how God uses suffering to deepen our dependence and greater display his glory. We are reliant on an abundance of resources to be a missions church. Missionaries, churches, and individual Christians should expect suffering in the Great Commission.
The doctrine of conversion is crucial to a healthy understanding of missions. If we misunderstand, or are fuzzy about, conversion, it will send the church and our missions efforts into unbiblical pursuits that may seem fruitful, but ultimately miss the mark.
In 1 Timothy 1:17, Paul argues for the superiority of the blessed God of the Bible to all other gods in every way. That is precisely the goal of missions. The goal of the missionary, sent by the local church, is to show the lost that the blessed God of the Bible is in every way superior to all other gods they worship.
How should Christians walk? Having previously described their walk as being characterised by sin, Paul now sets out the way that Christians ought to walk. We learn, in Ephesians 5:1–6, that the imitation of God and an appreciation of the consequences of sin characterise the Christian walk. This is the way Christians walk.
Here they stand: three men being tempted to do wrong, but who refuse. They will not compromise their worship of God. In complete trust, they surrender their lives to God’s sovereign outcome in the midst of a fiery trial.
The book of Daniel is full of mysterious visions and dreams. In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream reveals the fate of the coming empires. But the true mystery behind the interpretation of the dream is the timing and nature of God’s kingdom. When Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming, “The kingdom of God is at hand,” who would have guessed that the kingdom would come through the cross?
When mankind exchanges and or suppresses the knowledge of God two things happen. First, people undergo a change of identity from an identity in God as they were created to an identity in themselves. Second, when this happens, they believe the lie that they can serve themselves and the things they create instead of God the Creator.
Christ Jesus holds his church together and is the one who builds her up. Her life and vitality is found in him alone. Peter points to this truth and its implications for us in his first letter.
God placed Adam and Eve in a “very good” (Genesis 1:31) environment in a vibrant relationship with a good God. Ungrateful for what God had given to them, they chose to know evil by eating from the forbidden fruit. The knowledge of evil brought death and the experience of many other negative things. Genesis 3 helps us to see what happened when they chose to know evil—and what happens to us when we choose evil over good.
As we think about the sanctity of human life, there is great value in asking the question, why does human life matter? Stated another way, why should we value human life? What’s a human life worth? That is the question before us in this study. And to answer that question, we turn to Acts 17:24–31.
God calls us to be his people. Being his people means that we will go through every effort to fight against conforming to this world.
Church—pastors and people—teach precisely the gospel entrusted to you and keep it safe from being lost or damaged … for the rest of your lives. The Spirit of God has superintended not only the inspiration of this gospel word to the church, but its preservation through the church.
When we grasp the truth that Adam’s sin became our sin and Adam’s judgement our judgement, we have a deeper and richer appreciation for our justification in Christ.
Question 13 of the New City Catechism and its answer reveal a sober truth about the human condition: No one is able to keep God’s law. Rather, everyone is under the power of sin. Romans 3:9–20 reveals three facts about sin: It is universal (v. 9), extensive (vv. 10–18), and brings judgement (vv. 19–20). Dealing with these facts leads one to a proper appreciation of their need for Jesus, the sinless Saviour.
At the start of a new year, the word of God tells us to do something we are called to since we were brought from darkness into his marvellous light: Run the race set before us, looking to the unchanging Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Revelation 5 takes us into the throne room of heaven where we see the worthiness of Jesus, the Lamb who was slain. As we stand on the threshold of 2022, after two years of global upheaval, it is important for Christians to fix their eyes on the King, who is worthy to receive all power, wealth, wisdom, might, honour, glory and blessing.
As we move into a new year, we are tempted to make predictions and prognostications for what lies ahead. One temptation we face in so doing is the temptation to presumption. James warns against this temptation in 4:13–17 and it is a warning we do well to heed.
We have considered the opening two visions of Revelation 12 under the broad theme of “A Cosmic Christmas.” In vv. 1–6, we considered the violent night in which the dragon tried to end the promise of Messiah’s birth. In vv. 7–12, we saw the holy war in which Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. In the third vision (vv. 13–17), we see that all’s not calm as the dragon, having failed to defeat Messiah, turns his fury against Messiah’s people.
It is a tradition in many South African churches to gather as a church on Christmas morning to celebrate the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. But why do we do so? What are we celebrating? Why celebrate Christmas? Luke 2:8–14 offers some insight into this question.
Having failed on earth to stop the promised birth (vv. 1–6), the dragon turns his attention in vv. 7–12 to fight against Messiah in the heavenly realms. The text before us traces a fourfold path. It highlights, first, the dragon’s determination to continue the war against Messiah (vv. 7–8). It offers, second, a description of the dragon (v. 9). It presents, third, a vision of the dragon’s defeat (vv. 10–11). Fourth, it shows the dragon’s desperation to continue the war (v. 12), setting us up for the third vision in the chapter.
Revelation 12 records a vision, which, in just a few sentences, spans the Lord’s ministry from life to ascension. It gives us a picture of a cosmic Christmas, pulling back the curtain on what was happening in the spiritual realm on that “silent night.” And what we find is anything but silence.
This time of year can be so cluttered with traditions of Christmas that, despite our best intentions, the significance of Christ stepping into our world stops at Jesus in the manger. We need to be reminded they he is the Son of God, the King, and our Saviour.
Though he had commissioned his replacement, Moses was still in charge, tasked by God to continue to prepare the next generation to worship and serve the Lord long after his death. A huge part of their worship would involve the annual festal and regularly-scheduled sacrificial offerings; offerings that uniquely belonged to God. In chapters 28–29, the Lord referred to these sacrificial offerings as “my offering.” While these specific offerings are obsolete under the new covenant, these chapters nonetheless contain abiding principles concerning communion with God.
The New City Catechism asks, “What does the law of God require?” It answers, “That we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love our neighbour as ourselves.” When his opponents tried to trap him with a tough theological question, Jesus responded in precisely this way, stating that the entire law can be summed up in these two commands.
Most of us probably do not like change. Change makes most of us uncomfortable. We like the familiar and so, when faced with a transition, we can find ourselves tense as we might feel uncertain about the change. This is completely understandable. But life is about change. Change is also a reality in local churches. One change that local churches must face is the transition to receiving a new shepherd. This can be both exciting and tense, a reality that is revealed for us in these final verses of Numbers 27.
We hear much and think deeply on the biblical qualifications and characteristics of elders appointed to the church, but how often do we consider the responsibility of the congregation to care for its elders? The proper practice of corporate spiritual disciplines requires us to assess our responsibilities to our elders, for the good of the church and the progress of the gospel and the glory of God.
The question before us in Habakkuk 3 is, how did Habakkuk come to rest in faith? As we study the text carefully, we see that he took at least four major steps to bring himself to the point of rest. First, he rehearsed God’s worth (vv. 1–2). Second, he recounted God’s works (vv. 3–16). Third, he received God’s wrath (v. 16). Finally, he rejoiced in God’s wisdom (vv. 17–19).
After God told Habakkuk what he was going to do to judge Judah for its sins (1:5–11), Habakkuk responded with a second prayer, in which he expressed confusion that God would use a nation even more wicked than Judah to judge Judah. There are questions in vv. 12, 13, and 17. When he struggled to understand what God was doing, he did exactly what he should have done: He questioned God.
Having spoken about the centrality of Christ in the Christian’s life, Paul now focuses his attention on the dangers of replacing Christ with anything else. He mentions the peril of dead religion, the peril of proud leaders, and the peril of legalism. The confused and confusing world in which we live will constantly pull us away, but we have died to the world in Christ.
The city of Colossae was a confused and confusing place to live, much like our globalised modern culture. In 2:6–15, Paul is at pains to strengthen the believer’s faith in Jesus. By doing so, he teaches us about the pillars of a Christian worldview: being constant in Christ and being captivated by Christ. If we are to grow strong in our walk with the Lord and withstand the attraction of the world, we need a greater view of the centrality of Christ.
Habakkuk is a book about faith. Its central theme—“the righteous one will live by his faith” (2:4)—is quoted three times in the New Testament (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). Habakkuk takes us on a journey of faith. Each of the three major sections highlights faith in a different disposition. As we journey through the book, we learn that faith wrestles (1:1–11), faith questions (1:12–2:20), and faith rests (3:1–19). To reach its resting place, faith must begin with the first two steps.
A major point of the book of Numbers is that, even when those who claim to be God’s people are unfaithful, God remains faithful. The same truth is taught in the New Testament. We have seen this reality on several occasions in Numbers, and chapters 26–27 draw our attention to this theme once again, in subtle and surprising ways.
The Lord’s Supper pictures and presents the gospel to us: to our sight, our touch, our taste. In the Lord’s Supper we commune with Christ and therefore with his people. When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we reaffirm our trust in Christ and our commitment to his people. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we embrace Christ all over again, and we also embrace all who are his.
God had blessed, and would continue to bless, Israel in a tremendous way. But blessing would not be the nation’s only legacy. Israel would soon fall into deep sin and under severe judgement. Among the other lessons we learn from this chapter is that we should take heed while we stand lest we fall. Our security in Christ does not exempt us from the responsibility to be aware of the dangers that surround us.
One of the primary assignments of the church is to gather for worship. But what does worship look like? Is worship a free for all? Does God prescribe what worship in the church should be? Looking at 1 Corinthians 14:20–25, Doug considers what corporate worship in the new covenant church should look like.
There is much uncertainty in life—even the Christian life. We attempt to make educated guesses about everything from the weather to relationships but are never entirely sure how it will work out. We don’t know the stock market and commodities will perform, how the race will go, or who will win major sporting events. We don’t know the future of our health, security, jobs, or income. What we do know is that God is both with us and he is for us. God looks upon us with a favourable eye and hence we are assured of a favourable future. We see this in Numbers 24.
One of the disciplines to which Christians, in the context of the church, are called is to show hospitality. Paul urges us to show generosity to saints in need and to open our homes to one another. What does hospitality look like? To whom should it be shown? How can we practically obey this biblical command? These are some of the questions we want to explore in this study.
Throughout history, people of God, to various degrees, have faced those who have wished and worked for their eradication. Yet, after two thousand years of new covenant church history, the church remains—because Jesus Christ remains! The Lord has preserved his people and continues to build his church, just as he said he would (Matthew 16:18). This is a major lesson and encouragement in the text before us. Despite appearances, God was at work among his people to accomplish what he had promised.
Disciples of Jesus Christ are called by the New Testament to be members of a local church, and members of a local church are called by the New Testament to serve one another in the church. Mark 10:35–45 highlights some important lessons about what it means to serve in the church.
Numbers 22 is a story of grace—of God preserving and protecting his people from evil attempts to destroy them. Too many Christians live in unjustified fear of outside forces. In our country, uninstructed and/or erroneously instructed believers are under the oppressive thumb of false ideas about sangomas, curses, and ancestors. Others are controlled by irrational fears of disease and death. This chapter helps us to confront these fears with the truth of God’s word and the promise of God’s grace.
If you are a disciple of Jesus, you have a responsibility to help someone follow Jesus by doing deliberate spiritual good in their lives.
David Livingstone wrote, “I am a missionary, heart and soul. God had an only Son, and he was a missionary and a physician. I am a poor, poor imitation of him, or wish to be. In this service I hope to live; in it I wish to die!” What does it mean for a church to be meaningfully involved in gospel witness—in evangelism? John 20:21–22 helps us understand.
Numbers 20 was filled with heartache. Thankfully, all did not remain dark for chapter 21 contains a great deal of encouragement. Though it recounts a sinful episode (vv. 4–9), it nonetheless also contains grace and forgiveness, military conquest, gracious divine provision, a song of celebration, and a wonderful fulfilment of prophecy. All things considered, this chapter is thematically about hope and new beginnings. Its theme is hope renewed.
All Christians are responsible before God to take themselves in hand, deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus. To do so requires that we daily bring our bodies, minds, and wills in subjection to the lordship of Jesus Christ. But it is fundamentally important to understand that we do not live the Christian life in isolation. If we are isolated from other Christians in meaningful, Spirit-filled community, we are not living the Christian life, regardless of our protestations to the contrary. And, like the individual Christian, the corporate body is responsible to discipline itself before God for godliness.
In the opening chapter of Isaiah, we find a stinging rebuke against a sinful nation. God brings his case against this nation in four steps: He first charges them with rebellion (vv. 1–9), before presenting the evidence of hypocritical worship (vv. 10–17), before delivering the verdict of guilt (vv. 18–23), and finally pronouncing the twofold judgement of mercy for the obedient and justice for the disobedient (vv. 24–31).
Second Corinthians 12 records Paul’s famed thorn in the flesh, which he pleaded for God to remove three times, but each time received a resounding no. He records some of the benefits that the thorn produced in his life. As we study this text, we should do so with a view to learning how suffering can benefit us.
John was concerned about a plague that was ravishing the churches that he so dearly cared for. But it was not a biological plague caused by a virus or bacteria; it was a spiritual plague caused by teaching that was opposed to Christ. It was not a plague that threatened loss of life in this world but a plague that threatened the loss of eternal life in the world to come. There was no debate over the treatment for the plague and no discussion about the effectiveness of vaccines. The cure was clear: truth.
Numbers 20 is filled with grief. It is a chapter in which Moses experiences the death of two siblings, the discouragement of cruel rejection, and, because of his own sin, the death of a dream. It is a chapter of events he no doubt wished he could erase from his memory. Life is sometimes like that: filled with exceedingly grim and painfully dark troubles that we wish we could delete. But this chapter helps us to see that, amid such dismal and discouraging seasons, God remains graciously faithful. In your darkness, God’s gracious faithfulness provides all you need for a disposition of hopeful expectation.
The enduring nature of the Sabbath command (the fourth of the Ten Commandments) is a question that Christians frequently ask. Many think that, while God commanded Sabbath rest under the old covenant, this was abolished under the new covenant—that Christians, in other words, are bound to obey nine of the Ten Commandments. But is this so? Did Jesus abolish the fourth commandment? Are Christians expected to obey it? If so, should we obey in exactly the same way as old covenant Israel? What does a Christian Sabbath look like? Hebrews 4:1–13 offers some insight into these questions.
As we approach Numbers 19, we remember that thousands of people had died in recent plagues resulting from the people’s disobedience. With all this death, there was potential of the tabernacle being defiled by those who had come into contact with dead bodies. This chapter provides a solution to the problem of living in a world of death while seeking to walk with God. In this rather obscure and strange passage, we learn how to live in right relationship with God in a world that is plagued with death because of sin.
This week, calls have gone out to Christians around the world to pray for our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan whose lives are under threat from the godless Taliban regime. Psalm 137, among others, offers us some insight as to how Christians should pray in circumstances like this.
In Numbers 18, God reinstructs Aaron and the Levites concerning their work in the tabernacle on behalf of the people as well as revealing some new aspects of their work. They were called to hazardous work, which would provide national protection. The chapter reveals the character of our holy and gracious God, provides us with lessons and principles for our own service, and points us to Jesus Christ who performed the most hazardous work on our behalf.
Human confidence can be flaky. We are sometimes less confident, and sometimes more confident, than we should be. This is one thing when it comes to cowardice or bravado in hypothetical situations that will probably never materialise and quite another when it comes to certainty about the claims of Christianity. John closes his first letter by appealing to his readers’ confidence in Christ.
What moment in your life defined who you are? In Romans 6, Paul describes the most life-changing event in all of history: the death and resurrection of Jesus. Based on this event, he teaches us to consider ourselves differently; namely, dead to sin and alive to God. As we consider our new identity in Christ, we will not let sin have control over our lives, since we have died to sin.
The Lord Jesus Christ practised to perfection spiritual discipline—including the spiritual discipline of rest. This was essential to fulfilling God’s will for him. Rest is likewise essential if we will do God’s will. Drawing on the example of Jesus, we want to focus our time in this study on the spiritual discipline of rest.
Following the grumbling in Numbers 16, the Lord called a “staff meeting” as a means to put an end to the people’s grumbling against his appointed leaders and, by extension, against him. It was an act of grace to prevent further death (17:10). The text shows us not only God’s provision for overcoming grumbling in Moses’ day but, more importantly, that God’s provision for overcoming grumbling is found in his chosen High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Like infected Temnothorax ants, consumeristic church members rob the community of spiritual vitality and force others to pull more than their allotted weight, to the detriment of the body at large. Will you be rid of the proverbial tapeworms and labour fruitfully for the benefit of the body?
Stewardship is not often thought of as a discipline, but we need to train ourselves to think like stewards by constant practice. Luke 19 gives us a good template for lessons on what a life of Christian stewardship looks like.
Numbers 16 records Korah’s infamous rebellion. As ugly as the scene is, we do well to recognise that we struggle with similar temptations, including the temptation to self-righteousness. Self-righteousness in a congregation is destructive. It can lead to doctrinal heresy and interpersonal divisions. It can make church life difficult. It can discourage us in our assignment to make disciples. But Numbers 16 points us both to the problem and to the assurance that “God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are his’” (2 Timothy 19).
Anton talks briefly about the false sacred/secular dichotomy that Christians so often fall into.
Anton briefly talks about how Christians can maintain a Christlike testimony in an upside-down world.
Being a believer is not a private matter. It is a personal matter, but not private. Living out our faith is part of community living. It involves others. Mutual confession leads to mutual prayer.
We saw last week that, in Numbers 15, God provided his people with a gracious revelation assuring them of a future loaded with favour. The next generation would inherit the land forfeited by the faithless behaviour of their parents. In the text before us today, there is an added dimension of expectation: The relief communicated in vv. 1–21 is followed by the community’s responsibility. Having graced his people, God now reveals expectations of that grace.
Though there is a lot of legislation in Numbers 15, this chapter is an account of grace more than of law. It is a story of mercy rather than a story of the merely mundane. Though there are a lot of precepts in these verses, undergirding all of it are the promises of God. It is a chapter of hope following a chapter of despair. Though there had been failure, faithlessness, and fear, God still spoke to his people. God was not silent.
In 1 John 5:1–5, John was writing to help his children to understand that faith in Christ causes believers to overcome the world. This overcoming the world happens in their relationships, in their own hearts, and out in the culture. In vv. 6–12, we examine the evidence he puts forward to help his children to understand how they can be confident in the eternal life they have through Jesus, who really was the Son of God.
There may be no spiritual discipline with which we struggle more than closet prayer. It is probably also true that there is no spiritual discipline that we completely neglect quite like fasting. You may have fasted for weight loss or medical purposes. But when was the last time you fasted for purely spiritual reasons? In this study, we consider what the Bible teaches about the Christian discipline of fasting.
Christian faith is not an ethereal emotional fog or mere mental assent. Christian faith is rooted and grounded in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christian faith is spiritual but works itself out in physical love and obedience. Ultimately it is Christian faith that overcomes the world.
We all know that devotion to prayer takes hard work. No spiritual discipline is harder than prayer. We know we need it. We know we should do it. But we so often find ourselves like the disciples: willing in spirit but weak in flesh.
This text brings to a close the tragic account of Israel’s sin of unbelief as they stood on the threshold of God’s Promised Land. Just when we think that things could not get any worse, their belief becomes blatantly exponential—seemingly boundless. In this account we learn that not only will Israel not believe God when he promises blessings; neither will they believe him when he promises them judgement. It is a text from which we do well to learn.
The spiritual discipline of memorising Scripture is a natural result of reading and meditating on Scripture. More specifically, Scripture memorisation aids in preserving Christian truth and being conformed to Christian truth. Even before the writings of the New Testament took shape, Christians have been committing to memory the sayings of Jesus and early gospel formulations. In our own day, there are many situations where we rely solely on our memory. This forgotten discipline is much needed in our overly digitised culture.
In Numbers 14, the nation of Israel—the graciously chosen people of God—minimised God as they made much of themselves, manifested in their pursuit of self-preservation. This is the story of a great tragedy in which God is demeaned and humans are destroyed. It serves as a historical example to catechise us, who have also been graciously chosen by God, to steward well the promises of God.
Meditation is one of the means by which we can grow in our understanding of Scripture, our appreciation of God, and his word. It is one of the most neglected of the spiritual disciplines. As we take our cue from Psalm 1, we look at what Christian meditation is, why we should practice it, and how we can go about doing so.
Numbers 13 is the story of defeat grabbed from the jaws of victory—of the failure of the mission because of the failure of faith. What should have been mission accomplished became mission defeated. Unbelief won the day. The consequence was forty years of wandering; forty years of being so close and yet so far away. Because the people looked back rather than looking up and forward, they experienced defeat where they could have experienced victory.
Psalm 1 is a helpful text to point us to the need for Scripture reading. This short anonymous psalm, like the rest of the psalms, is a song that can be prayed. It exhorts the faithful to be faithful and it does so with the promise that the faithful will be fruitful: faithful to the word, faithful with the word, and therefore fruitful in all of life because of the word.
Numbers 12 continues what we might call a negative narrative. Having examined the ugliness of grumbling and ingratitude in chapter 11, we now enter another sad example of God’s people behaving badly. Here we have the record of what Allen has described as “a classic example of sibling rivalry—but not among children. These are adults who adopt the tactics of children in the schoolyard.” The big sin recorded here for posterity is that of envy.
We can often secure the various delights of the world but it will cost us a lot more than we ever thought. This is a major lesson in the text before us. The people made, literally, a grave mistake when they chose meat over manna. In doing so, they chose their bellies over their God. Their grave mistake in fact was a grave sin. The chapter ends with a banquet—in the grave.
Spiritual disciplines are spiritual practices by which we experience God and grow in grace and holiness. First Timothy 4:6–7 instructs us to be trained in doctrine and godliness. Spiritual disciplines are the means by which we train in this way.
Life can be disconcerting, disorienting, discouraging, and even dangerous. For many, life is aimless, empty, futile. Amid the conflicting voices telling us what’s what and how we should be living, frustration sets in as our attempts to make life work seem completely futile. We desperately want someone to tell us the conclusion of the matter.
With the opening words of chapter 11, the book of Numbers takes a dramatic turn for the worse: from celebration to complaint, from glory to grumbling, from marvel to murmuring. The story moves from divine pleasure to divine displeasure—all within a few days. Next to the fall in Eden, this may be the next most tragic account in the old covenant era. This contrast, however, was not one that existed only in the life of the old covenant church; sadly, it has too often been the case also in the new covenant church.
In Scripture, love is more than a feeling. Biblical love moves us to action. In these verses, John makes a declaration of divine love (vv. 7–8), highlights the ultimate manifestation of divine love (vv. 9–11), and the offers a twofold indication divine of love in the lives of God’s people (vv. 12–21). Throughout, he reminds us that, as God’s love for us produced loving action toward us, so our love for him will produce loving action toward those who are his.
Previously, we considered, from Numbers 10, how Israel was called to order by the means of the trumpets that God provided. Theirs was to be a structured march (vv. 1–28). The remainder of the chapter highlights that theirs was also to be a shared march (vv. 29–32) and a secured march (vv. 33–36). So it must be with us. Having heard the gospel trumpet and begun our march following the Lord, we must still track according to the trumpet of God’s word in the same two ways.
Someone has said that Ecclesiastes is a book that encourages us to do our bucket list. We all have our regular to do lists, which is necessary. But the Christian is to not only persevere in doing that list to the glory of God; he or she is also to persevere in doing his or her bucket list to the glory of God. Since we are going to die, we should make the most of life with the time we have. Since most of us will grow old, don’t wait until then before enjoying God’s gifts which await you.
As the local church congregation walks together in the wilderness of this world, we must be biblically and thus well-ordered. Under the sovereign leadership of our Lord gather to be governed and guarded and glad in accordance with God’s directives. One day we will enter glory with the sound of a trumpet. Until then, there are other trumpet sounds we need to pay attention to. Numbers 10 draws our attention to this reality.
As our study in Ecclesiastes draws near to a close, we are reminded by the preacher of our responsibility to be generous in light of God’s sovereignty. This helps us to live meaningfully in the midst of a world of vanity.
Speech navigates our lives. Wise speech builds up and is prosperous, while foolish speech breaks down and causes loss. As he continues to address the contrast between wisdom and folly, Solomon turns his attention in 10:12–20 to the evidence of folly in our speech.
Like Israel, the new covenant church has experienced God’s grace and, with it, many victories. But, also like Israel, we could fall. What will aid us as a community of faith to advance in hallowing God’s name, extending of his kingdom, and the doing his will on earth as it is in heaven? Numbers 9:1–23 point us to three truths that, if embraced and exercised, will empower us for gospel conquest. We must be a freed community, a focused community, and a faithful community.
Though we no longer have a physical tabernacle, no holy furniture, and no Levitical order, the principles revealed in Numbers 8 are just as relevant to the new covenant church as they were to old covenant Israel. These principles pertain to the Lord’s presence with his people and their response to him. In a word, they have to do with worship.
In the text before us, while Solomon’s thoughts appear to be all over the map, the basic theme that runs through it is that of folly. Having highlighted the necessity of wisdom in chapter 9, Solomon now turns to the dangers of folly in chapter 10. In the opening eleven verses, he highlights at least five things about the power folly.
When life situations don’t turn out as we expect or plan them to, we often attribute the outcome to “luck” or “chance.” But there is no such thing. All things work out and are worked out by the great King of everything. In this passage, we have a great refresher and motivation to live our lives under the sovereign rule and direction of the Lord.
Numbers 7 is both the second longest, and (arguably) the most repetitive, chapter in the Bible. It is not a chapter that most Christians are thrilled to read. But it does teach us a very important lesson. Specifically, this chapter is about a cheerful, sacrificial response of worship to the gracious privilege of God dwelling with his people. Simply stated, this chapter is about cheerful giving to our great God.
What do you most enjoy doing and how do you make the most of it? Often, we are so weighed down by sin that to enjoy any pleasure feels wrong or decadent. Or perhaps we struggle to believe there is much good in life to begin with. In Ecclesiastes 9:7–10, we learn that having a sense of gratitude and thankfulness to God results in us seizing the day and making the most of what God has given. We learn that he has gifted us with contentment, comfort, companionship, and work.
As we continue our study of the book of 1 John, we will see how we not only recognise the Spirit of God in ourselves, but also in others. What we believe about Jesus Christ of the utmost importance and shows whether or not we, in fact, belong to him. False teaching can be subtle, and compelling and so John lays out in this passage exactly how we can determine truth from error and one who speaks for Christ, versus one who is antichrist.
Psalm 89, a twin to Psalm 88, tells the story of a seeming failure on God’s part to fulfil the Davidic covenant. But Ethan the Ezrahite in fact holds out hope that the promise will endure, and in Christ and his #resurrection we see the story repeated and fulfilled in its fulness.
Psalm 88 is one of the darkest psalms in the Scriptures. Upon first reading, there seems to be no hope. As we delve into this Psalm, we will get insight into the experience of the Saviour as he experienced a truly Black Friday for all those who would one day put their faith in him. Before Christians can truly rejoice in Resurrection Sunday, we need to remember the anguish we have been saved from.
Solomon was gifted by God with unique wisdom and insight. He spent a lifetime trying to discover the meaning of life, investigating every avenue he could. For the most part, however, he came up empty. He simply could not figure it out. But though he could not (at least until the very end) come up with a solid answer to the meaning of life, he had many thoughts that he offered along the way about life “under the sun.” In 8:16–9:6, he reflects on some certainties that he had learned about life and death.
How do you wrestle with doubt when faith fails? That is the question that John seems to have in mind in 1 John 3:19–24. John’s readers’ faith had been shaken by the “progressive” thinking of false teachers, who drastically undermined sound doctrine by promoting a superficial view of Jesus Christ. To his readers who wondered about how to defeat doubt, he offered four pieces of counsel.
Jesus frequently taught about the need for servanthood in his kingdom. In Matthew 20, he once again instructed his disciples about what true servanthood looks like, and pointed to his own life and ministry as the ultimate servant.
As Solomon reflected on the life lessons that he had learned, he paused to consider the seeming prosperity of the wicked. In Ecclesiastes 8:10–15, he wrestles with the problem of injustice. In these verses, we learn about the problem of injustice, we hear an answer to injustice, and we consider an appropriate response to injustice.
In order for you and me, and in order for our local churches, to be both faithful and fruitful in the Great Commission, we require God’s blessing. We need our God to bend his knee, as it were, to bestow kind assistance to us. We need divine guardianship, grace, and goodness if we will be a blessing to him in carrying out the Great Commission. Simply put, we need the blessings offered in Numbers 6:22–27.
The triune God we serve today is the same triune God he has always been. We can trust him for the otherwise impossible. In the words psalm 126, if we go forth bearing the precious seed of God’s promises, we can be assured that we will “come home with shouts of joy, bringing [our] sheaves with [us]” (v.6). This promise encourages us greatly in Great Commission work.
First John is filled with teaching on love. Love is a central feature of new life in Christ. In the text before us, we see the Christian identity contrasted with a murderous lack of love. Christians are characterised by love because they have experienced the love of Christ for them on the cross. This ultimate act of love serves as our pattern in living out the life that we have through the gospel.
Ecclesiastes 7 revealed that having wisdom does not mean that we have the answers to all of life. Solomon develops this theme further in chapter 8 as he considers two applications of wisdom: (1) We are all subject to a higher authority; (2) we are all subject to the curse of death. But, just like living under the sun, these authorities are temporary. We need to continuously fix our eyes on the one who has complete wisdom and live our lives under the rule and authority of the Son, Jesus Christ.
A major doctrinal recovery during the Reformation was the biblical teaching of the priesthood of all believers. This doctrine is as old as the book of Numbers. We see this, for example, in the text before us, which records, not Levitical priests serving the Lord, but rather any Israelite man or woman having opportunity to do so. Though their ministry did not involve the tabernacle, it was indeed holy service.
Nothing can be hidden from God. He sees all. He knows all. This truth is revealed in the text before us. This text, which has proven to be disturbing to modern, and not-so-modern, readers, points us to God’s mercy. It drives home the truth that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways.
Our text shows us a leper who came to Jesus for cleansing. In the Bible, leprosy is a dreaded disease that is a picture of sin. Sin has affected every aspect of our being. Salvation is so vividly illustrated in our passage. Leprosy is a terrible disease; COVID-19 is a horrible disease; and it’s all because of sin, which ultimately leads to death. But there is hope! Jesus is the one and only person who can save us from this sin.
When you bend your knees while searching for something you will find more than you were looking for. While this is true, we should realise that we can know some things truly, but we can’t know all things completely (Gibson). For even the wise cannot see all ends.
The presence of God must never be taken for granted. It is always a precious privilege granted by the mercy and the grace of God. This is the reasoning behind the cleanliness laws recorded in the text before us. Everything about God’s people—thoughts, attitudes, and actions—were to be informed by the reality of God dwelling among them. The presence of God would literally impact them from the outside in.