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Title: “The Christian’s Labor and Giving” Part 2Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:11-15FCF: We often struggle having a Godly perspective on labor and giving.Prop: Because godly leaders teach and demonstrate God’s will for His people, we must work quietly to provide needs or face corporate correction and disassociation. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. In a moment we will begin reading in the Legacy Standard Bible in verse 6 and read through verse 15. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, Paul the primary topic of application in this second letter to the Thessalonian church. It is not a new topic. It is one he addressed already in the first letter to them. But it is a problem that hasn’t gone away. In fact, it doesn’t seem like his advice or commands in the first letter have made much of a change in the church. So, Paul is going to press the issue. He has commanded those who are orderly to keep away from or avoid the disorderly in the church. He has also pointed to he and his companions’ example and to his outright teaching on the matter of laboring to provide for your own needs and the needs of others. Last week we stopped short of Paul actually addressing those who are unruly. Today, Paul will clearly define who he considers unruly and why, and will command them to do something. Paul will then follow up with commands, once again, to the orderly church members and how to conduct themselves going forward. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation:Holy Father, You have made it clear that it is only in Your Son whom You have ever been well-pleased. He is the only human who has ever obeyed You perfectly, having kept Your whole law without one single violation despite enduring all the trials and testings of this life. And though Christ fulfills the law for us, He does this so that we may be declared righteous in Your sight, not so that we may continue to sin. In fact, as part of Your transforming work in us, You put Your Spirit in us to conform our wills to Yours. We, as your people, no longer desire to live in sin but rather desire to observe all that Your Son has commanded and demonstrated to us. I pray that You would use Your Word today to conform us to the image of Your Son. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] “The most deeply felt obligation on earth is that which the Christian feels to imitate the Redeemer.” Albert Barnes “The universal command of the gospel that comprises all our duties is to walk as Christ walked.” William Bates “The gospel does not make us like Adam in His innocence – it makes us like Christ, in all the perfection of His reflection of God” Sinclair Ferguson [Slide 3] “None can know their election but by their conformity to Christ, for all that are chosen are chosen to sanctification.” Matthew Henry “Putting on Christ is not one among many jobs a Christian has to do; and it is not a sort of special exercise for the top class. It is the whole of Christianity. Christianity offers nothing else at all.” C.S. Lewis Let these words prepare us for the exposition on the text of scripture this morning. I.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God’s will for His people, so we must work in quietness, provide for ourselves and keep providing for other believers in need. (11-13)a. [Slide 4] 11 - For we hear that some among you are walking in an unruly manner, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. i. Paul finally outlines exactly what the disorderly brothers are doing. ii. We’ve pieced it together, but here it is, clearly stated. iii. Paul has heard, probably from Timothy’s report brought back to Corinth, that there are still people in the church who are not working. iv. So, what do they fill their time with? v. Meddling in other people’s affairs, gossiping, and generally causing problems in the church. vi. There is actually a play on words here in the Greek that isn’t easily brought into English. Something like “they are busy about everyone’s business but their own.” But even that doesn’t quite do it justice. vii. There is an old saying, “Idle hands are the devil’s playground” or “workshop”. Either one conveys the truth that this passage seems to affirm. viii. Because they are not laboring hard to provide for themselves, and are living off the provision of others, they have time to involve themselves in everyone else’s lives. And not in a helpful way. ix. It is difficult to know exactly why this was happening. x. Biblical scholars debate what exactly prompted these people to not work at all. xi. But perhaps the Holy Spirit has left this vague so that we might draw the greater principle without being too entangled by the specifics. xii. Paul has already addressed how the church at large is supposed to treat these unruly brothers. xiii. But what about the unruly ones? What about these lazy busybodies? What must they do?b. [Slide 5] 12 - Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, i. Paul issues another command in this text. It is the exact same word he used to command that the orderly keep away from the disorderly. ii. It is clear however, that although Paul is commanding the disorderly, he is doing so publicly to the whole church by saying “such persons we command” iii. And not only does Paul command them, he exhorts them as well. This means to urge or implore them to action. iv. Paul wants to see change. He wants to see movement. v. And notice he commands them in “the” Lord Jesus Christ. vi. This is again appealing to the authority of Christ Jesus as Lord of all of His creation. vii. But notice also, that before when Paul commanded the orderly brothers, he said in the name of “our” Lord Jesus Christ. viii. Here Paul omits the possessive pronoun “our” and simply says “the” Lord Jesus Christ. ix. We shouldn’t make too much of this, but perhaps, although calling them brothers before to the rest of the church, Paul, now speaking to them, doesn’t want to give them the same assurances he gave the orderly believers in the church. x. But what does he command of them?c. [Slide 6] that working with quietness, i. Paul is commanding them to work. ii. Go get a job and work hard. iii. And then Paul adds some clarity to that with the prepositional phrase, “with quietness.” iv. Quietness here is a noun and it refers to being in a state lacking uproar or causing disturbances. v. Paul is commanding them to work hard and while they are doing that, they must also be sure to dwell in a state of not involving themselves in things that do not pertain to them. vi. Shut up and go back to work. 😊 That is may be a bit harsh of a paraphrase – but it gets the point across doesn’t it. vii. But not only that…d. [Slide 7] they eat their own bread. i. This phrase is placed in the sentence as a result of the command above being followed. ii. When they stop causing problems because they are too busy working hard, they will then eat their own bread and not the bread of others. iii. Bread here is idiomatic to express any kind of provision of basic needs to live. iv. Essentially Paul is commanding them to work hard, provide for their own needs, stop causing problems, and stop living off the charity of others when you could provide for yourself.e. [Slide 8] 13 - But as for you, brothers, do not lose heart in doing good. i. Paul has now shifted back to the general assembly of those in the church of Thessalonica who are working hard and providing for themselves. ii. Notice also how he shifts back and calls them brothers. Again, a subtle clue that Paul is withholding assurances to the disorderly about their spiritual status. iii. Paul’s command here is designed to not stifle the giving nature of the Thessalonians. iv. Perhaps people knew that these disorderly brothers were being lazy and mooching off the church. But they kept giving them provisions because they asked for them. v. Paul now forbidding the disorderly from continuing to take from the church, the rest of the church might get a little gun shy about giving to believers in need. vi. Should we stop giving and tell them to get a job and stop causing problems? vii. Paul advises the rest of the church to not lose heart or to become discouraged at doing good. viii. Paul says don’t shy away from giving to believers in need. It is better to be compassionate and give to other believers and assume they are truly in need, than to pendulum swing the other way and assume they are just being mooches. ix. This is a principle in scripture that of God’s people, it is best that we assume the best of them and not the worst.f. [Slide 9] Summary of the Point: So again, by command and by demonstration, Paul teaches the Thessalonians what is the will of God regarding the Christian’s labor and giving. He commands two groups two different things. The first group, the unruly busybodies, he commands to get a job, work hard, earn their own provision, and stop meddling. The second group, the orderly, he commands to not be discouraged in their giving, but to continue to do so trusting believers at their word. We should see this as one big command. And it is essentially the same application we saw last week. We should work hard to earn enough to provide for ourselves and a little more for the needs of other believers. Added to this, we can throw the extra comment about not being a busy body. Work hard, mind your business, earn your keep, give to those in need. Transition:[Slide 10 (blank)] Paul has finally addressed the disorderly brothers and he makes no bones about what he is expecting them to do. By the authority of Christ, he has commanded them to get back to work, stop causing problems, and stop taking handouts from the church. Paul has also addressed the other members to not shy away from being giving just because of a few abusers of their generosity. But the question remains… what happens if the unruly do not listen to Paul’s command… again? II.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God’s will for His people, so we must lovingly mark and disassociate with professed believers who continue in unrepentant sin. (14-15)a. [Slide 11] 14 - And if anyone does not obey our word in this letter, i. Now although Paul says “does not obey our word in this letter” when we scour the letter for the commands of Paul there aren’t actually that many to consider. ii. More than likely the word to which Paul is referring is none other than the most recent command that he gave to the disorderly brothers. iii. Paul gets ahead of what is, unfortunately, a possibility going forward here. iv. What if they don’t listen? v. What if the disorderly brothers continue to not work and mooch and cause problems? vi. They’ve already ignored the first letter. What if they ignore this one too?b. [Slide 12] take special note of that person to not associate with him, i. Paul has already commanded the church to keep away from the disorderly brothers. ii. He has commanded them to avoid the disorderly brothers as you might avoid certain danger or some kind of infection or disease. iii. How is this command different? iv. First, Paul commands them to take special note of that person. What does this mean? v. It means to mark them, stamp them, label them, or write down their names. vi. This seems to be an official procedure by the church. It is almost like their names are entered into a ledger and they are branded or marked as someone to disassociate from. vii. And what does it mean not to associate with them? How is that different than keeping away from them? viii. To not associate means to not mix with them. It means to not entangle yourselves with them or be connected to them or affiliated with them. ix. The subtle difference is this… x. Before, Paul said that these people were brothers but they were sick. He still referred to them as being part of the community… and within that community the shunning would be effective. They should be quarantined. xi. However, if they will not listen, they are officially marked and separated from fellowship. xii. Scholars debate whether or not this is official excommunication or if this is some prior step before that. xiii. In my view, it is hard to imagine a church keeping away from and marking out and disassociating with someone that is NOT excommunicated. Because that is what excommunication is. xiv. Those who disagree point out how Paul does not “devote them to Satan” as he mentions in another context. They say this indicates that this is not actually the final step. xv. There are two key factors that differ from the example Paul gives in 1 Corinthians and the case here.1. First, the Corinthian church was pridefully accepting the behavior of believers living in sin as an act of distorted love toward them. But there is no indication that the Thessalonian church was doing the same for these busybodies.2. Second, the issue in the Corinthian church was concerning a sin that was so egregious that even non-Christians would have considered the activity to be taboo or unacceptable. In contrast, the laziness and busybody activity of these Thessalonians would have been a much more culturally accepted sin. xvi. In my estimation, this is at very least the beginning of excommunication. Paul doesn’t need to discuss yet the end of excommunication or the spiritual ramifications of that official church act, because I think Paul is confident that the unruly ones will respond to these initial applications of excommunication. xvii. But some may say, “isn’t their greatest hope found in the covenant community? Why do this?”c. [Slide 13] so that he will be put to shame. i. Excommunication is a necessary step in church discipline because it instills fear into the whole community that unrepentant sin will not be tolerated. ii. Removing them from fellowship shames them, in that they are no longer seen as part of the community. iii. They are not to be included in worship. They are not permitted to take part in the sacraments or ordinances. They are not permitted to mix with us. iv. At all. v. This will bring shame upon them and hopefully stir their hearts to repent. vi. But Paul has some final guidelines he wants to place on this to make sure the Thessalonians don’t go too far.d. [Slide 14] 15 - And yet do not regard him as an enemy, i. As humans we tend to pendulum swing and when someone says, don’t associate with them, it may be tempting to go farther and be antagonistic against them. ii. We live in the extremes of if you aren’t for us, you are against us. iii. First, Paul doesn’t want the Thessalonian church to deem or determine that the disorderly are your enemy. iv. What does this mean? v. Although they are outside the covenant community and have been removed from fellowship, that doesn’t mean that they are, necessarily on Satan’s team. They aren’t necessarily opposing anyone personally or the church corporately. vi. And we should not treat them as though they are our enemies. vii. In other words, don’t put them in the same category as those who are persecuting you. viii. Ok… so how do we see them? What category are they in?e. [Slide 15] but admonish him as a brother. i. In stating this, Paul says two things, one overtly and the other implicitly. ii. Overtly Paul is telling the Thessalonians that they should admonish, counsel, rebuke and warn them as they would a brother in Christ. iii. What does this mean? iv. Expect them to respond to the teaching of the Word of God. v. Natural man doesn’t respond to the teaching of the Word of God. Why? Because it is spiritually revealed and without the Spirit they will not hear it. vi. Paul says expect them to listen… eventually. vii. When we preach to unbelievers, we give them the gospel and if they don’t listen, we say, well I planted a seed, and we keep watering it. But until it starts to grow – we don’t expect to go beyond the teaching of the gospel. viii. But when we are telling Christians to do things… we keep telling, and pleading, and telling, because we expect them to change. ix. Why? x. Because the Spirit of God is within them helping them to change. xi. Paul says to keep rebuking them expecting them to change. xii. But implicitly Paul says something else here. If Paul is still sure that they are believers, why would he have to tell the Thessalonians to admonish them like brothers? Why wouldn’t Paul have said, “Admonish them because they are brothers.” xiii. Paul subtly suggests that there is no longer confidence that they are believers if they do not heed his commands in this letter. xiv. This harmonizes precisely to what the rest of the scriptures teach us about church discipline. xv. When we excommunicate someone, they are removed from mixing with us. We mark them and disassociate with them. It is official. It is definitive. xvi. But… there is always hope that they will repent and return before the Lord returns. xvii. Paul even hoped that the man in 1 Corinthians would repent and return, even after devoting him to Satan for destruction. xviii. We don’t give up on them. We may not be sure they are truly believers… but we are hopeful that they are. And we expect them to respond to the scriptures.f. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: Once again Paul teaches and demonstrates the will of God for His people in explaining what to do with professed believers living in unrepentant sin. In this he commands the church to mark them to disassociation. To not mix with them and exclude them from the normal functions of the church. This is to shame them and prompt them to understand that they must submit to the teaching and instruction of Christ. However, in this process, the church must not do this with animosity or vindictiveness as a punishment, but should instead see this as restorative and hope to receive them back into fellowship soon. We too must lovingly mark and disassociate with professed believers who continue to live in unrepentant sin, hoping that they will repent and return to fellowship. Conclusion:So, CBC, what have we learned that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice:[Slide 17] Once again, we see the authority of Jesus used by His apostles to teach and even demonstrate what it means to live in accordance with the Christian tradition. Christ’s command to his disciples was to make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the triune God and teaching them to observe all that He has commanded. This is exactly what all godly people and especially godly leaders do. They teach by command and example what it means to follow Christ. Although there are a lot of moving parts to each, Paul essentially commands two things in this passage. First, that all of Christ’s followers should quietly work hard to provide for themselves and a little extra for those who are truly in need. Second, that professing believers who live in unrepentant sin should be marked and disassociated from the community. This should be done in love with the hopeful expectation that they will repent and return to fellowship. But how does this affect us today in the 21st century? 1.) [Slide 18] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that we must make disciples and teach them to observe ALL that Christ commanded.a. Paul is the pattern for us here.b. In the grand scheme of things, how big of a deal is it that there is a faction of people who are being lazy and meddling in other people’s business?c. I think if we fairly and without bias compared this sinful practice with that of doctrinal heresy, sexual immorality, sowing discord, or fractionizing, we’d come away thinking that this is probably not that big a deal by comparison.d. And I think by reasonable inference we could see that Paul also didn’t treat this as a primary point of doctrine that he spent a lot of time teaching on while he was with the Thessalonians.e. So why does Paul use, what is arguably the most prominent portion of the letter, where you would put your main message, to address this issue in the church?f. Because they aren’t listening.g. This gives us a principle we must understand.h. All of Christ’s commands are to be observed. Even if they are relatively smaller issues.i. And as is always the case, it is not the sin itself that seems to escalate Paul’s tone to commanding instead of advising.j. It is, instead, the unrepentant heart of those he has corrected and asked others to correct several times.k. They will not listen.l. There is a difference between having difficulty mortifying a sin, and not even trying.m. We have no indication that those who are unruly are actually trying to change their lifestyles. They are simply ignoring Paul and their Elders and the rest of the church.n. This is the concerning behavior. Christ followers, follow Christ. So, when they stop struggling, battling, warring with their flesh to follow Christ, and just lean into doing what they want… that is when things escalate.2.) [Slide 19] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that it is unloving, or unrealistic to expect professed believers to live like Christ.a. In our culture we face two distinct opponents of making disciples who observe all that Christ commands.b. The first is the critique that correction is unloving. i. This is largely found in the world, but has snuck its way into many churches and was even present in the Corinthian church when Paul wrote to them in 1 Corinthians. ii. The idea is that to correct someone and to not be tolerant of or accepting of their lifestyle choices is unloving or unchristian. iii. This stems from a philosophy which equates acceptance and permittance as love. And this philosophy invades theology when it deems Jesus to be a loving and accepting Lord who asks nothing of His followers except that they also be loving and accepting. iv. But straight from Christ’s lips comes the command to make disciples by teaching them to observe all that He has commanded.1. And Christ whipped people out of the temple because they were turning His Father’s house into a den of thieves.2. Christ called a rich man to give up his riches.3. He called a tax collector to stop stealing.4. He called adulterers to go and sin no more.5. He told people to listen to the Pharisees when they are teaching the law of Moses, and the Pharisees demanded that people follow the 10 commandments and several applications of those commands that are repeated in the rest of the Mosaic law. v. The long and the short of it is that Jesus never rejected or denied anything the Old Testament taught as holy living. In fact, he said, that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees. vi. My friends, there is nothing unloving about correcting sinful behavior in another person. You can correct in an unloving manner… but the act of correction is, in itself, not unloving. In fact, I would say, because sin is so destructive and separates us from God… correction is love.c. The second critique is that correction is unrealistic. i. Unfortunately, we see this found not only in the world but also often in the church. ii. It is ultimately a defeatist attitude that says, that it is just unrealistic to call Christians to obey Christ’s commands. This attitude makes little of God’s grace and minimizes the work of the Spirit and His ability to form and craft someone into the mold of Christ. iii. Some of examples include:1. With current fashion trends it is unrealistic to expect men and women to dress modestly and not draw attention to themselves.2. With current accessibility it is unrealistic to expect people to avoid pornography.3. With current relationships it is unrealistic to expect people to remain abstinent until marriage.4. With current culture it is unrealistic to expect children to be obedient to their parents.5. With current attention span it is unrealistic to expect children to memorize scripture and doctrine, or to sit though a sermon, or to cherish the teaching on the scriptures.6. With my aging joints and bones, it is unrealistic to expect me to continue to minister to younger Christians. iv. The long and the short of it is, if there is a command of Christ and teaching from the scriptures and you are truly a believer, His commands are not burdensome to those who have His Spirit. v. That doesn’t mean they are easy. That doesn’t mean you will never have to struggle to obey them. vi. But with the Spirit of God in you – No Christian can ever truly say to a command of Christ… I just can’t do it.3.) [Slide 20] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must work hard to provide for ourselves and others in need.a. We won’t spend a lot of time here, especially since this was a main application of last week’s sermon.b. But one key identifier of every Christian is that they work hard to provide for their needs and have a little extra to give to those who cannot do the same.c. With this we have to determine what our needs truly are. Some Christians work hard but have nothing left to give to others because they are either miserly and hoard their wealth or because they are selfish and spend their wealth on what they do not need.d. Certainly, buying things that you do not need is not forbidden in the scriptures. But if you do so to the extent that you are not able to give to others in need, then you are disordered.e. Certainly, saving for your future is wise and the scriptures affirm this. But if you do so to the extent that you are not able to give to others in need, then you are unruly.f. Christian people provide for themselves and other believers who cannot do the same. This is one aspect of being a Christ-Follower.g. And when you do not do this because of laziness or selfishness – you are in sin.4.) [Slide 21] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop meddling in other people’s business.a. Certainly, in this text, this is presented as a byproduct of not being busy with work.b. Idle hands truly are a foothold to allow the devil to tempt you with sinful pastimes.c. However, I think we can actually address the idea of meddling as its own separate problem.d. Because we live in a 1st world country, some jobs that pay very well do not demand enough time to keep our hands busy.e. Someone could be providing for themselves so well that their needs are met with the vast majority of their time being idle.f. Or perhaps they are retired, and their income is passive.g. Or perhaps they are a stay-at-home parent while their spouse works to alleviate the needs of the family.h. So, I see this de-exhortation as an issue we should address by itself, since there are so many avenues beyond laziness that could lead us to meddle.i. What is meant by the term meddling?j. This is people adding input, advice, instruction, or their own perspective on matters that they have no business adding. The issue has nothing to do with them. It was a question or problem presented to someone, and they interjected their opinion when it wasn’t asked for.k. This could be someone attempting to influence a decision or aspect of teaching.l. I am reminded of Absalom, David’s Son. While David was in his palace, Absalom went to the city gates and claimed that the King was too busy to handle their disputes and that he would be happy to do so.m. Of course, his motivations were to undermine David and overthrow his monarchy.n. A meddler may not have such extreme motives, but the action is still the same.o. If someone asks for your opinion, give it humbly and with grace. If not… stay out of it.p. But we live in the age of influencers, where we think, pridefully, that our opinion not only matters but that others will definitely want to hear about what we think.q. In the church the only influencers should be those who command and demonstrate a Christlike example.5.) [Slide 22] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must mark and dissociate from unrepentant believers.a. Flowing from the thought that it is completely appropriate for us to expect Christ followers to observe Christ’s commands…b. We must, eventually, take special note of those who are not doing so… and if they continue to not obey despite many corrections and warnings… we must disassociate with them.c. This works itself out in what is known as Church Discipline.d. As I pointed out last week, the primary goal of church discipline is to keep the church pure. To be sure that those who are still striving to follow Christ are those who are in fellowship.e. Not perfect… but still trying to be.f. But when it becomes obvious that a professing believer has given up trying to change, trying to obey Christ, that is when the church must take action to communicate clearly that unrepentant sin will not be tolerated in the church.g. Why?h. The gospel is at stake. Since Christ followers, are pressed into His mold to observe His commands… it means we can’t have a bunch of Christ followers not being pressed into that mold. It is the opposite message of the gospel.i. However, the way in which we do church discipline is very important. 6.) [Slide 23] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must not apply church discipline vindictively or punitively.a. Church discipline, although called discipline, is not a punishment for the sinner. Ultimately speaking, Christ is the judge and will punish sin or has paid for sin on the cross.b. The church neither has the authority to forgive sin nor does it have the authority to punish sin. Those roles belong and have always belonged to God.c. And church discipline is not an opportunity to get back at someone for sinning against you.d. Again, this comes back to the idea that church discipline isn’t about the sin in question… at all.e. Therefore, it is not the sin itself that is being addressed. It is the unrepentance of someone who claims to be a follower of Christ.f. This is why it is important from the Elders, all the way down to the person who was personally sinned against, and everyone in-between, to make sure their hearts are right before God and that they are not seeking vengeance or even justice on those who sinned.g. If that is the motive, we have missed the goal of church discipline completely.h. For if we are truly concerned about the purity of the church…7.) [Slide 24] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must apply church discipline in love and in hope for restoration.a. While restoration is not THE goal of church discipline… it is certainly THE goal of disciplining a person in the church.b. The goal of discipline from a good parent is correction of behavior not inflicting pain or hardship. And the same is true in Church Discipline.c. Ultimately, we must tread the line between disassociating with them and still loving and hoping that they will repent and return to fellowship.d. If we enter into church discipline secretly hoping that they don’t show up or that they never come back to our church – it is a clear sign that we are not doing this in love and in hope for restoration.e. And that hope should endure while the person draws breath on the earth.f. Even of the man in 1 Corinthians, Paul expresses his hopeful confidence that before the judgment, the man will repent and be restored.g. We should have that same hope and confidence that even if we have to wait decades – if they are truly believers – God will bring them back to repentance.8.) [Slide 25] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” When the church does church discipline right, hatred of sin and love of God’s law are encouraged.a. It is not comfortable to enter into church discipline.b. We have done 3 formal church disciplines and a couple informal ones in my tenure here.c. And each time – it was NOT comfortable. Not very many people actually like confrontation. And if you do, you are probably just contentious.d. But Jesus Himself and His apostles have laid down for us the method, manner, and motive of church discipline. And that should be enough for us to be obedient.e. But God also says that when we do church discipline, people fear sin more and love God’s law more.f. That is comforting. Even if a person is not immediately restored. Even if they are never restored. There is still great benefit to the church to doing church discipline when they must.g. And that should be a comfort to us. Even in such a difficult thing – God gives grace.9.) [Slide 26] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” Followers of Christ are expected to follow Christ, which means they conform to His teaching and example and not to the world. a. With the Second great awakening and Charles Finney, the modern evangelistic method of manipulation and coercion took shape.b. The foundation of easy believism, saying a prayer, and living the same way you always have, became the norm for many ministries.c. As long as you prayed a prayer you were saved no matter what.d. Such teaching produced a nation that 20 years ago was around 75% Christian.e. So how does a country that is 75% Christian, become the country that it is now 20 years later?f. It is actually quite simple.g. About 70% of that 75, think they are Christians but are not being conformed to Christ. They are not observing His commands.h. The gospel is very clear. Those who are genuinely saved continue to turn from their sin and continue to strive to observe Christ’s commands. Until they die. Their entire life has changed to reflect Jesus Christ.i. Not perfectly… but progressively and perpetually.j. The gospel is… that God saves and God changes you. That is the gospel. k. Jesus did all the work so God could make you into what He wants you to be.l. Perhaps you’ve always thought you were a Christian. But you have never really observed what Christ commands.m. Perhaps you see what Christians are supposed to be and you want to follow Christ and observe what He has commanded.n. If that is you – be sure to talk to me or another person you know is a Christian before you leave today. [Slide 27 (end)] Let me close with a word of prayer by the Puritan Richard Alleine. Now speak, Lord, and I will hear. Now call, Lord, and I will answer. Now command me, impose on me what you will, and I will submit. None but the Lord, none but Christ, no other lord nor lover. I am yours, Lord, your own. Do with your own, demand of your own, whatever you please. What will you have me be, Lord, what will you have me do? That is what I will do and be. No longer what I will, but your will be done. To this all God’s true people say, Amen. Benediction:May the great Creator whose power is displayed day by day by an unwearied sun,Create in you a pure heart and renew in you a steadfast spirit. Until we meet again, Grace and peace to you.

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Title: “The Christian’s Labor and Giving” Part 1Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10FCF: We often struggle having a Godly perspective on labor and giving.Prop: Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God’s will for His people, so we must follow their example and work to care for ourselves and others. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians 3. In a moment we’ll read verses 6 through 15 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. As Paul approaches the end of his letter, he has a few things he wishes for the Thessalonians to do. First, to pray for them that the gospel would continue to make progress in Corinth and that the enemies of the gospel might be held at bay. But today, Paul comes to, what is most assuredly, the main command he wishes to give to the Thessalonian church. It isn’t new. In fact, he mentioned it less plainly in the previous letter. But it is quite important that they address the issue immediately. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation:Holy God, you demonstrated to us what it means to labor. You labored for six days to create your world and rested on the seventh day. And you declared that all you made was very good. Though we are finite and fallen, we have been given Your Spirit within us and Your Son has taught us to work hard to earn what we need. And to earn enough even to be generous and to give to others who are in need. We thank you for the example of Christ and His apostles in this. And we ask that You would reveal from Your word what it means for Christians to labor and to give and protect us from examples we should not follow. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] “Too many Christians worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship.” Anonymous “One of the greatest blessings of humanity is that divine law which requires men to work for their livelihood.” David Thomas [Slide 3] “No labor is servile when the Lord’s approval is the paramount consideration.” Geoffrey B. Wilson “God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into the nest.” Josiah G. Holland Let these words prepare us for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God’s will for His people, but we must keep away from disorderly brothers. (6)a. [Slide 4] 6 - Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, i. What is obvious here is that this is the primary application that Paul has in mind for the Thessalonians. ii. After spending a good deal of time comforting them about the persecution they were enduring and correcting them on the teaching of the Day of the Lord, Paul turned his attention to application. iii. However, the first application was, somewhat of a softball. iv. Not in the sense that it is unimportant, but in the sense that it is not corrective. Most likely the Thessalonians were already praying for Paul and his companions and most likely they were already trying to imitate God’s love and Christ’s steadfastness. v. What we notice here though is that Paul’s next application begins with a command. He is not asking… he is telling. vi. The tone of the letter has shifted. vii. I wouldn’t say Paul is angry or irritated. But Paul is certainly becoming more forceful on the issue to which he will speak about next. viii. But notice that he doesn’t command by his own authority. ix. Instead, he calls on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. x. Once again Paul enters into solidarity with them as brothers and sisters in the Lord. Paul considers Jesus Christ to be OUR Lord. Not just the evangelists’ but the Thessalonian church’s too. xi. But this command coming in the name of that Lord, is by His authority. xii. This only serves to further amplify the necessity of the Thessalonians following the command which he is about to give. xiii. So, what is the command?b. [Slide 5] that you keep away from every brother who walks in an unruly manner i. There are four REALLY big words in this text that we need to understand if we are going to grasp the importance of what Paul is saying. ii. The first is the verb “keep away”.1. The word means to avoid, steer clear from, to shun, to have nothing to do with, or to stand aloof.2. This form of the verbs is in the infinitive which completes the command of Paul. This is what Paul is commanding. To keep away.3. This is also in the middle voice. In English we don’t have middle voice. But Greek does.4. Middle voice is an action you do that inherently has consequences, results, or benefits to yourself. It is reflexive.5. The keeping away then, is not just an action being done for the person who is unruly, but it is also an action being done to protect yourself.6. Keep yourself away from them…7. Avoid like the plague lest you contract the disease- would be a rather loose paraphrase but it gets the idea across.8. The Puritan commentator Johnathan Trapp said this, “That ye shun them as studiously as the [sailor] doth a rock or shelf.”9. In an honor/shame culture such as this, shunning was quite effective to render results. Added to this, the church was already being gravely mistreated by those outside the church. To shun them now, after suffering together for the sake of Christ, would leave them quite alone. iii. The second word we should discuss is the noun “brother”.1. Even though Paul is not going to discuss the person they should avoid in glowing terms, Paul remains convinced that such a person is still a brother.2. This will feed into something we will discuss later in this passage concerning church discipline and what it means to treat someone like a tax collector and gentile while at the same time admonishing them like a brother. But we’ll get to that next week in Part 2 of this sermon.3. But it is important for us to recognize that Paul is advising avoiding these folks, but still thnks of them as believers. iv. The third word we should discuss is the participle “walks”.1. Etymologically the word begins with a prefix which means “around” or “concerning” and ends with the verb form of the Greek word which means to walk.2. So “to walk around” something.3. But this isn’t giving us the idea of a person who is aimlessly wandering.4. Instead, this is a person who is circling or hovering over something.5. In this we get the idea that this is something they live in or have made a practice of.6. This being a participle, it is describing the character of a brother whom the Thessalonians are to avoid.7. But what is that character and lifestyle? v. That brings us to the fourth word here which is the adverb “unruly”.1. No doubt because of this passage and the associations of the people to whom Paul is referring, this word is translated in some versions as idle or lazy.2. However, as we saw in 1 Thessalonians, we should not conflate these two ideas together.3. They are certainly unruly because they are idle, but idleness is not the sum total of unruliness.4. To be unruly is to be out of order. It is to be irregular, different, not conforming to a standard, sticking out, or independent.5. The church is not a group of individuals it is instead a body or organization that when broken apart is less than what it was together.6. When we are together – we are stronger, better, more alive. When we are broken apart, we are less, weaker, and more prone to temptation and despair.7. No one in the church should try to stick out, to not conform, to rebel, or to make their own way.8. The church should function as ONE in as many areas as possible. And you can’t function as one when you are not doing what everyone else in the church is doing. You can’t function as one when you are not like the rest.9. Paul’s point is that a person whose lifestyle it is to stick out and not conform, that is a person the Thessalonians should avoid.10. You can’t be a rogue operative; you can’t be a maverick. You can’t do you own thing. vi. But that brings us to a question… how the same must we be? Is there no room for individuality in the church? vii. Paul answers this by further defining what divides orderly from disorderly.c. [Slide 6] and not according to the tradition which they received from us. i. Although this begins with an “and” we should probably see this not as a second characteristic of the brothers that should be avoided but rather an explanation of the disorderly lifestyles of brothers that should be avoided. ii. Specifically, a person becomes disorderly or unruly when they live in such a way that is out of step with the Christian traditions that have been passed down from Christ, to His apostles in the Scriptures, and now to the church. iii. Failure to conform to what the Scriptures teach whether by explicit statement or good and necessary inference, is what Paul is saying. iv. This divides into two categories. Doctrine and practice.1. Let me give you an example of Doctrine both explicitly stated and inferred by good and necessary conclusion when considering the whole of scripture.a. The bible explicitly tells us that God created the universe by speaking it into existence. In order to not be disorderly, every Christian MUST confess this as truth.b. The bible teaches several things that if we added them together, we must by good and necessary inference, arrive at the conclusion that God is three persons in one eternal being and essence. In order to not be disordered, you must confess the doctrine of the trinity.2. How we live also comes down to Christian tradition. It too is stated in explicit and inferred ways. a. The bible explicitly tells us that we must honor our earthly fathers and mothers in the Lord. It even tells us why. For this is right. So much so that a child who is disobedient to their parents is excluded from the Kingdom of God. Any brother who makes a lifestyle of not honoring or obeying their parents is someone we should avoid.b. The bible teaches in several passages that it is right for Christians to submit to governing authorities because their authority has been granted from God to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. Therefore, by good and necessary inference we can conclude that Christians must endeavor to obey the traffic laws of our government. Anyone who makes a lifestyle of disobeying traffic laws should be avoided. v. But rather than just avoiding them or shunning them, shouldn’t we say something to them? Shouldn’t we warn them of their disorderly conduct? vi. Paul already has actually.1. In 1 Thessalonians Paul told the Elders to admonish the unruly. He also told the church as a whole to make it their ambition to lead a quiet life and work with their hands to supply for themselves.2. At the end of the letter Paul implored them by the Lord that they would read the letter to the whole church.3. And so, Paul has already told the Elders to admonish these brothers. vii. So, what is different here?1. Paul is approaching the final step of church discipline but hasn’t quite gotten there yet.2. He commands that the church keep away from these people and then he will move on to rebuke them publicly. We’ll get to that public rebuke and what should happen if they continue to be unruly next week. viii. But it is instructive that Paul first addresses the danger posed on the other believers in the church concerning these disorderly people. They must be avoided to prevent the disorder from spreading. ix. Paul’s priority is on the church as a whole and not on the ones being disorderly. They will be addressed and their actions rebuked – but the first priority is getting those who are still in order to avoid those who are not. x. Some have said that THE goal of church discipline is the restoration of the sinning believer. That is A goal… but it is not THE goal of church discipline. xi. Paul gives us THE goal of church discipline… and it is the purity of the church. A church purely adhering to the Christian tradition which Christ gave to His apostles.d. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: Paul predicates the command he makes on the authority of Christ. As a godly leader he must teach God’s will for His people. And in this, he issues a command directly from the throne of God and the Lord Jesus who sits at His right hand. That command is simply to not be in intimate fellowship with those who are living a lifestyle that is out of step and out of order with the Christian traditions that have been passed down from Christ to His church. The doctrines that Christ taught and the commands Christ demonstrated, should be conformed to by every single member of the church. Therefore, they should not associate themselves with those who are out of order. We too must distance ourselves from brothers and sisters who continue to live a lifestyle that is not conforming to the doctrines and commands Christ and His apostles taught and demonstrated. We must do this primarily so that we are kept safe from their disorder, but also so they may feel the isolation and return and conform. [Slide 8 (blank)] Transition: Of course we have to ask, what kind of disorderly behavior is Paul talking about? Certainly, people aren’t conforming to the teaching and commands of Christ – but what specifically is happening there in Thessalonica that needs to be addressed and how should they protect themselves from becoming disorderly in the same way? II.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God’s will for His people, so we must work hard to provide for ourselves and brothers in need. (7-10)a. [Slide 9] 7 - For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we did not act in an unruly manner among you, i. When we understand that to “keep away” from the disorderly brothers is an action we do with a benefit for ourselves, the “for” connects overtly to the command to keep away. ii. Why must we keep away for ourselves? iii. Because we might start to imitate the unruly ones. We might start to follow their example. Sin tends to spread. Like cancer in the body or worms in a bushel of apples. iv. Therefore, the Thessalonians need to keep away from and avoid these disorderly brothers because they know that they are supposed to be imitating the evangelists instead. v. And Paul, Silas, and Timothy did not give them an unruly example. vi. They not only told them what the Christian traditions were, but they believed and obeyed them also. They taught and demonstrated those traditions to the Thessalonians. vii. But how specifically were the evangelists NOT unruly?b. [Slide 10] 8 - nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, i. Here we start to get to the specifics of the way in which these brothers are being unruly. ii. Up to this point Paul has spoken mostly in generalities. Disorder and lack of conformity to belief and practice. iii. But now Paul outlines how he and his companions acted among them and… how they didn’t act. iv. His first example is that they did not eat anyone else’s bread without paying for it. v. At this time, there was an expectation to financially support traveling preachers and prophets. vi. This tradition stretched beyond Judaism and across all faiths, even paganism. vii. Of course, this led to traveling preachers and prophets peddling nonsense or strange ideas primarily to fleece people. viii. Because of this, Paul, throughout his ministry, continued to refuse to be supported by the generosity of the city in which he was preaching. ix. His effort was to divorce the idea of paying him money for the gospel message. The gospel was already difficult enough to believe, even without a cover charge. x. And so, Paul is not talking about being rude here… he is merely pointing out that he did not take from people when he could have paid for it himself. xi. Not only that… but Paul and his companions had a great work ethic too…c. [Slide 11] but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; i. Paul points out that he and his companions labored not only in the giving of the gospel and the teaching of the Christian tradition, but even in earning a living for themselves while they were in Thessalonica. ii. They did this because they did not want to put financial strain on those to whom they were sharing the gospel. iii. Paul and his companions were not only hard workers but were also loving and compassionate to their brothers and sisters to whom they were ministering. iv. They did not want to strain them or burden them with financial pressure while they taught them the scriptures. v. Well, that is probably because it is ethically wrong to be financially provided for by those to whom they minister, right?d. [Slide 12] 9 - not because we do not have the authority, i. It is not ethically or morally wrong for someone who ministers to a group of people to seek to have their needs met by those to whom they minister. ii. Indeed, as Paul points out in 1 Timothy, it is good and right that an Elder who labors long in preaching and leadership should be provided for. iii. As evangelists and Paul as an apostle, he is well within his rights to ask for compensation for his labor to bring the word to the Thessalonians. iv. So, why didn’t Paul do that?e. [Slide 13] but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would imitate us. i. Paul and his companions endeavored to be hard working and compassionate teachers toward this fledgling church so that they could provide an example to follow. ii. The Thessalonians also should be both hard working and seeking to give to other believers and not take from other believers. iii. This is the example the evangelists gave and it is still one they know they should follow instead of the example of the disorderly ones.f. [Slide 14] 10 - For even when we were with you, we used to command this to you: i. Paul now reminds the Thessalonians that it was not by mere demonstration that they had received this instruction. ii. It wasn’t merely the evangelist’s example, although that should have been enough. iii. Instead, it was a command that they had given to them. iv. What was the command?g. [Slide 15] if anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat. i. The word “willing” is a very important word in this command. ii. The word means to wish or be inclined or disposed to do something. iii. It does not speak of ability. iv. Paul is not saying that regardless of whether you are able to work or not, you must work or you should not eat. v. Instead, Paul is aiming at those who are not disposed to work. They aren’t inclined to work. They are idle. Lazy. They are averse to hard work and earning a living. vi. Therefore, I think we could say that anyone who is able to work but doesn’t would fall into this category of “unwilling”. vii. Such a person should not be allowed to eat. They should not be supported financially by anyone. The government, the church, the family. Paul commands that a person who is able to work but simply unwilling, should starve. That is proper motivation for that person to work hard for their own living. viii. What about those who are able but cannot find work?1. If you are able to work but truly cannot get hired by someone to take care of your needs, then this command would not apply to you.2. However, sometimes when people are not being hired it is because they are not wiling to accept a job that pays less than they would like or has them working harder than they’d like. In that case, I believe that this command would apply. At some point if you are able to work, you should take whatever job or jobs you can to provide for your needs. ix. Does this mean that retirement is unbiblical?1. Retirement that includes the plan to live off of other people’s wealth instead of living off your wealth, I would say, would fall into this category.2. But retirement that is based on living off the wealth that you have accumulated… that fits right in to what Paul is saying here. x. The main disorderly and unruly conduct that Paul is driving at, is the ability to work coupled with the unwillingness to work and the willingness to take provisions from others when you do not truly need it. xi. We see this in 2 Timothy when Paul addresses the support of widows. What did he say there?1. If a widow is young, she should get married and have her husband support her.2. If a widow has family, she should get them to support her.3. Only when a widow is truly destitute, that is when the church puts her on the list for support. xii. In the same vein, a person who is able to work… must work hard to have enough for himself and also enough to help those who are truly in need.h. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: Again, Paul has taught and Paul has demonstrated all that he is expecting of the Thessalonian church. He has commanded them that they should work hard to provide for themselves and those who are truly in need. He demonstrated it by working hard so he could provide the Christian tradition to the Thessalonians. So not only must the Thessalonians keep away from the influence of the disorderly but they should also follow the example of Paul and his companions and work hard to provide for their needs as well as for others who are unable to care for themselves. We too must work hard and provide for ourselves and others.Conclusion:So CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice:[Slide 17] Godly leaders can say, as Paul says here, imitate me. Why can they say that? Because they are imitating Christ. Certainly, following men can turn into hero worship and lead to many catastrophes. We must be careful of that. But insofar as a man calls you to imitate him in the ways he is imitating Christ, you can go ahead and assume it is safe to imitate him. Paul demonstrated what orderly churchmanship was. He demonstrated what it meant to work hard and provide for yourself while also caring for others. And he commands the Thessalonians to do as he did. We too must obey two commands from this text. We must keep away from those who are living out of step and not setting Christlike examples, and we must instead imitate a Christlike lifestyle regarding labor by working hard and providing for ourselves so that we have enough to give to others who are truly in need. But what does this mean for us today? How can we apply this in the 21st century? 1.) [Slide 18] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that discipleship is creating others who imitate us as we imitate Christ.a. This isn’t the first time we spoken of this in the study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians.b. Paul makes it very clear that his view of discipleship is essentially creating others who are like him.c. He can do this because he is imitating Christ.d. Certainly, the goal is Christlikeness. But we often get a little befuddled when we try to implement that.e. What does it mean to be like Christ? Sometimes that is difficult to answer.f. Not only that, but godless people in our day and others who have no intention of obeying what Jesus said, have often spoken about being like Jesus. Usually, they speak this way to try to pass some kind of legislation or political agenda that relies on a distorted sense of love and compassion over what is legal, wise, or best for the country.g. “Jesus would love them no matter what they choose.” “He gets us.” And other empty and trite ideas of who Jesus was without any intention to obey the other things Jesus said.h. But imitation of your mentor… imitation of a godly leader… imitation of someone whom you know loves Jesus and lives in accordance with His ways… that is much more accessible to us.i. And I think Paul knew this.j. It is highly unlikely that any Thessalonian church member had ever met Jesus.k. Paul was Jesus to them. Not in a heretical way or an idolatrous way – but the way the Thessalonians knew who Jesus was, was by observing Paul and his companions.l. Parents… the first real example of Jesus that your children will observe… is you. i. Now answer truthfully… ii. Do you want them to follow your example? Is your example one that leads them to be like Christ? Are your priorities, your passions, your pursuits… are they what Christ would prioritize, pursue, or be passionate about?m. Elders, we must be blameless and above reproach. We must be in Paul’s position as being Christlike. A church lead by men who are phoning it in or living to build their own kingdoms or beating their own hobby horses – is a church that is sure to crumble. We must teach all of what Christ taught and demonstrate what it means to be like Jesus.n. Elderly in our congregation – God has preserved you to now. You have not yet been called home. What does that mean? You still have a responsibility to teach and demonstrate Christlikeness to your families, and to those in the church who are younger than you.o. All of us are called to make disciples. Which means all of us are called to imitate Christ and tell others to imitate us.p. If your example isn’t worth following… then you are unruly and you need to be avoided. Don’t stay there! It is time to conform to the Christian tradition. It is time to be pressed into Christ’s mold.2.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that although Christ’s church is diverse, conformity to Christian tradition is not an option.a. Although Jesus calls and unites all kinds of people in His church, ultimately, He is conforming them to one image. His own.b. While we may have different skin tones, ethnicities, socio-economic positions, views on certain non-moral political issues, interests, hobbies, personalities, and priorities – ultimately, we have the same standard for faith and practice.c. That standard is the standard of the apostles… which is the standard of Christ.d. Our diversity is important. It is what gives God the most glory for this entity known as the church being united though we are so diverse.e. But there is no room for diversity in core doctrine and clear biblical commands. Doctrine and lifestyles must be brought into conformity to the Scriptures which are ultimately an explanation of the teachings and commands of Christ.f. The church won’t thrive with diverse opinions on primary doctrinal issues. The church probably won’t thrive with diverse opinions on a large number of secondary issues.g. We must be conformed to the Christian tradition. There is no room for novelty in doctrine or revolution in practice.h. We must keep going BACK to what the church has always taught. That will lead us to what the apostles taught. Which will lead us to what Christ taught. And the Scriptures are the road to get us there, with historical church creeds and confessions being that road’s guardrails.3.) [Slide 20] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must keep away from those who do not conform to Christian tradition.a. So what do we do when we find someone who is unruly?b. What do we do when people believe teachings that are new and different than something we’ve been taught?c. What do we do when we see people living contrary to what we’ve been taught to live?We must keep away from them.d. They are still a brother or sister. We aren’t declaring them to be unbelievers. We aren’t even treating them like unbelievers. Not yet anyway.e. But we are treating them like they are diseased. Sick. Infected.f. When someone in the family contracts a highly contagious disease, we don’t disown them or kick them out of the house. But we do distance ourselves from them or take precautions when treating their illness.g. This is what Paul is commanding. We must be very cautious around professing believers who are believing or living in ways that are out of step with what the Scriptures teach.h. We should avoid them to protect ourselves, but also as an isolation exercise. When they see the rest of the church disengage from their teaching and/or lifestyle, and they find themselves on an island all alone – to a true believer, that is a HUGE red flag.i. We know novelty in doctrine is always bad. And we know that most of the time, when our lifestyle is unlike anyone else – that isn’t good either.j. Separation from a disordered Christian is a warning to them… its time to get back in line and conform to what everyone else is doing.4.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must work hard to provide for ourselves and those who are truly in need.a. This is the heart of the message Paul wants to get across not only to the church as a whole but more specifically those believers who are disordered.b. He has already discussed it in his first letter. But here he gets much more to the point.c. He and his companions’ example was to work hard, earn what you eat, and keep burdens off of other believers.d. The goal behind this is to ensure that you are at least a neutral draw on church resources, if not a positive giver to it.e. The church in Acts is said to never have had anyone in need because they shared what they had with one another. Not by compulsion as socialism and communism teaches. It isn’t forced wealth distribution. It is just as anyone had a need, the church came together to meet it.f. What does this require?g. It requires everyone working hard to earn enough to care for themselves and a little extra to help care for one another.h. If God blesses you with more, He is most likely prompting you to help even more than others. God is faithful to equip His people for what He is calling them to do.i. But when you could work and don’t, or when you earn more than enough but never give to the work of the church or to the needs of other believers – you are out of order. You are failing to keep the Christian traditions.j. Some Christians believe that the tithe is a mandate in scripture. i. Since we are not Israelites, and since the New Testament never teaches it, we recognize that the strict 10% temple tax is not something that we need to observe as New Testament believers. ii. But the New Testament does teach us to give cheerfully and sacrificially to the work of the church and the needs of believers. iii. What does that mean? iv. Although the 10% temple tax is not mandated, I’m not sure we can say that the New Testament teaches us to give less. In fact, I think I could make the argument that it implies that, at least at times, we give much more than 10% of our gross income. v. This is a concept that I have found many young believers don’t quite grasp. Many young believers think that by giving a few hundred dollars to the church every year, they are giving sacrificially. vi. And they would be doing just that if they only earned $5,000 that year. vii. But in reality, a few hundred dollars a year when God has given you 50 to 100 thousand dollars that year in income – it is hard to say that that giving is sacrificial.k. Let me just say I am very uncomfortable talking about this. I also want to make clear that our family is well-provided for, and I am in no way angling for a raise.l. With those two caveats, we all must understand what the Christian tradition is on labor and giving.m. Christians have been taught by Christ and His apostles, since the beginning of the church, to work hard to provide for yourself, and to give cheerfully and sacrificially to the work of the ministry and to the alleviation of believers in need.n. So how are you doing on that front?o. If you struggle to give sacrificially, or have just realized that you haven’t been giving sacrificially at all…p. Perhaps, for you, 10% is a good place to start. Not as a rule or law… but as an easy entry into this concept.q. And the nice thing about 10% is that is scales to what the Lord gives you. Those with less, give less. Those with more, give more.5.) [Slide 22] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Jesus has given gifts of godly leaders to teach and demonstrate Christlikeness. a. We live in an era of mistrust. And I don’t think we are called to trust leaders unconditionally.b. But I’ve seen the pendulum swing both ways.c. I’ve seen godly pastors bullied, abused, ganged up on, belittled, ridiculed, and treated more like a church’s slave than its servant leader.d. I’ve also seen ungodly pastors revered, followed, and obsessively supported to the point that no matter what they do wrong – everyone sees them through rose colored glasses.e. But Christian, Jesus didn’t design either of these to be His church.f. He gave gifts to the church. Apostles first to get the church off on a good foundation. He gave prophets to keep the church physically safe and on the correct path in doctrine. He gave the church Shepherds in the office of the Elder to teach and spiritually care for the flock. And He gave the church evangelists to leave their gathered assembly to take the gospel message to people who have never heard.g. The purpose of these gifts was to equip the church for ministry. The church does the ministry and the leaders teach and demonstrate it.h. That should be a great comfort to us but it is also a rebuke to us who may be tempted to see the church or the Elders as something different than I have just described.6.) [Slide 23] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The goal of salvation is for you to conform to the Christian tradition, not getting out of hell.a. Certainly, talking about the lake of fire and the eternal punishment for sin, is a message we need right now.b. Especially because our culture largely views God as a big soft teddy bear that doesn’t judge you, and just loves you for who you are.c. God does love His creation – but that won’t stop Him from justly judging all who are not made perfect in Christ.d. And that is just it… God never says anywhere that the goal of salvation is to save men from His own judgment. In fact, the Scriptures teach that the goal of salvation is first, to bring Him glory, and He does that by carving out a people who love, honor, worship, and obey Him progressively in this life and perfectly in His Kingdom.e. Christ perfectly loved, honored, worshipped, and obeyed God while He was on earth.f. He died for the sins of His people.g. He was raised to defeat death and He now has the keys to that realm.h. And He sends His Spirit to be with and help those who are His to become more and more like Him until He finally saves them in the end and perfects them for His kingdom.i. My friends, salvation isn’t about getting out of hell. It is about making a people who are no longer fit to be there. A people who are holy. A people who reject the lies of sin and Satan and submit to their Lord and King, Jesus.j. Perhaps you’ve come to Christ to get you out of hell – but not to rule your life.k. Perhaps you’ve never come to Christ at all.l. Those who turn from their sin and trust in Him alone… will be saved. Which means that they will be conformed to Him.m. What will you do with this Jesus?n. Let me or another Christian know if you would like to start being conformed to Jesus today. [Slide 24 (end)] Let me close with a word of prayer from the reformer John Calvin. Almighty God, you see how your Church today is miserably torn by many conflicts. You see how there are so many traitorous ministers who continue to plague it. Help us to experience what you have promised in Scripture by your prophet: That you will be the perpetual guardian of your chosen people—people you have received and embraced so they can move ahead with courage through any conflict and emerge as conquerors. Would you also now stretch out your hand against the sin you have denounced? Reduce to nothing not only those who oppose you and your servants and your children, but also those serpents who harass and torment your church through intrigue, fraud, and other indecent means. Do this until at last we see a full triumph in your kingdom, together with Christ Jesus, our Lord and head. For it is in His name we pray this… Amen. Benediction:Now may He who is the mystery of godliness, He who appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, and taken up in glory;May He humble you under His mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

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Title: A Loyal HusbandText: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5FCF: We often struggle trusting the promises given to us through Christ.Prop: Because Jesus is faithful to His bride, we must pray in His will and look to Him to help us live for Him. Scripture Intro: ESV[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. In a moment we’ll read from the English Standard Version starting in verse 1 and going through verse 5. Last time in 2 Thessalonians we saw Paul close out his teaching section with a benediction. A good word expressed toward God on behalf of the Thessalonian church. In this letter, Paul is addressing concerns of the Thessalonians primarily surrounding them being persecuted for their faith in Christ and the believing a false teaching that the Day of the Lord has already come. Paul has taken great pains to assure them that from his perspective they are truly genuine believers. He has also reminded them of things he taught them concerning the Day of the Lord and how the falling away of many professed believers and the coming of the lawless man must precede Christ’s return. But again Paul expresses his confidence that they are elect of God from the beginning and chosen to obtain the glory of Christ. Therefore, they must keep holding to the Christian tradition and believe and live as they were taught. And in his closing benediction in chapter 2 he prays for that end. Today Paul will turn toward the last things he wants to say before the letter comes to a close. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation:God of love, we come to you today as the dear bride of Your beloved Son in whom You are well pleased. Because we are betrothed to Him, You are also pleased to love us as you love Him. You gave Him to save us and He has sent The Spirit to guide and keep us. You are still seeking all those for whom Christ died and You will reach them and none of them will be lost. For this, and for so much more we are ever thankful for Your love for us. May we see this in Your Word today. We pray this in our Glorious Groom’s name, Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] “We are never nearer Christ than when we find ourselves lost in a holy amazement at His unspeakable love.” John Owen “Christ’s love for His people is not a lip-love, from the teeth outwardly, but a real love, from the heart inwardly.” William Dyer [Slide 3] “Every day we may see some new thing in Christ. His love has neither brim nor bottom.” Samuel Rutherford “The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in the love of Christ and the yielding of his affections to Christ in return.” C.H. Spurgeon Let these words prepare our minds for the exposition of the text of scripture this morning. I.) Jesus is faithful to His bride, so we must pray for the advancement of the gospel against all opposition. (1-3a)a. [Slide 4] 1 - Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, i. Paul begins chapter three with the word, Finally. ii. If we were to translate this literally, it would be “the rest” or “what remains.” iii. Paul used this same word in the fourth chapter of 1st Thessalonians. When we looked at that together we saw how Paul uses this word to shift to more applicational matters. iv. Up to this point, Paul’s main objective has been comfort and dealing with issues the Thessalonian church is concerned about. Like how they are being persecuted and how they have come to believe that they had missed the second coming of Christ. v. Now Paul will turn to matters for which he wants to see some movement on their end. vi. Paul calling them brothers is significant because of the context.1. Paul has straddled that line of both expressing his confidence that they have been called by God, counted worthy of His calling, elected from the beginning, and will obtain the glory of Christ – while at the same time encouraging them to stand firm and hold to their confession and the Christian tradition that was taught to them.2. This again points to the paradoxical viewpoint of the New Testament that while a believer’s SECURITY is eternally determined by God’s unassailable will, a believer’s ASSURANCE of that divine call and election is gained by ongoing repentance, faith, and obedience by those who are genuinely elect of God. vii. So, what is Paul’s first application for the Thessalonian church? viii. Pray for us. ix. Paul desires that they be in prayer for the evangelists ministering in Corinth. Himself, Silas and Timothy. x. What specifically for their ministry there? xi. That the Word of the Lord may speed ahead or progress rapidly and be honored or glorified. xii. What does this mean? xiii. Paul is praying that more would come to Christ and that those who have come to Christ might grow in their love and obedience to Him. xiv. And Paul adds a compliment in here too. xv. That the word would spread and be honored like it was in Thessalonica. xvi. Paul really does see their church as a shining example of what should happen when the Holy Spirit comes in power to save God’s elect. xvii. So much so, that he desires that it would be duplicated in Corinth. xviii. But this is not all Paul desires pray for. As the other side of the coin to this prayer request, Paul asks …b. [Slide 5] 2 - and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. i. When we studied in Acts 18 we saw two specific times when Paul was opposed by evil and wicked men in Corinth. ii. First, early on in the ministry there, Paul was opposed and reviled by the Jews whom he was attempting to convince that Jesus was the Messiah. iii. After this, God came to Paul in a vision and told him to continue to preach the gospel for there were many in the city that were His people and that He would protect Paul from any attack. iv. But much later Paul faced another bout of Jewish opposition when they brought him before Gallio and the tribunal of the city. v. And so, in both cases, it was the Jews who opposed and reviled Paul and his message. vi. Timing wise then, since the event with Gallio happens much later and springs up quickly, it makes most sense that Paul writes this after the initial opposition and reviling of the Jews. vii. Therefore, God promising to protect Paul for a time, is an answer to the Thessalonian’s prayer that the word would go forth and that the evangelists would be delivered from wicked and evil men. viii. But Paul makes one final point about these men that I find fascinating.c. [Slide 6] For not all have faith. i. Paul draws a solid black line connecting evil and wicked men to those who do not have faith. ii. In some sense, men and women of the world are capable of doing kind and good things. Your unbelieving neighbor can mow your lawn for you as an act of kindness. iii. Your unbelieving co-worker can go get you a coffee from the break room because they thought you needed it. iv. Your right wing, republican, conservative, ultra moral Mormon friend can agree with you on literally every single issue. v. [Slide 7] But Hebrews 11:6 states that “without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who draws near to Him must believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him.” vi. What is meant by this verse? vii. The only way to please God is to draw near to Him by faith. What does it mean to draw near to Him by faith?1. First, one must believe that God is.a. But many people believe that God exists.b. Does the writer of Hebrews aim so low as to simply be a Theist.c. As long as I am not an Atheist or Agnostic then I am on the right path?d. No. i. The writer of Hebrews is talking to Jewish Christians who are tempted to go back to Judaism because they are being persecuted by Jews. ii. If they convert back to Judaism then they will stop being persecuted. iii. Both Jews and Christians believe in God. And in some sense, they believe in the same God. iv. But the writer of Hebrews insists that this shared belief in God’s existence is not enough.e. Instead, we should see the statement before it as a guide. For those who wish to draw near to God.f. In Judaism, this is something that they could not really do. There was distance maintained because of sin.g. But drawing near to God is possible if you do so by faith. Faith in what?h. First that God… as revealed by Jesus Christ… exists. It is a confidence, in the character and nature of the One true God as you come to experiential knowledge through faith in Jesus Christ.i. To believe God exists and to draw near to Him is to have a devotion and love for His presence and participation with Him in every area of life through faith in Jesus Christ.j. Jesus Himself said that He and the Father are one. If we have seen Him we have seen the Father. Indeed, the only way to the Father is through Him. So to draw near to God, must be through faith in Jesus Christ.k. The God that we must believe exists, is the God whom Christ revealed. Nothing less will lead to us drawing near to God or to pleasing Him.2. Second, faith means to believe that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him.a. To trust God is to trust Him as good, loving, generous, merciful, gracious and kind.b. God is pleased by actions done in faith because believers draw near to Him in confidence that He is good and will not cast them aside. Even if their lives crumble, they trust in God’s character and goodness to them. viii. [Slide 8] So, after this little lesson about how it is impossible to please God without faith – why is what Paul says here significant? ix. Because the majority of the people whom he is calling evil and wicked… are Jews who have rejected Jesus as their Messiah. x. Friends… mankind has a sickness and it is sin. xi. And yeah, your neighbor might plow your driveway or give you coffee… xii. They may be very religious and morally upright… xiii. But if they don’t have faith in Jesus Christ alone … They are wicked and they are evil. xiv. If they don’t believe in the God whom Christ has revealed and believe that He rewards those who diligently seek Him… then they are wicked and evil. xv. Ghandi did a lot of wonderful great things in this world… but he was still wicked and evil and he will still be judged for not pleasing God. xvi. And to this Thessalonian church which might be tempted to abandon its faith because of persecution – Paul’s words no doubt have a quiet exhortation here. xvii. The only thing keeping them from being wicked and evil… is Christ… on whom they are believing. xviii. Paul’s final thought here serves as a connecting thought for both this point and the next.d. [Slide 9] 3 - But the Lord is faithful. i. Paul is asking the Thessalonians to pray for him and the other evangelists as they minister in Corinth. ii. That the gospel would go forth and be honored as it was there in their city. iii. But also, that evil and wicked men would be held at bay as they minister there. iv. In this, Paul may paint a bleak picture to what is going on in the city of Corinth. v. But he doesn’t want them to think that he is without hope. vi. In fact, in contrast to the faithless men who are evil and wicked and trying to impede the gospel – Jesus is faith… full. He is full of faith. vii. Meaning He is trustworthy. He is willing that the gospel would go forward. He is able to make it so. viii. And as we’ve already pointed out – God will or has already revealed to Paul that he will not be harmed in Corinth because God has many of His children there who have yet to receive the gospel. ix. Jesus is faithful indeed.e. [Slide 10] Summary of the Point: The truth upon which Paul hangs the first two applications for the Thessalonians, is that Jesus… is faithful. Jesus is trustworthy. Jesus… is loyal. But loyal to whom? Jesus is loyal to His bride. Those whom God has elected from the beginning. Those whom He has called with an eternal calling. Those whom He has appointed to obtain the glory of Christ. Jesus is faithful to Paul and His companions who are preaching the gospel in Corinth. Jesus is faithful as a shepherd to those lost sheep who are His who have not yet been found Corinth. And Jesus is faithful to us. Because Jesus is faithful to His people… we must pray for the advancement of the gospel and the restraining of those who would oppose it. That God would actively prevent faithless people from undermining the work while at the same time, causing the word to run freely and be honored. We must be praying for the Kingdom to continue to spread. Transition:[Slide 11 (blank)] But what other applications can be drawn from this theological bulwark, that Jesus is faithful? II.) Jesus is faithful to His bride, so we must look to Him for help to continue to be what He wants us to be. (3-5)a. [Slide 12] 3 - But the Lord is faithful. i. I begin here again to emphasize the transitional nature of this statement. ii. Jesus is not only faithful to meet the needs of the evangelists in Corinth… but as Paul will express to them now, He is also faithful to meet the needs of their church in Thessalonica.b. [Slide 13] He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. i. Paul says with confidence that the Lord Jesus will not abandon His people. ii. He is here with us in His Spirit. He is with us to the end of the age. iii. While physically He is present in Heaven as our advocate, He is spiritually present with His church through the Holy Spirit. iv. Therefore, Paul is confident that He will establish or make firm or strengthen them. v. We must see this as spiritual strength and not physical. vi. While God is good and clothes and feeds us – many Christians have been poor, hungry, lacking shelter or clothing. The food and clothing that God promises, like the strength He promises, is primarily and mostly spiritual. vii. This life is a vapor and a shadow. If God permits us to be hungry and weak in this life – we can still trust that we will be fed and strong spiritually in this life. And we can also trust that we will be spiritually full and spiritually strong in His Kingdom. viii. But spiritual strength is not enough to face every obstacle in this life. ix. That is why Paul is also confident that Jesus will guard us against the Evil One. x. While the Greek does not have the word “one” it does have the article “the evil” xi. Often times this is used this way to indicate not an abstract idea of evil but an embodiment of evil. xii. Satan or the Devil is in view here. The evil one is our enemy. And Paul is confident that Jesus will protect us from him. xiii. Jesus told His disciples that Satan wished to sift them like wheat but that He prayed for them. xiv. Jesus is now glorified and given a position of authority in the Kingdom of God. The One who once prayed for His disciples now sits on heaven’s throne. xv. He will continue to protect His people. xvi. But that isn’t all Paul is confident about.c. [Slide 14] 4 - And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. i. What is the reason that we excommunicate people from the church when they stop obeying God’s clear commands in the scriptures? ii. Why are we supposed to treat them like a tax collector and gentile – meaning we treat them like they do not have faith and do not know God? iii. The underpinnings of church discipline are founded in the confidence Paul has in what truly saved people WILL BE. iv. That confidence is not rooted in their abilities or specialness – it is rooted in Christ’s love and faithfulness to HIS BRIDE. v. Paul is confident that the Thessalonians are believers. That they are elect of God from the beginning. That they were elect because he witnessed the Spirit’s power in bringing the gospel to them. He has said all of this in these last two letters. vi. Therefore, He is confident in the Lord Jesus that they are and will continue to live out the Christian traditions which Paul and his companions taught them. And that they will obey what else Paul will command in the rest of the letter. vii. Just because Paul commanded them to stand firm and hold fast doesn’t mean he fears that they won’t. He is, in fact, confident, because of Jesus’ power in them… that they WILL. viii. The reason we treat professed believers like unbelievers when they stop obeying God – is because we have confidence that by Jesus’ power in us – we can, by faith, please God. We can, by faith, continue to obey Him. ix. So, when a professed believer stops obeying… Jesus didn’t fail. It can only be the person that has failed. In other words – we have no confidence that they have Jesus. Because with Jesus – we have confidence in obedience.d. [Slide 15] 5 - May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. i. Paul uses a benediction like construction here to close out this first note of application. ii. It is interesting that even though he has sought for the Thessalonians to pray for him and his companions, Paul can’t help being an encouragement to and praying for them before he closes out his request for prayer for himself. iii. We see the pastoral and humble nature of Paul to put them… even above himself. iv. He asks Jesus to reveal The Love of God and the Steadfastness of Christ. v. It is difficult to know whether Paul means God’s love for them or their love for God. Both are possible interpretations of the Greek. The same is true for the steadfastness of Christ. But there is a third option which has Paul playing off the ambiguity in Greek to mean both. vi. Paul asks that Jesus turn their hearts to behold God’s love for them so that they can go and love like Him. vii. Paul asks that Jesus turn their hearts to behold His own faithfulness and steadfastness for them so that they can go and be steadfast and faithful to and for Him.e. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: And so Paul’s truth point endures. Jesus is faithful. Jesus is loyal to His bride. He loves them. He endured great humiliation and agony for them. He will establish us. He will guard us against our enemies. When we get a real glimpse at the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ, we can understand that Jesus is, indeed, faithful, loyal to His people. So, what must we do? We must love Him and others like He loves us. And we must endure in steadfastness for Him. We must continue to live for Him. Looking to His faithfulness and His provision enables us to continue to be what He wants us to be. Conclusion:So what have we learned today CBC, that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice:[Slide 17] Jesus is faithful. Jesus is trustworthy. Jesus is loyal to His people. That… is… huge. When compared to other faiths, many gods and messiahs would have their followers die for them. But our Savior is different. Our Savior is faithful and loyal to His people. God has chosen us in Christ before the world began and He will keep us and uphold us until the world ends. That is our God. Jesus’ faithfulness pushes us to do two things. First, we must pray for the advancement of the gospel which also includes the restraint of the forces that oppose it. Second, we must look to His loyal love, and steadfastness toward us so that we can continue to be what He wants us to be. He will help us, so we must keep going. But what does this mean for us in our daily walk? How do these thoughts impact us? 1.) [Slide 18] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Jesus is faithful to His bride.a. Not only is this truth we must confess, but it is also a glorious and abundantly comforting promise.b. Like a good husband, King Jesus is faithful and loyal to His bride.c. From heaven He sought her. He bought her with His blood. He rose again to bring her life. He sits in heaven to advocate for her. And one day He will return to get her and take her to a place He has prepared for her.d. Jesus is faithful to His bride. He is a loyal and loving husband.e. And that, my friends, is a great comfort indeed.f. Because our Savior is faithful… we must also affirm…2.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus will establish us and guard us from the Evil One. a. Faithful Jesus has sent His Spirit to bring comfort, give guidance, and prepare us for that future Kingdom.b. As a bride purchased from the slums of death, enslaved to sin, and children of wrath – we must be taught to reign with Him in a new Kingdom.c. So, we must be refined. But He is faithful to us. He will make sure that His bride is ready for the wedding feast.d. If we are in Christ, we are a new creation. Old has gone and new has come.e. He will continue to establish us and guard us from the forces of darkness.f. This world is full of devils. Wicked men and ancient evils that oppose Him and His coming kingdom. But He has already dealt them a death blow. His Kingdom is coming and now is. And He has firmly placed us in this world once dominated by sin and death and now we bear His light to the nations.g. As His bride He did not leave us to fend for ourselves. He will protect and He will make sure we are firmly rooted in the truth.3.) [Slide 20] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus will enable us to continue to obey the commands of God. a. He will give us grace to help us live each day for His glory.b. Just as He will not leave us unstable and unprotected, so also He will not leave us in our weakness.c. Indeed, in our weakness He is strong.d. We live on the constant supply from His gracious hands.e. He is the vine and we are the branches – our very life is drawn from Him.f. He is the bread and we must eat Him to live.g. He is the Shepherd and we the sheep depend on Him for everything.h. He is the way and we are the pilgrims who follow His path.i. He is the truth and we are the seekers who trust His words.j. He is the life and we are the living – drawing breath from Him.k. Without Him we are nothing. And without Him we cannot hope to be what He commands us to be.l. But remember… my friends… Jesus is faithful. He is loyal.m. He will enable us to keep obeying. To keep repenting. To keep following. To keep trusting.4.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must look to God’s love and Christ’s steadfastness so we may love like God and be steadfast like Christ.a. Paul’s prayer ends by asking faithful Jesus to turn our hearts toward God’s love and His own steadfastness.b. Not so that we may experience comfort alone. But so we might also imitate our Lord and God.c. That we might love like He loves us. i. To love God and to love others is the heart of all the law and the prophets. ii. To love other members of the body of Christ as He loved us is to obey the law of Christ, a new command which He demonstrated. iii. But the scriptures teach us that we love because He first loved us. iv. Not only is this a chronological truth – but it is also a didactic truth. We cannot love first, not only because we are unwilling but also because we are unable. We are ignorant of the love God desires we have. v. It is only when we observe Christ’s love for us that we can love one another the way the Lord Jesus desires us to love each other. vi. We can only love God in the way in which He has demonstrated and prescribed to us.d. That we might also be steadfast like Christ. i. We don’t have a high priest who was ignorant to our sufferings. ii. He endured temptations and trials in every way that we have. iii. He has experienced everything we have and yet He did not sin. iv. He was a pure sacrifice, a priest who did not need to offer sacrifices for Himself. v. He can sympathize with our weaknesses. vi. He endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of God. vii. He walked the pilgrim path already. viii. He has made straight the path for us. ix. He has taken the weight of the yoke so that we might enter it with Him – and bear it up without fear of failing. x. My friends… Jesus is faithful! He is steadfast! xi. And that demonstrates for us how we must also be steadfast. We must endure. We must stand firm in what we have been taught as the gospel of Jesus and we must hold to the Christian tradition of faith and practice. xii. We seek no new revelation, no new interpretation, no new system, no new philosophy. xiii. Instead, we strive to go back… to go back to what the apostles taught. What did they receive from Christ. What is revealed in His word by explicit statement or by good and necessary inference? To this we hold tightly as we endure to the end. xiv. And Christ, our King, is our example.5.) [Slide 22] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must pray for the advancement of the gospel and the hindering of all who would oppose it.a. Because Jesus is faithful…b. He will not let even one of the sheep which the Father has given to Him to be lost.c. He will seek and save them all.d. He won’t let the enemies of the gospel keep any of His elect from coming home.e. So to pray for this… is to pray in the will of God. God will do this – so we should pray for it.f. As we’ve seen several times in the study of these two letters – knowing God desires to or will do something, doesn’t mean that to pray for it we are doubting Him. He tells us to pray in His will. So of all things we should pray for… it is the things that He has revealed will be.g. His word will not return to Him without accomplishing the purpose for which it was sent.h. The Kingdom of this world will not prevail against the Kingdom of Christ.i. We know this.j. So we must pray for it.k. We pray in faith – not in doubt. We pray knowing and trusting that it will be.l. We can pray that locally for Columbus Township.m. More broadly for our state or for our country.n. And even for the whole world.o. We trust that Christ will save His sheep which are lost. Because He has said that He won’t lose even one of them.p. And then we go out and we share the gospel with those who are lost and perishing. Why? Because God might use us… to give the gospel as He wakes them up to receive it.6.) [Slide 23] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” God will send His Word and restrain its opponents.a. The Kingdoms of this world are becoming the Kingdom of Christ. Not in a political sense. Not in a Christian nationalism sense. Not in a one world government sense.b. But in a spiritual sense.c. The gospel is global. It is a Kingdom without borders, without language, without ethnic commonality, without a country affiliation.d. It is a Kingdom that awaits the King to return and consummate its reign.e. That Kingdom is here… and that King is coming.f. Where will you be when He returns?g. What will you do with Jesus Christ?h. You have seen today how He is a faithful husband to His bride.i. Are you still living in the slums of death?j. Are you still enslaved to your sins? Do you even see the prison bars? Or do you still love your sin?k. Have you grown tired of your murderous father Satan, who leads you to the same wrath he has earned?l. Will you not turn from your sin and trust Jesus as your Savior and as your King?m. Will you not follow in His steps?n. If you wish to follow Him… love Him… serve Him… talk to someone you know is a Christian after the service. They will tell you the next steps. [Slide 24 (end)] Let me close in a prayer by the early church father Venantius, an Italian bishop and hymn writer who lived from AD 530 to AD 609. Christ Jesus, you are the Savior of the world, our merciful creator and redeemer, the only offspring from the Godhead of the Father. Self-existing Word, you are flowing from the heart of God, and powerful from the mouth of your Father, equal to him, of one mind with him, his fellow, of the same age with the Father, from whom at first the world came to be. You suspend the skies and heap together the soil. You pour forth the seas, which frame all the lands as they flourish. When you saw our trouble, you became one of us, to rescue us. You were willing not only to be born with a body, but you became flesh, enduring to be born and to die. You endure funeral rites—you, the author of life and framer of the world! You enter the path of death, in giving the aid of salvation. The gloomy chains of the hellish law yielded, and chaos feared to be pressed by the presence of the light. Darkness perishes, put to flight by your brightness. The thick blanket of eternal night falls away. Restore the promised pledge, O power of good! The third day has returned; arise, Buried One. It is not proper that your body should lie in the lowly grave. Worthless stone should not hold in the ransom of the world, or cover him in whose fist all things are enclosed. Take away the linen clothes, leave them in the tomb. You are enough for us, and without you there is nothing. Escape the chains of the evil prison and return to the upper regions. Let us see your face again, that the world may see the light. Give back the day, which flees from us at your death. You return, holy conqueror! The ruler of the lower regions, who insatiably opens his hollow jaws, becomes your prey. The Lamb pulls his sheep from the jaws of the wolf. You rescue uncounted people from the prison of death, and they follow their leader to freedom. As a warrior you earn back trophies for heaven. You have restored us from chaos and punishment, given new life to those whom death might seek. You fill your barns with an abundant harvest. Look at your shining triumph, sacred King! We step forth from the bright waves, cleansed and wearing white. May this people, free from stain, be strengthened in your arms, for it is in Jesus’ name we pray this, Amen! Benediction:May the Lord show kindness to you;May the Lord grant each of you rest;May those who dwell in your house be blessed;May they ever be praising the Lord. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

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Title: Declaration of DependenceText: 2 Thessalonians 2: 16-17FCF: We often struggle fulfilling what God has set out for us to be and do.Prop: Because our loving God graciously gives all we need to be and do as He has commanded, we must depend on Him alone. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we’ll read from the New English Translation starting in verse 16. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Paul has officially ended another major section in this second letter to the Thessalonians. He has had nothing but good things to say about them. He knows they are genuine believers who have devoted themselves to growing in their faith and love for one another. But they are experiencing even greater persecution since the last time Paul wrote, only a few short months ago. Paul seeks to give them comfort through the better part of the first two chapters. He assures them that they are called of God and worthy of that calling. He assures them that the ungodly, who are persecuting them, will be judged by God and cast from His benevolent presence. He then addresses a great concern of theirs. They have been convinced somehow that the Day of the Lord had already come and that they had missed it. Paul reminds them what he taught them and tells them that the great apostasy and the man of lawlessness must come first. He will deceive many and will be the agent causing much of the falling away of professed believers. But they need not worry. Why? Because God has chosen them from the beginning to obtain Christ’s glory by receiving the gospel and with it the truth and growing in holiness by the power of the Spirit. But they cannot be idle just because God has chosen them. No, they must stand firm and hold to the Christian beliefs and practices that they have been taught. Today, Paul finishes up this section and prepares for the next with another benediction. A hopeful prayer for them. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation:Loving and gracious God, we confess that it is by Your grace that we exist. We recognize that we are wholly dependent on You and that without You nothing would be. You are not the clock maker who set all in motion and left it to run. Instead, all things consist in You. Without Your personal, intimate involvement in Your creation, all would crumble. If this is true for all of creation, how much more so is it true for us as Your people. Lord show us through this prayer of Your apostle, the truth of our dependence on You and help us to know and live by that dependence. We pray this in Jesus’ name, and by His authority and power alone… Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] “No folly is greater than to suppose that God is optional for daily living.” Edmund P. Clowney “A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day, as we need it.” D.L. Moody [Slide 3] “They travel lightly whom God’s grace carries.” Thomas A Kempis “Grace is something more than ‘unmerited favor’… grace is favor shown where there is positive demerit in the one receiving it.” Anonymous “Grace grows by exercise and decays by disuse.” Thomas Brooks These thoughts will help set our mind aright as we approach the text this morning. I.) Our loving God is the gracious source of eternal comfort and good hope for His people, so we must depend on Him alone. (16)a. [Slide 4] 16 - Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, i. Paul’s habit in both 1 and 2 Thessalonians has been to conclude a section of the letter with a benediction. ii. This is his fourth benediction and his second in this letter. He concluded chapter 1 with a benediction and will now conclude his thoughts on the Day of the Lord, the man of lawlessness, and the great apostasy with a benediction as well. iii. Once again, a benediction is a good word, or hopeful prayer, usually lifted up to God and is for fellow believers. iv. Paul begins this benediction addressing once again the two persons of the God head that He has featured in these letters. v. We do find it a bit conspicuous that he does not include the Holy Spirit in this benediction, but by excluding The Spirit we should not infer that Paul does not see the Holy Spirit as a person of the Triune God. vi. Paul has mentioned the Holy Spirit a handful of times in both letters. And as we’ve mentioned before, there may be some cultural or local reason that Paul does not talk much about the Spirit, whether that be the Thessalonians level of theological understanding, perhaps the local superstition of the pagans, or perhaps even the Jews may come into play regarding the third person of the Godhead. vii. Since the Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son, we see that He would ultimately be the divine agent carrying out these hopeful words toward the Thessalonian church anyway. viii. In any case, the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father are addressed in this hopeful prayer for the Thessalonians. ix. The descriptions added to Jesus’ name of Lord and Christ reflect the Jewish understanding of Jesus being the Messiah or Anointed or Chosen One of God and also the King or Sovereign One in the line of David. x. Furthermore, when Paul quotes Old Testament Scriptures which use the proper name of God, he usually replaces the name of God with the Greek word, Kurios – Lord. xi. Since Jesus is referred to as Lord and Messiah this sets Him apart as co-equal in essence and attributes to God the Father and thus equally and rightly called Yahweh. xii. Paul addresses his benediction also to God our Father, which is significant to the Gentile population of the church since Yahweh is the God of the Jews and often relates Himself as their Father and they His children in the Old Testament. xiii. So, the Thessalonian church, predominantly gentile, and these Jewish evangelists sharing the same Father, is significant theologically to understand that although the Israelite people have a particular place and status in the redemptive plan of God, it is not significantly different than that of the church which combines all Jesus followers regardless of nationality. xiv. Paul addresses the Father and Son in His benediction. But He is not done describing the triune God, on whom He is calling. b. [Slide 5] who loved us i. Interestingly, the participles loved and gave are both singular, even though there is a compound subject of two persons of the Godhead. Some commentators are hesitant to make conclusions on this – but I am not. Paul understands that although the Lord Jesus Christ is a separate person from God our Father, He is one co-eternal being. Therefore, when one person of the Godhead acts, they all act. ii. But what of this God? iii. There is no attribute of God’s that needs greater clarity and exposition today than the love of God, particularly the love of God for His own people. iv. Just as the “our” in Paul’s description of the Father sharpens our understanding of a Father that adopts children from all nations through Christ, so also the “us” here sharpens the Divine love which Paul references as being poured out specifically and especially to those children whom He has chosen from the beginning to obtain the glory of His Son. v. God’s love for His elect is boundless. It is super-abundant. vi. Make no mistake, God’s love for all His creation is abounding.1. God loves all He has created, even the pots that are made for wrath.2. Even the animals that act on instinct.3. Even the plants that provide sustenance.4. Down to the smallest single celled organisms to the pinnacle of His creation, mankind, whom He made in His own image, and everything in-between, material and immaterial, physical and spiritual – all He has made He loves. vii. How do we know that?1. God’s mercy is lavished on all of creation.2. The fall of man occurred in excess of 6,000 years ago.3. For 6,000 years God has allowed men to hate and love Him.4. He has allowed wicked men to have happiness in the world He created.5. He has allowed men to confess Him and to deny Him.6. He holds together all things. By Him all things consist.7. My friends… that is love. He is literally keeping all His creation running. He is the power, the energy, the fuel that keeps things going. viii. If that is true… of the smallest organism. If that is true… of the greatest sinner. ix. How much more, do you suppose His love is… for those who are betrothed to His Son? x. How much more, do you suppose His love is… for those His Son left heaven to save? xi. How much more, do you suppose His love is… for those He chose in Christ before Adam fell? xii. When we would measure God’s love for His elect… all other loves of God, men, and angels, would appear to be hate by comparison. xiii. Husbands you say you love your wife… But your love might as well be hate when compared to how Christ loves His bride. xiv. Mothers, you say you love your children… But your love for them might as well be hate when compared to how God loves His children whom He adopted from their murderous father the devil. xv. Oh, how vast and how deep and how overwhelming is the love of God toward believers. xvi. His love for the nations is so great that He gave His unique Son, sent By His Hand to see to it that believers from every tribe, tongue, nation, and ethnicity would not perish but have everlasting life. xvii. Far from a trivial human love based on warm fuzzies… xviii. Far from a love proven by tolerance that never corrects or rebukes… xix. Far from a passionate physical lust… xx. Far from admiration or appreciation… xxi. The Love of God toward His people… is a force that cannot be stopped, it cannot be conquered, it cannot be questioned, and it cannot be earned. xxii. What business does the God of the Universe have… in loving us this way? We who were wretches and sinners from birth? We who were born spiritually dead? We who didn’t love Him, didn’t seek Him, didn’t want Him? xxiii. And yet… He loved us. xxiv. The aspect of the word “loved” in the Greek stresses the fact of it and implies a specific act of it. Now we could point to the cross, and we might be right to do so. But within this text Paul has already told the Thessalonians of a particular act that God has done that is loving. Which is, of course, His election of them from the beginning. xxv. The two participles share one article in the Greek. This means that we should see the next participle as connected to and flowing from the fact of God’s love for us. xxvi. What did His love do?c. [Slide 6] and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, i. We should begin by recognizing that although His love by grace gave us what appears to be two things they are most likely referring to ONE thing. Or at least two things that are interconnected. ii. First eternal comfort. iii. If the adjective eternal were not present, we could make the case that God is providing some comfort for them in their persecution. However, by adding eternal, we are clued in to the fact that God is not simply the comforter of earthly problems. Instead, He is ultimately in His love, by His grace, giving us a comfort that goes beyond death. iv. The comfort that God offers in His love by His grace is one that endures forever. It will never fade. v. But Paul elaborates on that eternal comfort by the second description. vi. Good hope. vii. Paganism of this time believed in hope in a purely ambivalent way. And all hope was lost upon death. Though some pagans believed in a spiritual existence beyond death – no pagan taught life after death. viii. And so, God’s love for us gave us by grace both eternal comfort and good hope. To what could Paul be referring? ix. What else but the choosing of God from the beginning a people who will obtain the glory of Christ. This is both an eternal comfort and a good hope. x. But how has God’s love given this by grace? xi. What is God’s grace? We should know this by now CBC. xii. [Slide 7] Grace is God’s power which he grants to people according to His free will, to enable them to be, receive, or do something which they are unable and unwilling to be, get, or do on their own. xiii. We’ve been looking at that definition for grace for some time, and there might be a test on that answer soon. xiv. Because if you understand God’s grace this way, it allows you to crack open the mystery of God’s love for His people. xv. Like here: xvi. The other common definitions of grace, “Unmerited favor” or “God’s riches at Christ’s expense” are certainly appropriate. But how much more do we understand when we realize that God is actively giving us strength to recieve eternal comfort and good hope. xvii. Why? xviii. Because of ourselves, we could never earn or acquire for ourselves eternal comfort and good hope. xix. It is something that must be given by the free will of God. And He has given it freely to us… His children.d. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Paul starts his hopeful prayer for the Thessalonian church addressing the request to the only One who can answer. He seeks these requests from the Triune God who loves His children in giving them eternal comfort and good hope by his grace. He gives these things to us, which we could never earn or acquire for ourselves, and He does so out of His love for us. Although Paul does not specify any response the Thessalonians must have toward this truth, the implication is that they must depend on this God alone for eternal comfort and good hope. Therefore, we too must depend on God alone. Transition:[Slide 9 (blank)] All of what has been said in this benediction is exclusively about God. He is loving and gracious to give us eternal comfort and good hope. So, what does Paul ask for from this loving and gracious God? What does having eternal comfort and good hope mean in this life? II.) Our loving God is the gracious source of courageous faith and strong character, so we must depend on Him alone. (17)a. [Slide 10] 17 - encourage your hearts i. Paul prays that the Lord would use His love and grace to bring courage to the Thessalonians. ii. They are experiencing increased persecution. iii. They are suffering for the name of Christ. iv. Paul’s first thought is that this loving and gracious God would give them courage and boldness. v. This, of course, flows out of the reminder that God has chosen them from the beginning to obtain the glory of Christ. vi. That God has graciously given them out of His abundant love for them, eternal comfort and a good hope. vii. Boots on the ground… what that looks like now… viii. That they would be able to stand firm and hold fast to what they have been taught and endure for the Lord’s sake their trials. ix. The body may fail them, but Paul prays for their souls, their inner person, to be courageous. x. But not courage alone…b. [Slide 11] and strengthen you i. The word strengthen here has the idea of a buttress or a crutch. ii. That God’s love and grace would come alongside them and hold them up and firmly establish them. iii. That they would not only be bold but powerful. iv. This too flows from eternal comfort and a good hope. v. Knowing that we will endure to the end because we’ve been chosen from the beginning. Knowing that we have been chosen from the beginning to obtain the glory of Christ in the end. This pushes us, motivates us, and propels us to be strong. vi. To endure. vii. But this strength is not simply to keep believing or to keep going or living… it I strength for something specific.c. [Slide 12] in every good thing you do or say. i. This is an idiom to include every outward expression of human agency and responsibility. ii. An outward witness. iii. Paul prays that they would be courageous in faith and strong in character. iv. That they would hold fast to what they were taught not just in what to believe to be true, but in the Christian tradition of how to live. v. That is such a delicate balance to strike. vi. Many have remained steadfast in their beliefs but have become just as hateful and vile in their treatment of those who disagree. vii. Many have tried to love outsiders but have compromised on what they believe in order to appear more palatable to those who seek them harm. viii. Paul prays for both. ix. That they would be uncompromising in what they believe, while remaining steadfastly good in what they say and what they do. x. True Christianity, built on the love of God to graciously give eternal comfort and good hope to us, must produce both a people who cling to what they have been taught to be true and also a people who by word and action demonstrate, not merely admiration of Christ, but as true devotion to Him. We believe what we were taught and we live what we believe.d. [Slide 13] Summary of the Point: And so, Paul’s hopeful prayer not only looks to God’s gracious love for eternal comfort and good hope but also for encouragement and strength to remain steadfast in doctrine and practice. The implication again, is that the Thessalonians would rely on God alone. Not that they are passive – but they must remember that God is the source of all these good gifts. They must depend on Him for them. And so must we.Conclusion:So, CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice:[Slide 14] In Paul’s fourth of five benedictions in these two letters, Paul looks to the Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father as the sole provider of the things he desires for the Thessalonians to have. Paul desires that the Thessalonians would stand firm and hold fast to the Christian tradition both in doctrine and practice. In order to do that, they must be encouraged in their hearts and strengthened in their character. That flows from an eternal comfort and good hope that God alone can provide by grace in His love. As Paul looks to God to give these things to the Thessalonians he demonstrates to them that they too should be seeking the Lord and depending on Him alone to embolden their faith and to bolster their righteous living. So, we too must look to God alone for the same. But what does this mean for us? How does this impact our daily lives? 1.) [Slide 15] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God’s love for His people is abounding.a. Without denying that God loves all His creation and all men, we can affirm that God has a special love for those who belong to Him.b. That love is demonstrated in the lengths by which He went to redeem us from sin and death.c. That love is demonstrated in His choice from the beginning to appoint us for salvation.d. That love is demonstrated most abundantly on the cross where the perfect Son of God bore the wrath of God for all who believe.e. That love is demonstrated by His grace to continue to be with us and to seal us until the day of redemption by giving us His Spirit to dwell in us.f. That love is demonstrated in His doing all to make sure that we obtain the glory of Christ.g. God’s love for His people is beyond anything that we can point to in comparison.h. God does use examples for us to help us to understand. He is known as our Father. He compares His Son to our groom and we His bride.i. But these pictures ultimately fail to adequately communicate the heights, depths, and riches of God’s love for His people.j. That is not because God has failed to communicate it to us – but because we are unable to truly comprehend it.k. Added to this, is the extra point that we are undeserving of ANY love from Him much less this abounding love.l. All of mankind deserves His wrath and as Jesus says, are condemned already. Yet He reserves His judgment until the final day. He holds out and gives mercy, even to those who deny He exists or mock Him.m. If God gives love like this even to the wicked – how much more abundant must His love be for us whom He has chosen to save and conform to the image of His Son.n. No other god in any other religion has love like this for His worshippers.o. The gods of Eastern religions have no love for their worshippers. The gods of pagan religions are as flawed and selfish as their worshippers. The god of Islam while claiming to be loving, never promises to allow his worshippers into paradise, even if they adhere to the 5 pillars.p. And all the gods of every religion force their worshippers to earn whatever it is they are offering.q. Only Yahweh… Only Yahweh tells His worshippers that they are UNABLE to earn His love… yet He gives it to them freely and abundantly.r. Only Yahweh says that we love, only because He first loved us.s. Though this God is fierce in His wrath and Just in His judgment. Though He hates sin and those who love it. He is abounding in love to all… and especially to His people.2.) [Slide 16] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that we are able to produce on our own the courage and strength necessary to be what God desires us to be.a. Here we have a riddle in the bible that has been debated for hundreds of years.b. Does God command us to do things we are unable to do?c. Some say that since God commands us to do things it implies that we are able to do it.d. Some say that God’s commands of us to do things merely implies responsibility… not ability.e. How can we be responsible to do things when we are not able to do them?f. But here we see the same riddle on display.g. Paul has commanded the Thessalonians to stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that the evangelists taught them.h. But in the previous breath he thanked God for choosing the Thessalonians from the beginning to obtain the glory of Christ.i. And in the next breath he prays to God to provide what the Thessalonians need to stand firm and hold fast.j. The riddle isn’t actually that hard to figure out.k. I believe Paul gives us the secret to deciphering it in his letter to the Philippians.l. He tells them to work out their salvation in fear and trembling knowing that the One who works in them to will and do His good pleasure is God.m. Meaning what?n. They are responsible to live out their faith and obedience to God. But they must do so in awe and humility. Why? Because without God they would be unable and unwilling to do it. God provides the desire… and the power… to make them what He wants them to be.o. A command does not mean we are able. Just that we are responsible. But God graciously provides what we need to enable us… as we endeavor to do as He has commanded.p. Our flesh is weak. We are prone to fear. But God makes us strong and courageous.q. His power is made perfect in our weakness.r. Because all this is true…3.) [Slide 17] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must depend on Him alone to embolden our faith and empower our character.a. God gave us the faith that unites us to Christ.b. God gave us grace.c. God gave us loved. God gave us eternal comfort and good hope.e. Does it not naturally follow that He will encourage our hearts and strengthen us to be what He has called us to be?f. When we depend in our own strength and try harder to live for Him, we usually fail. Or, perhaps worse, we succeed for a time, convincing ourselves that we did it.g. In truth, we must set out to obey the Lord’s commands… by faith.h. Faith is not simply the way the Lord connects us to the atonement of Christ.i. We live by faith. We walk by faith. We grow in faith.j. We actually keep trusting and depending on God to mold us and shape us.k. This seems like an obvious step but I know that this is one that I miss all the time.l. I set out to obey the Lord and correct my behavior… BY MYSELF all the time.m. I don’t pray and ask God and if I do, I pray once and then set out to do it on my own.n. Grandma Dorothy was such a shining example of this. Even in her old age, and even in her dementia, she would walk through the kitchen asking God audibly to give her the strength to make it to her chair.o. We might snicker at such a thing…p. But perhaps she was closer to what this means than we realize.q. Do we depend on God for every single step we take?r. We live in a culture that values independence. And not just independence from God but independence from anything. I don’t need anyone. I just need to seek self-fulfillment.s. And what a terrible lie it is.t. We not only need each other… we desperately need God to breathe… let alone to stand firm in our faith and hold fast in Christlike character.u. So how are you doing Christian? Do you feign dependence while trusting on the strength of your own arm or cunning?v. Do you not realize that even these are gifts from God which He can take away in a moment?w. We must relearn dependence. For we are truly dependent on God… for everything.4.) [Slide 18] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God alone has given, by grace, in His love, eternal comfort and a good hope.a. If you are not a mere admirer of Jesus but are a devoted follower, then you know the eternal comfort and good hope that God has given you in His love by His grace.b. You know it.c. You know the comfort that it is to know that no matter what happens, no matter how bad life gets, no matter how many things go wrong, and no matter how much the world hates you – you are not of the world. You belong to a different Kingdom.d. You belong to a King who is not of this world.e. This world is just a shadow. It’s a shade. A dream and at worst a nightmare. One that all God’s people will one day wake up from. And just like the memories of nightmares fade… God will wipe away the tears from our eyes over the pains of this life and we will never know them again.f. We know hope. Real hope. Not hope that some president promises. No… Good Hope.g. Hope of abundant life. Hope of obtaining glory for Christ and in Christ.h. Hope of reigning with Him in that new Kingdom.i. Hope of never failing Him again.j. God’s love, by His grace… has given this to us.5.) [Slide 19] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” This love, this grace, this comfort, this hope, this courage, this strength is available to all who believe on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.a. Though God has chosen His own from the beginning… the only way we can know that we are His… is when we believe. When we see our faith rest on Christ and grow. When we see our lives change and conform to His example. That is when we are assured that we are His.b. And so, if you are here this morning and you have never professed Christ as your Lord and Savior… if you are here today and you have convinced yourself that you are His but you don’t see your faith growing or your life conforming to His example…c. My friends… I offer Christ to you.d. In Him, God gives love, grace, comfort, hope, courage, and strength. e. Stop trusting in you. Stop trying to please God. Stop trying to make it through this life.f. Get off His throne and make a declaration of dependance on Him. Cry out to Him to save you from your sin and unto an obedient and Christ like life. [Slide 20(end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Puritan Robert Hawker Blessed promise! Holy Spirit, make it happen in and upon my soul, day by day. Bring me under the continued baptisms of your sovereign influence, and cause me to feel all the sweet anointings of the Spirit sent down upon the hearts and minds of your redeemed. These are the fruits and effects of Jesus, the promise of God the Father. Yes, blessed Spirit, cause me to know you in your person, work, and power. I need you day by day as my Comforter. I need you as the Spirit of truth, to guide me into all truth. I need you as the one who reminds me of the Lord Jesus, to bring to my forgetful heart all the blessed things he has revealed to me. I need you, as the witness of my Jesus, to testify of my wants, and of his fullness to supply. I need you as my advocate and helper, in all my infirmities in prayer. I need you as the deposit of the promised inheritance, that I may not faint or lack faith to hold on and hold out in every dark season. I need you, Lord. I cannot do a moment without you, nor act in faith, nor believe a promise, nor exercise a grace, without your constant hand on my poor soul. Come then, Lord, I beg you, and let me be brought under your unceasing baptisms. Shed abroad the love of God my Father in my heart, and direct me into the patient waiting for Jesus Christ. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Benediction:Hear the word of the Lord,In favor I will show you compassion,So that men may bring you the wealth of nations,In favor I will enlighten the eyes of your heart,That you might fully understand the hope to which He called you, even the glorious inheritance of the saints. Until we meet again, Grace and peace to you.

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Title: Chosen To Obtain GloryText: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15FCF: We often struggle with fear at the thought of falling away from our faith.Prop: Because those whom God has chosen for Himself will obtain the glory of Christ, we must hold fast to the truth with thanksgiving to God. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we’ll read from the New King James Version starting in verse 13 and reading through verse 15. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. As a reminder to you, I always make sermon notes for each sermon, so if you looking for a way to follow along or if notes typically help you attend better to what is being said, I’d encourage you to grab a set each week. There is also an outline of the book of 2 Thessalonians out there too, which should provide a nice snap shot of where we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going. Paul has, more or less, finished his discussion about the coming of the Day of the Lord which must be preceded by the apostasy, or the falling away of many professing believers, and then the coming of the Satanic Superman, the man of lawlessness. Certainly, it is comforting to the Thessalonians to know that they have not missed the Day of the Lord because something must happen first that hasn’t happened. Most of Christendom understands that this has not yet ultimately come to pass. So, Paul’s words are also a comfort to us… the Day of the Lord has not come, we are not living in the eternal state. Jesus has not yet judged the world. And that is good – because the world kinda stinks. But as comforting as it is that we have not missed His coming, it is terrifying to think that a great apostasy is still on the horizon and the man of lawlessness, the beast, the Anti-Christ, is still yet to come and be given power to overcome the saints. What Paul will say next, is designed to give full comfort to the Thessalonian church and by application, will also give all those who are truly God’s people, comfort too. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation:All powerful, Good, Gracious, and Sovereign King. We are thankful that You are in control of all things, including the redemption of Your people. We recognize that we do not see all that You have planned. Your story has been written, but we as characters in your book do not know what our destiny is or even what our next moments will be. But it is enough to know that You are the author of it all. It is enough to know that You have written all things. It is enough to know that nothing and no one can keep You from accomplishing what You have purposed. Although we wrestle with Your absolute control while we seem to have freedom of will, and that may be something we continue to wrestle with for the rest of our lives, we must believe that You are Sovereign over all if we are to trust You and Your promises. So, Sovereign Lord, we ask that you would be with us today and help us. Give us comfort with Your Word, we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] “We do believe in eternal security, but we do not believe in eternal presumption. Let a man examine himself.” Donald Grey Barnhouse “Glory for the Christian is more certain than the grave.” John Blanchard [Slide 3] “The ultimate answer to the insecurity or security of the believer rests on the question of who does the work of salvation.” Lewis Sperry Chafer “The perseverance of the saints reminds us very forcefully that only those who persevere to the end are truly saints.” John Murray [Slide 4] “Though Christians be not kept altogether from falling, yet they are kept from falling altogether.” William Secker “It is a glorious truth that God will keep His people, but it is an abominable falsehood that sin will do them no harm.” C.H. Spurgeon [Slide 5] “God never repents of His electing love.” Thomas Watson “The question is not one of the retention of salvation based upon a persistence of faith, but of the possession of salvation as evidenced by a continuation of faith.” Kenneth Wuest Let these words prepare our hearts for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) Those whom God has chosen for Himself will obtain the glory of Christ, so we must give thanks to God. (13-14)a. [Slide 6] 13 - But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, i. Greek conjunctions are always somewhat of an interpretational issue. ii. The Greek conjunction here is typically translated either “but” “and” or “now.” iii. As far as coordinating conjunctions go, there isn’t much difference in their role for the sentence. But as far as meaning, “and” is simply connecting two thoughts together, “now” progresses the thought, whereas “but” is providing an adversarial or contrasting meaning. iv. What helps us is that in almost every single major translation of this verse favors the adversarial “but” suggesting a contrasting point to that of the previous thought. v. Contextually we can see that quite well since before Paul was discussing the judgment of the perishing who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness, and what follows is clearly in contrast to the fate of the perishing. vi. This signals for us a distinct shift in Paul’s intention. vii. While he was being comforting to the Thessalonians before, it was comfort with teeth. viii. While telling them the Day of the Lord had not come, he was also warning of a coming apostasy and the man of lawlessness who will deceive the perishing. ix. Paul shifts his topic to turn to their destiny, their future, which stands in stark contrast to that of the perishing. x. It also, as we will see, shows a distinct contrast in the activity of God. God actively sends a deluding influence to the perishing. God has also been active toward the Thessalonians too, but in an incredibly gracious way. xi. So much so, that Paul is yet again, BOUND or obligated to give thanks to God always for them. xii. And he even calls them, beloved by the Lord by which he certainly means the Lord Jesus. xiii. Paul is obliged to give thanks to God for these folks whom he knows are loved by Jesus Himself. xiv. But why does Paul feel that he must thank God for them?b. [Slide 7] because God from the beginning chose you for salvation i. There is a textual problem here that leaves the modern translations divided. ii. This is expected because the manuscript evidence is divided about evenly over both time and textual family. iii. There are two options,1. Because God as first fruits chose you for salvation2. Or3. Because God from the beginning chose you for salvation4. The difference between “as first fruits” and “from the beginning” is 1 Greek letter. iv. I won’t go into too much detail but those who favor first fruits make a grammatical case and those who favor from the beginning make a contextual and theological case. v. I personally do not find the grammatical case compelling nor do they answer the theological and contextual issues with it. vi. If you want the full breakdown of one over the other, I’ll be able to provide that this Thursday at prayer group and bible study. vii. But for me, “from the beginning”, seems like the most likely to be what Paul originally wrote. viii. With the threat of a great apostasy looming on the horizon, Paul comforts the Thessalonians by reminding them that even though the perishing will believe a lie and be judged in the END… they were chosen for salvation from the BEGINNING. ix. The word chosen here is also quite interesting. Paul uses a middle form of the verb meaning that God is doing the choosing as an action to or for Himself. It would be entirely appropriate to translate this “God has chosen you for Himself from the beginning for salvation” x. This highlights God’s selection of a people for Himself as His own possession, whereas before we see His rejection of another people. xi. We should also note that this salvation is no doubt referring to their final salvation. Not simply their conversion, but eventually being caught up together with Christ. xii. So once again we note the time association. The perishing will be judged in the end. But they were chosen from the beginning to be saved in the end. xiii. But how? How does God go about getting them from His choosing them from the beginning to saving them in the end?c. [Slide 8] through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, i. Though Paul starts at the beginning with God choosing them, and jumps to the end with their salvation… now he moves backward from their salvation to outline exactly how God does this. ii. First, it is through sanctification by the Spirit. iii. There is a necessary component of salvation that evangelical pastors and churches avoid talking about. It isn’t popular and if you don’t explain it correctly it makes it sound like works-based salvation. iv. The bible makes it clear that only the righteous inherit the Kingdom of God. Only those who are holy will see God. Now we cannot go too far with this to suggest that somehow, we will be perfected in this life. That is an error other Christians make that the bible simply doesn’t teach. v. We also cannot pendulum swing the other way and suggest that we must add to our trust in Christ our own works in order to be saved. vi. But we must understand, as Paul does here, that a NECESSARY component of a faith that leads to our eventual and final salvation, is a setting apart, a holifying of those being saved by the Spirit of God. vii. All those who will be saved on that Day… will continue their whole lives in a process of becoming more and more holy by the power of the Spirit of God. Not as a prerequisite for being declared righteous, but as a result of it. viii. The Holy Spirit is given to those who are declared righteous by faith, and as a necessary result of the Spirit indwelling God’s people, they are made more holy. ix. But lest we think we can start that process on our own and simply try to be as good as possible, Paul goes another step back from our final salvation to speak of the belief of the truth. x. We receive the truth with faith. We depend on it. We surrender to it. True faith is rejection of everything else to grab hold of the gospel alone. xi. Notice how this is the opposite of the perishing. They did not receive the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness. xii. Those chosen from the beginning for salvation, become more and more holy by the Spirit’s power and have believed the truth. xiii. But how did they come to believe the truth?d. [Slide 9] 14 to which He called you by our gospel, i. God calls His people to this truth through the good news of Jesus Christ preached since the apostles’ ministry. ii. The Word of God, the gospel, Christ crucified for sinners, risen, and coming again, is the foundation of the truth we believe. iii. That call is how God gives repentance and faith to those to whom He has chosen for salvation from the beginning. iv. But what is the goal of this salvation? Why would God do all this for us?e. [Slide 10] for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. i. Paul mentioned this earlier in chapter 1. ii. The purpose of God calling us is to bring glory to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and also that we might be glorified in that same name. iii. God’s purpose in choosing the Thessalonians and all believers is so that they might obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus. iv. We… We are the reward of His suffering.f. [Slide 11] Summary of the Point: In contrast to the perishing who have not received the love of the truth and upon whom God will send a deluding influence to believe a lie unto their just judgment, God has actively chosen for Himself a people from before the world began for salvation. He will accomplish this by giving them His Spirit to make them more holy. And He will accomplish THIS by sending them truth through the gospel. And He will do all this in order that they might be honored with His Son. So that they might be a people accepted as part of His family by the righteousness of Jesus. In this the Thessalonians must take great comfort to know that if they are chosen by God, their fate has been determined since before the world began. So, what must those who are truly elect of God do according to this passage? Well first, they should give thanks to God for His choosing them. Transition:[Slide 12 (blank)] But unfortunately, many Christians stop here when they speak of their salvation or election. They conclude that since they are chosen by God and declared righteous by God, that they can kick back and wait for Him to save them. Paul absolutely obliterates that idea with verse 15. II.) Those whom God has chosen for Himself will obtain the glory of Christ, so we must hold fast to what we’ve been taught. (15)a. [Slide 13] 15 Therefore, brethren, i. A good tip that many have often repeated when you are reading or studying the Word of God, is that when you see the word “therefore” you need to stop and find out what it is there for. ii. One of the benefits of studying the bible verse by verse, is that when we come to the word therefore, we don’t need to struggle to understand what it is referencing. We simply need to think back to what we just studied. iii. God has chosen the Thessalonians to obtain the glory of Christ. iv. He has done this from the beginning to call them with the gospel so that they might believe the truth and grow in sanctification and be saved to that glory. v. So, since God has done it all… they just sit tight and wait? Right? vi. Uh… NO!b. [Slide 14] stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. i. Here we see that tension that is alive and well in the scriptures. ii. God’s absolute control of everything doesn’t negate human agency or responsibility.1. Just because God is in complete control doesn’t mean we don’t pray.2. Just because God chooses all those whom He will save, doesn’t mean we don’t repent and believe the gospel.3. Just because God elects and predestines those who will be saved, doesn’t mean we don’t evangelize.4. Just because God has revealed His will, doesn’t mean we don’t pray for it. iii. And so here… iv. Just because God has done all to save us, and won’t let His own be swept away by the apostasy and believe a lie... doesn’t mean we do nothing. v. God has given us responsibility and agency to stand fast and hold on. vi. To stand fast means to hold your ground. It means to maintain a position or remain upright. vii. To hold to means to seize or to arrest or to remain firmly committed to something. viii. But what does Paul mean by traditions?1. In our context we have somewhat of a bad taste in our mouth when we speak of traditions.2. Traditions, at least in our mind, are things that are man-made, that are culturally accepted as things we do, but should be discarded if they lose their meaning or purpose.3. Is Paul telling them to stand their ground and remain committed to man-made traditions? This seems antithetical to things Paul has written before.4. But the word tradition doesn’t necessarily carry that meaning. In fact, in Greek the word typically refers to something that has been passed down from God Himself. 5. So, we should interpret traditions here primarily to refer to what Paul taught them about God, Jesus, the gospel, the End Times, and righteous living.6. In short, it is the Christian tradition that he and all the apostles preached. ix. And Paul alludes again to the various sources from which they have received this teaching. x. Before Paul suggested that they might have heard by prophesy, by a letter, or by preaching that the Day of the Lord had come. xi. Here he says that they should stand their ground and remain committed to everything they had already received from Paul and his companions. Whether it was something they said in their presence or wrote to them in a letter. xii. Because God has chosen them for glory… they must stand firm and hold fast to what they have believed.c. [Slide 15] Summary of the Point: Paul comforts the Thessalonians further by reminding them that God has chosen them for Himself from the beginning to be saved. He has done this so they might obtain the honor and glory of Christ. He gave them the truth through the gospel. He has given His Spirit to make them progressively more holy. He will keep them from the lie because He has chosen them to receive the truth. Not only should they give thanks to God for this, but as Paul says here, as a response of God’s work, they must stand firm and hold fast in what they have been taught. Because it is the truth that God gave to them to save them. They must stand firm and hold fast because that is part of the sanctifying work of the Spirit on them. They cannot be passive agents. They must actively cling to what they have received. For that is part of God’s preservation of them to that glory. Conclusion:So, CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice:[Slide 16] Though Paul certainly speaks to the Thessalonians, we know from the rest of the New Testament scriptures that all those who will obtain the glory of Christ are those whom God has chosen for Himself from the beginning. They are those whom the Holy Spirit is progressively making more holy. They are those who have believed the truth which was given to them in the call of the gospel. In this, God’s sovereign initiative in salvation is highlighted and set in contrast to His sovereign response in reprobation of those who are perishing. God acts in both, but in salvation He acts to bring truth to His people and in reprobation He acts as a response to the rejection of truth by those who are not His people. Paul gives two responses to this truth of God’s sovereign activity, that we must observe. He demonstrates thanksgiving, that God would save His people this way. And He commands perseverance. That BECAUSE God has chosen us from the beginning, we must hold fast to the truth we have received. God’s choosing us to receive the truth should prompt our adherence to that truth, since God gave it to us in the gospel so that we might obtain the glory of Christ. But what does this mean for us in our daily walk? What should we do as a result of all this? 1.) [Slide 17] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God has chosen for Himself from the beginning a people for salvation to obtain the glory of Christ.a. This is perhaps one of the most divisive and controversial teachings in the scriptures.b. Although most believers would readily admit that salvation is all of God and none of us, when they discover passages such as these, they cannot help but attempt to put all kinds of caveats and exceptions in to make room for man’s free will to have some say in who is saved.c. Entire systems are built to try to soften the contradiction of a belief that affirms that salvation is all of God but must be appropriated by man’s choice.d. All that is accomplished is damage to the clear teaching of the scripture.e. This doctrine of election or predestination is not in conflict with the command for and even the need for us to repent and believe the gospel.f. But in order to give man’s agency and responsibility their proper place, we must put them where Paul does here.g. As Paul says here, the belief of the person chosen is part of the means by which God carries out the intention of His choosing.h. Thus, God uses the agency and responsibility of man in His process of bringing those He has chosen to salvation to obtain the glory of Christ.i. In this, God remains absolutely sovereign over salvation while man is still responsible to respond.j. In the Old Testament we see a similar idea surrounding the selection of Israel as God’s portion from the nations. He says that they were chosen because He chose to choose them.k. We also see this develop later in the Old Testament to God talking about a remnant. There were many Israelites who were ungodly and worshipped other gods. But God continues to keep and preserve a remnant for Himself.l. Meaning of course that what Paul says later was true… Not all Israel was Israel. But the Remnant that God preserved… that was His true people.m. In short, the idea that God selects and preserves His own people, is a universal biblical truth. It was not invented in the classical Geek era but was instead part of God’s redemptive process since the beginning.n. And interestingly enough… whenever this doctrine is brought up in the New Testament it is brought up, not to start a debate… but to give God’s people comfort. Not pride… but comfort. To know that God called and chose them.o. Therefore, we must confess it to be doctrinally true that God chose for Himself from the beginning, a people for salvation to obtain the glory of Christ.p. God chose, even before the fall of man into sin, a people whom He would rescue from their sin and preserve them to be given honor and reign with His Son in a new Kingdom.q. He has selected a family. A bride for His Son, selected from among the harlots and purified through marriage to the King. Children whom He has adopted out of another family with an abusive father named Satan.r. And God wants us to KNOW, to be assured that He did call us and chose us for His family.s. It is not humility or some added measure of piety to say that you are not sure whether you are chosen or elect of God.t. Peter commands in 2 Peter 1, that people who profess Christ should make their calling and election sure.u. But how do we know if we have been chosen by God? How do we make our calling and election sure?2.) [Slide 18] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that all who have been chosen will receive the truth of the gospel and grow in holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit.a. The truth is that we don’t have some physical and sure sign to know who is in God’s family and who isn’t.b. But He has told us how someone He has chosen is saved to obtain the glory of Christ.c. They believe the truth of the gospel, and they take pleasure in growing in holiness by the power of the Spirit.d. So long as a person believes and continues to believe the truth of the gospel and continues to grow in holiness by the Spirit’s power, then they have assurance that they are chosen by God to obtain glory in Christ.e. This is true not just for assuring ourselves that we are elect of God, but also to give us assurance of the election of others who have professed Christ.f. A person who keeps turning from sin, agreeing with God that it is detestable and a person who loves, obeys, worships, and serves God, Father, Son, and Spirit– that is a person who can rest assured that they are His.g. A person who continues to see growth in their life as they become more and more like Jesus and continue to follow His teachings and commands. That is a person who is assured that they have been chosen before the foundation of the world.h. Because God does this, because God is active in literally every part of bringing His choice to its intention, and because every chosen one follows this path, we can rest assured that every person who is chosen of God will believe the truth and grow in holiness.i. So, what must we do with these two truths?3.) [Slide 19] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must give thanks to God for His sovereign choice in salvation.a. The Jews of the first century had completely misunderstood the nature of God’s choosing Israel as His portion. They assumed that since they were children of Abraham, by his blood alone, that they would be accepted by God.b. But they crucified their own Messiah. They hunted down Christians and put them to death. Why? Because the Christian message was that their bloodline to Abraham was not enough to save them from their sin. That God would NOT accept them simply on this basis. They must believe the truth of the gospel and submit to the Lordship of Jesus as their King and Messiah.c. Sadly, some Christians gain a similar arrogance at being chosen of God. They see themselves as superior to unbelievers and wicked people. They are pious and arrogant. d. While God certainly wants us to gain assurance of our calling and election, pride in that calling is well beyond what He means by assurance.e. Now… if we believe that we choose God, and it is our choosing God that saves us – we should be proud. We should be vaulting ourselves over and above the wicked. After all – We chose God. We saw the truth. They were too evil to see it. But we saw it…f. But my friends… if God chose us… then it is absolutely illogical to boast.g. Some say, “well maybe He chose us because He saw we would choose Him? Maybe He saw something special in us.”h. Well, we don’t actually have to guess at the reason that God chose His elect.i. Paul, in another letter, relays exactly why God chose us. It is not an answer that satisfies our curiosity but it is an answer.j. God says, I chose you according to the counsel of my will.k. Well, what does that mean?l. I consulted what I willed and chose based on that. Well, what does that mean?m. I chose you because I chose you. That is what it means.n. He didn’t choose us because we’d choose Him. He didn’t choose us because we were special. He didn’t choose us because we were strong. He didn’t choose us because we had great potential.o. He chose us… because He chose us.p. There is only one response that should come from God’s people when they are assured that God has chosen them…q. Humble praise.r. We should cry out WHY ME! I am NOTHING! Praise You God for choosing me! Me! Of all people?!s. That should be our response. We must, we are obligated to both be assured of our calling and election, but also to humbly give thanks to God for choosing us…t. And if that wasn’t comforting enough let me bring a little more…4.) [Slide 20] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” All who have been chosen by God for salvation will obtain the glory of Christ and will not fall away.a. The flow of this passage and the context leads to an inescapable conclusion that is made even more plain in other passages of scripture.b. Unlike the perishing who God sends a deluding influence upon as a response to their rejection of the truth and their pleasure in wickedness – God’s chosen will not be deceived.c. All those whom God has chosen for salvation will obtain the glory of Christ. They won’t fall away. Why?d. Because God is IN every single aspect of their preservation. God won’t fail… indeed God cannot fail.e. Who is going to slap God’s hand away and tell Him no?f. God will preserve those whom He has chosen. They will not fall away. They will not abandon their faith.g. But three things come into this that bring us to our final exhortation. i. Remember first that those who are chosen are not revealed. They must seek assurance of their own calling and election. ii. Secondly, their assurance is bound up in their ongoing belief in the truth and growth in holiness by the power of the Spirit. iii. And finally, we must remember that Paul has told the Thessalonians. They must not let themselves be deceived.h. So even though we know that it is impossible for those truly chosen by God to fall away… that can’t lead to passivity or arrogance.i. Instead…5.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must stand firm and hold fast to what we have received from Christ through the apostles.a. This is how God’s chosen people will obtain the glory of Christ.b. This is part of the means God uses to preserve His chosen people from falling away and believing lies.c. He gives us His word. He gives us warnings and commands.d. Just like Paul gave to the Thessalonians. He gives them also to us.e. We must stand firm in what we have been taught. We must cling to the Scriptures and the faithful transmission of Christ’s words to His church through the apostles and their inspired books.f. We must not put the scriptures secondary and doubt what they have taught about anything – especially what they have taught about God, the gospel, and the sinfulness of humanity.g. We must hold fast to the truth and the godly lifestyles that the scriptures teach. We must not seek ways to reinterpret the text in order to allow for us to break God’s clear laws.h. We must pursue holiness – not lustful passions. We must pursue Christ not money. We must keep our eyes fixed on following Jesus and serving and obeying all that He has said.i. That is, in part, how God preserves His chosen people. He has given them a faith… that they cannot walk away from. A faith that continues to work. A faith they love holding on to.j. So, hold fast and stand firm.k. It is a command that those who are truly elect of God desire and will have the power of the Holy Spirit to obey.6.) [Slide 22] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” All who have been chosen continue to turn from sin and believe the truth of the gospel while growing in holiness.a. With all this talk about being chosen of God, you might think that since it isn’t up to you, you might as well just sit and wait for the end and let God sort it out.b. My friend… God is calling you to respond… today.c. His story is written but you, are merely a character in the story. You don’t know how it ends. You don’t know your destiny.d. But you do know something about those whose destiny it is to obtain the glory of Christ.e. What do you know about them?f. They believe the truth of the gospel. That Christ died to save sinners and that He rose and has been given a name above all names and is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and that He will come again one day to judge all men.g. You also know that they believe this so much… that they are continually becoming more and more devoted to God and serving Him and obeying Him and loving Him.h. You also know how those who will believe a lie and be judged live. They don’t believe the gospel and they take pleasure in sinful lifestyles.i. What will YOU do with Jesus Christ?j. Will you trust Him or not?k. Will you serve Him or not?l. Will you follow Him or not?m. Your choice today won’t CHANGE your destiny…n. But if you choose to turn from sin and follow Christ today, and continue to choose this for the rest of your days… it will CONFIRM your destiny.o. As a preacher of the gospel, as a minister of God’s Word, as an instrument playing God’s Message – I command you to turn from your sin and believe on and submit to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. [Slide 23] Let me close with a prayer by the reformer Lancelot Andrews O Lord, my Lord, I give you thanks for my being, for my life. Thank you for nurturing, protecting, and guiding me. Thank you for teaching me, for freedom, and for faith. For your gifts of grace, for my redemption and regeneration. For calling me and recalling me—yes, for recalling me again and again. For your patience and longsuffering to me, many times, many years, up to this day. For success you've granted me, and all the good things you've done for me. For things present, for your promise, and for hope of the enjoyment of good things to come. For my family and teachers, and for those who have blessed me. (I will never forget them.) For brothers and sisters in faith, thoughtful listeners, true friends, faithful co-workers. For all who have helped me by what they have written and preached, for conversations, prayers, examples, rebukes, injuries. ... For all these, and all others which I know, which I know not, for things open and hidden, for that which I've remembered and forgotten, or done when I wished-and even when I did not wish, I bless you, Lord. And I will bless. I give thanks to you, Lord. And I will give thanks, all the days of my life. Who am I that you should look on someone like me? How could I ever pay you back, Lord, for all the benefits you have given me? What thanks could I ever give you for sparing me, and bearing with me? Holy, holy, holy! You are worthy, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive glory and honor and power. For you have made all things. And for your pleasure they are-and were-created. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Benediction:May you be blessed whose strength is in the LordYou who have set your hearts in pilgrimage,Who go from strength to strength,Til you appear before God in the heavenly Zion. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

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Title: “Let No One Deceive You” Part 3Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12FCF: We often struggle fearing the deception that is to come.Prop: Because all who did not receive the love of the truth will be deceived, we must let no one deceive us. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we’ll read yet again the text starting in verse 3 and going to verse 12. Today I’ll be reading from the Legacy Standard Bible but you can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. You’ll notice on the screen that this is part 3 of this sermon. If you have not heard parts 1 and 2, I would encourage you to catch up on the teaching Paul has given regarding the man of lawlessness. The previous two sermons are foundational in understanding what is going on here and how we are to think about the end times. However, the sermon today, although relying on some of the conclusions we’ve made in the last two sermons, is by far the most standalone of the three. The message today is terrifying. It is gut wrenching. Because it speaks of a time when God is truly done with giving mercy to people who have rejected Him. And although God has done similar things in the past – it has never happened like this and only once on this scale. It is also terrifying because it remains in a context which emphasizes that many of the people who are being discussed here who have rejected God, are those who at one point believed in Him. But as terrifying as this message is – there is hope and comfort in holding fast to saving faith. Let’s read once more. Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation:Gracious, Merciful, and Holy Father, You have endured the wickedness of men for thousands of years. You are longsuffering, extending mercy to all and allowing men to profane Your name and reject Your Son while You continue to bless them and give them common grace. But one day You will remove Your Restrainer and allow the man of lawlessness to come forth. One day Your mercies will end. One day Your common grace to wicked men will cease. And one day You will judge the world. I pray that even now You would be merciful and gracious to those in this room. Speak now words of comfort to Your people through this text…but Gracious God, send Your Spirit to open the eyes of the blind here and speak words of terror to those who are perishing. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] ”It is the creed of every sound evangelical church that those who do go back to perdition were persons who never really believed in Jesus.” A.A. Bonar “None sink so far into hell as those that come nearest heaven because they fall from the greatest height.” William Gurnall [Slide 3] “To forsake Christ for the world is to leave a treasure for a trifle…eternity for a moment, reality for a shadow, all things for nothing.” William Jenkyn “To see a ship sink in the harbor of profession is more grievous than if it had perished in the open sea of profaneness.” William Secker [Slide 4] “The essence of apostasy is changing sides from that of the crucified to that of the crucifier.” John Stott “Scripture does not need to be denied for apostasy to begin: all that is needed is that scripture takes second place in our calculations.” Iain H. Murray Let these words prepare your heart for the preaching of God’s Word today. I.) The Man of Lawlessness will be powered by Satan to deceive all the perishing, so we must not let ourselves be deceived. (9-10)a. [Slide 5] 9 - whose coming is in accord with the working of Satan, i. The LSB has put hash marks into the previous verse to set it off from what follows in verse 9. ii. This is incredibly helpful because for we western English readers, this would be quite jarring, since we would assume the “coming” he is talking about now is still the coming of Christ. iii. What we don’t see that would make this even more jarring, is that in the Greek the word for “coming” is… parousia. Advent. iv. However, Christ will not come in accord with the working of Satan. v. Paul is going back now to the topic of the man of lawlessness. And Paul intentionally points to the mockery of Satan here by using the same word he has used repeatedly to refer to the return of Christ. Only this time he refers to the coming of the man of lawlessness. vi. That the man of lawlessness comes in accord with the working of Satan, clarifies and affirms that the man of lawlessness is indeed a man. vii. Much like Judas Iscariot was a man who was possessed by Satan Himself, so also this man of lawlessness is a man that will come in accord with the working of Satan. viii. This is probably an idiomatic way to say that this man too will be possessed by Satan. ix. Now just like the scriptures always see Judas as culpable for his own actions… he was not a victim… so also this man of lawlessness is not a victim either. x. This man will do and say things that are so egregious and so infamous that he could not be a mere man. xi. And this man will go along with it, willingly obeying his father the devil. xii. Again, this points to the mockery of Satan. xiii. Jesus did and said things that indicated that He was no mere man too, all in willing obedience to His heavenly Father. But this Anti-Christ figure will have an advent that is similar but will do the opposite. xiv. But that isn’t the end to the similarities.b. [Slide 6] with all power and signs and false wonders, i. Part of the working of Satan happening for this man is that he is coming with all Satan’s power and influence. ii. He will be able to perform signs and wonders, all of which will be false. iii. How do we determine if a sign or wonder is false? iv. Scripture gives two criteria1. [Slide 7] In Deuteronomy 18:20-22 Yahweh clearly says that if a prophesy does not come to pass, then they know that what the prophet said was not from Him and that prophet has spoken presumptuously and should be put to death.2. [Slide 8-9] Let’s go to Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and read this together. Because what if the signs and wonders do come true? What if they are effective?a. Notice what God says…b. If a prophet performs signs and wonders that come to pass but they advocate worshipping other gods, they should not listen to that prophet. Why?c. Because Yahweh sent (take note of that. Yahweh sent) that prophet to the people to test their love for Yahweh.d. Then God reinforms them of the command. They should walk after Yahweh, fear Him, obey His commands, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.e. But the prophet should be put to death for His attempt to mislead God’s people. v. [Slide 11] The wonders and signs the man of lawlessness commits won’t be false because they won’t be powerful, effective, or come to pass. They will be false because they will be used to encourage people to worship him instead of Yahweh. Or to worship him as Yahweh or Jesus Himself. vi. We know how our Lord Jesus is coming next. He is coming on the clouds. He will gather us to Himself. That is how we will see Him next. In the air. vii. EVERY ESCHATALOGICAL FRAMEWORK AGREES! viii. Remember that my friends. Remember God’s people. We will see Him next in the AIR. ix. No matter what signs or wonders a man does on earth… He isn’t Christ if we don’t meet Him in the air. He isn’t Christ if we must go to Him. The Real Jesus will bring us to Himself. We will be CAUGHT UP.c. [Slide 12] 10 - and with all the deception of unrighteousness i. Another key factor that is hinted at in Deuteronomy 13 was that a person bringing signs and wonders that advocates for the breaking or distorting of God’s laws – cannot be sent from God. ii. Jesus Himself said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. How can the real Jesus appear and lead people to conclude that living unrighteous lifestyles is… fine? iii. That disobeying the law of God… is fine? iv. Did Jesus do this at His first advent? v. He fulfilled the law, but He never rejected it or broke it. Nor did He ever advocate His followers do so. vi. As loving as He was to sinners and as much as He healed people what did He say? “Go and sin no more!” vii. He said, “Your righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees.” viii. He said, “You must be holy as my heavenly Father is holy.” ix. When Jesus walks this earth again… x. HE WILL NOT TREAT SIN WITH KID GLOVES. xi. In Isaiah 11, where Paul pulled the reference to Christ consuming the man of lawlessness with His breath, in that same context it says that in that day “they will do no evil nor act corruptly in all My holy mountain. “ xii. The man of lawlessness though, will be a man who advocates a reversal of God’s laws. Perhaps emphasizing love and peace over righteousness and blamelessness. xiii. Indeed, his only law is that all must worship… him. xiv. But what Paul says next is absolutely essential for a proper understanding of this time.d. [Slide 13] for those who perish, i. Notice that the power, the lies, the signs, these are all aimed at a specific group. ii. The perishing. iii. The bible gives us warnings and we must absolutely heed them. But just because the warnings exist doesn’t mean that there is a chance that God’s promises won’t be fulfilled. iv. God has promised that He will seal all His people until the day of redemption. v. Just because the bible gives warnings of falling away and believing a lie doesn’t somehow make God’s promises null and void. vi. Instead, we must look for a way to make both truths of scripture stand with all their strength without contradiction. vii. And the church has, for thousands of years, understood that it is by hearing the word of God that we receive faith. Not just faith to believe on Christ but faith to believe all that God has said. viii. God’s word is effective to produce change in the hearts of God’s people. His Word will not return void or empty. ix. Warning passages accomplish their purpose to cause true believers to be alert and vigilant. x. This is the means God uses to prevent them from falling away and succumbing to a lie so powerful that if it were possible the elect would be deceived. xi. Paul makes it clear, that the man of lawlessness will be able to deceive ONLY those who are perishing. Why? xii. Because true believers, believers that have genuine faith, will heed these warnings, continue to reject sin and pursue Righteousness, and continue to believe God. xiii. Paul writes this as a comfort to a church whom he is convinced is counted worthy of God’s Kingdom, whom he is convinced received the gospel in power. He is not uncertain about their identity as children of God. Therefore, this comment is designed to give them comfort. The perishing are the ones who will be deceived. xiv. So, they must not let themselves be deceived. xv. But why are they perishing?e. [Slide 14] because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. i. The wording here is actually quite important.1. The expression we might expect is that these people who are perishing would be those who did not believe the gospel. Or perhaps that they did not believe the truth. Or that they did not receive the truth.2. But that isn’t what saves a person and eliminates their possibility of being deceived by this Satanic Superman.3. Christ Himself said that in the last day there would be many who said to Him, “Have we not prophesied in your name, and performed miracles and cast out demons in your name, but I will say to them depart from me lawbreakers, I never knew you.”4. Paul says that people who did not receive THE LOVE of the truth are those who are perishing.5. Only those who cherish the truth will be saved.6. What does it mean to cherish the truth? We’ll get to that, because a little later Paul is going to give us the opposite of this. Just hang tight for now. ii. So, the deception of the man of lawlessness will reach all the perishing because they didn’t receive the love of the truth. What does that mean? iii. Right now, the gospel call goes out to all men. All men are given at least natural revelation that there is a Creator God who must be worshipped and obeyed. And all men are called to repent and believe the gospel. iv. But one day that general call will stop. v. At some point – when this man of lawlessness steps on the scene, the general call of the gospel to all men will no longer be available. vi. That isn’t to say no more will come to saving faith in Christ at this time… vii. God may still effectually call people to Himself. viii. But those who are perishing, those whom God has not elected, will believe the lies of the man of lawlessness.f. [Slide 15] Summary of the Point: Paul has presented who the man of lawlessness is and the blasphemies he will commit. He has discussed when he will come and how he will end. Now, Paul reveals how he will deceive and who will believe him. The perishing, whether they have professed Christ or not, all those who have not received the love of the truth will believe the power, signs, and wonders of the man of lawlessness, and will be deceived into unrighteousness. God’s general call to all men to repent and believe the gospel will ultimately go extinct as all the perishing are given over to the lies of this man. If we are truly elect of God, and we have received the love of the truth, we will not succumb to these lies. But how do we know we are elect and have received the love of the truth? We do not let ourselves be deceived. We hold fast to what we have been taught. We trust God no matter what our senses say. [Slide 16 (blank)] Transition: Perhaps you wrestled with that statement regarding the gospel call. Perhaps you were uncomfortable thinking that there will be a time when God is going to stop calling all men to believe the gospel and will only call those who are elect. Well, if you struggled with that. Buckle up. It is about to get very uncomfortable. Paul will now reveal how it will be so that all the perishing believe the lies of the man of lawlessness. II.) In order to judge them, God will actively reprobate the perishing, so we must not let ourselves be deceived. (11-12)a. [Slide 17] 11 - And for this reason, God sends upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, i. For this reason – meaning because the perishing have not received the love of the truth. ii. God is not forcing them to not receive the love of the truth – but as a response to them not receiving it… God will act. iii. Why do I say that the general call of the gospel will cease? iv. Because God will send a different message. He has already sent the gospel call to all men. v. But He has not sent out another message to all men yet. vi. All the lies and deceit and questioning of God’s truth today is all generated by the lies of demons and by evil men. vii. But one day they will not be the only voices spreading misinformation. viii. One day, God Himself will send an influence that deceives the perishing. ix. Ok. Stop right there. We all know that God cannot sin. Specifically, we know that God cannot lie. So how can we interpret this differently so God isn’t lying. x. Well does this text actually say that God will lie? xi. It doesn’t. xii. It says that God will send a deluding influence. The Greek word for “influence” here suggests it is strong and inescapable. xiii. Notice that it does not say “allow” either. The Greek word here, translated “send” cannot mean that God simply is “allowing or permitting” this influence to occur. The Greek word means to cause to go somewhere. xiv. God will cause a deluding influence to go to the perishing. xv. God isn’t lying, He is sending someone or something to lie to the perishing. xvi. Why? xvii. So that they will believe what is false. xviii. The general call of the gospel ceases because God sends something to make sure they believe something else. xix. Why would God do this?b. [Slide 18] 12 - in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in unrighteousness. i. God wants to make sure that every single person who is perishing, is justly judged.1. This phrase here is the explanation of what it means to NOT receive the love of the truth. It means to not believe the truth but to take pleasure in unrighteousness.2. These are not, however, two items. They are one.3. The New Testament often defines genuine belief as belief unto obedience. To have saving faith is to love righteousness. So, if we see someone taking pleasure in unrighteousness, they cannot believe the truth, no matter what they say they believe. ii. But attentive bible students might wonder why God needs to send a deluding influence at all. iii. If God did nothing, wouldn’t they still be judged? iv. [Slide 19] The answer is yes.1. The doctrine of election is a doctrine of God’s intervention.a. In order for anyone to be saved, God must intervene.b. No matter what kind of Christian you are, you must believe that God saves us and must intervene to do this.c. Otherwise, you are a Pelagian and a heretic.d. God’s elect are those whom God has chosen, according to the counsel of His will and based on nothing of us, to intervene for and rescue from our sin.e. The others that God has not elected will not inherit salvation, but not because God has intervened to keep them from salvation. Rather they will not inherit salvation because God has chosen to NOT intervene for them.f. God judges them according to THEIR deeds which are evil.2. In short, all men are deserving of judgment and wrath because of their sin. God intervenes for some by electing them to salvation. v. So, what is different here? vi. God is no longer passive. He intervenes… but in order to assure that the perishing are judged for their rejection of the gospel and their unrighteousness. vii. This is what we would call the doctrine of reprobation. God closes and seals the door actively rather than passively. The outcome is the same, but God’s activity in the matter is markedly different and it signals an end to God’s mercy and common grace toward the perishing. viii. And the really interesting thing is, although we’ve only seen God do this on this scale once in the global flood, it was not accompanied by God sending a lie. But we do have smaller cases of this happening.1. [Slide 20] In I Kings 22, King Ahab had long heard the prophesies of Micaiah. God’s prophet. Yet Ahab continued to refuse the counsel of the Lord. He continued to ignore and dismiss what God said.a. God determined that Ahab’s time… was up. That it was time for him to be judged.b. To ensure that Ahab would earn His judgement to the fullest, God met in a heavenly council. He and angelic beings took council and God determined the course of action.c. He determined that a spirit must go and deceive Ahab. In that setting a spirit stepped forward and volunteered to be a lying spirit to the prophets of other gods and encourage them to tell King Ahab that he should attack a city because he would be victorious. A lie.d. Of course, God’s prophet told Ahab that he would fail and even relayed the story of this heavenly council. e. But Ahab continued to choose to believe these false prophesies rather than believe God’s prophet.f. Would Ahab had suddenly changed his mind and listened to Micaiah had God not done this? No. He wouldn’t have.g. But that is not what the story is about.h. It isn’t about Ahab’s rejection of God… it is about God’s rejection of Ahab.i. And that is what makes the story so harrowing.j. Ahab rejecting God, is just par for the course.k. But God rejecting a King of Israel to the point that He sends a lying spirit to convince Him to continue to DISOBEY Him? That is what is terrifying.2. [Slide 21] In 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 we see the same thing.a. We see God being fed up with Israel’s disobedience under David’s rule.b. The text of Samuel says that God incited David to take a census, and 1 Chronicles says that Satan enticed David to take a census.c. So, which is it?d. The devil is God’s devil remember?e. God used Satan to accomplish His will. Which was to incite David to disobey so that God could judge Israel.f. Would they have earned His judgment without His intervention?g. YES!!!h. Again, this says more about God than about man.i. God’s mercy does come to an end. At some point, God says, enough. ix. [Slide 22] And that is what is terrifying here friends. x. Wicked people loving their sin and rejecting God’s truth? That has happened since Cain killed Abel. That isn’t new or scary. xi. God sending a delusion to make sure ALL THE PERISHING reject Him? That is God rejecting, forever, those who are not His people. And that my friends… has never happened before. xii. There will be a day when God says… “I’m done with wicked mankind.” xiii. And it will coincide with a day when another says… “I’m God, I accept you as you are, come and worship me.” xiv. And everyone who hasn’t received the love of the truth… will believe and worship that Satan empowered man.c. [Slide 23] Summary of the Point: For their comfort, Paul shows the Thessalonians that one day those who are persecuting them will be given over to the worship of the man of lawlessness. One day they will be judged. Paul’s thought isn’t quite complete. He will continue through the rest of the chapter to encourage them with positive news for them. But it is important that they know the end of the wicked. In order to judge them, God will give over those who did not receive the love of the truth to a reprobate mind so that He may judge them. They will believe and worship the beast and succumb to the pleasure of unrighteousness. So, what are the Thessalonians to do? Keep believing what they were taught. Hold fast and stand firm in the truth and do not let themselves be deceived. Why? Because with this man of lawlessness will come a great apostasy too. They must hear the warning of this passage and not let themselves be deceived, for only those who are truly elect will do so.Conclusion:So, CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and directs our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice:[Slide 24] In his correction of the lie that the Thessalonians have allowed themselves to believe, Paul has reminded them of all that he had taught them concerning the man of lawlessness. And in these concluding thoughts about him, Paul reveals his influence and who will be deceived by him. There is no doubt that Paul does this to draw a contrast between the Thessalonians and those who will be deceived. He will make that even more apparent with next week’s text. But the fact remains, that when the man of lawlessness steps on the scene, he will be empowered by Satan to convince all those who did not receive the love of the truth, that he should be worshipped as Yahweh. God is not passive in this, but rather than intervening to prevent this, God’s mercy has reached an end, and God will send along with him a deluding influence to convince all the perishing to believe his lies. God will give them over to reprobation so that He may judge them for their love of unrighteousness. Paul’s opening application to the Thessalonians remains the application. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived. First must come the apostasy and the man of lawlessness and the deception of the perishing. Then and only then will the Day of the Lord come and the Lord return to gather His people to Himself. Don’t believe anything but what we have already taught you. Otherwise, they too will succumb to the lies of this man and the deluding influence of God. But what does this mean for us? How can we be sure that we don’t let ourselves be deceived? 1.) [Slide 25] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the perishing are those who do not receive the love of the truth.a. Notice once again Paul’s wording here.b. They do not receive the love of the truth.c. But wait a second, doesn’t the bible simply talk about belief, faith being the way God unites us to Christ?d. It does.e. Isn’t this a contradiction?f. Not at all.g. Just as we use the same word to talk about different aspects of the same thing, words like the cup which could mean 8 fluid ounces or just a drinking receptacle, so also the bible uses words differently depending on context. All doesn’t always mean all. Call doesn’t always mean the same thing. And as John the apostle demonstrates in his gospel, believe doesn’t always mean the same thing.h. Here Paul is defining the kind of faith that saves. The kind of faith that unites us to Christ. It is not a faith that merely receives the facts. It is not a faith that merely respects the authority of the name of Jesus.i. The kind of faith that is saving… is a faith that receives the truth… and loves it.j. If salvation is a gift, we’ve all received gifts that we love. We have also all received gifts that we… do not love.k. We are warned in the gospels, that of the four soils of our hearts, three of them receive the gospel message. But only one produces fruit and is, therefore, useful to the farmer.l. The test of true and genuine saving faith is not in whether or not you believe in God or in Jesus… it is whether or not you love and cherish the truth of the gospel in your daily life. Is it precious to you to reflect on how you were once a sinner, doomed to hell, and Christ died to set you free? It is precious to you that Christ gave you His righteousness so that you could be declared righteous before God’s judgment? Is it precious to you that the Lord sends His Spirit to all who are His and He enables us to live in obedience to Christ in an ever-growing way? Is it precious to you that Christ has united you to an assembly of people locally and universally who hold you accountable and encourage you? Is it precious to you to look hopefully toward Christ’s coming as you live holy lives in preparation for His Kingdom?m. This is why when Paul later characterizes those who will be deceived, he says both that they did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in unrighteousness.n. In order to be saved by faith – it has to be a God-given kind of faith. What kind is that? One that propels you to seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness… first.o. Only those who love the truth… will deny the lie.2.) [Slide 26] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the man of lawlessness will deceive the perishing.a. Everyone else.b. No matter what you say you believe. No matter how much time you’ve spent coming to church, reading your bible, or praying.c. Everyone who does not love the truth and take pleasure in righteousness. Everyone who does not seek God’s Kingdom first and His righteousness.d. Everyone else… will worship the man of lawlessness as God and submit to His rule over their lives.e. Fearing that they will lose their jobs, their possessions, their land, their homes, their wealth, they will take his mark and worship him as God.f. And mark my words… a good percentage of them will be those who have claimed to believe on Jesus. Many of them will have said the sinner’s prayer. Many of them will have gone to church and come from a Christian family.3.) [Slide 27] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that in the last days God will give over the perishing to a deluding influence.a. See it doesn’t all come down to this man of lawlessness’ cunning or his power.b. Paul doesn’t give him all that credit. And Paul doesn’t want to mislead the Thessalonian church.c. This man of lawlessness will be a Satanic Super Man… but if God wished to oppose Him, this man would not deceive even one. d. The fact of the matter is that when this man steps on the scene, when the restrainer is removed, God will actively send an influence, probably Satan himself, to deceive every single person who has not received the love of the truth.e. He will do this not because they have not already earned their judgment. But because He is done with evil mankind. He is ready to remake the world. His Kingdom is coming in full.f. Why will this man be so successful? The short answer? Because God wants him to be. g. But…4.) [Slide 28] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that the elect will succumb to the deluding influence.a. In spite of the strength of the lie, based on this text, based on what Paul will say next, and based on the other promises in scripture – we must not conclude that God will allow any of His elect to be deceived by this deluding influence.b. Jesus said that in those days, IF POSSIBLE, the elect might be deceived. Jesus’ wording leaves no room for misinterpretation. It isn’t possible.c. The question then that must be asked, is how does God preserve us?5.) [Slide 29] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” The Perseverance of the saints is primarily about God preserving us.a. The statement, “Once saved always saved.” Is technically true but oftentimes it communicates something that the bible flatly rejects. Even in this text.b. Just because you have professed Christ doesn’t mean that you are saved. And just because you are saved, doesn’t mean that you don’t need to persevere.c. This doctrine must be primarily about God.d. God gives to all His elect a faith that endures. So much so that if we see our faith fail, it is not because we have lost it or because we did not persevere. It is because we were not given saving faith. We were a soil that received the message of the gospel but it did not produce fruit.e. The apostle John says of people who walked away from the faith, “that left us because they were not of us.” Not, “they left us because they are no longer of us.”f. God is the primary agent in preserving His people and enabling them to persevere…g. But… that doesn’t mean we are passive.6.) [Slide 30] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must not let ourselves be deceived.a. We are not passive in our own perseverance.b. Instead, God’s true children will take warning passages such as these and, with fear and trembling, they will cling all the tighter to the gospel of Christ and the pursuit of holiness and righteousness, without which none will see God.c. God’s true children will see the coming of this man of lawlessness, his empowering by the Devil, and God’s active role here, and they will run back to what the scriptures teach and reject the lies even when all their senses tell them it is truth. And even when it will cost them everything.d. We must hold fast and stand firm in what we believe.e. So when we combine the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints with our role in persevering we realize that though we are certainly not passive in persevering… we are also… Praise the Lord… NOT ALONE.7.) [Slide 31] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that Jesus accepts us as we are. Believing this is a symptom of not receiving the love of the truth.a. There is a teaching alive and well today that insists that Jesus accepts us as we are.b. Now what could be meant by that teaching is that there is no prerequisite to repenting of sin and trusting Christ.c. Meaning you don’t have to be perfect in order to believe on Jesus. You don’t have to have stopped sinning in order to become a Christ follower. You don’t have to join a church, get a tattoo, be circumcised or any other prerequisite.d. If that is what is meant – then this is true.e. However, oftentimes this message ends up being – Jesus accepts you no matter what lifestyle you choose to keep living. Jesus will never ask you to be someone you aren’t. Jesus just wants to love you for who you are.f. This… is a lie.g. Jesus died because of who you were. Jesus died because you fall short. You miss the mark. You are not good enough. That is why Jesus died. To pay for your shortcomings and to make you like Him. To change you. He died to make you a NEW CREATURE. Old has died… and new is taking its place.h. Jesus says in order to be His disciple you must crucify yourself… daily… and follow Him.i. He told the rich young ruler to sell everything he had and give it to the poor and follow Him.j. Christ’s message is clear.k. Turn from your sin, follow Him and sin… no… more.l. There is no such thing as a Christian who loves his sin and Jesus too.m. There is no such thing as a Christian who dislikes God’s law.n. There is no such thing as a Christian who loves this world.o. They simply… do not exist.p. They may call themselves Christians… but in the last day… they will be deceived, take the mark and worship the Anti-Christ, so that God may justly judge them.q. Jesus is so not satisfied with who you are, that He submitted to death to change you to be like Him.r. If you disagree – its time to really listen hard…8.) [Slide 32] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” In the last days, many that profess Christ today will take the mark of the beast and worship him as God.a. The tension in the scripture is clear.b. Although God by grace alone unites His people to Christ’s sacrifice through giving them faith in His Son, the kind of faith that God ALWAYS gives, is a faith that changes the person to whom it is given.c. When God gives faith, it is like when someone gets hit by a bus.d. Their life is going to be different from that day forward. It will change… because it must.e. The soil of the heart is prepared by the Lord to receive His truth and produce fruit.f. All other soils may look like they have received the truth… but things choke or scorch them to death.g. There will be many in that day who have prayed a prayer and accepted a cheap grace that forgives sin and asks nothing of them. A grace that has less to do with you being a citizen of God’s royal family and more to do with keeping you from going to hell.h. But the same grace that keeps you from hell, makes you into a citizen of His family and conforms you to His standard. It’s a package deal. You don’t get one without the other.i. So how do you avoid being yet another dupe? How do you avoid standing at the judgment seat of Christ wondering why the books containing your works did not prove you were His?j. You must be born again. You must have your heart prepared by God to receive the love of the truth.k. How do you know God has done that for you?l. Well – is He stirring you now? Do you feel the Spirit of God pulling on you now? That is a pretty good sign that your heart is ready to receive the love of the truth.m. So, turn from sin. Turn from your pleasure in unrighteousness. Turn from worshipping and pursuing things on earth. Money, relationships, careers, possessions, lusts, passions…n. Turn from your desires, your pursuits, your willo. Lose your identity so that you can be absorbed into Christ’s.p. Trust Him and love Him and what He has done for you. Love Him so much that He becomes your first priority.q. Submit to His rule over your life as your one and only King.r. Trust Him and love Him enough to leave all other things you trust and love behind.s. Then… and only then… will you start to see the Lord change you into His own possession.t. If that is you today… don’t wait to tell someone.u. Don’t walk out the door and think -I’ll just tell them later. I’ll just call them later. No.v. If you need to follow Christ. If you are done following you. Tell someone you know is a Christian here. We would like to rejoice with you and help you in the next steps. [Slide 33 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the church father Augustine of HippoIn a vast wilderness full of snares and dangers, look! At your enabling I have cut off many of them, thrusting them out of my heart. And yet so many of these things buzz on all sides about my daily life. Do I dare say that nothing of this sort catches my attention, or causes even the slightest interest? True, I do not spend time in the worst kinds of entertainment, I do not dabble in astrology or the occult. I detest all those sacrilegious mysteries. And I owe you my humble and singlehearted service, O Lord my God. Yet the enemy, with tricks and suggestions, looks for a way in. So I beg you, by our King, even if I am far away from consenting to the enemy, may it ever be farther and farther away. You enable me, and will enable me, to follow you willingly, doing what you want me to do. We ask this for ourselves in Jesus’ name, Amen. Benediction:Now may He who raises the poor from the dust,The needy from the ash heap;And makes them sit with noblesAnd inherit a seat of honor.Bear you through troubled days,To you who trust in God's unchanging love. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

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Title: “Let No One Deceive You” Part 2Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8FCF: We often struggle fearing the uncertainty of the end times.Prop: Because God will cause the man of lawlessness to be revealed and to be destroyed, we must not let anyone deceive us. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we’ll begin reading in verse 3 and read through verse 12 again. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week we spoke at length about the coming of the man of lawlessness both who he is and what he is going to do. We approached this topic from each eschatological framework within Christendom by trying to understand each framework itself and how they view end times prophesy. The oldest beliefs concerning the end times conclude that things will get much worse for Christians prior to the Lord Jesus returning. It seems that the Thessalonians assumed this as well as they saw their persecution level rise steeply. But Paul corrects them by telling them that the Day of the Lord has not come. He then goes on to describing the man of lawlessness and apostasy that must precede Christ’s coming. This event and the man is so blasphemous that no human has ever been so bold as to claim to be over all other gods, sit in God’s temple, and claim to be Yahweh Himself. But this man of lawlessness will. That is why it cannot be the Day of the Lord yet. Today, Paul will continue his discussion of the man of lawlessness and the sequence of end times events leading up to the return of Christ. Let’s get back to his discussion. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation:Sovereign King of Kings, we come to You today as Your humble people whom you have called out of darkness with a divinely given faith. We hold fast to Christ’s work with a rope that was made by Your hands. Such a rope will endure all the lies of the evil one. But this does not mean we can be complacent or passive. We must actively cling to the rope of faith in Christ. Our anchor holds through the fiercest storms. And our faith, if it is saving, will hold to Him. So, Lord, help us to cling to what you have revealed. That we might trust fully in your sovereign hand to uphold us and to bring about these terrible things in their due time. That we might trust Your promise that a New Kingdom comes and that we might hold fast to Christ until it does. We pray this in His name… Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] “If the Lord will not suffer it, neither men nor devils can do it.” C.H. Spurgeon “God is working out His eternal purpose, not only in spite of human and satanic opposition but by means of them.” A.W. Pink [Slide 3] “Satan can do nothing without the command of God to whose dominion he is subject.” John Calvin The devil’s way of extinguishing goodness is God’s way of advancing it.” George Barlow [Slide 4] “The hands of the wicked cannot stir one moment before God allows them to begin and cannot stir one moment after God commands them to stop.” “The wickedest enemies of God are only axes and saws and hammers in His hands and are ignorantly His instruments for doing His work in the world.” J.C. Ryle [Slide 5] “The whole history of the world is discovered to be but a contest between the wisdom of God and the cunning of Satan and fallen men. The outcome of the contest is not in doubt.” “God’s plan will continue on God’s schedule.” A.W. Tozer “To know that nothing happens in God’s world apart from God’s will may frighten the godless, but it stabilizes the saints.” J. I. Packer Let these words sharpen your mind to understand the text this morning. I.) God will determine when the man of lawlessness is revealed, we must not let anyone deceive us. (6-8a)a. [Slide 6] 6 - And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. i. After Paul calls to their attention that he has taught all this to them before, he once again uses the phrase “you know.” ii. We saw this phrase come up repeatedly in 1 Thessalonians. But this is the first time Paul banks on their previous knowledge to make his point in this letter. iii. What do they know? iv. They know what restrains the man of lawlessness now. v. Well, Paul, it is all well and good that they know what restrains this man – but WE DON’T! vi. This gives us one of the most perplexing questions regarding end times prophesy that we have. vii. Who or what is restraining the Man of Lawlessness? viii. Who or what is keeping the Man of Lawlessness from committing his blasphemies and leading this global apostasy? ix. [Slide 7] The uncertainty is centered on four concepts.1. First, that Paul refers to this restrainer as an impersonal force here in verse 6 and then later as a personal being in verse 7. Yet it does not appear that he is referring to two things. So how can something be both impersonal (neuter gendered participle) and then personal (masculine gendered participle)?2. Second, the restrainer could be seen either positively or negatively. Is it a good thing or bad thing that the man of lawlessness is held back? Even as a Christian that is hard to answer. Especially since the Lord’s return happens after he comes.3. Third, what does it mean that the restrainer is taken out of the way? Is this by force? Is it violent?4. Finally, that Paul does not name the restrainer raises the question, why? Why would Paul not name it?a. That question is actually easy to answer. Because the Thessalonians already knew who or what he was talking about.b. But the follow up question is much harder.c. Since this letter is breathed out by God, why is God being unclear? Why didn’t God move Paul to write the name of the restrainer, or at least spell it out more clearly? i. Is it held in mystery intentionally to prevent someone or something from stopping, avoiding, or hindering the work of the restrainer? ii. Would Paul or the Thessalonians be harmed or in danger if the restrainer was named? iii. Is God keeping Paul from inadvertent praise or worship of the restrainer? iv. Has God included enough hints within the text to deduce the restrainer’s identity already? x. [Slide 8] Because of these aspects of uncertainty, there have been several options put forward which arrange themselves into 4 general categories.1. Humansa. The Roman Empire and the Emperor – As agents preventing the rise of lawlessness. i. This answers why Paul would not have named it but it raises other issues. ii. Is Paul placing the coming of the Man of lawlessness necessarily AFTER the fall of Rome? Did Paul expect Rome to fall soon? If he did, this is the only place in all his writings that he assumes so.b. Human government – i. In that things haven’t quite been aligned for such a man to step onto the scene, and humans generally standing for moral goodness by punishing the wicked and helping the innocent is what is preventing this from occurring. ii. This is a more general version of the first one, which sheds the problem of Rome falling but inherits the same problems in that it is much less likely that all human government topples?c. The Jewish State – The fall of apostate Judaism. Although one wonders how and why this is preventing the man of lawlessness from coming. This would be a postmil position in reference to seeing the events described here having nothing to do with the end times and everything to do with AD 70.2. [Slide 9] Christiansa. The preaching of the gospel and Paul the apostle– God’s Kingdom is still advancing. i. It is difficult to understand how Paul might see himself or the work of the gospel as being the thing preventing the coming of the man of lawlessness. ii. This is linked to both the Amil and Postmil position although Postmil still sees this as not talking about end times at all.b. The church – Being salt and light. i. The Mid-Tribulational Premillennial camp believes this. ii. Once the rapture happens half way through the tribulation, this makes way for the Man of Lawlessness to utter his blasphemies and there is none to rebuke him. iii. But why would Paul not mention it? Why keep this mystery from the church? And even though the church is salt and light – it is hard to see or imagine how we are preventing such a powerful man from coming just by existing.c. Generally speaking, I tend to see every human answer, believer or unbeliever, as severely underestimating the power of his man and his apostasy. So what about some non-human categories.3. [Slide 10] Angelsa. The Angel from heaven with the key to the Abyss and a great chain - The binding of Satan – i. During the Millennial reign an unnamed angel who comes down and does not fall down from heaven, has the key to the abyss and binds Satan for 1000 years. ii. Later Satan is released for a time and leads an army to battle against Christ’s people. iii. Amillennialism would say that the restrainer then is this angel and that Satan is currently bound which is why the man of lawlessness has not come yet. iv. This answers the secrecy with the need to hide truth from the forces of darkness. However, taking this view forces us to take Revelation 19 and 20’s description of these events not as a chronological record of events but as the order in which John saw the visions.b. Demonic infighting i. Another view espouses that the forces of darkness are not united and as long as this is so, the man of lawlessness will not come. ii. Paul keeps this hidden to keep them from being united. iii. However, the New Testament in no way suggests or hints at the forces of darkness being disunited. iv. If anything, it seems that Satan has rallied them and leads them. The New Testament says it is the Devil and his angels. This seems to speak of unity not disunity.c. Angelic Warfare i. When the man of lawlessness is mentioned in Daniel, in close proximity we have this report that Michael the archangel is battling against other fallen angelic creatures and holding them at bay. ii. One interpretation then is that this is talking about angelic entities fighting demonic entities and holding things the way they are until they are removed. iii. Secrecy then is to prevent Paul or the Thessalonians from worshipping these entities or praying to them instead of to God. iv. One wonders how simply suggesting angelic warfare would tempt them to worship angels though? Certainly, other parts of scripture mention this. And Paul has touted the growth and endurance of their faith.d. Michael the Arch Angel – i. This is a more specific interpretation of the last one. ii. And bears the same evidence. iii. Again we might wonder what the real danger would be that they would worship these entities by simply stating that they restrain the man of lawlessness from coming. iv. Other passages in the New Testament name Michael and Gabriel.4. [Slide 11] God Himselfa. The providence of God – i. Which summarizes everything we’ve just said so far. ii. In the end, God’s providence is His working in normal and creaturely agency as well as intervening in supernatural ways to bring about His will. iii. Of course we might wonder why Paul doesn’t simply say it. iv. Perhaps the Lord led him to include enough clues in the text itself for us to determine that this is so.b. The Holy Spirit - i. By this it is meant that the Holy Spirit does powerfully and intentionally intercede to prevent this man from stepping onto the scene. ii. The word Spirit in Greek is neuter gendered and when the adjective “holy” is used to describe the third person of the Godhead, it too is neuter in gender. iii. But when the Scriptures substitute a pronoun for the Holy Spirit, they do not use “it” but “He.” Thus, this could explain why Paul uses a neuter and then a masculine participle to describe the restrainer. iv. But why not call out the work of the Spirit here? v. Although quite uncertain, Paul has not spoken much about the Spirit of God in either 1 or 2 Thessalonians.1. Not speaking of this text, commentators have remarked on the absence of the third person of the Godhead suggesting that perhaps there was some connection between the Spirit’s Work and the accusation of the Jews in Thessalonica that Paul was an insurrectionist.2. So perhaps Paul keeps his references to the Spirit to a minimum and certainly never in a context suggesting that He is actively opposing some human power from rising, in order to spare the Thessalonians more grief from local Jews should this teaching fall into the wrong hands. xi. Some of you may recognize that I do not normally include so much detail when we discuss uncertain things in the scripture. xii. [Slide 12] Here is my protocol when dealing with interpretational discrepancies in a sermon.1. If I am reasonably convinced of a specific interpretation, I won’t usually even bring up other options. I will present it as the only interpretation. I usually do this when I thought the passage said something and most if not all the commentators I consulted say the same or similar things.2. If I am somewhat convinced of a specific interpretation, I will usually give other options but present my interpretation as the best without a deep analysis of the others.3. If I am convinced but without any assurance, I’ll give all the options and state pros and cons to both before arriving on my conclusion.4. If I remain uncertain… I am going to give you every option and their problems and probably not pick a conclusion. xiii. Can you guess which one we are on today? 😊 xiv. If a gun was put to my head and I had to decide just one, I’d say the Holy Spirit. And I’ll explain why in a moment. xv. But I do so cautiously and find more comfort in agreeing with Augustine of Hippo who said about this passage “I frankly confess I do not know what he means.”b. [Slide 13] 7 - For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; i. Paul continues to look to the future but without neglecting the present. ii. With this statement Paul recognizes and validates small fulfillments of what he has already said. iii. There is nothing new under the sun. iv. All the things Paul has said will be, have been done in smaller or lesser degrees since the dawn of time. v. This mystery of lawlessness is the current opposition and blasphemy pointed at the God of the universe. vi. In other words, Paul says that all the pieces are there. They are all in play. vii. It is the same story and it’s already been played out in several times throughout the history of the world. viii. And in that sense, there is nothing that needs to be done before it happens again … except that this time it will be the last cycle. Why? Because something will be different this time.c. [Slide 14] only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. i. Two concepts we must address here. ii. First, is whether or not the work of the restrainer is good.1. Generally speaking, Paul seems to indicate that the work of the restrainer is good because it is difficult to see how the apostasy could be a good thing.2. But since the apostasy must precede Christ’s return, perhaps we could see it as a bad thing that he is being restrained. iii. Second, and part of that discussion is what we are to make of the phrase “taken out of the way”1. To be taken suggests by force with violence, which would suggest that the restrainer is evil and opposed to God.2. However, many scholars point out that taken out of the way does not necessarily carry that force. Because of some recent discoveries in Koine Greek grammar we might translate this as “until he comes out of the middle” iv. As a word picture, we might employ the Scriptural story of the Angel of Yahweh barring the way for Balaam to go and curse God’s people. Eventually the Angel of Yahweh let Balaam go but restricted what he was able to say. And later Balaam, although unable to curse the Israelites, did things to destroy them. v. I find remarkable symmetry in this passage with the relationship to the restrainer and the man of lawlessness. vi. This is why I SLIGHTLY favor the view that this is the Holy Spirit as the restrainer. And God doesn’t have Paul mention it so that the man of lawlessness is blind, just as Balaam was initially, both to what is preventing him and to what eventually allows him to proceed. vii. We know that God works this way because He did this with the crucifixion of Christ. Paul says that had the forces of darkness known what they were doing, they would have never crucified the Lord of Glory. viii. God has Paul not elaborate in order to hide this plan from the man of lawlessness himself.d. [Slide 15] 8 - And then that lawless one will be revealed i. We get the impression that as soon as the restrainer stops preventing this from happening, that it will happen quickly and without intermission. ii. The word revealed is interesting on two counts.1. First, it is the same word from which we get our word “apocalypse”, which is what the last book of our bible is called.2. Second, this is the third time that this word is used to speak of the man of lawlessness’ coming and in every case the voice is passive. Meaning that the action of revealing is being done to him not by him.3. This establishes a theme in all of what Paul is discussing here. The theme is, that God is at work to bring all these things about in His timing and according to His will. Nothing will happen without His consent and without His decree.e. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: Although it is certainly debated what or who the restrainer of the man of lawlessness actually is, no matter what option you pick, God’s providential, sovereign hand is certainly the right answer always. God has decreed the end from the beginning. God being all knowing and all-powerful means there could never be any real doubt. Whatever has happened or has been prophesied to happen, is all what God has willed to happen since before the foundation of the world. This is why New Testament writers, and even Paul in this text, speak of things in the future using present tense verbs. This, of course, does not eliminate other agents moving to accomplish God’s decrees and plans, but ultimately all things go according to His will. That being said, whatever is restraining the man of lawlessness, we know that behind it is God, waiting for the fullness of time to bring all things about in His timing. Therefore, we must not let anyone deceive us. The order is quite certain. The man of lawlessness and the apostasy will come after the restrainer comes out of the middle. Then, and only then, will the Day of the Lord come and Christ return. Don’t believe anything different. Transition:[Slide 17(blank)] But what will happen when the restrainer is gone? Can the man of lawlessness be stopped? Paul interrupts himself again… II.) God will destroy the man of lawlessness when Jesus returns, we must not let anyone deceive us. (8b)a. [Slide 18] —whom the Lord Jesus WILL SLAY WITH THE BREATH OF HIS MOUTH i. The last time Paul interrupted himself was to express frustration or confusion for why the Thessalonians could have begun believing that the Day of the Lord had already come since he clearly taught them all this about the man of lawlessness. ii. This time, he interrupts to bring comfort and peace. iii. As much as he has said about the man of lawlessness, and as harrowing as it sounds that the restrainer would step aside to permit him to be revealed, Paul desires his audience to understand that The Lord Jesus Himself will slay this man of lawlessness with the breath of His mouth. iv. This seems to be a loose quote or allusion to Isaiah 11:4 when Isaiah prophesies that the shoot of Jesse will destroy the wicked with the breath of His mouth. v. Well, when will Christ slay him with His breath?b. [Slide 19] and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming— i. This second statement is parallel to the first but indicates to us the timing of the slaying and his being brought to an end. ii. The Day of the Lord. When the Lord Jesus returns, when He gathers His people together, that is when this will all come about. iii. Regardless of eschatological position, this remains true in some sense or another. iv. It is only the details that are debated. v. Christ’s coming will put an end to the works of the man of lawlessness. Forever. vi. Whether this happens before the millennium or after – in one way or another Christ’s coming will destroy the blasphemies of the man of lawlessness. vii. And eventually, if not at the same time, the works of Satan and all who do not believe the gospel will also be judged and cast into the second death which is the lake of fire.c. [Slide 20] Summary of the Point: Although there may be uncertainty about the coming of the man of lawlessness, there is no uncertainty about the end of the man of lawlessness. The Lord Jesus will consume him by His breath and cast him in the lake of fire. His plans will end. His agenda will topple. And his kingdom will fall. Although he and the apostasy he brings must precede the coming of the Lord Jesus and the gathering together of His saints – his end will be quick and final. So, we must not be deceived. Though he must be revealed, he will then be destroyed. Of this we can be certain. Conclusion:So, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and shapes our lifestyles? Basics Concepts of Faith and Practice:[Slide 21] Paul points the Thessalonians, once again, back to what they know. They know that there is a restrainer who is keeping this man of lawlessness from being revealed. They know that there is already the spirit of lawlessness everywhere now. That this mystery, this hidden agenda is behind the scenes working in the world as it is… but that it will not develop into this apostasy until the restrainer comes out of the middle. Once this occurs, the man of lawlessness will come. And while this is a terrible necessity, the man of lawlessness will be destroyed by the breath of the Lord Jesus when He comes again. These truths we must confess and we must not let ourselves be deceived to think anything different. But what impact does this have on us today? 1.) [Slide 22] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the man of lawlessness is being restrained by the sovereign will of God. a. Whatever the restrainer is, there is no question that ultimately it is by the sovereign will of God alone that the man of lawlessness is restrained.b. And it is only by the sovereign will of God that he will be revealed.c. As powerful as the forces of darkness are, they are still under the direct sovereign control of the God of the Universe.d. There is nothing Satan can do to change the Day of the Lord.e. He cannot hasten it forward and he cannot push it backward.f. Satan certainly desires to mock God. And although he cannot be incarnate himself, he longs to mimic and mock the second person of the Godhead and possess for himself an incarnate satan man. A satanic superman as some scholars have said.g. But the restrainer holds him back. And God is ultimately the One who knows and determines the day of judgment.h. So as much as we may fear the apostasy and the man of lawlessness’ opposition to God’s people. As much as we may be anxious about the coming persecution against God’s people…i. God is always in control.j. As Martin Luther said, “Even the devil is God’s devil.” God created him and God ultimately controls his activity.k. We can rest assured that nothing will come unless the Lord allows it to come.l. And not only that…2.) [Slide 23] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” The man of lawlessness will be destroyed by the Lord Jesus when He returns.a. Not only will the man of lawlessness not come until God allows him to, but he will also be taken out by the breath of the Lord Jesus when He returns.b. Just like all of us, as Hannah prayed, his beginning is of God and His end is of God. The Lord sets him up to knock him down.c. This does not mean that believers won’t suffer from his work. Nor does it mean that every person who claims Christ will be spared the lawless influence that precedes him.d. But it does give us comfort to know that God will not enter a fight with this man as if they are on equal footing. His days have already been determined. His hour, his time, is set.e. His end is sure.f. Therefore, we do not need to be anxious or afraid. Nothing he can do will affect the Lord Jesus’ return and His coming kingdom. Nothing.3.) [Slide 24] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must not let ourselves be deceived.a. The man of lawlessness is currently being restrained but the mystery of lawlessness is in the world today.b. This again speaks to the immanency of the events concerning the Day of the Lord.c. Whatever your eschatological framework is – you cannot believe something that requires several events to happen before it can take place.d. The way Paul words this – it could literally happen at any moment. As soon as the restrainer comes out from the middle of it – the apostasy will flood the world and the man of lawlessness will step on the scene, seat himself in the temple of God, claiming to be Yahweh Himself and the god of all gods.e. So we should not believe anyone who teaches something different.f. And for most eschatological frameworks, that isn’t a problem.g. But another thing we cannot let ourselves be deceived on is that God is somehow out of control of when this man will be revealed.h. Even if you take a view that the restrainer is human government, or the church, or the preaching of the gospel, we cannot allow ourselves to think for one moment that God waits to see what will happen.i. There is no rogue molecule in His creation. All creatures, from the loftiest angels, to the single celled organisms and everything in between are completely subject to His decree and His plan.j. The man of lawlessness will come when the Lord wills him to come. And he will be destroyed when the Lord wills him to be destroyed.k. We should not ascribe to any teaching to the contrary.l. We must remember what this text teaches us about the sequence and specifics of the events preceding the Day of the Lord. And we must trust and cling to what we have been given.4.) [Slide 25] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The mystery of lawlessness is at work even today.a. If you are here today and you are not a believer in Christ or you have made a profession of faith in Christ, but you do not see obedience to Christ and growing in your faith as your top priority… then I have some difficult news for you to hear today.b. You might think that you will see the signs and will not believe the deception of the man of lawlessness.c. You might think that you won’t be fooled and you’ll know him when you see him.d. But my friends – Paul reveals to the Thessalonians that the mystery of lawlessness is already active.e. The work of lawlessness is ongoing.f. The lies the man of lawlessness will tell, are already being laced to every society, in every culture, around the world.g. The forces of darkness are at work, even now, preparing you to believe him. Through world leaders, cultural battles, worldviews, values, and commonly held beliefs and practices, they are grooming you to be little disciples of the Man of Sin.h. In all likelihood there are already things you believe, already things you do, already things you value and cherish that will be in accordance with the Man of lawlessness.i. So that when he arrives, you will have one foot already in the door.j. I cannot stress this enough. The only thing that will prevent anyone from being deceived by the man of lawlessness, will be God saving you by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.k. If you are not a believer or you have little to no evidence that you are… if you are not putting Christ’s Kingdom first… if you are not loving God first… if you are not loving others as yourself. My friends…l. You will be deceived.m. The time for you to believe on Christ and put Him as your highest priority is now. Lest you fall away.n. Let the word of Christ chase away the lies that are even now preparing you to be deceived unto death.o. Trust Christ and serve Him only. Put Him above all else. And you will see through the lies of this man when he comes.p. Let an Elder know if you desire to trust Christ and follow Him with your life today. [Slide 26 (End)] Let me close with a word of prayer by the puritan Philip Doddridge. How melancholy does the face of our earth appear when we reflect on the reign of Satan on it, on the influence of the dragon and the beast and the false prophet. O Lord, cut short their power. Send down the angel that has the key to the bottomless pit to bind this destroyer. And when he is loosed for a season, moderate his rage and support your saints under the terror of every assault until you appear to close this perplexing scene by the wise and glorious catastrophe of all things. Then it will be seen that the souls of those who were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus were not lost, and that it was wise to refuse the mark of the beast-though they could neither buy nor sell, nor enjoy their liberty, nor their lives, without submitting to it.Come quickly Jesus, we pray this in Your name… Amen. Benediction:Now may you be satisfied to fill a little space if God be glorified,And not hurry to and fro seeking for some great thing to do,But seek from God daily strength while keeping at His side,Till you can say with the apostle of old,I have learned to be content In whatever circumstance l am in.Until we meet again tonight, grace and peace to you.

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Title: “Let No One Deceive You” Part 1Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5FCF: We often struggle falling prey to speculation and uncertainty regarding the end times. Prop: Because the Day of the Lord must be preceded by the apostasy and the man of lawlessness, we must not let anyone deceive us. Scripture Intro: CSB[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we will read from the Christian Standard Bible starting in verse 3 and going through verse 12. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, Paul definitively addressed the concern the Thessalonians had about the Day of the Lord. That it had come and that somehow they had missed it. Paul answers them directly… it has not come. Today, he will outline a particular event that must precede the Day of the Lord and the return of Christ and the gathering together of His people. And that event seems to be something significant enough and obvious enough that he is somewhat shocked that they have believed this lie, since he has already taught them all of this. He warns them… don’t let yourself be deceived. Because of the nature of this information and the fact that there is such wide uncertainty concerning it, I will be forced to break down this context into probably three or perhaps even four sermons from here until verse 12. But let’s start with reading the entire context before we get into it. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation:God of our salvation, we confess that since our salvation is all of You, that there is neither nothing we can do to get it from You, nor is there anything we can do to void it if You have given it to us. Nevertheless, we confess that this does not make us passive agents in our preservation. You have told us repeatedly to hold fast to what we have received from Christ and His apostles. You have warned us repeatedly in Your Word to trust what You have said over and above what our own senses declare to us. You will preserve us, but the way You do that is by the faith You have put in us. A saving kind. A kind that endures. And so, Lord, we enter this passage to respond in faith and trust Your promise over and above what we observe. Keep us in Your loving care and preserve us to the end. We pray this in Jesus’ name – Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] “Satan doesn’t care what we worship, as long as we don’t worship God.” D.L. Moody“Satan is not fighting churches; he is joining them. He does more harm by sowing tares than by pulling up wheat. He accomplishes more by imitation than by outright opposition.” Vance Havner“There is something very comforting in the thought that the devil is an adversary. I would sooner have him for an adversary than a friend.” C.H. SpurgeonThese words prepare us for the exposition of the Word of God today. Let us begin. I.)A great rebellion led by a lawless man doomed to be destroyed by Jesus will occur before the Day of the Lord, so we must not let anyone deceive us. (3)a.[Slide 3] 3 - Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. i.Paul puts his finger directly on the root of the problem facing the Thessalonians. ii.They are letting people lead them away from what they have learned about the Day of the Lord. iii.Their discernment is vacillating, they have been overcome by sudden fear, and they are believing lies. iv.From verse 3 until verse 12, Paul’s basic application is simply this: Do not let anyone deceive you. v.No matter what others say or how they say it, the Thessalonian church must be firmly rooted in truth and convinced of what they have been taught. vi.But Paul is not going to leave it there. He is going to instruct, or re-instruct them on the sequence of events concerning the Day of the Lord. b.[Slide 4] For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes firsti.Paul gatekeeps the coming of the Day of the Lord behind one event. ii.The event is what he describes as “the apostasy”. 1.The Greek word here means “rebellion” which is most often what we might use to translate this if it were in a political sense. A rebel or a traitor.2.But given the context of this passage, it seems better to see this in a religious sense. 3.There may be overlap as political and religious upheaval will most likely go hand in hand. But when we use the word rebellion here, I think we do generally lose the religious sense. 4.An apostate is someone who publicly denies a previously held religious belief and distances themselves from the community that holds to it. This could, although not necessarily, include persecution against their previously held beliefs. iii.So, to what is Paul referring? 1.Interestingly enough many of the references to this teaching are written after Paul writes this. a.[Slide 5] 2 Tim 3:1 – 5 - “But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Keep away from such men as these.” b.[Slide 6] 2 Peter 3:3-4 – “knowing this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?”c.[Slide 7] Jude 18-19 - “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts. These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, not having the Spirit. “d.[Slide 8] 1 Tim 4:1 – “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by the hypocrisy of liars, who have been seared in their own conscience”2.This suggests that this is something Paul was shown directly by God’s Spirit. 3.[Slide 9] And so, Paul is relaying that in the end there will be a time when people will say they are following the real Jesus, turning from what they see as a corruption of Jesus’ teachings, emphasizing the freedom of their flesh to pursue anything they wish, and mocking any who would suggest that Jesus is concerned about living a holy life. They will claim to be godly but have no power to overcome their own sinfulness. They will divide, they will be worldly, and they won’t have the Spirit of God. 4.Friends… if what I just described to you doesn’t sound familiar… then you are living under a rock. 5.I have just described a cancer that is currently growing in western Christianity. iv.Does that mean that the great apostasy has happened? v.I would… cautiously say… no. 1.Down through the history of the church age there have been several events that seemed to be a great apostasy. a.When the Jews rejected their own Messiah and killed Him.b.When Gnosticism overtook the church and led many astray in the 2nd century.c.When Rome adopted Christianity as the official religion and paganism creeped into it and joined to make the Roman Catholic church.2.And it is possible that what we see happening today would be fitting this prophesy but as Paul will say in a few verses, this spirit of lawlessness is already at work in the world. It makes sense that we would see aspects of this pop up – like birth pangs. 3.But the way this is spoken about, it seems like we might see a much more staggering and global case of people abandoning biblical Christianity and flocking to other forms of Christianity or paganism. 4.Although we see apostasy on the rise in our culture, and have seen periods of it through the ages, still we see great movements of the Spirit and people are coming to faith in Christ. 5.What Paul speaks of seems to be a great winnowing of Christians that will necessarily result in biblical Christianity being heavily persecuted, on a global scale, and seemingly the church will be overcome by it. vi.Although I don’t think this has happened yet – where the United States goes, the world is sure to follow. Should the disdain of biblical Christianity continue to grow in the west, I can see it quickly developing into a worldwide event… especially when the other component of this event happens…c.[Slide 10] and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. i.The identity of the man of lawlessness is, as you might imagine, a hotly debated topic in Christendom. ii.Although there is actually more agreement than you might think, especially between two of the three major eschatological frameworks. iii.Although I am loathe to do it, it is necessary for me to briefly introduce these three major frameworks, so that you are not completely in the dark as to what I am talking about as we go forward. And in order to understand the makeup of these frameworks, you must understand some different approaches to prophesy about the end times. iv.[Slide 11] Last week I already introduced you to one of these… preterits. 1.Preterists believe that some or all of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have been fulfilled, especially at AD 70 when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. 2.Historicists believe that some of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have been fulfilled after AD 70. 3.Futurists believe that all or most of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have not yet been fulfilled. v.Depending on how much of each of these you mix together in your recipe, determines what dish of eschatological framework you make. vi.[Slide 12] The names of the three major frameworks are premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. 1.[Slide 13] Premillennialism, at least one branch of it, is the oldest eschatological position. a.Well known church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Papius, Tertullian, Irenaeus, and many lesser-known individuals clearly wrote about and believed in a premillennial return of Christ. b.Premillennialism adds a heavy dose of a futurist understanding of end-times prophesy. Premillennialism would recognize and appreciate smaller fulfillments, but advocate that these always leave some portion unfulfilled in literal ways. Meaning that they cannot be the complete or final fulfillment. c.At its core premillennialism teaches that the gathering of the saints and a return of Christ will precede a literal 1000-year earthly reign of Christ with His people from Jerusalem. d.After which would be the final judgment and eternal state. e.Even Augustine of Hippo believed this for a time, but eventually became an influential opponent of it. f.Premillennialism today is divided into three broad categories based on when the church would meet Christ in the air prior to the 1000-year reign. i.The historic position is that after the tribulation, Christ would descend, collect His people, and come with them to the earth. This is what all the church fathers I have already mentioned taught. ii.There is also a newer position, represented by one later church father’s sermon composed between the 4th and 6th centuries. 1.His name was Ephraem and his sermon said, “all the saints would be gathered together before the tribulation, and taken to the Lord, so they do not see any of the confusion which overwhelms the world.” 2.This would be the bedrock upon which the pretribulational view would be built. 3.A view that says that before the tribulation period, the Lord would come and gather His people and take them to be with Him in heaven during the remainder of the tribulation. iii.Finally, there is a much newer position that attests that at some point in the middle of the tribulation the church would be caught up to be with Christ and wait with Him until the end of the tribulation. 2.[Slide 14] Amillennialism is also incredibly old. Many church fathers held this view. a.Because this view takes many forms, we do see it mix together all three views of end-times prophesy. There is a dash of futurist, a hint of historicist, and a splash of preterist in this view. b.The view says that the tribulation and the millennium are figurative expressions to summarize the events of the last days. c.The tribulation is not seen then as a literal 7-year period, nor is the tribulation an event that is in the future. d.Amillennialism would see the events of the tribulation as describing events that led up to and including the destruction of the temple in AD 70. e.The 1000-year reign of Christ is a metaphorical age of the church, which begins after the destruction of the temple. f.Within this reign of Christ, Satan is bound so the church can share the gospel, but that doesn’t mean that there is no opposition. g.At the end of the church age, Christ will return, gather His people, judge the earth, and usher in the eternal state. h.There is a lot of variety within Amillennialism, but this is the general framework behind it. 3.[Slide 15] Finally, there is Postmillennialism. Postmillennialism is, by far, the most modern of the three major frameworks of the end times. It’s earliest known writings occurring in the late 1600s. a.Postmillennialism is very similar to Amillennialism, but with a heavier dose of a preterist view of end times prophesy. b.Like Amillennialism, Postmillennialism teaches that the events of the tribulation occurred prior to the destruction of the temple in AD 70. c.After this, a period of time, mentioned as 1000 years but really an undefined amount of time, will occur in which the church will progressively influence the world into a time of peace and prosperity. d.After this the Lord Jesus will return physically and judge the world and the eternal state will begin. e.Although often caricatured as merely supporting liberal social programs to institute progress, or to militantly take the world over, evangelical postmillennialism understands the transformation of the world happening by the preaching of the gospel alone. vii.Having now a basic understanding of each view, we can rightly give the options for how each view sees this “man of lawlessness.” viii.[Slide 16] Postmillennialism understands this entire passage quite differently than the other two eschatological frameworks. 1.Postmillennialism suggests that Paul is not talking about the second coming of Christ at all, nor is it talking about a Christian apostasy but rather a Jewish rebellion. 2.The rebellion then would occur with the events that lead up to the destruction of the temple in AD 70 and the man of lawlessness is none other than Emperor Nero his death occurring just prior to the destruction of the temple.ix.[Slide 17] Amillennialism understands this passage very broadly. 1.Although they do not believe in a literal tribulation or millennium, they do see this man of lawlessness as a movement, an institution, or an individual that telescopically occurs several times throughout the church age. 2.Although Paul’s description here would be thought to refer to the events in AD 70, Amillennialism is broad enough to suggest that there could be several small fulfillments of this prophesy before a definitive manifestation of it occurs before Christ returns. 3.This isn’t a baseless claim because most of the Jews of the 1st century would have concluded that the prophesies about the man of lawlessness were fulfilled when Antiochus IV Epiphanes defiled the temple and set up images of Zeus within it in 167 BC. Yes, over 150 years before Christ this happened. The last name “Epiphanes” means God-manifest. 4.Caligula, who claimed to be a god, tried to have an image of himself put up in the temple in AD 40, which was just 12 years prior to Paul writing this letter. He was stalled and then assassinated before he could see it done. 5.And Roman General Pompey entered the holy of holies in AD 63, just 11 years after Paul wrote this. 6.All that to say – what we have already observed – prophesies like these seem to have multiple fulfillments leading to an ultimate fulfillment. x.[Slide 18] Premillennialism would view the man of lawlessness as the little horn, the beast from the sea, the fourth king that rises up over the other three. The Antichrist. In premillennialism this is a future king or ruler who will establish a global regime, empowered by and submitted to Satan, seeking to destroy the saints of Christ. 1.Although we will not turn to them, there is remarkable harmony between 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 and several other passages which refer to a similar person doing similar things. If you would like to look these up later and read for yourself, the references are on the screen. a.Dan 7:24-27b.Dan 8:21-26c.Dan 11:36-45d.Dan 12e.Revelation 13:1-102.[Slide 19] Furthermore, that a great apostasy would be tied to this person’s rise to power and that he is given the same title as Judas, this seems to indicate a future, celibate, Christian insider, who betrays biblical Christendom and begins to seek to destroy it. a.The CSB translates this “the man doomed to destruction”, which is the same name that Christ gave to Judas Iscariot. This suggests not only that his regime will ultimately fall to Christ’s Kingdom, but also that as a consequence of the apostacy, an apostate will emerge with great power. The man of lawlessness will be a former Christ professor. b.Daniel 11 indicates that this future king will not only not regard the gods of his ancestors but that he will also not regard the desire of women, more than likely this means he will be celibate. c.This could mean that he is celibate because he is focused on power alone and hasn’t given his strength to women (Prov 31:3). Or perhaps he is celibate because he is asexual or even a homosexual. xi.I am of the opinion that, although the other frameworks include godly brothers, the premillennial position fits what Paul says… like a glove. d.[Slide 20] Summary of the Point: Verses 3-12 are heavy on teaching and light on application. That is a blessing to us because as much uncertainty as there is regarding the specifics of the teaching, there are some things that are quite certain. Paul assures the Thessalonian church that the Day of the Lord will not come until the time of great apostasy comes led by a lawless man who is doomed to be destroyed by Christ at His coming. Therefore, they must not let themselves be deceived to think that the Day of the Lord will come before these things. They must compare what they hear to what they have been taught. [Slide 21(blank)] Transition: Paul has identified the event that will occur before the Day of the Lord. He states that the apostasy and the man of lawlessness will come first. We have done our best to identify this person with consideration to broader Christendom. But what will this man of lawlessness do? II.)The lawless man will commit blasphemies that no created being ever has, so we must not let anyone deceive us. (4-5)a.[Slide 22] 4 - He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship,i.One of the primary atrocities that the man of lawlessness will commit will be his blasphemies against Yahweh and His Son. ii.In many of the contexts I put on the screen with the Premillennial position, this blasphemy is spoken of quite plainly. iii.And here Paul gives us a surprisingly rich description. iv.Paul isn’t trying to be vague. He is trying to be crystal clear. v.First, we should recognize that this man of lawlessness does something that LITERALLY no Roman Emperor ever did. 1.We know that the Emperor cult was alive and well during the first century. We know that Caesar worship was going on in many cities that Paul visited. 2.We know that several titles in the New Testament, given to Christ, were actually mottos of Caesar worship which the apostolic authors used to correct pagan emperor worship. 3.Things like, Lord, Savior, Son of God, Image of God, God manifest, Lord and Savior. No King but Christ. 4.It was a deliberate rhetorical strategy of first century Christian preachers to simultaneously denounce Caesar worship and exalt the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ. vi.But as often as we have noticed that Roman Emperors elevated themselves to deity… vii.NOT ONE Roman Emperor EVER put himself above every god or temple or object of worship. Not one. viii.Emperor worship was always viewed alongside the worship of many pagan gods. And temples to other gods were not torn down or replaced by temples to the Emperor. ix.Not only that, but down through the ages, although common to elevate a king to some level of deity, no king ever had the gall to suggest that he was over all gods. x.This gives postmillennialism a very difficult problem to deal with. Nero never claimed to be over every other god or object of worship.xi.Amillennialism too has a similar problem although it is not as problematic since some brands of amillennialism would say there is still a future man of lawlessness. xii.What is certain though, is that Paul’s prediction here is, in no way, fulfilled prior to AD 70. Not if his words mean anything. xiii.Of course, a premillennial framework, which is primarily futurist allows for Paul’s words to be true in their fullest sense. xiv.But this is not the extent of the man of lawlessness’ blasphemy. Afterall, being over all so-called gods, demons or otherwise, and being over objects of worship – is no great blasphemy. xv.The real blasphemy comes next…b.[Slide 23so that he sits in God’s temple, i.Every single eschatological framework has been written about after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the destruction of the temple. ii.Paul writes before the destruction of the temple by 18 years.iii.On the surface, it seems like Paul would most assuredly be referring to the literal temple and that the man of lawlessness would go into the temple and sit upon the mercy seat in the holy of holies. iv.What’s the problem then? v.The temple doesn’t exist and hasn’t for the last 1,956 years.vi.Postmillennialism and Amillennialism suggest that The Roman General Titus did this when Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed. 1.Jewish historian Josephus gave account that the Romans entered the temple and set up images of the Roman Eagles on its ruins and worshipped there. 2.However, other accounts indicate that the temple was destroyed before the Romans entered in and that there is no actual evidence, aside from Josephus’ words, to suggest that they set up images to worship on the temple ruins. 3.And no historian suggests that anyone went in and sat down in the temple. vii.[Slide 24] Amillennialism also suggests that this may be interpreted figuratively, although there are three ways it could be seen – hence the difficulty of a figurative fulfillment. 1.The Authority of Goda.Taking his seat in God’s temple could be metonymy which substitutes something for something that is associated with it. b. “Taking his seat in the temple of God” may simply be an expression to say that he took the place of God – perhaps even that he takes a religious position of authority that God alone would have. c.Some historicists point to the highly problematic position the Pope of the Roman Catholic church created in the 1200s called the Vicar or deputy of Christ, who can forgive sins. Such a place seems to take the authority that belongs to God alone. 2.God’s Throne in Heavena.Taking his seat in God’s temple could also be seen as God’s heavenly throne. b.Many scholars say that this cannot be for a man could not ascend to God’s throne. c.However, if we understand a heavenly throne to imply space – we could actually see someone coming from space (or at least saying they did) and claiming to be the Lord of the Stars. d.I don’t want to go down too big a rabbit trail here – but this is a possibility that seems to be even more possible given recent declassifications. 3.The Universal Churcha.Many times, throughout the New Testament, the church is called the dwelling place or the temple of God. b.Perhaps the man of lawlessness would be a Christian apostate who rises from within Christendom. c.Furthermore, Paul never uses the expression “Temple of God” to refer to the temple building in Jerusalem. What he does call the temple of God are believers who have the Holy Spirit dwelling in their hearts. d.We’ll talk more on this in just a second but let’s get to the Premillennial position on this…viii.[Slide 25] Premillennialism traditionally has seen this as fulfilled literally with the building of a third temple. 1.This is plausible, although this puts the immanency of Christ’s return, to which the New Testament resolutely espouses, at odds with premillennialism. 2.How can Christ’s return occur at any time, when an entire temple needs to be built before someone can go and sit down in it? 3.As someone who leans heavily toward premillennialism, this is a huge problem and the answers that are traditionally given are fairly unsatisfactory. a.Some have suggested that the Day of the Lord and when Christ gathers His people should be seen as two separate events. b.Thus, the temple being rebuilt and the man of lawlessness taking his seat, is a prerequisite for The Day of the Lord and not the gathering of His people. c.However, the weakness of this view is that Paul seems to see both of these events as the same. In verses 1-2 of this chapter, it seems like they are the same event. 4.This is why the Amillennial view of a figurative interpretation is actually quite intriguing. Especially the third one. 5.Maybe we aren’t looking for the man of lawlessness to actually sit in the temple of God. Maybe the man of lawlessness will take his seat among Christians. 6.[Slide 26] At first this sounds bonkers, but Revelation 13:6-7 says that the beast “opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. And it was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them”7.Here John refers to the name of God and His tabernacle as those who dwell in heaven. And he is going to make war with the saints and overcome them, meaning he will kill them. And send them where? Heaven. 8.So perhaps we can be premillennial and not have a 3rd temple after all. ix.But even taking his seat among God’s people or even in the temple itself is not the most egregious act of blasphemy. x.What is the worst thing he does?c.[Slide 27] proclaiming that he himself is God. i.Again, postmillennialism has no answer for such a prophetic word. ii.No Roman Emperor has ever claimed to be Yahweh. iii.[Slide 28] Pope Innocent III declared that “No king can reign rightly unless he devoutly serve Christ’s vicar,” to which he was referring to himself. Although this comes very close to claiming to be God, it is not the same. iv.[Slide 29] No person in the history of the world has ever claimed to be God Himself… save one. The God-Man, Jesus Christ. v.This is why many rightly point out the mockery of Satan. vi.[Slide 30] Satan takes what God does and mimics and defiles it. 1.Just as God is three persons in one God, Satan is the Father power behind the man of lawlessness, his son, and the second beast from the land also called the false prophet, aids the man of lawlessness by giving false signs and wonders. The unholy trinity.2.Just as Jesus was a Jew and rose up within Judaism, claimed to fulfill the law, and claimed to be God Himself, so the man of lawlessness will rise up within an apostate Christendom, exalt himself above every other so-called god and claim to be God. vii.Both the Amillennial and premillennial framework make way for this… but I think the premillennial position gives a clearer understanding here. viii.As close as some emperors and popes have come, none have ever truly fulfilled Paul’s words to the letter. ix.This is all certainly a lot to take in.x.Nevertheless, Paul speaks of this quite succinctly. In only a couple verses he has talked about several extended passages in Daniel and throughout the yet-to-be-written New Testament. xi.How can he write so briefly on such a huge topic?d.[Slide 31] 5 - Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? i.Paul can speak briefly about all of this – because he remembers teaching them all of this in much greater detail. ii.Paul now, as an aside, interrupts his teaching of the man of lawlessness to express, what I see as a bit of frustration or confusion regarding all that he has just said. iii.He says – “don’t you remember?” iv.It has only been a few months, at most a year since Paul and his companions were with them in Thessalonica. v.They should remember….vi.Paul is shocked that they are vacillating on this issue when it was so recent that he taught them these things. vii.But this drives us back to the original exhortation which Paul began in verse 3. viii.They have “let themselves” be deceived. ix.In this he also teaches them the cure to not allowing themselves to be deceived. x.It is, quite simply, to remember what they have been taught. xi.Compare what they are hearing, what is causing them fear, and what they are being tempted to believe to what they have already been taught. xii.Anything that contradicts – must be cast aside. e.[Slide 32] Summary of the Point: Again, shoving aside all the uncertain things, we can arrive at certain truths. The lawless man will commit acts of blasphemy so egregious that they have never been or been allowed to be before. He will elevate himself above all other gods and objects of worship. He will take his seat in God’s temple and claim to be God. Because these things are so terrible, we should be looking for nothing less before the coming of the Day of the Lord. Let no one deceive us on this. Hold fast to what we’ve been taught. Conclusion:So CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles.[Slide 33] Basics of Faith and Practice:Even though there is a great deal of uncertainty here, some things Paul says are certain. The Day of the Lord must be preceded by the apostasy and the man of lawlessness. Until these things occur, the Lord will not return. And in order to be an orthodox Christian, you must see some or all of what has been predicted in this text, as still yet to come. So, we must not let anyone deceive us.So, what things do we need to take away from this text this morning?1.)[Slide 34] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that before the Day of the Lord, first there must be the apostasy and the man of lawlessness. a.Aside from Postmillennialism, all Christians in the church age have believed that there will be some ultimate and definitive manifestation of the apostasy and the man of lawlessness before Christ returns. b.The two oldest positions concluded that things will get worse for the church before Christ returns. c.If you are Postmillennial, although I still see you as a brother –I find a lot of difficulty arriving at such a position. d.Providentially, we have seen a huge rise in Reformed or Reforming churches adopting Postmillennialism as their eschatological framework. But with an honest look at this passage – my friends – I just don’t see it. e.We must conclude from this text, even after the events of AD 70, that there is still yet to come a great apostasy and a lawless and blasphemous man who will lead it. 2.)[Slide 35] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the man of lawlessness will commit acts of blasphemy that go beyond what any created being has committed in the history of the world.a.Even if Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 describe Satan, even he never committed such blasphemies against Yahweh. b.At most Satan said he would be “like” the most High. c.But to elevate himself above every other created being, to sit down in the temple of Yahweh and claim to be Yahweh Himself… such acts have never been committed, by any of God’s creatures. None have dared to do such things. d.The only man to have done something like this – is Jesus. Of course, then it isn’t blasphemy, because it is true. e.Next week we will observe that something or someone is holding this man of lawlessness back. It is keeping him from leading this rebellion and committing these blasphemous acts. f.This all fits together to indicate to me – that as believers we will know when such a man is upon us. It won’t be hidden and it won’t be a surprise. There may be elements of it that will be tempting to believe… but we won’t be fooled. And Paul gives us some fairly big clues. g.Look for a blasphemous man to claim to be God or even Jesus. h.Look for him to be claiming to be a Christian. Look for him to not regard the desire of women. Look for him to try to snuff out biblical Christianity. Look for him to desire power above all else. 3.)[Slide 36] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We should deny that the man of lawlessness has already come. a.I use the word should and not must – because of the uncertainty in this. I don’t want to be too strong. b.But from my view, Paul doesn’t give this sign to the Thessalonians supposing that it will be hard to see. c.In fact, he kinda words it like it will be easy to see. He is shocked they are thinking the Day of the Lord had come, when so clearly this apostasy and man of lawlessness had NOT come. d.This isn’t negating what Jesus said about the false prophets giving prophesies and exhibiting signs that are so strong that if it were possible, it would deceive the elect. e.Jesus’ point there is that it will be such a tumultuous time spiritually, that all Christians in name only will not stand a chance. They will be deceived. Only the elect will be preserved, not because they are special, but because they will hold fast to their divinely given faith – even though their eyes and ears tell them something completely different. f.Paul is saying to look for these signs. They must precede the Lord’s return. g.Therefore…4.)[Slide 37] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must not let ourselves be deceived. a.Christian, hold fast to your faith no matter what. b.And don’t go running to see someone who has claimed to be Christ. No matter how convincing He is… We won’t need to be called to go meet Him… He will bring us to Himself. c.Keep trusting in Christ alone. d.Keep growing in faith and love for one another. e.Keep gathering together with other believers who will help you see through the lies. f.And don’t be looking for new or creative approaches to Christianity. Seek beliefs and practices that are firmly rooted in what the church has been doing since the beginning. g.Novelty and innovation in the church’s doctrine and practice is the spirit of lawlessness. It is the beginning of this man’s work. h.Do not let yourself be deceived Hold fast to what you were taught. 5.)[Slide 38] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” The man of lawlessness is also the man doomed to destruction. a.Though we may despise him, though we may hate him, though we may be tempted to love him, though we may be tempted to follow him… he is doomed for destruction. b.No doubt he will be convincing and powerful. He will persuade many. Another will come and give many signs and wonders proving him to be what he claims to be. c.Many people, friends and family members who we know and who have claimed to be Christians, will be deceived and will fall away. d.Many of us… will be hunted and killed by this man because we hold fast to biblical Christianity and refuse to worship Him as God. e.But remember… He will be slain by the breath of the Lord. His kingdom will topple. And he will be cast alive into the lake of fire along with the False Prophet. f.As much destruction as he may cause – also remember that God has sealed His true people by His Spirit. g.If possible, you would be deceived. But it is not possible. Not for those who continue to believe. Not for those that God has promised to glorify since He has counted them worthy of His call. h.God will preserve you… so keep believing. Keep hoping. Keep trusting. Even if all your senses tell you to stop. Keep hoping in Christ alone. 6.)[Slide 39] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” As long as you remain a quasi-Christian or an unbeliever, you will be deceived. a.Jesus’ comments in Matthew 24 and Paul’s words here make it abundantly clear. b.In the last days, the line between the visible and the invisible church will grow crisp and black. c.Now such a divide between the organization and the people who truly are Christians is very blurry. But in that day, the line between them will be quite plain. d.The visible church will be apostate. You will still be able to call yourself a Christian. You will still be able to worship Jesus. But you will have to confess that this one… this man… is Him. It will appear that He has come and set up His Kingdom. e.And the invisible church, the real church, will be the ones considered rebels. Deniers. f.They will say, “How can you deny that the Jesus you believed in all your life is not the one who is walking among us today? He has brought peace and love to the world! How can this not be the Jesus of the bible? He has healed our wounds!” g.Everything will be flipped on its head. h.My friends, if you are not a genuine Christian, you will be deceived by this man’s coming. And what’s worse, you will turn against true believers. You will seek our death. i.But its not too late. Not yet. j.You can repent of your sin and put your trust in the REAL Jesus today. You can leave all your sin and pride behind, all your idols, and serve Christ forever. It won’t be easy… and you may die for Him… But you will be gathered together with Him on that day when He defeats this man of lawlessness. k.Won’t you repent and believe on Jesus? Won’t you bow the knee to Him today? [Slide 40 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Danish Reformer Niels HemmingsenO Heavenly Father, I pray to you for your dear Son's sake, Jesus Christ, our only Savior's sake, that you would reign over us all with your word and your Holy Spirit.Do not let your enemy's hand have power over us, to steer us away from you. Give the rest of us the will and ability to refute the devil's deeds, adultery, and sexual sin. Make holy all those servants of God's word with your Spirit, so they might learn and seek your holy will.Help us all that we may live here in the world according to your will—in the fear of God, in honesty, and in pure living-that we may find on the final day of judgment that we are your chosen, in everlasting joy and salvation through your son, our Lord Jesus Christ.To you, the only good and merciful God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all worship, honor, and praise forever,amen.Benediction:Go, dwell on his love by sweetest song, And crown His head with multitudes of praises.Till all kings bow down to him and all nations serve Him.Until we meet again, Grace and peace to you.

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Title: The Same StoryText: Acts 10:44-48FCF: We often struggle with assuring ourselves of our and others’ faith.Prop: Because all true believers share a common conversion experience, we must observe these in all whom we give assurance and receive into fellowship. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 10. In a moment we’ll be reading from the LSB starting in verse 44. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1243 or in whatever version you prefer. Today we will conclude the episode of Cornelius, saving the epilogue of chapter 11 for next week. God’s hand has been prevalent in this entire episode. Giving two visions, speaking through the Spirit directly to Peter, leading him to the home of a Gentile, finding many gathered there. And after Peter gives a focused explanation of the gospel that Jesus is Lord of all, now we’ll see the dramatic conclusion. And although there are few doctrinal issues that arise here in which Christians disagree, even amid those differences we will highlight the common and uniform experience of conversion for all who are truly united to Christ by faith. So, stand with me out of respect for and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation:O Christ, we have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation and believed in you. May your Spirit meet with us today, and guarantee our inheritance in you, to the praise of your glory. In your name we pray. Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] If something has fur, a tail and barks. You would probably call it a dog. If something has feathers, a bill, and quacks – a duck. Grey skin, very large, with a trunk… you got it - elephant. Isn’t it funny that I can list out three characteristics of an animal and invariably you can guess what it was. Why is that? Well, we come to expect certain characteristics and attributes to be the same across certain animals. Even though no two elephants are exactly the same. Generally speaking they share certain characteristics. Today, Peter will conclude without doubt that the Gentiles before him are genuine members of the body of Christ. He does not conclude this on a whim. Instead, he isolates key characteristics that prove it to be true. Let’s see if we can arrive where Peter does. I.) All true believers share a common conversion experience, so we must look for these commonalities for the assurance of salvation. (44-46a)a. [Slide 3] 44 – While Peter was still speaking these things, i. Peter’s message was not yet concluded. ii. Most likely Peter intended to carry on preaching like he did at Pentecost to implore Cornelius and his friends and family to repent and believe in the name of Jesus. iii. However, Peter was interrupted. And he was interrupted by the Third Person of the Godhead, God the Holy Spirit.b. [Slide 4] The Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the word. i. Because we will need to gather all the evidence from this text to do so, we will not comment on the specific meaning of the words “fell upon” here. Nor will we unpack exactly what the Spirit’s work is at this point. We’ll reserve that for the end. ii. Let’s unpack everything else though. iii. First, although we aren’t looking at the specific nature of the work, we can generally conclude by context that the Spirit’s activity here is indicative of the work of salvation coming to Cornelius, his family, and his friends. iv. Secondly, we should see that not everyone in Cornelius’ house that day received the Spirit’s work. It was only those who were listening to the Word. Implying of course that not all of them were listening.c. [Slide 5] 45 – And all the circumcised believers who came with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also, i. For us, this might seem almost insulting. ii. The Jews really didn’t expect the Holy Spirit to be given to gentiles? Wow. How elitist. iii. Well, no, not really. Even in the Old Testament where God alludes to the global nature of His kingdom and where God prophesies about the coming of the New Covenant… all is shrouded in mystery. iv. Paul comments about this in II Corinthians 3. v. But even if someone were to see through those mysterious shadows and perceive that God’s Spirit would dwell in those of the New Covenant, who were all these prophesies written to? vi. Were they not written to Jews? Jeremiah 31 – this covenant will I make with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. No mention of the nations here. vii. So, before we get too uppity ourselves, let us stop to consider how sensical the assumption was that Gentiles must become Jews before they become Christians. And even then, it would be uncertain if they inherited the New Covenant in the same way the Jews did. viii. But here, 6 Jewish Christians, 7 if you count Peter, bore witness to the gift of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the Gentiles. ix. Of course, the question remains how these Jewish Christians knew for a fact that these Gentiles had received the gift of the Spirit being poured out… x. Verse 46 answers that question.d. [Slide 6] 46a – For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. i. Here we see two distinct evidences that they had received the gifting of the Holy Spirit that He had been poured out on them. ii. First, they spoke in tongues.1. [Slide 7] To remind ourselves, the tongues of the scriptures are not gibberish or babble , nor are they languages unknown to humans, and the only time they appear as a private prayer to God is when they are unprofitable to public worship and edification since they are uninterpreted.2. Every single time the bible speaks of the gift of tongues in the scriptures it is always a known human language that is supposed to be uttered publicly unless there is no one to interpret it. Tongues were never intended of as a private prayer language, nor is the gift ever linked with non-human languages.3. [Slide 8] If we confine ourselves to the book of Acts, we can make some further observations of the gift of tongues.a. We have no record thus far of any person privately receiving salvation and the gift of tongues together. b. When tongues are given, they are given only when a large group comes to Christ. And that group is always one that has never before received the gospel of Christ.c. Meaning what?d. The gift of tongues in the book of Acts so far has been used exclusively as a sign gift. A gift used to be a sign to others.e. Meaning what?f. We have seen the gift of tongues used to authenticate the message of the apostles to unbelievers.g. And although unclear, we have also seen some kind of sign gift used, probably tongues, to authenticate to the apostles that God has saved a new group of people.h. Outside of those two examples… we have not seen tongues linked to salvation, nor have we seen tongues used for any other purpose. iii. [Slide 9] So, we must ask ourselves – what is the purpose of the gift of tongues here?1. Here it seems like it is not the messenger that needs authentication to the hearer but rather the apostle Peter and generally Jewish Christians, need this sign to authenticate that God has saved these Gentiles.2. They received the same salvation the Jews received. iv. But this was not the only confirming sign that they had received the gift of the Spirit. v. [Slide 10] Second, they magnified God.1. Although certainly less flashy, this is the primary indicative experience of all those who genuinely receive the gift of the Spirit of God in conversion. They are changed inside and out.2. These Gentiles experienced the joy of the Lord in their conversion. They knew God and praised Him for what He had done for them.3. This again proves to us that these tongues were known languages – probably Hebrew or Aramaic – since these Jewish Christians understood what they said to be magnifying the Lord.4. And for these 6 Jewish Christians, these two signs proved one astounding truth. God has seen fit in His wisdom and grace to offer Christ and His indwelling Spirit to Gentiles in the same way He has been offered to the Jews. That by faith in Christ they can receive forgiveness and new life in Him.5. And they can do all this without first becoming a Jew.e. [Slide 11] Summary of the Point: All people of every nation, tribe, language, color, gender, social and economic sphere, who through the name of Jesus believe in Him will receive forgiveness of sins and be indwelled with the Holy Spirit and produce evidence of that indwelling. This is the normal indicative experience of those who are united to Christ by true faith. And it doesn’t matter what your background is, it doesn’t matter what your identity is, there is a uniform experience. So as the church of Jesus today, we must look for this uniform experience for assurance of our own salvation and to help others find assurance of their salvation. Transition:[Slide 12(blank)] But besides gaining assurance for ourselves and that others are truly believers, what else must we do with the fact that the conversion experience among all true believers is held in common? II.) All true believers share a common conversion experience, so we must look for these commonalities to remove all hindrances from baptism and acceptance into the church. (46b-48)a. [Slide 13] 46b – Then Peter answered, i. What exactly is Peter answering? ii. Is he answering the tongues sign or the magnifying of God by the newly converted Gentiles? iii. Is he speaking to the astonished Jewish Christians, even though they haven’t actually said anything? iv. And what is the nature of his answer? Is it corrective or instructive? v. How is Peter going to react to all of this? Is Peter going to rebuke the whole thing or has Peter learned from the vision he saw?b. [Slide 14] 47 - “Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” i. Peter’s answer is full of meaning. ii. First, although it appears that he is looking for consensus or agreement from the 6 Jews who came with him, the LSB’s translation is mostly to blame for that.1. It isn’t poorly translated – that is for sure. But there are two words of negation in this text that the LSB does not translate.2. The NIV translates this much closer to what Peter is saying I think “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”3. This is not Peter asking for consensus. Even though this is a question it is actually a statement.4. Like when I say to my daughter… If I go out and check your chores to see if you’ve done them and find that they are undone, can I come back in and punish you?5. Now am I asking her for consent? No. I am giving her a statement. My statement is, you better have done your chores or you will be punished.6. Peter in a similar way says – you should see nothing keeping these people from being baptized because they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. iii. Second, from Peter’s response, we also see his affirmation that the Gentiles received the Spirit in the same way that he and the other Jewish Christians with him had received the Spirit.1. These 6 Jewish Christians are from Joppa. Meaning that they are not apostles. Therefore, Peter is not speaking to a specific reception of the Spirit as at Pentecost, but rather to a unified reception of the Spirit among Jews who had truly become part of the church.2. Peter is saying that these Gentiles, though not being circumcised, though not being Jews, had received the Spirit the same way they had.3. This was all the authentication Peter needed to state that there was nothing preventing them from being baptized. iv. But another point we must consider is that this scripture seems to be a huge difficulty for those who believe in infant baptism.1. Although many Pedobaptists have attempted to use Peter’s response to defend infant baptism, it falls short.2. They say, that Peter’s remarks here highlight the peculiarity that they had received the Spirit prior to being baptized but still needed to be baptized even though what the sign anticipates has already happened.3. However, under careful analysis of what Peter actually says, it doesn’t hold up.4. Peter is not saying that since the cart was before the horse, we might as well supply the horse. Instead, Peter sees the reception of the Holy Spirit as the irrefutable evidence that they should be baptized. Why? Because that is exactly how it happened for the Jews.5. This is not pointing to the peculiarity of order but rather to the commonality of nationality. The Gentiles received the Spirit in the same way we have.6. Therefore, to have received the Holy Spirit serves as the evidence we must look for to confirm without doubt that someone should be baptized.7. Peter here does not see Baptism as an anticipatory sign but as a confirming sign. Water baptism confirms that Spirit baptism has already occurred. v. And while we are already distracted talking about these doctrinal matters, let’s go ahead and insert our discussion on the work of the Holy Spirit in this text. vi. [Slide 15] We are 10 chapters into the book of Acts. In those 10 chapters we have had a fairly large sampling of the activity of the Holy Spirit, especially concerning conversion.1. In that sampling we can see that The Holy Spirit’s work at the experience of conversion is not identical. We’ll not take the time to go through it all, but on the screen is a brief sampling we can go through this upcoming Wednesday night.2. So, what is common among these examples?a. No doubt the reason there is confusion is because Luke uses several terms to speak of the Spirit’s work. i. Baptism of the Spirit ii. Filling of the Spirit iii. Pouring out of the Spirit iv. The gift of the Spirit v. Receiving the Spirit vi. The Spirit falling uponb. But we are confused because sometimes multiple things happen at the same time and sometimes they don’t.c. We are confused because this is probably a square rectangle situation here.d. Just like all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares, so also, all who have had the Spirit fall on them, be poured out on them, or fill them have also received the gift of the Spirit and been baptized with the Spirit also.e. Thus we see the Spirit’s work divide nicely into two categories. i. The indwelling of the Spirit which is referred to as the Baptism of the Spirit, the gift of the Spirit, and receiving the Spirit. ii. And then we have the empowering of the Spirit which is referred to as the filling of, falling upon, and pouring out of the Spirit.f. Analyzing the book of Acts we find that all who received the empowering had also received the indwelling. But not all who received the indwelling also received the empowering.3. [Slide 16] In this we can draw some doctrinal teachings.a. All who are regenerated of the Spirit and given eyes and ears to receive faith in Christ, will receive the gift of the baptism of the Spirit of God. Which is being indwelled with the Spirit.b. The empowering of the Spirit is a special and sometimes repeated work of the Spirit in those who have already been indwelled with the Spirit. This empowering is to perform a special task or function for a special purpose of God.c. Pentecostal Christians insist that the sign gifts, particularly the gift of tongues, is either a necessary sign for all who are genuinely Christians, or is a sign that whoever speaks in tongues are a higher tier of Christian than those who do not. i. Many who have attended these churches have felt an inordinate amount of pressure to produce the sign of tongues, but unfortunately, they produce a completely foreign sign to that of the scriptures. For the language they speak is, in most cases, not a human language at all. Nor is it being used as a sign to authenticate anything except that they are connected to God in some unclear way. ii. Much of what occurs in Pentecostal churches is directly contrary to what Paul instructs in I Cor 14 about the priority of preaching and the need for edification to be at the center.1. Oftentimes in Pentecostal churches the sermon is underemphasized and sign gifts overemphasized.2. Paul commands that an interpreter be present, which is often disregarded.3. And Paul even reveals that tongues are a sign to unbelievers, whether they are interpreted or not. But if they are left uninterpreted it will chase them away from the truth of the gospel. vii. And so, we can conclude that the work of the Spirit here in this text speaks to both the indwelling and empowering of the Spirit for these Gentiles. The indwelling accompanied their faith and the empowering produced the speaking in tongues and magnifying the Lord.c. [Slide 17] 48 – And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. i. The six men though convinced that baptism must be administered, hesitated waiting for the Apostle to perform the duty. ii. But Peter commanded them to baptize these who had received the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus. iii. We are not told that it was carried out, but the context suggests that Cornelius and a large portion of his household and friends were baptized that day and became members of the growing Church of Jesus Christ.d. [Slide 18] Then they asked him to remain for a few days. i. Here we see one final proof that they had received the Spirit. ii. They were hungry for instruction and fellowship. iii. I’d wager that the same four devotions from Acts 2 were present here. iv. They desired to be taught further the apostles’ teaching. v. They desired to fellowship with Peter and the other believers in a new family. vi. They desired to share the Lord’s Supper with them. vii. And they desired to devote themselves to corporate prayer together. viii. What a sweet time this would have been! How earth shattering. Even the Gentiles are being saved!e. [Slide 19] Summary of the Point: Peter points to the common and uniform experience that the Jews and the Gentiles shared in the salvation of their souls. That they too received the gift of the Spirit after repenting and believing the gospel. Therefore, he saw no reason to deny the Gentiles both the sacrament of baptism and the admission into visible church as a sign of their membership in the universal church. It was the fact of the common experience among all who are united to Christ by faith that made Peter strongly conclude that these Gentiles must be baptized. And so, for us we must also look for the same common experience among those who desire to receive the sacrament of baptism and be received as members of our local body. Conclusion:So, what can we see from this CBC? What doctrinal points can we learn and apply today? Doctrinal Takeaway:[Slide 20] As the church expanded and the gospel was preached to Gentiles, the question remained, will this be a separate church? Will the gospel be received by Gentiles and if so, will it be different than how it was received by the Jews? But since there was no essential difference between the conversion experience of the Gentiles and the Jews… When they saw that they repented and believed in Jesus as the Messiah of God and Lord of all, and received the indwelling of the Spirit of God just like the Jews did… Because everything about their conversion experience was the same as the Jews… Peter concluded that they must be baptized into the community of faith with the Jews. There was nothing preventing them… Not circumcision, not becoming a Jew first… nothing. The Gentiles and Jews were no longer divided. Just like God’s vision revealed to Peter before. There was no more clean and unclean because God has made the unclean… clean. People of every background so long as their experience includes repentance, faith, and the reception of the Spirit of God – are part of the body of Christ. Truly there is no partiality with God. For us then, when we look for the assurance of our own faith, or to confirm the faith of others and baptize them and receive them as members of our church – we must look for those common traits that all true believers have. The uniform experience of conversion. But let me get a little more specific here and apply this to our everyday lives. 1.) [Slide 21] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that conversion is a uniform experience among all who are truly in Christ.a. When Jesus began His ministry, it is said that He went about preaching repentance and belief in the gospel.b. When Peter preaches in Acts, he highlights these two essentials. That they repent and believe on Jesus as Lord of all.c. As the New Testament writers penned their letters under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, They encouraged their readers to continue to turn from sin and to continue to trust on Christ, not simply for salvation but to trust Him enough to love and obey Him.d. New Testament writers affirm what Peter says here, that the indwelling of the Spirit is an incontrovertible proof that someone is of Christ and needs to be baptized.e. And if someone has the Spirit of God living within them, they will know it! They will know it by the change in their lives. They will know it by their passions being made new. They will know it by their ability to love and obey the Lord.f. Repentance from sin, faith in Christ, receipt of the Spirit which is evidenced by a changed life.g. These three are necessary components of the religious experience called conversion. This is how God converts us into Christ followers.h. He gifts us with repentance from sin, faith in Christ, and His Spirit indwelling us.i. And my friends, this is all or nothing.j. There is no such thing as a Christian who has never turned from their sin.k. There is no such thing as a Christian who has never trusted in the finished work of Christ.l. There is no such thing as a Christian who has never received the gift of the indwelling of the Spirit.m. And there is no such thing as a Christian who having received the Spirit has not gone on to love and Obey Jesus Christ.n. Every true believer… Has all of these in common as their Salvation Story.o. Even children raised in the church having never done drugs or fornicated… Even they must turn from their sin of self-righteousness and pride. Both of which are abominations to God.p. Even children raised to have always believed that Jesus died on the cross for sin and was raised the third day… must by God-gifted faith embrace and wholly depend on this Lord to save them.q. Even children raised in the church, good mannered and well versed in the scriptures, must receive the Spirit of God to truly walk in the way of Christ and to preserve them in good works until the day of judgment.r. We all have the same story my friends. It binds us together.s. We were wretched sinners. Saved by grace through faith in Christ. And He has put His Spirit in our hearts crying Abba! Father! We are not slaves we are sons and if sons then heirs.t. We all have the same story!u. Therefore, we must confess that all true believers will have the same story we have. They must. Or they are not true believers.2.) [Slide 22] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that a uniform conversion means an identical conversion.a. Yes, these 3, repentance, faith, and the Spirit’s indwelling, are all true of all believers…b. But that does not mean that every conversion will be the same.c. There may be differences in timing. i. Some may experience faith before repentance. They want Christ to save them but it takes time for them to want to leave their sin. ii. Some may wait weeks, repenting and believing before they receive the Spirit.d. There may be differences in form i. Some may pray earnestly in repentance and faith. ii. Some may keep it all in their heads and hearts. iii. Some may wake from dreams or drunken stupors with repentance on their lips and faith in their hearts. iv. Some may hear a preacher preach the Word and come to faith. Others may simply pick up a bible and read and believe.e. There may be differences in degrees i. Some may weep and wail begging for God’s forgiveness. ii. Some may yell and leap for joy. iii. Others may feel a weight of sin lifted. iv. Others may make the logical and comparatively colder calculation that Jesus is Lord of all and I must abandon my life and serve Him. Not a tear shed and joy gained but only in the matter being settled and the questions answered.f. There may be differences in theological precision. i. From long winded, tear filled confession of all that the sinner has done to a simple acknowledgement of sin’s curse – it is all repentance. ii. From precise declarations of all Jesus is to the simple – Jesus save me…g. Though every story is the same in that we all turn from sin, cast ourselves upon Christ and receive His Spirit… Every story is not identical. It is not one-size-fits-all.3.) [Slide 23] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop accepting abnormal or insufficient assurances of true conversion.a. Did you pray a prayer?b. Did you walk an aisle?c. Did you accept Jesus into your heart?d. Were you baptized?e. Do you believe in God?f. Do you affirm these doctrinal truths?g. Are your parents Christians?h. Were you raised in the church?i. Are you concerned if you are truly saved?j. Do you think you can lose your salvation? k. These are all… useless questions. They ask nothing and predictably they answer nothing.l. They neither bring assurance nor comfort to anyone.m. They are tropes that aim at targets they cannot see. And we are surprised when they miss?4.) [Slide 24] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must test ourselves and others to prove this uniform conversion experience is true of us.a. Though the questions before ask nothing and answer nothing… because true Christians all have a uniform conversion experience… b. We can boil down our tests to three simple yet pregnant questions.c. Have we truly turned from sin?d. Have we truly believed on Christ alone?e. Have we truly received the indwelling of the Spirit of God?f. But how would we know the answers to these?g. If we have truly turned from sin, we ought to see a fight. A battle. A war. i. We ought to see evidence of a fleeing, fighting, scrapping, brawling person fighting tooth and nail to escape sin. ii. And we ought NOT see someone holding, cherishing, nurturing, or hiding sin. iii. If we’ve turned from it – it means we don’t want it anymore. Not that we don’t sin… but we hate it. iv. Sin is described in the scripture as an incurable illness or disease. Think about an incurable disease. Let’s go ahead and say it… cancer. Do you treat your sin… like cancer? v. If I could just get a little more cancer. I know its not great for me but I love cancer so much. vi. Foolishness. vii. Have you turned from sin?h. If we have truly believed on Jesus Christ alone, we ought to see a growing love and dependance on Him. i. We ought to see a resting in the Person and work of Christ. ii. We ought to see a cherishing of His Words. iii. We ought to see an emulation of His ways. iv. We ought to see a love for Him and what He’s done. v. We ought to see a passion to know Him more and more. vi. We ought to see joy overwhelm us when we speak of the cleansing power of the cross. vii. We ought to see a hope burn in us that He will return and take us home. viii. We ought to see a growing dissatisfaction with the world and a longing for His Kingdom. ix. We ought to see Him be our everything and everything else by comparison become nothing. x. We ought to see a love for His church. We ought to see a desire to worship with them, serve them, love them, and help them. xi. We ought NOT be attempting to earn or keep our salvation by our performance. xii. We ought NOT be flippant toward the church, the Word of God, or sin. xiii. We ought NOT be fearful or anxious over earthly struggles, nor should they overwhelm and undo us.i. And if we have truly received the Spirit of God, we should see change. i. Not change over days or weeks. But over years. ii. We ought NOT be the same people we were. iii. We ought to see a passion and power to love and obey the Lord. iv. We ought to see a passion and power to love and serve His people. v. We ought to see a passion and power to love unbelievers and share the gospel with them. vi. We ought to bear the scars of the Holy Spirit’s hostile takeover of our lives.j. If these are true and we have the same story… We can be assured of our identity in Christ.5.) [Slide 25] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Sharing a uniform conversion binds us to one another as equal inheritors in the promises of Christ.a. Not only are we assured and comforted by sharing the same story together.b. But such a shared story necessarily binds us to one another.c. We are all unworthy and wretched inheritors of beautiful promises.d. Promises we would have no part in were it not for Jesus Christ.e. We are all paupers turned into princes.f. We are beggars made Barons.g. We have all turned from sin, so we can help each other in the fight against it.h. We have all trusted in Christ, so we can help each other cling ever tighter to Him and what He’s done, the joy of what He’s doing, and the hope of what He will do.i. We have all received the Spirit, so we are all the temple of the Living God. We are God bearers all of us. We walk around with His Spirit providing the passion and the power to serve Him.j. Do you not find comfort in this?k. We all have the same story. A beautiful story of wretched little street urchins doing the will of our father the devil… but then suddenly adopted and made children of the Most High God. Let me close with a prayer by the Puritan Matthew Henry Lord, our souls have told you: you are our God. Other lords have had dominion over us, but we affirm the Lord this day to be our God. We will walk in your ways, keep your commandments, honor your judgments. We will listen to your voice and give ourselves to you as your people-for your praise, and for your glory. Lord, truly we are your servants, born in your house. You have loosed our bonds. We are bought with a price, so we are not our own, but yield ourselves to you. We join ourselves to you in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten. We are yours. Save us, for we seek your ways. We give you what is yours, that which comes from your hand. It is in Jesus name we pray this… Amen. Benediction:May the God of all grace,Who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ,Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you! Until we meet again… Go in peace.

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Title: The Same StoryText: Acts 10:44-48FCF: We often struggle with assuring ourselves of our and others’ faith.Prop: Because all true believers share a common conversion experience, we must observe these in all whom we give assurance and receive into fellowship. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 10. In a moment we’ll be reading from the LSB starting in verse 44. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1243 or in whatever version you prefer. Today we will conclude the episode of Cornelius, saving the epilogue of chapter 11 for next week. God’s hand has been prevalent in this entire episode. Giving two visions, speaking through the Spirit directly to Peter, leading him to the home of a Gentile, finding many gathered there. And after Peter gives a focused explanation of the gospel that Jesus is Lord of all, now we’ll see the dramatic conclusion. And although there are few doctrinal issues that arise here in which Christians disagree, even amid those differences we will highlight the common and uniform experience of conversion for all who are truly united to Christ by faith. So, stand with me out of respect for and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation:O Christ, we have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation and believed in you. May your Spirit meet with us today, and guarantee our inheritance in you, to the praise of your glory. In your name we pray. Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] If something has fur, a tail and barks. You would probably call it a dog. If something has feathers, a bill, and quacks – a duck. Grey skin, very large, with a trunk… you got it - elephant. Isn’t it funny that I can list out three characteristics of an animal and invariably you can guess what it was. Why is that? Well, we come to expect certain characteristics and attributes to be the same across certain animals. Even though no two elephants are exactly the same. Generally speaking they share certain characteristics. Today, Peter will conclude without doubt that the Gentiles before him are genuine members of the body of Christ. He does not conclude this on a whim. Instead, he isolates key characteristics that prove it to be true. Let’s see if we can arrive where Peter does. I.) All true believers share a common conversion experience, so we must look for these commonalities for the assurance of salvation. (44-46a)a. [Slide 3] 44 – While Peter was still speaking these things, i. Peter’s message was not yet concluded. ii. Most likely Peter intended to carry on preaching like he did at Pentecost to implore Cornelius and his friends and family to repent and believe in the name of Jesus. iii. However, Peter was interrupted. And he was interrupted by the Third Person of the Godhead, God the Holy Spirit.b. [Slide 4] The Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the word. i. Because we will need to gather all the evidence from this text to do so, we will not comment on the specific meaning of the words “fell upon” here. Nor will we unpack exactly what the Spirit’s work is at this point. We’ll reserve that for the end. ii. Let’s unpack everything else though. iii. First, although we aren’t looking at the specific nature of the work, we can generally conclude by context that the Spirit’s activity here is indicative of the work of salvation coming to Cornelius, his family, and his friends. iv. Secondly, we should see that not everyone in Cornelius’ house that day received the Spirit’s work. It was only those who were listening to the Word. Implying of course that not all of them were listening.c. [Slide 5] 45 – And all the circumcised believers who came with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also, i. For us, this might seem almost insulting. ii. The Jews really didn’t expect the Holy Spirit to be given to gentiles? Wow. How elitist. iii. Well, no, not really. Even in the Old Testament where God alludes to the global nature of His kingdom and where God prophesies about the coming of the New Covenant… all is shrouded in mystery. iv. Paul comments about this in II Corinthians 3. v. But even if someone were to see through those mysterious shadows and perceive that God’s Spirit would dwell in those of the New Covenant, who were all these prophesies written to? vi. Were they not written to Jews? Jeremiah 31 – this covenant will I make with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. No mention of the nations here. vii. So, before we get too uppity ourselves, let us stop to consider how sensical the assumption was that Gentiles must become Jews before they become Christians. And even then, it would be uncertain if they inherited the New Covenant in the same way the Jews did. viii. But here, 6 Jewish Christians, 7 if you count Peter, bore witness to the gift of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the Gentiles. ix. Of course, the question remains how these Jewish Christians knew for a fact that these Gentiles had received the gift of the Spirit being poured out… x. Verse 46 answers that question.d. [Slide 6] 46a – For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. i. Here we see two distinct evidences that they had received the gifting of the Holy Spirit that He had been poured out on them. ii. First, they spoke in tongues.1. [Slide 7] To remind ourselves, the tongues of the scriptures are not gibberish or babble , nor are they languages unknown to humans, and the only time they appear as a private prayer to God is when they are unprofitable to public worship and edification since they are uninterpreted.2. Every single time the bible speaks of the gift of tongues in the scriptures it is always a known human language that is supposed to be uttered publicly unless there is no one to interpret it. Tongues were never intended of as a private prayer language, nor is the gift ever linked with non-human languages.3. [Slide 8] If we confine ourselves to the book of Acts, we can make some further observations of the gift of tongues.a. We have no record thus far of any person privately receiving salvation and the gift of tongues together. b. When tongues are given, they are given only when a large group comes to Christ. And that group is always one that has never before received the gospel of Christ.c. Meaning what?d. The gift of tongues in the book of Acts so far has been used exclusively as a sign gift. A gift used to be a sign to others.e. Meaning what?f. We have seen the gift of tongues used to authenticate the message of the apostles to unbelievers.g. And although unclear, we have also seen some kind of sign gift used, probably tongues, to authenticate to the apostles that God has saved a new group of people.h. Outside of those two examples… we have not seen tongues linked to salvation, nor have we seen tongues used for any other purpose. iii. [Slide 9] So, we must ask ourselves – what is the purpose of the gift of tongues here?1. Here it seems like it is not the messenger that needs authentication to the hearer but rather the apostle Peter and generally Jewish Christians, need this sign to authenticate that God has saved these Gentiles.2. They received the same salvation the Jews received. iv. But this was not the only confirming sign that they had received the gift of the Spirit. v. [Slide 10] Second, they magnified God.1. Although certainly less flashy, this is the primary indicative experience of all those who genuinely receive the gift of the Spirit of God in conversion. They are changed inside and out.2. These Gentiles experienced the joy of the Lord in their conversion. They knew God and praised Him for what He had done for them.3. This again proves to us that these tongues were known languages – probably Hebrew or Aramaic – since these Jewish Christians understood what they said to be magnifying the Lord.4. And for these 6 Jewish Christians, these two signs proved one astounding truth. God has seen fit in His wisdom and grace to offer Christ and His indwelling Spirit to Gentiles in the same way He has been offered to the Jews. That by faith in Christ they can receive forgiveness and new life in Him.5. And they can do all this without first becoming a Jew.e. [Slide 11] Summary of the Point: All people of every nation, tribe, language, color, gender, social and economic sphere, who through the name of Jesus believe in Him will receive forgiveness of sins and be indwelled with the Holy Spirit and produce evidence of that indwelling. This is the normal indicative experience of those who are united to Christ by true faith. And it doesn’t matter what your background is, it doesn’t matter what your identity is, there is a uniform experience. So as the church of Jesus today, we must look for this uniform experience for assurance of our own salvation and to help others find assurance of their salvation. Transition:[Slide 12(blank)] But besides gaining assurance for ourselves and that others are truly believers, what else must we do with the fact that the conversion experience among all true believers is held in common? II.) All true believers share a common conversion experience, so we must look for these commonalities to remove all hindrances from baptism and acceptance into the church. (46b-48)a. [Slide 13] 46b – Then Peter answered, i. What exactly is Peter answering? ii. Is he answering the tongues sign or the magnifying of God by the newly converted Gentiles? iii. Is he speaking to the astonished Jewish Christians, even though they haven’t actually said anything? iv. And what is the nature of his answer? Is it corrective or instructive? v. How is Peter going to react to all of this? Is Peter going to rebuke the whole thing or has Peter learned from the vision he saw?b. [Slide 14] 47 - “Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” i. Peter’s answer is full of meaning. ii. First, although it appears that he is looking for consensus or agreement from the 6 Jews who came with him, the LSB’s translation is mostly to blame for that.1. It isn’t poorly translated – that is for sure. But there are two words of negation in this text that the LSB does not translate.2. The NIV translates this much closer to what Peter is saying I think “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”3. This is not Peter asking for consensus. Even though this is a question it is actually a statement.4. Like when I say to my daughter… If I go out and check your chores to see if you’ve done them and find that they are undone, can I come back in and punish you?5. Now am I asking her for consent? No. I am giving her a statement. My statement is, you better have done your chores or you will be punished.6. Peter in a similar way says – you should see nothing keeping these people from being baptized because they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. iii. Second, from Peter’s response, we also see his affirmation that the Gentiles received the Spirit in the same way that he and the other Jewish Christians with him had received the Spirit.1. These 6 Jewish Christians are from Joppa. Meaning that they are not apostles. Therefore, Peter is not speaking to a specific reception of the Spirit as at Pentecost, but rather to a unified reception of the Spirit among Jews who had truly become part of the church.2. Peter is saying that these Gentiles, though not being circumcised, though not being Jews, had received the Spirit the same way they had.3. This was all the authentication Peter needed to state that there was nothing preventing them from being baptized. iv. But another point we must consider is that this scripture seems to be a huge difficulty for those who believe in infant baptism.1. Although many Pedobaptists have attempted to use Peter’s response to defend infant baptism, it falls short.2. They say, that Peter’s remarks here highlight the peculiarity that they had received the Spirit prior to being baptized but still needed to be baptized even though what the sign anticipates has already happened.3. However, under careful analysis of what Peter actually says, it doesn’t hold up.4. Peter is not saying that since the cart was before the horse, we might as well supply the horse. Instead, Peter sees the reception of the Holy Spirit as the irrefutable evidence that they should be baptized. Why? Because that is exactly how it happened for the Jews.5. This is not pointing to the peculiarity of order but rather to the commonality of nationality. The Gentiles received the Spirit in the same way we have.6. Therefore, to have received the Holy Spirit serves as the evidence we must look for to confirm without doubt that someone should be baptized.7. Peter here does not see Baptism as an anticipatory sign but as a confirming sign. Water baptism confirms that Spirit baptism has already occurred. v. And while we are already distracted talking about these doctrinal matters, let’s go ahead and insert our discussion on the work of the Holy Spirit in this text. vi. [Slide 15] We are 10 chapters into the book of Acts. In those 10 chapters we have had a fairly large sampling of the activity of the Holy Spirit, especially concerning conversion.1. In that sampling we can see that The Holy Spirit’s work at the experience of conversion is not identical. We’ll not take the time to go through it all, but on the screen is a brief sampling we can go through this upcoming Wednesday night.2. So, what is common among these examples?a. No doubt the reason there is confusion is because Luke uses several terms to speak of the Spirit’s work. i. Baptism of the Spirit ii. Filling of the Spirit iii. Pouring out of the Spirit iv. The gift of the Spirit v. Receiving the Spirit vi. The Spirit falling uponb. But we are confused because sometimes multiple things happen at the same time and sometimes they don’t.c. We are confused because this is probably a square rectangle situation here.d. Just like all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares, so also, all who have had the Spirit fall on them, be poured out on them, or fill them have also received the gift of the Spirit and been baptized with the Spirit also.e. Thus we see the Spirit’s work divide nicely into two categories. i. The indwelling of the Spirit which is referred to as the Baptism of the Spirit, the gift of the Spirit, and receiving the Spirit. ii. And then we have the empowering of the Spirit which is referred to as the filling of, falling upon, and pouring out of the Spirit.f. Analyzing the book of Acts we find that all who received the empowering had also received the indwelling. But not all who received the indwelling also received the empowering.3. [Slide 16] In this we can draw some doctrinal teachings.a. All who are regenerated of the Spirit and given eyes and ears to receive faith in Christ, will receive the gift of the baptism of the Spirit of God. Which is being indwelled with the Spirit.b. The empowering of the Spirit is a special and sometimes repeated work of the Spirit in those who have already been indwelled with the Spirit. This empowering is to perform a special task or function for a special purpose of God.c. Pentecostal Christians insist that the sign gifts, particularly the gift of tongues, is either a necessary sign for all who are genuinely Christians, or is a sign that whoever speaks in tongues are a higher tier of Christian than those who do not. i. Many who have attended these churches have felt an inordinate amount of pressure to produce the sign of tongues, but unfortunately, they produce a completely foreign sign to that of the scriptures. For the language they speak is, in most cases, not a human language at all. Nor is it being used as a sign to authenticate anything except that they are connected to God in some unclear way. ii. Much of what occurs in Pentecostal churches is directly contrary to what Paul instructs in I Cor 14 about the priority of preaching and the need for edification to be at the center.1. Oftentimes in Pentecostal churches the sermon is underemphasized and sign gifts overemphasized.2. Paul commands that an interpreter be present, which is often disregarded.3. And Paul even reveals that tongues are a sign to unbelievers, whether they are interpreted or not. But if they are left uninterpreted it will chase them away from the truth of the gospel. vii. And so, we can conclude that the work of the Spirit here in this text speaks to both the indwelling and empowering of the Spirit for these Gentiles. The indwelling accompanied their faith and the empowering produced the speaking in tongues and magnifying the Lord.c. [Slide 17] 48 – And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. i. The six men though convinced that baptism must be administered, hesitated waiting for the Apostle to perform the duty. ii. But Peter commanded them to baptize these who had received the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus. iii. We are not told that it was carried out, but the context suggests that Cornelius and a large portion of his household and friends were baptized that day and became members of the growing Church of Jesus Christ.d. [Slide 18] Then they asked him to remain for a few days. i. Here we see one final proof that they had received the Spirit. ii. They were hungry for instruction and fellowship. iii. I’d wager that the same four devotions from Acts 2 were present here. iv. They desired to be taught further the apostles’ teaching. v. They desired to fellowship with Peter and the other believers in a new family. vi. They desired to share the Lord’s Supper with them. vii. And they desired to devote themselves to corporate prayer together. viii. What a sweet time this would have been! How earth shattering. Even the Gentiles are being saved!e. [Slide 19] Summary of the Point: Peter points to the common and uniform experience that the Jews and the Gentiles shared in the salvation of their souls. That they too received the gift of the Spirit after repenting and believing the gospel. Therefore, he saw no reason to deny the Gentiles both the sacrament of baptism and the admission into visible church as a sign of their membership in the universal church. It was the fact of the common experience among all who are united to Christ by faith that made Peter strongly conclude that these Gentiles must be baptized. And so, for us we must also look for the same common experience among those who desire to receive the sacrament of baptism and be received as members of our local body. Conclusion:So, what can we see from this CBC? What doctrinal points can we learn and apply today? Doctrinal Takeaway:[Slide 20] As the church expanded and the gospel was preached to Gentiles, the question remained, will this be a separate church? Will the gospel be received by Gentiles and if so, will it be different than how it was received by the Jews? But since there was no essential difference between the conversion experience of the Gentiles and the Jews… When they saw that they repented and believed in Jesus as the Messiah of God and Lord of all, and received the indwelling of the Spirit of God just like the Jews did… Because everything about their conversion experience was the same as the Jews… Peter concluded that they must be baptized into the community of faith with the Jews. There was nothing preventing them… Not circumcision, not becoming a Jew first… nothing. The Gentiles and Jews were no longer divided. Just like God’s vision revealed to Peter before. There was no more clean and unclean because God has made the unclean… clean. People of every background so long as their experience includes repentance, faith, and the reception of the Spirit of God – are part of the body of Christ. Truly there is no partiality with God. For us then, when we look for the assurance of our own faith, or to confirm the faith of others and baptize them and receive them as members of our church – we must look for those common traits that all true believers have. The uniform experience of conversion. But let me get a little more specific here and apply this to our everyday lives. 1.) [Slide 21] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that conversion is a uniform experience among all who are truly in Christ.a. When Jesus began His ministry, it is said that He went about preaching repentance and belief in the gospel.b. When Peter preaches in Acts, he highlights these two essentials. That they repent and believe on Jesus as Lord of all.c. As the New Testament writers penned their letters under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, They encouraged their readers to continue to turn from sin and to continue to trust on Christ, not simply for salvation but to trust Him enough to love and obey Him.d. New Testament writers affirm what Peter says here, that the indwelling of the Spirit is an incontrovertible proof that someone is of Christ and needs to be baptized.e. And if someone has the Spirit of God living within them, they will know it! They will know it by the change in their lives. They will know it by their passions being made new. They will know it by their ability to love and obey the Lord.f. Repentance from sin, faith in Christ, receipt of the Spirit which is evidenced by a changed life.g. These three are necessary components of the religious experience called conversion. This is how God converts us into Christ followers.h. He gifts us with repentance from sin, faith in Christ, and His Spirit indwelling us.i. And my friends, this is all or nothing.j. There is no such thing as a Christian who has never turned from their sin.k. There is no such thing as a Christian who has never trusted in the finished work of Christ.l. There is no such thing as a Christian who has never received the gift of the indwelling of the Spirit.m. And there is no such thing as a Christian who having received the Spirit has not gone on to love and Obey Jesus Christ.n. Every true believer… Has all of these in common as their Salvation Story.o. Even children raised in the church having never done drugs or fornicated… Even they must turn from their sin of self-righteousness and pride. Both of which are abominations to God.p. Even children raised to have always believed that Jesus died on the cross for sin and was raised the third day… must by God-gifted faith embrace and wholly depend on this Lord to save them.q. Even children raised in the church, good mannered and well versed in the scriptures, must receive the Spirit of God to truly walk in the way of Christ and to preserve them in good works until the day of judgment.r. We all have the same story my friends. It binds us together.s. We were wretched sinners. Saved by grace through faith in Christ. And He has put His Spirit in our hearts crying Abba! Father! We are not slaves we are sons and if sons then heirs.t. We all have the same story!u. Therefore, we must confess that all true believers will have the same story we have. They must. Or they are not true believers.2.) [Slide 22] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that a uniform conversion means an identical conversion.a. Yes, these 3, repentance, faith, and the Spirit’s indwelling, are all true of all believers…b. But that does not mean that every conversion will be the same.c. There may be differences in timing. i. Some may experience faith before repentance. They want Christ to save them but it takes time for them to want to leave their sin. ii. Some may wait weeks, repenting and believing before they receive the Spirit.d. There may be differences in form i. Some may pray earnestly in repentance and faith. ii. Some may keep it all in their heads and hearts. iii. Some may wake from dreams or drunken stupors with repentance on their lips and faith in their hearts. iv. Some may hear a preacher preach the Word and come to faith. Others may simply pick up a bible and read and believe.e. There may be differences in degrees i. Some may weep and wail begging for God’s forgiveness. ii. Some may yell and leap for joy. iii. Others may feel a weight of sin lifted. iv. Others may make the logical and comparatively colder calculation that Jesus is Lord of all and I must abandon my life and serve Him. Not a tear shed and joy gained but only in the matter being settled and the questions answered.f. There may be differences in theological precision. i. From long winded, tear filled confession of all that the sinner has done to a simple acknowledgement of sin’s curse – it is all repentance. ii. From precise declarations of all Jesus is to the simple – Jesus save me…g. Though every story is the same in that we all turn from sin, cast ourselves upon Christ and receive His Spirit… Every story is not identical. It is not one-size-fits-all.3.) [Slide 23] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop accepting abnormal or insufficient assurances of true conversion.a. Did you pray a prayer?b. Did you walk an aisle?c. Did you accept Jesus into your heart?d. Were you baptized?e. Do you believe in God?f. Do you affirm these doctrinal truths?g. Are your parents Christians?h. Were you raised in the church?i. Are you concerned if you are truly saved?j. Do you think you can lose your salvation? k. These are all… useless questions. They ask nothing and predictably they answer nothing.l. They neither bring assurance nor comfort to anyone.m. They are tropes that aim at targets they cannot see. And we are surprised when they miss?4.) [Slide 24] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must test ourselves and others to prove this uniform conversion experience is true of us.a. Though the questions before ask nothing and answer nothing… because true Christians all have a uniform conversion experience… b. We can boil down our tests to three simple yet pregnant questions.c. Have we truly turned from sin?d. Have we truly believed on Christ alone?e. Have we truly received the indwelling of the Spirit of God?f. But how would we know the answers to these?g. If we have truly turned from sin, we ought to see a fight. A battle. A war. i. We ought to see evidence of a fleeing, fighting, scrapping, brawling person fighting tooth and nail to escape sin. ii. And we ought NOT see someone holding, cherishing, nurturing, or hiding sin. iii. If we’ve turned from it – it means we don’t want it anymore. Not that we don’t sin… but we hate it. iv. Sin is described in the scripture as an incurable illness or disease. Think about an incurable disease. Let’s go ahead and say it… cancer. Do you treat your sin… like cancer? v. If I could just get a little more cancer. I know its not great for me but I love cancer so much. vi. Foolishness. vii. Have you turned from sin?h. If we have truly believed on Jesus Christ alone, we ought to see a growing love and dependance on Him. i. We ought to see a resting in the Person and work of Christ. ii. We ought to see a cherishing of His Words. iii. We ought to see an emulation of His ways. iv. We ought to see a love for Him and what He’s done. v. We ought to see a passion to know Him more and more. vi. We ought to see joy overwhelm us when we speak of the cleansing power of the cross. vii. We ought to see a hope burn in us that He will return and take us home. viii. We ought to see a growing dissatisfaction with the world and a longing for His Kingdom. ix. We ought to see Him be our everything and everything else by comparison become nothing. x. We ought to see a love for His church. We ought to see a desire to worship with them, serve them, love them, and help them. xi. We ought NOT be attempting to earn or keep our salvation by our performance. xii. We ought NOT be flippant toward the church, the Word of God, or sin. xiii. We ought NOT be fearful or anxious over earthly struggles, nor should they overwhelm and undo us.i. And if we have truly received the Spirit of God, we should see change. i. Not change over days or weeks. But over years. ii. We ought NOT be the same people we were. iii. We ought to see a passion and power to love and obey the Lord. iv. We ought to see a passion and power to love and serve His people. v. We ought to see a passion and power to love unbelievers and share the gospel with them. vi. We ought to bear the scars of the Holy Spirit’s hostile takeover of our lives.j. If these are true and we have the same story… We can be assured of our identity in Christ.5.) [Slide 25] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Sharing a uniform conversion binds us to one another as equal inheritors in the promises of Christ.a. Not only are we assured and comforted by sharing the same story together.b. But such a shared story necessarily binds us to one another.c. We are all unworthy and wretched inheritors of beautiful promises.d. Promises we would have no part in were it not for Jesus Christ.e. We are all paupers turned into princes.f. We are beggars made Barons.g. We have all turned from sin, so we can help each other in the fight against it.h. We have all trusted in Christ, so we can help each other cling ever tighter to Him and what He’s done, the joy of what He’s doing, and the hope of what He will do.i. We have all received the Spirit, so we are all the temple of the Living God. We are God bearers all of us. We walk around with His Spirit providing the passion and the power to serve Him.j. Do you not find comfort in this?k. We all have the same story. A beautiful story of wretched little street urchins doing the will of our father the devil… but then suddenly adopted and made children of the Most High God. Let me close with a prayer by the Puritan Matthew Henry Lord, our souls have told you: you are our God. Other lords have had dominion over us, but we affirm the Lord this day to be our God. We will walk in your ways, keep your commandments, honor your judgments. We will listen to your voice and give ourselves to you as your people-for your praise, and for your glory. Lord, truly we are your servants, born in your house. You have loosed our bonds. We are bought with a price, so we are not our own, but yield ourselves to you. We join ourselves to you in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten. We are yours. Save us, for we seek your ways. We give you what is yours, that which comes from your hand. It is in Jesus name we pray this… Amen. Benediction:May the God of all grace,Who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ,Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you! Until we meet again… Go in peace.

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Title: Lord of AllText: Acts 10:34-43FCF: We often struggle humbly trusting and loyally submitting to Christ in faith.Prop: Because Jesus is Lord of All, we must believe in Him through His name. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 10. In a moment we will read from the LSB starting in verse 34. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1243 or in whatever version you prefer. We are more than halfway through the episode now. Cornelius’ vision has come to pass. He and his family sit poised to hear the message from Peter. Peter’s understanding of the vision he received is expanding to its fullest meaning. As the immediate effect of that… Peter will preach the message Corenlius and his family need. Let’s waste no time. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation:O risen Christ, there is salvation in no one else; there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Let your saving presence be upon us today that we might glory in your abundant love and rightly proclaim your good news of redemption. We pray this in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] There is a saying we have. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is this truism that motivated our forefathers to seek out a government that put power in the hands of the many rather in the hands of the few. As power is consolidated, it is more easily and readily used to corrupt and abuse those who are governed. To us the idea of one ruler holding all power is a fearful thing to consider. Peter’s gospel presentation to Cornelius and his friends and family… is all about what happens when the RIGHT MAN holds absolute power. Let’s look. I.) Jesus is Lord of Jew and Gentile, so we must believe in Him through His name. (34-36)a. [Slide 3] 34 – And opening his mouth, Peter said: i. And just like that, something clicks in Peter’s mind. ii. The full weight of the vision and all its implications are now falling on Peter. iii. Regarding the message that Cornelius has several times alluded to. The message that the servants he sent alluded to. The message that Cornelius has said was ordered by the Lord. We have yet to read in Acts what that message might be. iv. God in speaking to Peter never gives him a message to deliver. v. Certainly, as Peter hears this for the second time now, he might have been wondering up to that point what message God would have him give to these gentiles. vi. But taking the vision and the Spirit’s instruction into account, and seeing the events that have unfolded more clearly… Peter knows now exactly what message he is to deliver to Cornelius and his house. vii. It isn’t a message for the Jews to consider their ceremonial laws fulfilled – although this is true. viii. It isn’t a message for the Jews to abandon their scruples about meeting with gentiles – although this is also true.b. [Slide 4] “I most truly comprehend now that God is not one to show partiality. i. The message… is the gospel of Jesus Christ. ii. We see Peter make the declaration. God is not one to show partiality. iii. What does this mean? iv. Well, we have scriptures that tell us that God has a common grace available to all mankind. That the rain falls on both the unjust and the just. Perhaps Peter thinks that God is generally good to all men, so Peter must share with them the Gospel as an act of common good to them. v. While this is certainly true, it doesn’t quite accommodate the aspect of God making the unclean clean does it? vi. We could make this to mean, as some parts of Christianity do, that God has given redemptive grace to all mankind. That God does not show any particular favor to any one but has shown favor to all. In this there are two teachings that diverge.1. Either all men will be saved – Which is Universalism.2. Or all men have received grace from God to be saved, they simply must add their belief to receive it – Potential atonement of all men or Synergism.3. Is this what Peter means that God shows no partiality? vii. I introduce all this in order to teach a principle. The principle is… in scripture… if you don’t understand… Keep reading.c. [Slide 5] 35 – but in every nation the one who fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him. i. The scriptures as a whole may teach that God is generally good to every single man, and even that as part of that goodness that the gospel must go out to every single man. But that is not what Peter means by God not showing partiality. ii. I would argue that the scriptures as a whole neither teach Universalism nor does it teach Synergism. God did not provide saving grace or a potential atonement to all men. Rather He provided regenerative grace and effectual atonement to many men. iii. Such a teaching endures Peter’s comment that God does not show partiality. Why? iv. Because Peter does not speak in reference to all men that have ever lived. He speaks in reference to all kinds of men, namely ethnicity and religious heritage. v. These superficial earthy demarcations are not aspects of us that God considers when He gives saving grace and effectual atonement. And this has always been the case. As we read in the psalms, in proverbs, in the history, in the prophets – God’s redemptive plan has ALWAYS included the whole earth. All the nations. Not just Jews. vi. Any man, of any background, if they fear God and obey Him… that in itself is enough for them to be welcomed unto God. vii. And lest we be concerned that Peter is teaching some sort of works-based salvation… Fearing God and obeying God can be set next to seeking God, believing God, and loving God. The relationship in the New Testament between trust, repentance, obedience, fear, love, and faith are so intertwined that it is quite difficult to pick them apart as separate experiences. viii. In short, Peter speaks of one who is or is at least becoming a true believer in the name of Jesus.d. [Slide 6] 36 – As for the word which He sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ – He is Lord of all – i. The word, or the message that God has ordained for Peter to give to Cornelius, is the same message or word that God sent to the sons of Israel through Christ. ii. What is this message? iii. It is a message of Peace. iv. Peace between God and men. v. A cessation of hostility. A way to be made right with God. vi. In this Christ is both the messenger and also the message. Christ comes with a message of peace but He is also the means of that peace. vii. How is He able to do that? viii. First, because He is the Messiah of God. He is the Christ, the anointed One. The promised One of God. The One who will crush the head of Satan. The One who will provide a path back into the family of God. ix. Second, He is Lord of All. x. Long were the Jews looking for a man chosen of God to lead them to freedom and prosperity. We’ve been talking about this in foundations in our study of Micah. xi. Long have they been told that their only Hope is in the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. xii. But Peter makes it plain – that in Jesus of Nazareth – He is both the chosen and anointed One of God but also is Lord of all. He is God and Man. xiii. But this is not a message for the sons of Israel only. For God is not one to show partiality. Jesus is, after all, the Lord of all.e. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: So, in Peter’s opening point, which serves as a revelation to himself in addition to a guide to His entire gospel presentation, Peter stresses the idea that Jesus, is the Lord of all men. Although God has referred to Israel as His portion, the entire Old Testament never eliminated a global vision for God’s redemptive plan. Anyone, regardless of their heritage, their previous religious persuasion, their ethnicity, their gender, or any other dividing identity characteristic - anyone who has been humbled in fear of the Lord and has submitted to His rule, will not be denied the welcome of God. God’s sovereign, unconditional election does not stand opposed to this teaching. Instead, it works in harmony. His sovereign work, which produces this kind of person, is not extended only to people of a particular identifying group. It is extended to all kinds of men for Jesus is Lord of all. What then should be our response? Fear and obedience. Humble Trust and Loyal Submission. Transition:[Slide 8(blank)] But is Jesus simply Lord of all men? Are there other aspects of His Lordship that may contribute to our understanding of the gospel? II.) Jesus is Lord of good and evil, so we must believe in Him through His name. (37-38)a. [Slide 9] 37 – you yourselves know the thing which happened throughout all Judea starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed i. Jesus’ life had caused quite a stir. ii. It is reasonable for Peter to have expected a God-Fearer to have heard about the baptism of John. John’s ministry was to prepare the way of the Lord. To declare the coming of the King and His Kingdom. iii. His ministry also had reached far and wide. We haven’t met the last of his disciples in the book of Acts. iv. It is also reasonable for Peter to expect that most everyone would have heard by now of the exploits of Jesus. His miracles. His ministry. v. People came from far and wide to hear him and see him perform miracles. vi. And we know that Jesus had interacted with other centurions of the Roman army, even raising one centurion’s servant without having ever seen the servant. vii. We also know Philip the evangelist preceded Peter in arriving in Caesarea preaching the gospel. viii. And perhaps even in his conversing with them Peter was made aware of all they had heard. ix. Therefore, he is starting from what they know and intending to expand on it.b. [Slide 10] 38 – You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. i. Although the words “you know of” do not appear in the Greek text, they are supplied by the LSB here to indicate that this is further pointing to the specifics of all that they knew. ii. And they knew quite a lot. iii. They knew that Jesus of Nazareth had been given power by the Holy Spirit and anointed by God the Father. iv. They knew that He went about doing good v. They knew He went about healing all who were oppressed by the devil. vi. What they did not know… is that He was able to do all of this because God was with Him. vii. Peter proves his point that Jesus is Lord of all by showing that He is Lord OF good and OVER evil and dark forces of the world. He went about doing good and defeating evil and dark powers. viii. Yes, the Lord Jesus reigns… in goodness and over evil itself. c. [Slide 11] Summary of the Point: In Peter’s first point, as the fullest realization of the vision he saw, he now confesses that Jesus is Lord of all, meaning of all men. That salvation, in its fullest sense, is offered not to Jews only, but to all men. In this second point, in recounting what Cornelius and his close relations and friends have heard, Peter shows that Jesus is not merely the Lord of all men, but is also the Lord of good and evil. By this he means that Jesus not only is the definition of what is good, but also that He rules even over the forces of evil. He is able to cast out evil. He is able to dominate the forces that have dominated men. What is the only proper response to such a Lord? Fear and obedience. Humble Trust and Loyal Submission. Transition:[Slide 12(blank)] Jesus is Lord of all men. Jesus is good and rules over evil. Anything else? III.) Jesus is Lord of life and death, so we must believe in Him through His name. (39-41)a. [Slide 13] 39 – And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Judea and in Jerusalem. i. Peter provides somewhat of a transitional sentence here. ii. He switches not to what the gentiles in front of him knew, but of what the apostles and the early 120-member church were all witnesses. iii. Thus, they may not know any of what he is about to tell them, but he is bearing witness to them of what they saw Jesus do in Judea and Jerusalem. iv. This is the message that they were commissioned by Christ to take to the nations – all that Jesus did, especially in Jerusalem, and especially the last two months before he ascended. v. Which of course includes…b. [Slide 14] They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree. i. We know who the they is in this sentence, but it is not readily apparent grammatically. ii. We have 3 options from the text so far. iii. It could be the sons of Israel, it could be the forces of darkness. It could be the Father and the Spirit. iv. In fact, it was all three of these. v. But who put Jesus to death is not what Peter is emphasizing here. vi. The fact that He was put to death by hanging on a tree, IS. vii. The Old Testament affirms that anyone who is hung on a tree is cursed. viii. Jesus was cursed. ix. But He didn’t stay cursed…c. [Slide 15] 40 – God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He appear 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. i. And so, continuing to add to what Cornelius and his friends and family knew, Peter goes on to tell them that Jesus was raised by God on the third day and appeared to many people. ii. Not to everyone… for those who resolutely remained in their unbelief would then be held in greater judgment for seeing the risen Christ with their own eyes and yet still rejecting Him. iii. Not to everyone… for not all were equipped to testify to His life, death, and Life again like those who followed Him. iv. No, only to some who would believe, chosen by God. Only these saw Jesus and ate and drank with Him proving in fact that He was no spirit or apparition. He was raised indeed and in a new body. v. Thus, He is also Lord over life and death. vi. If God willed to pluck Him, even from death… then He must be Lord of all.d. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: Peter has shown that all men are under His Lordship. He has shown that even the forces of evil are under His benevolent Lordship. And as an eyewitness to the fact, even the things that God alone claims to be in control of- things like life and death – Jesus is said to be Lord. “I lay my life down and can take it up again…” He said. God proved that He was exactly who He said He was by raising Him from the dead. He is the Lord of life and the Lord over death. How should we respond to such a Lord? A Lord who has the power of life and death in His hands? Fear and obey. Humble trust and loyal submission. Transition:[Slide 17(blank)] Do we need more? Is the gospel not yet full enough? Shall we leave it here? Or is there still more that He is Lord over? IV.) Jesus is Lord of the living and the dead, so we must believe in Him through His name. (42-43)a. [Slide 18] 42 – And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to solemnly bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead. i. Another aspect of Jesus being Lord of all is that having been raised from the Dead and glorified, He is now the Judge of the living and the dead. He is Lord over all. ii. He is the Lord over those who will live and those who will die. He is Lord over those who will be sent to life and sent to death. iii. And the message that God ordained for Peter to preach is Jesus the Lord of all and final judge of all. iv. This message is the message Cornelius referred to. v. This message is the one that God not only extends to all nations, but also enables many of all nations to receive. vi. And it is the message Peter is giving right now to Cornelius and his family and friends.b. [Slide 19] 43 – Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins. i. Peter reaches the climax of His gospel presentation on Jesus being Lord of all by declaring that the way to be judged as living and not dead is to receive forgiveness for sins. ii. And how does one receive forgiveness for sins? iii. The prophets of Old spoke of the coming one who would bear His people’s sins. They spoke of one Ruler who would rule from Jerusalem and all nations would come to Him to learn and obey. iv. In this, the prophets reveal the truth. That Jesus is this One. All hope is in Him. v. We are saved through His name. vi. [Slide 20] We’ve talked about this before, but when we use the expression “in His name” or “through His name” there are a couple layers of meaning.1. First, it means with His authority or with His power. This focuses on our belief that Jesus is the Lord of all, who will judge the living and the dead, and who is over life, death, and all evil. Thus, believing through His name is believing in His power and authority to save us.2. But the second meaning of the phrase is for His sake or on His behalf. This focuses on our belief that we are not saved because of any righteousness of our own, but only because Christ has paid our punishment and given us His righteousness. It is only for His sake that any are saved. vii. When we are told to believe in or to call on the name of Jesus, it is not speaking to a belief in historical facts alone. Instead, it is a belief that God only saves through Christ’s substitutionary atonement and it is a submission to Christ’s Lordship. viii. Through His name, everyone who believes (Jew or Gentile) will be forgiven of sins, freed from the power of evil, made right with God, established in peace through Him, and judged among the living. ix. There is hope in no other name but Jesus Christ, The Lord of All who was crucified for sinners. c. [Slide 21] Summary of the Point: Peter is being biblical, but abundantly logical as well. If Jesus is Lord over all men, over all good and evil, over life and death… then it stands to reason that He is also Lord and judge over the living and the dead. By living we mean those who have been granted life and life abundant. By dead we mean those who have been dead in their sins and have never been altered. As Lord over and Judge over He alone holds the keys. He alone holds the gavel. He alone determines who receives life and who is condemned to death. He will separate the sheep from the goats. What is the only proper response to such a Lord? It is belief in Him through His name. Which is what? Fear and obedience. It is Humble trust and loyal submission. Conclusion:So, CBC, after looking at Peter’s sermon, what is it we are to walk away with? What orthodoxy and orthopraxy must we leave with? Doctrinal Takeaway:[Slide 22] Jesus is Lord of all. All men, all forces of good and evil, death, life, the dead and the living. He is Lord of all creation. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the Last. He has demonstrated this by being anointed with the Spirit, healing those afflicted by the devil, dying for the sins of His people, raised by God to authenticate His Word, Ascended to God to intercede for His people and will one day return to judge the living and the dead. There is hope in no other name. No other name has the authority of Jesus Christ. It is for no other’s sake that God will pass over sin and declare someone to be righteous. It is only on the basis of what He’s done and who He is that we can and indeed we MUST humbly trust in and loyally submit to Him and Him alone for the forgiveness of sins. My friends… this is the gospel. He is Lord of all. That is the gospel. It is what gives us peace with God and reconciles us to Him… in that we kiss the Son. Kiss the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled, How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! Psalm 2:12. But let us apply this more vividly today. Where does this doctrine meet us? 1.) [Slide 23] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that Jesus is Lord of all.a. All men are born naturally believing that they are the determiner of their own destiny.b. Baked into each of us, we believe that we can choose our path and our life. Our destiny is unwritten.c. But the scriptures cast down and smash this lie to bits.d. Jesus Christ is Lord of all.e. Oftentimes well-meaning pastors stand behind pulpits pleading with church goers to invite Jesus into their hearts. Pleading with them ask Jesus to be Lord of their life.f. My friends… Jesus Christ IS the Lord of all. Whether you ask Him to be or invite Him to be… He owns you. He owns all of us.g. And because of His obedience to the Father’s will He has been raised to a position above every man. He is the Judge of the living and the dead.h. The scriptures say that all men will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.i. Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess.j. This application is less an application and more a statement of fact.k. You will have NO CHOICE but to confess that Jesus is Lord of you, of your life, of your eternity, of your destiny, of EVERYTHING.l. The only thing uncertain to you… is when.m. When will you believe that Jesus is Lord of all?n. Will you confess and believe it now, while you yet inhabit this mortal body? Will you bow in humble trust and loyal submission now… or will you do so… later.o. That is the only question associated with this application for all men must believe that Jesus is Lord of all.2.) [Slide 24] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that Jesus will allow even one sin to remain unpaid.a. Because Jesus is Lord of all, and because He is the judge of the living and the dead, one day, on the day that all will confess that Jesus is Lord of all… there will stand a Great White Throne. And the one who sits on that throne, the very presence of earth and heaven flee from Him.b. One day all men, great and small will stand before this great white throne and The Lion of Judah will preside over the court.c. He will call your name and He will open up the books of your life.d. He will read every single thing that you have ever done and He will lay out your sins before you.e. They will all testify against you as acts of treason against Yahweh and His Christ, Jesus, the Lord of Glory, The Judge over the living and the dead.f. And if anyone, including you, are judged by the books of works, you will never be found innocent.g. How do I know that?h. Because Revelation 20 says that anyone who is judged by these books will be cast into the lake of eternal fire.i. If you hope to stand before this throne and hold out for your good deeds to outweigh your bad deeds… my friend the bible has no hope to give you. For if you are judged by your works… you will be found guilty. You will be cast into the lake of eternal torment.j. There you shall remain for all eternity suffering the wrath of God for your sins.k. And the reason that you will be there forever is because were you given 1 eternal lifetime to pay for 1 count of treason against a Holy God, you could not with 1 eternal life adequately pay for your crime against Him.l. How much longer then would you remain in such wrath for your mile long rap sheet full of counts of treason? m. Jesus alone stands at that throne as judge. Jesus alone is the Lord of the living and the dead.n. He will not allow even 1 sin in the sea of all humanity to go unpaid. All sin will be atoned for. Justice will reign at that day.o. How foolish we have become to think… Oh God will forgive me. No my friends. All sin requires atonement. All sin requires someone to pay. All treason against Him will be punished.p. Would that we understood the sinfulness of sin! God open our eyes to see its death grip. A small sip of poison will not hurt us we think. Oh Chase such foolishness away from us Lord!q. So that we may…3.) [Slide 25] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must repent of sin and believe in the name of Jesus Christ.a. The same Lord who holds us dangling over the flames. The same Lord we have offended with our treason. The same Lord who is the judge of the living and the dead says to usb. Come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy and my burden is light.c. The same Lord who condemns… it is also said…d. The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.e. The same God who rides out to war against His enemies tells His angels to declaref. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.g. The same Lord who separates the living and the dead, the goats and the sheep… of Him it was saidh. Our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening of our peace fell upon Him and by His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way but Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on… HIMi. This Lord of All… died for sinners.j. My friends… if God has shown you this truth today – how shall you respond?k. You are backed to the edge of a cliff. You know your judgment is coming. You know no sin will be left unpaid. You know you will confess and believe that Jesus is Lord of all one day. And now you know that this same Jesus has laid down His life to bear the sins of many.l. There are only two choices before you. And I implore you to take the only choice that makes sense.m. Turn from your sin in humble trust that this Lord is your Lord and this Savior is your savior. And because of what He’s done and who He is… loyally submit to His Lordship. Bow the knee and follow Him.n. Lamentations 3: 25 – the Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him.o. Psalm 2:12 – Kiss the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled, How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.p. But my friends… I warn you… Do not choose the second option…4.) [Slide 26] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop resisting the call of the Lord. a. As you stand at the edge of that cliff faced with teaching on all sides showing you are trapped… you may think that you could find solace in the ravine below.b. Perhaps you can escape the gaze of the Almighty by throwing yourself into the chasm.c. Will you walk away from these truths?d. Will you flee the mercy of God?e. Will you continue to assure yourself that you will be found worthy. That He is not Lord. That He is not real?f. Will you continue to deceive and be deceived?g. Oh my friends… None of us are guaranteed another day. Not another moment.h. Should you cast yourself to the mercy of the ravine it may take your life. You may not land and be able to flee any longer.i. The fool has said, let us eat drink and be merry… but little did he know that the Lord would require His life that very night.j. My friends… what will you do with the Lord of All? He beckons you to come. Will you refuse again?5.) [Slide 27 (end)] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Through the name of Jesus, all who believe in Him will receive forgiveness of sins.a. For immature or fake Christians such a message grates against them.b. They despise sermons with no moral push, no ted talk, no life hack.c. They come to be given short cuts and pointers on living the Christian life.d. But to seasoned and Christlike believers… we never tire of hearing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.e. True to hear again and again of our sin, to live and confess it again and again is a pain to our hearts.f. But the sweet balm of the redemption that flowed from the cross of Christ – of this we can never drink too deeply. Our bellies are never full of it. Would that we could submerge ourselves in it every day and every hour.g. To know that the through the name of Jesus we who believe are and continue to receive the forgiveness of and cleansing from our sin.h. Oh glorious truth. Oh wonderful joy.i. The Lord of all… is the Savior of sinners. Sinners like you. Sinners like me. Let me close with a Puritan Prayer. Blessed Lord Jesus,No human mind could conceive or invent the gospel.Acting in eternal grace, you are both its messenger and its message,lived out on earth through infinite compassion, applying your life to insult, injury, death, that I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed.Blessed be you, O Father, for contriving this way, Eternal thanks to you, O Lamb of God, for opening this way,Praise everlasting to you, O Holy Spirit, for applying this way to my heart.Glorious Trinity, impress the gospel on my soul, until its virtue diffuses every faculty;Let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt.Teach me to secure this mighty blessing;Help me to give up every darling lustto submit heart and life to its command,to have it in my will,controlling my affectionsmoulding my understanding;To adhere strictly to the rules of true religion,not departing from them in any instancenor for any advantage in order escape calamity, inconvenience, or danger.Take me to the cross to seek glory from its infamy;Strip me of every pleasing pretense of righteousness by my own doings.O gracious Redeemer,I have neglected you too long, often crucified you,crucified you afresh by my impenitence, put you to open shame.I thank you for the patience that has borne with me so long,and for the grace that now makes me willing to be yours.O unite me to yourself with inseparable bonds, that nothing may ever draw me back from you, my Lord, my Saviour: In Jesus name I pray… Amen. Benediction:May that One, in whom we have redemption through His blood,The forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of His grace,Lavish on you all wisdom and understanding.So that you might keep your heart on the right path. Until we meet again… Go in Peace.

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Title: Not to Us, LORD, Not to UsText: Acts 10:23b-33FCF: We often struggle giving reverence and honor to God’s agents rather than God alone.Prop: Because God alone deserves praise for building His church, we must follow Christ alone. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 10. In a moment we will be reading starting from verse 23 from the NIV but you can follow along in the pew bible starting on page 1242 or in whatever version you prefer. As we find our way back to Acts chapter 10, let us review again, just this episode and all that has transpired. Cornelius, a God-Fearer, not a proselyte, receives a vision from an angel informing him that his prayers and alms have been received as an offering to God. The angel also instructs him to send for Peter who is in Joppa so that Peter can bring a message to him. Less than a day later Peter receives a perplexing vision which challenges his understanding of the Ceremonial laws regarding clean and unclean animals. The men Cornelius sent arrive and Peter is informed by the Spirit to go with them and not to hesitate or to raise any objections out of his Jewish sensibilities. Peter hosts them in the home by the sea and intends to go out with them. In the episode so far, and in the book of Acts so far, we have seen the Lord superintend in the expansion, growth, preservation, and purity of His church. This theme will continue today. But perhaps we will see it from a slightly different angle. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation:O Lord, the psalmist says, “when I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:3-4)” As we approach the text of scripture you have for us today, let us remember that You have created us to glorify you and enjoy your presence. Be mindful of us now, O Lord, and be present with us, that we might lift up your name and your mighty works for your glory. “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. (Psalm 115:1)” In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Transition:[Slide 2] In every single false faith and religion, whether they are heresies of Christianity or paganism and its relatives, the human agent is always seen as a near divine figure. To question the authority, the morality, or the veracity of Muhammed is to give a great insult upon the religion of Islam. Yet Muhammed never claims to be divine in any way. The Budda, Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russel, from monks to shaman, priests to prophets, false faiths have at least one thing in common. They worship, honor, and venerate their human leaders to the point that to denigrate them, would be to commit a great sin. But is Christianity the same? Let’s look. I.) God’s messengers are not worthy of worship or reverence, so we must follow Christ alone. (23b-26)a. [Slide 3] 23b – The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. i. Here we see two things. ii. First, we see that Peter had absolutely no intention of allowing his prejudices and Jewish sensibilities to override the Spirit’s clear instruction. iii. Although we might have been tempted to think that providing lodging for the men was to bide his time or to think it over more – we see that Peter did not hesitate. His hospitality was merely an act of kindness extended to weary travelers. iv. Second, we see that Peter did not go alone. While the Spirit did tell Peter to go without reservation, that would not prevent other men from going with Peter. v. Certainly, these were at least Samaritan Christians if not Jewish Christians. Perhaps they came with the hesitancy that Peter was told not to have. Perhaps they simply wanted to see what God would do at Cornelius’ home. vi. We are told later in chapter 11 that there were 6 men who accompanied Peter. Peter making 7. An interesting number in scripture.b. [Slide 4] 24 – The following day he arrived in Caesarea. i. Again, Luke desires us to be aware of the chronology. ii. Cornelius had his vision on day 1, Peter his vision on day 2. They left for Cornelius’ house on day 3. iii. On day 4 they arrive in Caesarea around 3pm. iv. Even though it was only 40 miles which could be done on foot in a day, the increased number of travelers would have made travel slower.c. [Slide 5] Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. i. For the first time since the beginning of the episode, we check in on what is happening with Cornelius. ii. What has he been doing? Waiting. Waiting and also gathering friends and relatives to hear the message that Peter was bringing to him. iii. What does the fact that Cornelius was waiting and inviting those he cared about to hear this message tell us about Cornelius? What might we call these actions? iv. We might call them faith. We can call them trust in what the angel had said, and thus trust in God. v. But as much faith as Cornelius had, it was not quite perfect…d. [Slide 6] 25 – As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. i. It is difficult to know exactly what Cornelius is doing here. ii. Many translations besides the NIV translate this word… Worship. iii. Scholars are divided on what exactly is going through Cornelius’ mind. So, what are our options?1. It is very unlikely that Cornelius is worshipping Peter outright as some Messianic figure. Virtually no scholar arrives at this conclusion. Given what we know of Cornelius that he was a God-Fearer and a devout man, it seems incompatible to assume he errored this far to worship Peter as God. 2. However, we might see Cornelius blending pagan and Judeo-Christian practices together as Cornelius makes Peter out to be some kind of man-god.a. We saw the Samaritans respond similarly to Simon the Sorcerer in chapter 8. Remember they called him the Great Power of God.b. And in Roman Paganism it would be appropriate to worship or venerate someone who is next to or a messenger of God.c. They have at least a partial divine status.3. We might also see Cornelius merely expressing some measure of honor or respect to Peter as some sort of sage or seer that he must honor as if Peter represented God Himself. As if Peter spoke on God’s behalf. To the extent that whatever Peter said or did… was infallible.4. In either case Cornelius is treating Peter as a person who has ascended to a second tier or vaulted position above mere men. iv. To a certain degree it matters little whether Cornelius is making Peter to be a man-god or merely venerating him as God’s representative… v. Peter’s response repudiates them all.e. [Slide 7] 26 – But Peter made him get up, “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” i. Peter rejects the honor, whatever it may be, and confesses to Cornelius that he is the same as Cornelius. He is merely a man. ii. When we consider the fact that Peter was a Jewish Christian and Cornelius a gentile God-Fearer, Peter’s rejection of veneration is all the more impactful. In Peter’s estimation, the distance between God-Fearer and apostle is not a great enough distance for Cornelius to treat Peter with reverential awe.f. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: In this text, in exact contention with paganism and even Judaism to some degree, Luke makes it clear that the relationship between God and His messengers is not like the relationship between seers and rabbis of other faiths. The messengers of God’s gospel do not take with them some kind of divine rights or special privileges because they are His messengers. Even the apostles of Christ are not due any kind of honor that approaches God Himself. In this the gospel shines brightly. God alone deserves worship and reverence. And Peter’s message will be to worship and reverence Jesus of Nazareth, who is the true God-Man. He alone must be followed. He must alone be trusted and obeyed. And no created being, not even an apostle of Christ, is worthy of the same treatment. Transition:[Slide 9(blank)] Peter’s rejection of veneration sets the tone for the church of Jesus Christ. No honor or worship is due to Peter, even though He is an apostle of Christ, even though He bears the message of the gospel, He is not worthy of awe or praise. Why? Because God alone is worthy of awe and praise. But why else should we only follow Christ and not mere men? II.) God providentially leads His messengers to find the lost who will believe, so we must follow Christ alone. (27-29)a. [Slide 10] 27 – While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. i. I’m sure this tested Peter sensibilities even more. ii. To meet with one gentile in his home is bad enough, but to meet with a whole assembly… such a thing would have been quite a challenge. iii. I imagine that Peter was probably taken aback by the crowd that had gathered. Men and women, soldier and slaves. A whole house full of people.b. [Slide 11] 28 – He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. i. It is at this point that I need to clarify. I may have led you to believe that it was part of the Mosaic law that the Jews practiced a separation from going to Gentile homes.1. This is not actually true. There is no law in the Mosaic law that forbids this.2. Why then does Peter say it is against their law for this to be so?3. Well, we must ask to what law is Peter referring?4. Being unclean in general was not always because you had sinned against God. There were perfectly normal and natural things that occurred that would make someone ritualistically unclean.5. But being unclean was not a desirable place for a Jew to be.6. Since the Gentiles ate unclean food and practiced unclean ways, it became a law or a custom to avoid them completely. It became taboo.7. Therefore, when Peter says it is unlawful or against our law – this indicates a law added to God’s law. The law of social acceptability in Jewish life. ii. All this being said, they certainly would have known, Cornelius being a God-Fearer and living in Caesarea, that it was a taboo thing for Peter to be here. iii. But Peter says this not as an end of a statement but as a beginning. iv. Peter recognizes that them sending for him and him coming indicates something remarkable is happening in this entire situation. For they both knew the tradition and the practices of the Jews. c. [Slide 12] But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. i. Here Peter reveals that he indeed does understand more of the vision that he was given. ii. He did use the Spirit’s further speaking to him as a template by which to interpret his dream. iii. What was Peter’s interpretation? iv. Peter’s interpretation so far is that God has made things that were ritualistically unclean to be clean. That, as he says here, extends beyond food to people. v. Gentiles in general are now no longer ritualistically unclean. vi. God making this plain to him is why he obeyed the Spirit to come without any objection. vii. Peter is mostly right in his interpretation of the vision. But as we’ll see as the episode continues, there is more to this vision than simply the cleansing of the ritualistically unclean things.d. [Slide 13] May I ask why you sent for me.” i. This is further proof that Peter does not understand the full breadth of the vision. ii. He still doesn’t quite understand why he is here. iii. He knows he has come to speak some sort of message to Cornelius… and to his surprise, his whole gathering of friends and relatives. iv. But Peter still has not drawn the correlation between the vision and his purpose here. v. Is it just to share a meal with them? vi. Is this just to give example to the church as a whole that gentiles are no longer unclean? vii. Is it to repudiate the custom of not going to their homes? viii. This is why Peter seeks clarification.e. [Slide 14] Summary of the Point: In the first point we saw how Christ alone is worthy of worship and reverence. That Peter denied the reverence of Cornelius because only Christ deserved such treatment. Here we see a similar point about God’s messengers. Not only are they not worthy of worship or reverential treatment… they are also under the direction and providential leading of God. Peter had to be coaxed to go to Cornelius’ house. He had to be shown a vision and even told directly to go. And while Peter is continuing to try to figure out why he is here… God is leading Him to begin the Pentecost of the Gentiles. But Peter has no idea this is happening. Even now, he is still figuring it out. That isn’t a slight to him so much is it a testament to the fact that our God goes before all of His witnesses when He sends them out. He providentially leads them to find those whom He has called out and to preach the gospel to them. God goes with His people to reach His people. So once again, the message for us is clear. No matter how enthusiastic or engaging, no matter how successful an evangelist or pastor may be… we must never be tempted to follow mere men. For Christ alone is worthy of worship and following. Men are merely tools in His hands to accomplish His purposes. And if many have come to faith because of the ministry of a man – that is not a testament to the man, but to the God he serves. Transition:[Slide 15(blank)] The gospel goes forward not because of great men, but because of a Great God. And from the lips of Cornelius, we have one more point that proves such a truth over again. What does this not yet believer say about God’s work in this whole situation? III.) God presides over His messengers when they preach His gospel, so we must follow Christ alone. (30-33)a. [Slide 16] 30 – Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me, i. The wording of this is grammatically clunky in the Greek. It is because of this that the NIV determines that Cornelius is talking about 3 days ago. But it is literally the only version of the bible in English that translates the Greek word as three instead of 4. ii. Four is certainly correct. The NIV goes out on a limb here but unfortunately it falls from the tree. iii. But perhaps we can give it a pass since the Greek grammar does make this passage very difficult to know exactly what Cornelius is trying to say. iv. The favorite among scholars seems to be “Four days ago to the very minute, he was praying at 3pm which is when an angel appeared to him.” v. He tells Peter what he saw and now he will tell Peter what he was told.b. [Slide 17] 31 - And said, “Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner who lives by the sea.” i. Again, Cornelius omits the detail that the angel told him that Peter was going to bring a message. ii. While it seems odd that Cornelius would omit this detail from his account, we will find out shortly that he certainly expected to receive teaching from Peter based on what the angel said to him.c. [Slide 18] 33 – So, I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. i. Cornelius obeyed the message of the angel but recognized the sacrifice Peter made in coming. ii. This is a Greek Idiom. iii. The NIV does well in its translation here. Other translations have “It was a great kindness of you to come.” Or something to that effect. d. [Slide 19] Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” i. Again, it is assumed that Peter will have a message to bring. ii. This is certainly what Cornelius understood from the angel’s message. iii. He now eagerly desires to hear what Peter has been instructed to say from the Lord. iv. He and all those who are present. v. Notice… he says that they are all in the presence of God. vi. Cornelius assumes that since this is the culmination of all that the angel who was sent by God had commanded him to do, that God must be present for what is about to happen. vii. This heightens the importance of the event to be sure. e. [Slide 20] Summary of the Point: In the first point we saw how Christ alone is worthy of worship and obedience and in the second point we saw how even great apostles like Peter needed the Lord’s providential guidance to find those whom the Lord is calling to Himself. And now in this final point we see that Cornelius’ inference is sound. If God has providentially led Peter to be here, then God must be presiding over the coming presentation of the gospel to him and his family and friends. And my friends it is no logical leap for us to assume a principle here, based on the providence and omnipresence of God. What is that principle? That God always presides over His witnesses as they share His gospel. So once again we draw the conclusion… if God presides over our witness, then He alone is worthy to be followed and obeyed. No mere man can inherit such loyalty. Any man who has any success in seeing souls saved, must admit the fact that were it not for the power, providence, love, presence, and faithfulness of God they would be fruitless in their harvest. He is, after all, the Lord of the harvest. He alone gets the increase. We are merely the workers. Conclusion:So CBC, how does this text apply to us today? What have we learned from all this? Doctrinal Takeaway:[Slide 21] In other religions, cults, and heresies, the human elements of the religion are often granted equal or comparable honor, respect, and even worship as the god or gods they serve. All false faiths have this in common. Human agents within the faith are given varying degrees of heightened honor and prestige and usually there is one human at the top above all the rest. In this scene of this episode, we see that Christianity is not like any of these. Peter says, I am just a man. Stand up. Peter admits that he needed to be taught or re-taught something in order to ensure that he did what God wanted him to do. And Cornelius confesses that although Peter will give the message, it is ultimately being presided over by God Himself. All this comes together to prove to us beyond shadow of doubt that only God the triune is worthy of worship and reverence. His human agents do not inherit varying degrees of reverence or awe no matter how close they were to Him. And that He is the One shepherding the activity of His people no matter how “successful” it seems that His people are in their efforts. This whole passage is a HUGE pride shot to the church and its leaders. Christ is the head of His church and there is no other. There is no vice-head. There is no second in command. There is no viceroy, no vicar, no advisor, no confidant, no consort, no right hand. It is His church that He builds, preserves, expands, and achieves victory through. No mere man deserves honor, credit, respect, or any reverential awe for what they have accomplished for the church because ultimately, they would do nothing without Christ! They would be nothing without Christ. Let us then improve upon this point in some more practical ways. 1.) [Slide 22] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that God alone deserves worship and reverence.a. My friends if someone takes a bible and throws it in the garbage can, although that may grate on our sensibilities, it is no direct affront to God, for God’s word stands forever regardless of what men may do to one specific copy of it.b. If someone spits on the image of Peter or Paul, burns an illustration of Jesus or throws out the crackers and grape juice after the Lord’s Supper - no damage is done to the honor of God. No worship is denied Him. No blasphemy is committed.c. If someone criticizes me or another Elder in our church or says many choice things against us, there is no affront to the Holy character of God in this.d. As Spurgeon said, “Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him, for you are worse than he thinks you to be.”e. None of these amount to blasphemy. Why? Because none of these are an attack on the Holy character of God.f. By negative example I hope to prove to you that God alone is to be worshipped and revered in awe.g. God alone is to be honored. There shall be no other gods before Him. You shall make for yourself no graven images to represent Him nor shall you make any graven images to represent any created thing.h. My friends, though God is not blasphemed in the ill treatment of things that are His, God is blasphemed in the reverential awe and worship of things that are His.i. You cannot worship God and His people. You cannot worship God and Church Fathers. You cannot worship God and… anything.j. Anything that is not God must be treated as yet another created thing. k. And that leads us to a further point that develops out of this.2.) [Slide 23] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that any created being should inherit any reverential awe or worship.a. My friends I am convinced that if Peter, Paul, John, Mary the mother of Jesus, or any other individual connected to Jesus Christ were to be among us again today and would see churches with their names on it, churches with their images in it, believers praying to them, or addressing them and venerating them in any way – they would say the exact same thing Peter said to Cornelius right here.b. Stand up! I am a human like you!c. The veneration of any created being is nothing short of a violation of the first and second command of the decalogue to not worship anything but God or to worship anything that has been created.d. The practice of worshipping icons, praying to saints, confessing sin to priests, is all repudiated in Peter’s response right here!e. To refer to someone as the vicar of Christ, the representative of Christ on earth, is a blasphemy of the first order. For Christ has neither asked for nor does He need a representative for Himself on earth. He is the head of the church right now as He sits at the right hand of God.f. No man or woman deserves to be worshipped, honored, or venerated regardless of who they are or what they have done for the kingdom of God.g. Why?h. God alone is worthy of worship. He is a jealous God. He will not yield his glory to another or His praise to idols. (Isaiah 42:8)3.) [Slide 24] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must be diligent to reflect and divert all praise and honor to God and God alone. a. I am reading George Whitefield’s biography which has been absolutely excellent so far.b. George Whitefield was the founder of the Methodist movement in London and was God’s chosen instrument to spear head the First Great Awakening in England and the USA.c. From early on in his ministry, through his journals, it became quite apparent that he dreaded the success of his ministry.d. He dreaded it because of the unique temptations that it brought to receive praise and honor for its success.e. My friends, if you are in a position of teaching, of authority, of ministry, of mentor and are training people in the truth of God and His ways – we must be so careful of accolades.f. Surely insults are detrimental, but accolades can send us to hell.g. I won’t produce a list today, but an untold multitude of well-started men in ministry have succumbed to the honeyed words of well-meaning admirers.h. Before they are aware of it, it became a drug fueling their passions. They desired it like oxygen. They had to hear the approval of men. To the extent that they lived for it. They thrived on it. And thus, they were brought to heel by it. They were controlled. And many have fallen away and denied the faith.i. Watch and take a lesson from the angels of God. They come and when someone falls down before them, they tell them what? Don’t be afraid… and then what? Arise. Do not worship me. I am not God.j. If the elect angels, these mighty spirit beings, refuse to receive worship and reverence from humans – why should we as humans think it right to receive reverence from humans?k. Be in the habit of reflecting, deflecting, deviating, disarming and controlling all misfired praise in your direction and turn it to God who alone is worthy of it.l. You teach so well! “Thank you! Praise the Lord He has used me to help you learn.”m. You are so kind and compassionate! “Thank you for such kind words and Praise the Lord that He has taught this to me by word and deed.”n. You are such a servant! “I am overjoyed to hear it. Praise the Lord who has given me strength enough to serve.”o. You are such a good Christian! “I am so glad you think so - I only hope to cast such crowns at His feet.”p. Not feigned humility but fearful deviation of praise. For you and I are unworthy of it. And to harbor it, even for a moment, is to handle something that could take our eternal lives.q. Our God is a jealous God. He will give His glory to no one.r. We must be in the habit of remembering that we are nothing without Him. Any talent, ability, or good deed we do is only because He was with us and enabled us to do it.s. In all we do we must continue to remind those who compliment us – that we are but men and women. We are mere humans. There is nothing worthy of gazing upon here. Gaze upon the Son. And Him Alone.4.) [Slide 25] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop giving reverential awe to men for their achievements in Christ’s church!a. Understand that by this I do not mean that the person on the other side of the compliment must cease their compliment.b. For it is not wrong to pay a compliment to a faithful worker in the Lord’s Service.c. But my friends, we must be so very careful to not give special or preferential respect to mere men.d. If you find yourself quoting, listening to, or admiring one man’s teaching or ministry to the extent that he far exceeds all others – be so very careful my friends. He is but a man. And no man is worthy of such devotion, loyalty or honor.e. If there is a man to whom you never disagree, such a man could be a stumbling block to your faithful worship of God alone.f. There is a reason that cults and false religions always have a human agent that they revere above all. It is because we sinners desire to worship something we can see. Something we can touch. Something we can perceive.g. The children of Israel not long after leaving Egypt and all their pagan gods, melted down gold and made a golden calf to worship.h. And lest we think those in Christ are beyond such idolatry…i. Paul said that the Corinthians were saying, “I am of Paul; I am of Apollos, or (the super spiritual) I am of Christ.” And all the while they divided themselves over their human allegiances. Who should they venerate most?j. My friends, worship God alone. No minister, no church leader, no movement maker, no church planter, no trend setter, no mover and shaker, no influencer, no apostle, no prophet, no pastor and no elder has ever done what they have done without God’s power and passion infused into their lives.k. And although we can appreciate and thank the Lord for such men and women who give us encouragement and have blessed us immeasurably… we would do well to recognize that they too are nothing without Christ. That Christ has used them and that HE ALONE deserves honor and praise for what the human agent has done.l. That with or without them – God would have done the work.m. This brings us, to a lesser degree, to what the proper attitude toward spiritual leadership should be.n. How should you treat your Elders CBC?o. The bible says to submit to and pray for us. To honor us.p. But I remind you, we are mere men. Fellow sheep.q. We watch out for your souls but we are not perfect. We are not the vicar of Christ. No man can be. We are not Christ’s representative, we are merely His stewards, slaves appointed to care for what is His until He returns.r. You should respect what your Elders say. It should weigh heavy on you. If it is from the scriptures, it should bind you. But we, each of us, sin every single day.s. Don’t pray THROUGH us or TO us! Why? Because we need you to pray FOR us. t. We are servant leaders, not divine representatives. And there is a big difference.5.) [Slide 26] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God does not leave the fate of something as precious as His church to mere men.a. Oh what glorious truth!b. For if it were left to us – we would have made mincemeat of His church long ago.c. Indeed, a cursory look at the history of the church would prove exactly that. We go back and see the battles against heresy, the dark ages, the corruptions, the abuses, the reformation, the subsequent splintering and dividing and we might be tempted in this to assume… ah see – men have run it into the ground.d. But do not believe it. God presides over His church my friends.e. God has not handed the fate of His church to mere men. He has given the headship of His church to The Son. And the Son has sent the Spirit into all true believers guiding them into all truth.f. He will build His church.g. He may have given us the ship’s wheel, but He alone provides the wind. May we steer into His course for us. And find comfort and hope that He will not allow His church to fail. Let me close with a prayer from the Apostolic Constitutions, an 8-volume work written in the late 300s primarily for clergy which included many orders of worship including this prayer. You alone are the Almighty One. Your eternal power quenches flames, holds back lions, and tames whales. It raises up the sick and overrules the power of all things. It overturns every enemy and brings low the arrogant. You are the one who is present in heaven, on earth, in the sea, but you yourself are confined by nothing. Your majesty has no boundary. As your servant said, "Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other" (Deuteronomy 4:39). For there is no God besides you alone, there is none holy besides you, the Lord, the God of knowledge, the God of the saints, holy above all holy beings, who are sanctified by your hands. You are glorious and highly exalted, invisible by nature, unsearchable in your judgments. Your life is without want, and your duration can never alter or fail. You do everything without toil. Your greatness is unlimited. Your excellency is perpetual. Your habitation is inaccessible and your dwelling unchangeable. Your knowledge is without beginning. Your truth cannot change and you require no help. Your dominion cannot be taken away and your monarchy will never have a successor: Your kingdom is without end, your strength is irresistible, and your army so numerous. You are the Father of wisdom, the creator of the creation by a mediator who is also the cause. The bestower of providence, the giver of laws, the supplier of want, the punisher of the ungodly, and the rewarder of the righteous. You are the God and Father of Christ, the Lord of those devoted to him. Your promise never fails, your judgments never take a bribe. Your attitude never changes, and your holiness never ceases. Our thanksgiving will never end. Let every creature adore you, for you [alone] are worthy. We pray this in Jesus name… Amen. Benediction:May you sing the glorious praises of your God through all your days;May you put no confidence in princes nor for help on man depend;That the Lord who gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak,Make you run and not grow faint, make you to walk and not fall. Until we meet again… go in peace.

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[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Corinthians chapter 15. In a moment we will read from the King James Version starting in verse 12. You can follow along in the pew bible starting on page 1297 or in whatever version you prefer.Today, I’ll preach a sermon originally delivered by the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.[Slide 2] Who is Charles Spurgeon?Born: June 19, 1834It was clear from an early age that he was a prodigy.But In spite of his boyhood preaching and reading of theology books, his true conversion did not come until he was 15 years old.Although raised in a congregationalist church that baptized infants, he never believed the scriptures taught this and became a Credobaptist.In 1852 at the age of 17 he became the main preacher of the Baptist Church of Waterbeach. It grew from 40 congregants to 400 in the two years he preached there.In 1854 at the age of 19 he was called to take the pastorate of New Park Street Chapel of Southwark (Sutherk). This was a rather prestigious church which was formerly pastored by Benjamin Keach and John Gill. If those names mean nothing to you… you should go check them out.The church desired to give him the title of reverend which he rejected because he did not find any such title in the scriptures.Aside from his preaching Spurgeon had a magazine called the Sword and the Trowel. In these publications he spoke outwardly and boldly concerning the state of Christendom of his time. He used this venue to criticize the East India Trade Company’s treatment of the Indian people, as well as the US Southerners for their acceptance of slavery. He called them kidnappers and even had a former slave speak in his church.In 1856 he established his “Pastor’s College” where he endeavored to train Pastors. He did not run the college himself, but did frequently teach the students. Those lectures have been compiled into a book called “Lectures to My Students” which can still be purchased and read today.Spurgeon also opened several orphanages in London to care for street children.By 1861 the church had grown so much they needed to build a new building to accommodate 5000 attenders. The church was renamed the Metropolitan Tabernacle, which still exists today.Because of all of this, he was often ill. He would spend many winters in France to recover strength.One final contributing factor to his poor health came in 1859 when Charles Darwin published his Origin of Species. Although not directly eliminating God from creation, it paved the way for textual criticism and liberalism to emerge within the church.From 1859 on, churches and pastors began questioning the miracles of the scriptures, taking a more allegorical approach to the creation account, and questioning key doctrines such as the sinfulness of man, the truth of the resurrection, the inspiration of the bible, and the substitutionary atonement of Christ’s death on the cross.All of this came to a head in 1887 in something called the Downgrade controversy. Spurgeon and his church were part of a collection of Baptist Churches called the Baptist Union. Although the Union was quite broad in their doctrine, Spurgeon began to criticize openly the inclusion of churches within the Union that were espousing the aforementioned liberal teachings.In 1887, Spurgeon published several articles in his Sword and the Trowel magazine arguing for the establishment of the traditional doctrines of plenary inspiration, the truth of the resurrection, the reality of hell and that many men will be punished there forever, and the substitutionary atonement of Christ as necessary doctrines that must be confessed to be a member of the Baptist Union.By the end of 1887, when it became apparent that the Baptist Union had no intention of adopting these doctrinal standards, Spurgeon removed himself and his church from membership.Since Spurgeon’s church was easily the largest and most prestigious, this angered the other members of the Baptist Union. In 1888 the Union met and officially censured Spurgeon. They later met and took a vote on whether to adopt Spurgeon’s doctrinal standards and the result was 2000 to 7. 2000 churches of the Baptist Union decided not to include these points in their official statement of faith.Four years later, at the age of 57, Spurgeon after suffering a great bout of gout and congestion of the kidneys, passed on into glory. He is still remembered today as the Prince of Preachers. He preached over 2000 sermons and many of them are still in print today.The sermon you will hear today is one which will make even more sense to you now that you know a little about him and the time in which he lived and the wars he was fighting for truth in England. He preached this sermon less than 2 years before he died, hot off the heels of the downgrade controversy. [Slide 3] We will read the text of the sermon today, I will pray, and from that point forward my words will be exclusively from Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He ends his sermon with an amen. At that point I will say, “He is risen!” To which you will reply, He is risen indeed. Then we will be dismissed. So please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the reading of the Word of God. I Corinthians 15 starting in verse 12. “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. — 1 Corinthians xv. 12— 19. [Slide 4] OUR religion is not based upon opinions, but upon facts. We hear persons sometimes saying, “Those are your views, and these are ours.” Whatever your “views” may be, is a small matter; what are the facts of the case? We must, after all, if we want a firm foundation, come down to matters of fact. Now, the great facts of the gospel are that God was incarnate in Christ Jesus, that he lived here a life of holiness and love, that he died upon the cross for our sins, that he was buried in the tomb of Joseph, that the third day he rose again from the dead, that after a while he ascended to his Father’s throne where he now sitteth, and that he shall come by-and-by, to be our Judge, and in that day the dead in Christ shall rise by virtue of their union with him. Now, very soon, within the Church of God, there rose up persons who began to dispute about the fundamental and cardinal principles of the faith, and it is so even now. When those outside the Church deny that Christ is the Son of God, deny his atoning sacrifice, and deny his resurrection, we are not at all astonished; they are unbelievers, and they are acting out their own profession. But when men, inside the Church of God, call themselves Christians, and yet deny the resurrection of the dead, then is our soul stirred within us, for it is a most solemn and serious evil to doubt those holy truths. They know not what they do, they cannot see all the result of their unbelief; if they could, one would think that they would start back with horror, and replace the truth, and let it stand where it ought to stand, where God has put it. The resurrection of the dead has been assailed, and is assailed still, by those who are called Christians, even by those who are called Christian ministers, but who, nevertheless, spirit away the very idea of the resurrection of the dead, so that we are to-day in the same condition, to some extent, as the Corinthian church was when, in its very midst, there rose up men, professing to be followers of Christ, who said that there was no resurrection of the dead. The apostle Paul, having borne his witness, and recapitulated the testimony about the resurrection of Christ, goes on to show the horrible consequences which must follow if there be no resurrection of the dead, and if Christ be not risen. He showed this to be a foundation truth; and if it was taken away, much more was gone than they supposed; indeed, everything was gone, as Paul went on to prove. Beloved friends, let us never tamper with the truth of God. I find it as much as I can do to enjoy the comfort of the truth, and to learn the spiritual lessons of God’s Word, without setting up to be a critic upon it; and I find it immeasurably more profitable to my own soul believingly to adore, than unbelievingly to invent objections, or even industriously to try to meet them. The meeting of objections is an endless work. When you have killed one regiment of them, there is another regiment coming on; and when you have put to the sword whole legions of doubts, doubters still swarm upon you like the frogs of Egypt. It is a poor business, it answers no practical end; it is better far firmly to believe what you profess to believe, and to follow out to all the blessed consequences every one of the truths which, in your own heart and soul, you have received of the Lord. One of the truths most surely believed among us is that there will be a resurrection of all those who sleep in Christ. There will be a resurrection of the ungodly as well as of the godly. Our Lord Jesus said to the Jews, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” Paul declared before Felix the doctrine of the “resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust;” but his argument with the Corinthians specially referred to believers, who will rise from the dead, and stand with Christ in the day of his appearing, quickened with the life that quickened him, and raised up to share the glory which the Father has given to him. [Slide 5] I. Paul’s argument begins here, and this will be our first head, IF THERE BE NO RESURRECTION, CHRIST IS NOT RISEN. If the resurrection of the dead is impossible, Christ cannot have risen from the dead. Now, the apostles bore witness that Christ had risen. They had met him, they had been with him, they had seen him eat a piece of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb on one occasion. They had seen him perform acts which could not be performed by a spirit, but which needed that he should be flesh and bones. Indeed, he said, “A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” One of them put his finger into the print of the nails, and was invited to thrust his hand into Christ’s side. He was known by two of them in the breaking of bread, a familiar token by which they recognized him better than by anything else. They heard him speak, they knew the tones of his voice; they were not deceived. On one occasion, five hundred of them saw him at once; or, if there was any possibility of a mistake when they were all together, they were not deceived when they saw him one by one, and entered into very close personal communion with him, each one after a different sort. “Now,” says Paul, “if there be no resurrection of the dead, if that is impossible, then, of course, Christ did not rise; and yet we all assure you that we saw him, and that we were with him, and you have to believe that we are all liars, and that the Christian religion is a lie, or else you must believe that there is a resurrection of the dead.” [Slide 6] “But,” says one, “Christ might rise, and yet not his people.” Not so, according to our faith and firm belief, Christ is one with his people. When Adam sinned, the whole human race fell in him, for they were one with him; in Adam all died. Even those that have not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression have, nevertheless, died. Even upon infants the death-sentence has taken effect, because they were one with Adam. There is no separating Adam from his posterity. Now, Christ is the second Adam, and he has a posterity. All believers are one with him, and none can separate them from him. If they do not live, then he did not live; and if he did not rise, then they will not rise. But whatever happened unto him must also happen unto them. They are so welded together, the Head and the members, that there is no dividing them. If he had slept an eternal sleep, then every righteous soul would have done the same, too. If he rose again, they must rise again, for he has taken them unto himself to be part and parcel of his very being. He died that they might live. Because he lives they shall live also, and in his eternal life they must for ever be partakers. This is Paul’s first argument, then, for the resurrection of the righteous, that, inasmuch as Christ rose, they must rise, for they are identified with him. [Slide 7] II. But now he proceeds with his subject, not so much arguing upon the resurrection of others as upon the resurrection of Christ; and his next argument is, that, IF THERE BE NO RESURRECTION, APOSTOLIC PREACHING FALLS: “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain” (see the fourteenth verse). “Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.” If Christ was not raised, the apostles were false witnesses. When a man bears false witness, he usually has a motive for doing so. What motive had these men, what did they gain by bearing false witness to Christ’s resurrection? It was all loss and no profit to them if he had not risen. They declared in Jerusalem that he had risen from the dead, and straightway men began to haul them to prison, and to put them to death. Those of them who survived bore the same testimony. They were so full of the conviction of it, that they went into distant countries to tell the story of Jesus and his resurrection from the dead. Some went to Rome, some to Spain; probably some came even to this remote island of Britain. Wherever they went, they testified that Christ had risen from the dead, and that they had seen him alive, and that he was the Saviour of all who trusted in him. Thus they always preached, and what became of them? I may say, with Paul, that “they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented.” They were brought before the Roman Emperor again and again, and before the pro-consuls, and threatened with the most painful of deaths; but not one of them ever withdrew his testimony concerning Christ’s resurrection. They still stood to it, that they had known him in life, many of them had been near him in death, and they had all communed with him after his resurrection. They declared that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, that he died and was buried, that he rose again, and that there was salvation for all who believed in him. Were these men false witnesses? If so, they were the most extraordinary false witnesses who ever lived. What were their morals? What kind of men were they? Were they drunkards? Were they adulterers? Were they thieves? Nay; they were the purest and best of mankind; their adversaries could bring no charge against their moral conduct. They were eminently honest, and they spoke with the accent of conviction. As I have already said, they suffered for their testimony. Now, under the law, the witness of two men was to be received; but what shall we say of the witness of five hundred men? If it was true when they first declared that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, it is equally true now. It does not matter though the event happened nearly nineteen hundred years ago; it is just as true now. The apostles bore witness which could not be gainsaid, and so it still stands. We cannot assume that all these apostolic men were false witnesses of God. If we even suppose that they were mistaken about this matter, we must suspect their witness about everything else; and the only logical result is to give up the New Testament altogether. If they were mistaken as to Christ having risen from the dead, they are not credible witnesses upon anything else; and if they are discredited, the whole of our religion falls with them; the Christian faith, and especially all that the apostles built on the resurrection, must be turned out of doors as altogether a delusion. They taught that Christ’s rising from the dead was the evidence that his sacrifice was accepted, that he rose again for our justification, that his rising again was the hope of believers in this life, and the assurance of the resurrection of their bodies in the life to come. You must give up all your hope of salvation the moment you doubt the Lord’s rising from the dead. As for Paul, who puts himself with the rest of the apostles, and says, “If Christ be not risen, we are found false witnesses of God,” I venture to bring him forward as a solitary witness of the most convincing kind. I need not remind you how he was at first opposed to Christ. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, one of the most intolerant members of the sect that hated the very name of Christ. He had a righteousness that surpassed that of the men of his times. He was a religious leader and persecutor; and yet he was so convinced of the appearance of Christ to him on the way to Damascus, that from that time he was completely turned round, and he preached with burning zeal the faith which once he blasphemed. There is an honesty about Paul which convinces at once; and if he had not seen the Saviour risen from the dead, he would not have been the man to say that he did. Dear brethren, you may rest assured that Jesus Christ did rise from the dead.[Slide 8] You cannot put down these good men as impostors; you cannot reckon the apostle Paul among those readily deceived, or among the deceivers of others; so you may be sure that Jesus Christ did rise from the dead, according to the Scriptures. [Slide 9] III. Once more, Paul’s argument is that, IF THERE BE NO RESURRECTION, FAITH BECOMES DELUSION. As we have to give up the apostles and all their teaching, if Christ did not rise from the dead, so we must conclude that their hearers believed a lie: “your faith is also vain.” Beloved, I speak to you who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and who are resting in him with great comfort and peace of mind, yea, who have experienced a great change of heart, and a great change in your lives through faith in Christ. Now, if he did not rise from the dead, you are believing a lie. Take this home to yourselves: if he did not literally rise from the dead on the third day, this faith of yours, that gives you comfort, this faith which has renewed you in heart and life, this faith which you believe is leading you home to heaven, must be abandoned as a sheer delusion; your faith is fixed on a falsehood. Oh, dreadful inference! But the inference is clearly true if Christ is not risen; you are risking your soul on a falsehood if Christ did not rise from the dead. [Slide 10] This is a solemn statement. I said last Sabbath, and I repeat it,—“Upon a life I did not live,Upon a death I did not die, I risk my whole eternity.”It is so. If Jesus Christ did not die for me, and did not rise again for me, I am lost; I have not a ray of comfort from any other direction; I have no dependence on anything else but Jesus crucified and risen; and if that sheet-anchor fails, everything fails with it, in my case; and so it must in yours. “Your faith is also vain,” wrote Paul to the Corinthians, for, if Christ is not risen, the trial will be too great for faith to endure, since it has for the very keystone of the arch the resurrection of Christ from the dead. If he did not rise, your faith rests on what never happened, and is not true; and certainly your faith will not bear that, or any other trial. There comes to the believer, every now and then, a time of great testing. Did you ever lie, as I have done several times, upon the brink of eternity, full of pain, almost over the border of this world, fronting eternity, looking into the dread abyss? There, unless you are sure about the foundation of your faith, you are in an evil case indeed. Unless you have a solid rock beneath you then, your hope will shrink away to nothing, and your confidence will depart. When you are sure that “the Lord is risen, indeed,” then you feel that there is something beneath your foot that does not stir. If Jesus died for you, and Jesus rose for you, then, my dear brother, you are not afraid even of that tremendous day when the earth shall be burned up, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. You feel a confidence that will bear even that test. If Christ did not rise from the dead, and you are resting your soul on the belief that he did rise, what a failure it will be for you in another world, what disappointment when you do not wake up in his likeness, what dismay if there should be no pardon of sin, no salvation through the precious blood! If Christ is not risen, your faith is vain. If it is vain, give it up; do not hold on to a thing that is not true. I would sooner plunge into the water, and swim or wade through the river, than I would trust myself to a rotten bridge that would break down in the middle.[Slide 11] If Christ did not rise, do not trust him, for such faith is vain; but, if you believe that he did die for you, and did rise again for you, then believe in him, joyously confident that such a fact as this affords a solid basis for your belief. [Slide 12] IV. Now I am going to advance a little further. Paul says next that, IF THERE BE NO RESURRECTION, THEY REMAINED IN THEIR SINS: “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” Ah! can ye bear that thought, my beloved in Christ, that ye are yet in your sins? I think that the bare suggestion takes hold upon you, terrifies you, and chills your blood. A little while ago, you were in your sins, dead in them, covered with them as with a crimson robe, you were condemned, lost. But now, you believe that Christ has brought you out of your sins, and washed you and made you white in his precious blood; ay, and has so changed you that sin shall not have dominion over you, for now you are by grace a child of God. Well, but, if Christ did not rise again, you are yet in your sins. [Slide 13] Observe that; for then there is no atonement made; at least, no satisfactory atonement. If the atonement of Christ for sin had been unsatisfactory, he would have remained in the grave. He went there on our behalf, a hostage for us; and if what he did upon the tree had not satisfied the justice of God, then he would never have come out of the grave again. Think for a minute what our position would be, if I stood here to preach only a dead and buried Christ! He died nearly nineteen hundred years ago; but suppose he had never been heard of since. If he had not risen from the dead, could you have confidence in him? You would say, “How do we know that his sacrifice was accepted?” We sing right truly,—“If Jesus ne’er had paid the debt,He ne’er had been at freedom set.”The Surety would have been under bonds unless he had discharged all his liability; but he has done so, and he has risen from the dead,—“And now both the Surety and sinner are free.”Understand clearly what I am saying. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took upon himself the sum total of the guilt of all his people. “The Lord hath made to meet upon him the iniquity of us all.” He died, and by his death obtained the full discharge of all our obligations. But his rising again was, so to speak, the receipt in full, the token that he had discharged the whole of the dread liabilities which he had taken upon himself; and now, since Christ is risen, you who believe in him are not in your sins. But, if he had not risen, then it would have been true, “Ye are yet in your sins.” [Slide 14] It would have been true, also, in another sense. The life by which true believers live is the resurrection-life of him who said, “Because I live, ye shall live also.” But if Christ is not risen, there is no life for those who are in him. If he were still slumbering in the grave, where would have been the life that now makes us joyful, and makes us aspire after heavenly things? There would have been no life for you if there had not first been life for him. “Now is Christ risen from the dead,” and in him you rise into newness of life; but, if he did not rise, you are still dead, still under sin, still without the divine life, still without the life immortal and eternal that is to be your life in heaven throughout eternity. So, you see, once more, the consequences that follow: “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” [Slide 15] V. Now follows, if possible, a still more terrible consequence. IF THERE BE NO RESURRECTION, ALL THE PIOUS DEAD HAVE PERISHED: “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” “Perished”, by which is not meant “annihilated”; they are in a worse condition than that. [Slide 16] One phrase must be explained by the other which went before it; if Jesus Christ is not risen, they are yet in their sins. They died, and they told us that they were blood-washed and forgiven; and that they hoped to see the face of God with joy; but if Christ rose not from the dead, there is no sinner who has gone to heaven, there is no saint who ever died, who has had any real hope; he has died under a delusion, and he has perished. If Jesus Christ be not raised, the godly dead are yet in their sins, and they can never rise; for, if Christ did not rise from the dead, they cannot rise from the dead. Only through his resurrection is there resurrection for the saints. The ungodly shall rise to shame and everlasting contempt; but believers shall rise into eternal life and felicity because of their oneness with Christ; but, if he did not rise, they cannot rise. If he is dead, they must be dead, for they must share with him. They are, they ever must be, one with him; and all the saints who ever died, died under a mistake if Christ did not rise. We cast away the thought with abhorrence. Many of us have had beloved parents and friends who have died in the Lord, and we know that the full assurance of their faith was no mistake. We have seen dear children die in sure and certain hope of a glorious resurrection; and we know that it was no error on their part. I have stood by many death-beds of believers, many triumphant, and many more peaceful and calm as a sweet summer evening. They were not mistaken. No, dear sirs, believing in Christ, who lived, and died, and rose again, they had confidence in the midst of pain, and joy in the hour of their departure.[Slide 17] We cannot believe that they were mistaken; therefore we are confident that Jesus Christ did rise from the dead. [Slide 18] VI. Once more, IF THERE BE NO RESURRECTION, OUR SOURCE OF JOY IS GONE. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, we, who believe that he did, are of all men the most miserable: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ,” and we certainly have no hope of any other life, apart from Christ, “we are of all men most miserable.” What does Paul mean? That Christian men are more miserable than others, if they are mistaken? No, he does not mean that; for even the mistake, if it be a mistake, gives them joy; the error, if it be an error, yields them a present confidence and peace. But supposing they are sure that they are under an error, that they have made a mistake, their comfort is gone, and they are of all men the most miserable. Believers have given up sensuous joys [Slide 19] And, more than that, we have now learned superior things. We have learned to love holiness, and we seek after it. We have learned to love communion with God, and it has become our heaven to talk with our Father and our Saviour. We now look after things which are spiritual; and we try to handle the things that are carnal as they should be handled, as things to be used, but not abused. Now if, after having tasted these superior joys, they all turn out to be nothing, and they must turn out to be nothing if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then we are indeed of all men the most miserable. More than that, we have had high hopes, hopes that have made our hearts leap for joy. We have been ready sometimes to go straight away out of the body, with high delights and raptures, in the expectation of being “with Christ, which is far better.” We have said, “Though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.” We have been transported with the full conviction that our eyes “shall see the King in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off;” and if that be not sure, if it can be proved that our hopes are vain, then are we of all men the most miserable. [Slide 20] You will wonder why I have been so long in bringing out these points, and what I am driving at. Well, what I am driving at is this. After all, everything hinges upon a fact, an ancient fact, and if that fact is not a fact, it is all up with us. If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, then his gospel is all exploded. What I want you to notice is this, that there must be a basis of fact in our religion; these things must be facts, or else nothing can give us consolation. [Slide 21] Our eternal hopes do not depend upon our moral condition; for, observe, these men in Corinth would not have been better or worse if Christ had not risen from the dead. Their character was just the same. It had been fashioned, it is true, by a belief that he did rise from the dead; but whether he did or did not, they were just the same men, so that their hope did not depend upon their good moral condition. The apostle does not say, “If you are or are not in such and such a moral condition,” but, “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” So, my beloved, the reason of your being safe will be that Christ died for you, and that he rose again; it is not the result of what you are, but of what he did. The hinge of it all is not in you: it is in him, and you are to place your reliance, not upon what you are, or hope to be, but wholly and entirely upon a great fact which transpired nearly nineteen hundred years ago. If he did not rise from the dead, you are in your sins still, be you as good as you may; but if he did rise from the dead, and you are one with him, you are not in your sins; they are all put away, and you are “accepted in the Beloved.” [Slide 22] Now I go a step further. The great hope you have does not hinge even upon your spiritual state. You must be born again; you must have a new heart and a right spirit, or else you cannot lay hold of Christ, and he is not yours; but still, your ultimate hope is not in what you are spiritually, but in what he is. When darkness comes over your soul, and you say, “I am afraid I am not converted,” still believe in him who rose from the dead; and when, after you have had a sight of yourself, you are drifting away to dark despair, still cling to him who loved you, and gave himself for you, and rose again from the dead for you. If you believe that Christ is risen from the dead, and if this be the foundation of your hope of heaven, that hope stands just as sure, whether you are bright or whether you are dull, whether you can sing or whether you are forced to sigh, whether you can run or whether you are a broken-legged cripple, only able to lie at Christ’s feet. If he died for you, and rose again for you, there is the groundwork of your confidence, and I pray you, keep to it. Do you see how Paul insists upon this? “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” The inference is that, if Christ be raised, and you have faith in him, your faith is not vain, and you are not in your sins, you are saved. Your hope must not be here, in what your hands can do, but there, on yonder cross, in what he did, and there, on yonder throne, in him who has risen again for your justification. [Slide 23] The hardest thing in the world seems to be to keep people to this truth, for I have noticed that much of the modern-thought doctrine is nothing but old self-righteousness tricked out again. It is bidding men still to trust in themselves, to trust in their moral character, to trust in their spiritual aspirations, or something or other. I stand here to-night to say to you that the basis of your hope is not even your own faith, much less your own good works; but it is what Christ has done once for all, for “ye are complete in him,” and you can never be complete in any other way. Here, again, I would have you notice that Paul does not say that your being forgiven and saved depends upon your sincerity and your earnestness. You must be sincere and earnest; Christ is not yours if you are not; but still, you may be very sincere, and very earnest, and yet be wrong all the while; and the more sincere and earnest you are in a wrong way, the further you will go astray. The self-righteous man may be very sincere as he goes about to establish a righteousness of his own; but the more he does it, the more he ruins himself. But here is the mark for you to aim at, not at your sincerity, though there must be that; but if Christ was raised, and that is where you are resting your hopes, then you are not in your sins, but you are accepted in Christ, and justified in him. This is where I stand, and I pray every believer to keep here. There are many new discoveries made in science; we are pleased to hear it. I hope that we shall be able to travel more quickly, and pay less for it. I hope that we shall have better light, and that it will not be so expensive. The more true science, the better; but when science comes in to tell me that it has discovered anything about the way to heaven, then I have a deaf ear to it. “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain; ye are yet in your sins.” But if Christ be risen, then I know where I am. If it be really so, that he is God in human flesh; if he took my sin, and bore the consequences of it, and made a clear sweep of it from before the judgment-seat of the Most High; and if his rising again is God’s testimony that the work is done, and that Christ, who stood as Substitute for me, is accepted for me, oh, hallelujah, hallelujah! What more do I need, but to praise and bless the name of him who has saved me with an effectual salvation? Now will I work for him. Now will I spend and be spent in his service. Now will I hate every false way, and every sin, and seek after purity and holiness; but not, in any sense, as the groundwork of my confidence. My one hope for time and eternity is Jesus, only Jesus; Jesus crucified and risen from the dead. [Slide 24] I do not know any passage of Scripture which, more thoroughly than this one, throws the stress where the stress must be, not on man, but on Christ alone: “If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” O dear hearer, if you would be saved, your salvation does not lie with yourself, but with him who left his Father’s bosom, and came down to earth as a babe at Bethlehem, and hung upon a woman’s breast; upon him who lived here, for thirty three years, a life of suffering and of toil, and who then took all the sin of his people upon himself, carried it up to the tree, and there bore all the consequences of it in his own body,—“Bore all that Almighty God could bear,With strength enough, but none to spare.”Jesus Christ bore that which has made God’s pardon an act of justice, and vindicated his forgiveness of sin so that none can say that he is unjust when he passes by transgression. Christ did all that; and then, dying, was laid in the tomb, but, the third day, his Father raised him from the dead in token that he spoke the truth when he said, on the cross, “It is finished.” The debt is paid now; then, O sinner, leave your prison, for your debt is paid! Are you shut up in despair on account of your debt of sin? It is all discharged if you have believed in him who was raised from the dead. He has taken all your sin, and you are free. That handwriting of ordinances that was against you is nailed to his cross. Go your way, and sing, “The Lord is risen indeed,” and be as happy as all the birds in the air, till you are, by and by, as happy as the angels in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [Slide 25(end)] HE IS RISEN!

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Title: He Goes Before UsText: Acts 10:17-23aFCF: We often struggle sharing our faith with others.Prop: Because God’s sovereign hand guides the expansion of His church, we must trust and obey Him. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 10. In a moment we will read from the Legacy standard bible starting in verse 17. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1242 or in whatever version you prefer. Although we had a week break from our study of the book of Acts, and although we will take a break next week again from the study, I hope that by breaking in the middle of a narrative episode that it will enable you to remember what we’ve been studying since we are essentially pausing the episode to come back to later. But let me review a bit just to make sure you are with me. It is difficult to know where this story truly begins. So let’s be safe and start with chapter 9. In the first scene we saw the miraculous conversion of Saul the bloodthirsty hunter of the church. Jesus knocked him off his feet, blinded him, rebuked him, and then commanded him to get up and go to Damasus and wait until he was healed. In the second scene we see Saul begin his life of evangelism in Damascus, Arabia, and Jerusalem where he was approved of the Apostles. He then went to Tarsus to await being sent of God to the Gentiles. The third scene consists of Peter using the peace established by Saul’s conversion to begin an itinerate ministry in Northern Judea and Samaria. He miraculously heals Aeneas of being lame. He raises Tabitha from the dead. In each scene it is clear that God is going before them to prepare the way for the gospel to expand and the church to grow. The fourth scene begins another episode within the narrative where a gentile God-Fearer is approached in a vision by an angel of God and told that he could come to Christ without first becoming a Jew. He was commanded to send for Peter in Joppa. The fifth scene is where Peter is put in a trace and receives a vision. This is where we left it last time. So far in this narrative we continue to see the hand of God paving the way for the gospel to go forward. Today, we will continue on to the next scene in this episode. And again we will see the work of God in the expansion of the gospel, but also the responsibility of men within that work. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God. Transition:[Slide 2] Although God does not always speak clearly He certainly speaks loudly. At least loud enough for us to hear Him. I think of Elijah who was depressed because after the victory at Carmel the entire nation did not turn to Yahweh and Jezabel desired to kill him. God approached him in a storm and tumult but spoke to him in the calm. Elijah knew God wanted to speak to Him for sure… but the whisper is where he heard him clearly. Peter has just received an amazing but perplexing vision from God. One that he is not readily able to understand. But the same God who puzzled him with a grand vision will now speak clearly as a whisper in His ear. In each case, the Lord moves, the Lord prepares, the Lord leads, the Lord goes before, and we must often run to keep up. Let’s see if Peter keeps up. I.) God’s sovereign hand guides the expansion of His church, so we must trust Him. (17-20)a. [Slide 3] 17 – Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, i. Last time in the book of Acts we spent a good deal of time trying to understand the vision that Peter was given. ii. We have the luxury of a completed New Testament, in written form, in a language we can all understand, bound together in one book along with the Old Testament, with 2000 years of the Holy Spirit illuminating, revealing, and guarding its meaning for God’s children. iii. Even with all that, we must systematically arrive at the conclusion that God has fulfilled the ceremonial laws in the life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and ongoing mediation of Christ. iv. Peter does not have these same luxuries. So, he must ponder and mull over all that the Lord revealed in his vision. v. What did he see? vi. He saw, coming out of heaven, all manner of creatures including ceremonially clean and unclean animals, descend on a sheet by the four corners. vii. Then he heard a voice command him to arise and eat. viii. His response was outright refusal. Peter knew what the law said. ix. But the same voice spoke again to him informing him that God had made these animals clean. x. This vision was repeated 3 times and the sheet went back up to heaven. xi. So, what could this mean? xii. Are all foods clean now? xiii. Is Peter free to eat pork? Shellfish? Birds? Bats? Snakes? xiv. Is there a deeper meaning here? Were the animals just an illustration of a greater truth? xv. Is it both and? xvi. This is what Peter was wondering.b. [Slide 4] Behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; i. We are again clued in to the chronology of the events. Luke is concerned that we understand the cohesive nature to all the events of this episode so far. ii. Peter received this vision less than 24 hours after Cornelius had seen his vision. iii. And while Peter wondered about the meaning of his vision, Cornelius’ vision and the command he was given has entered its last stage of fulfillment. iv. The three men he sent, two servants and a soldier, arrived at Simon the Tanner’s house, seeking Peter.c. [Slide 5] 18 – And calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was lodging there. i. Notice the obedience of these men. ii. What were they told to do? iii. They were told to go to a house by the sea of a man named Simon who was a tanner. They were told to summon a man named Simon who is also called Peter. This man is lodging in this house. iv. And what did they do? Exactly that. d. [Slide 6] 19 – And while Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 But rise up, go down and accompany them without taking issue at all, for I have sent them Myself.” i. Peter obviously did not hear the men call out for him. Or perhaps he ignored them. He was deep in thought concerning the vision. ii. And most likely a person like Peter would not readily answer any stranger looking for him. Especially not a soldier. iii. But the Spirit of the Lord speaks directly to him. iv. We notice the interesting contrast here. God delivers a rather opaque message to Peter through a trance. In the midst of Peter trying to understand what it meant, the Spirit tells him something … something with perfect clarity. v. God obviously wished to hide the fullness of the vision’s meaning from Peter. For if he needed to understand the message urgently, God would have spoken more clearly. vi. The Spirit needed Peter to trust these men. vii. Why might Peter not trust them? viii. Two slaves and a soldier of a Gentile Centurion are asking to take him 40 miles north, close to the border of Samaria. That raises a whole slew of red flags. ix. The political situation was much better for the church at this time, but that didn’t mean that they were altogether safe from the authorities. x. Not only this, but it was not permitted in the ceremonial law for a Jew to visit the house of a gentile. By engaging in close contact with the gentile the Jew would become ritualistically unclean. xi. So, the Spirit gets ahead of all this by telling Peter to trust these men for He, The Lord, has sent them. The Spirit further instructs Peter to rise up and go down and go with them. xii. This is now the fifth time in two chapters someone is instructed by God directly or through His messengers to rise up and do something. xiii. It is the second time Peter is instructed to rise up and obey. xiv. The first, he refused because of his understanding of unclean animals. xv. Now the Spirit speaks directly to him to rise up and go down and accompany these men without taking issue at all.1. [Slide 7] The word translated “taking issue at all” by the LSB is a compound word meaning “with judgment”. It means to weigh two options. Sometimes it can mean to weigh two options but show favor to one of two.2. There is, then, two possible meanings here which are not overly distinct.3. One meaning could be that the Spirit is commanding Peter to go with the men without hesitation. Without having two possibilities. In other words – don’t weigh the pros and cons to going with them… just go.4. Another meaning would be that the Spirit is commanding Peter to go with the men without showing distinction, favoritism, or prejudice. Go with them even though you normally might not go with them because of some favoritism or prejudice you may have against them. xvi. Another interesting parallel we must see here is the nature of the vision given to Peter and the words spoken plainly by the Spirit.1. Just as Peter had received the vision three times, so now there are three men seeking him.2. Just as Peter had seen clean and unclean animals and was commanded to rise and eat, so also 3 gentiles approached and he is told to rise up and go with them.3. And just as the voice said that God had made the unclean animals clean, the Holy Spirit did not tell him 3 gentiles had come, but three men. He then said to go without hesitation or without making any distinctions because the Spirit had sent these men Himself. xvii. Thus, The Spirit speaking to Peter not only commands him plainly on what to do next, but also provides a framework to apply the vision to his situation. xviii. The question as to whether or not the vision meant that all food was clean now, or if there was a deeper meaning has been answered. All food is clean… but that is not the end of all that God has done to eliminate distinctions among Gentiles and Jews who are in the New Covenant. xix. So, will Peter do better this time? Will he continue to object or has he received what the Lord is teaching? xx. We’ll have to see if Peter obeys in just a moment. xxi. For now, let’s wrap up what we’ve learned so far.e. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Although this scene seems to be simply transitional material to get us to Peter’s meeting with Cornelius, we do see a very clear and wonderful teaching here. Although God spoke opaquely to Peter at first in a vision, God is faithful to continue to clarify and lead Peter down a path that will eventually end in salvation going to Cornelius, his household, and the gentiles. In this we see the sovereign hand of God to bring about His plan for the expansion of the gospel to go to the uttermost parts of the earth and to unite both Jews and gentiles into one church of His dear Son. We have the privilege of seeing this all from a bird’s eye view. But Peter didn’t. He simply had to trust the Lord. For us to know that God is sovereign and will work all things together for our good and His glory, this truth motivates us also to trust Him – especially when it seems like things don’t make sense. Transition:[Slide 9 (blank)] But trusting God’s leading is only half of our necessary response to His sovereignty. When God sovereignly shepherds us toward His glory and our good, we must not only continue to trust His leading but we must also… obey. II.) God’s sovereign hand guides the expansion of His church, so we must obey the Lord. (21-23a)a. [Slide 10] 21 – And Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” i. Peter obeys. ii. He rises up and goes down to the men and reveals himself as the person for whom they are looking. iii. He does so without hesitation. He does ask why they came, but only after he has revealed that he is Simon called Peter. iv. Since the Spirit did not tell Peter why the men had come, only that they sought him and were sent by the Spirit Himself, Peter is in the dark as to the purpose of their coming. But he is not resistant, hesitant or suspicious. v. He merely wants to understand why they have come. Why? vi. Because if the Spirit had sent them, it is reasonable and logical to assume that whatever mission they are on… is now his mission too. b. [Slide 11] 22 – And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and hear a message from you. i. Here we learn a few more details that were not plainly stated before. ii. Cornelius is a righteous man. He was called devout and gave many alms and prayed often. But he was not said to be righteous. iii. We cannot conclude that this term “righteous” refers to either being perfectly righteous, nor can we conclude that he was declared righteous by God. Remember this is his own slaves and a devoted solider speaking about him. iv. High praise from such people though it may be, we should not import our own soteriological definitions on their words. v. What they mean is essentially that he does right. He is a right doing person. He is a man of integrity. vi. We also learn that Cornelius has gained the respect of the Jews. Although not a proselyte, he is still held in high esteem. Esteem that, by all accounts, is not easily earned among Jews of this time. vii. Finally, we learn that Cornelius was told not only to send for Peter, but also that Peter would come bearing a message for him and his home. viii. This was not clearly said by the angel. We deduce that either Cornelius assumed this of what the angel said, or more likely, Luke omitted more of what the angel had said only to reveal its fuller message through the course of the episode. ix. This does sharpen the intent. Peter is not to come simply to see Cornelius – but to deliver a message to him.c. [Slide 12] 23a – So, he invited them in and gave them lodging. i. Peter wastes no time in receiving these men. ii. While there is some stigma against Jews hosting gentiles, it would not nearly be as egregious as Jews being hosted by gentiles. But it is a testament to Peter’s trust in the Word of the Lord, he invites these men in and cares for them so they all can prepare for the journey the following day. iii. Though the Spirit did say to not hesitate, we should not see their delay in traveling immediately as a sign that Peter is disobeying the Lord. It is more likely a mercy to these travelers. They had already traveled 40 miles in the last 24 hours. To add an additional 40 or even a portion of it seems to be an unnecessary burden. iv. Peter receiving them and giving them lodging is a sign of his intention to not hesitate to go with them.d. [Slide 13] Summary of the Point: From this point we can see the other side of the coin. Peter is still not clear on exactly what is going on. But these three men have just found a man named Simon who also goes by Peter that was staying in the house of another man named Simon, who was a tanner, who lived by the sea in the port city of Joppa. What is significant about that? An angel told their master to fetch such a man, from such a place. Their master obeyed the angel, and they obeyed their master, and that has led them to where they are now. They have found this man, exactly where the angel said he would be. This is a testament to the providential hand of God to bring about His will. And Peter’s obedience here too is a response to His belief in the words of the Spirit. In short, God’s sovereignty has encouraged both the trust and obedience of everyone in this story. He actively pushes and pulls all the pieces providentially into to place so that His will is done. But this does not eliminate human responsibility. For here we see Peter and the three men not only trusting the Lord, but obeying the Lord. Conclusion:So, what have we learned today CBC and how then shall we live? What one primary point should we walk away with today? Doctrinal Takeaway:[Slide 14] We have seen how the Lord providentially and sovereignly works all things to accomplish His purposes. He has broken into the world of Cornelius and his household to invite him to join the family of God, not as a Jew first, but through Christ directly. He has overridden Peter’s reality to give him both a vision and clear instruction regarding ceremonial laws and the sudden appearance of 3 gentile men wanting to take him to the home of another gentile. God has done all this to lead to the conversion of many and the expansion of the gospel to all non-Jewish people. But notice how God does this? He invades and commands. He illuminates with truth and demands faith and obedience to what He has revealed. Cornelius, these three men, and Peter all are required to respond to the leading of the Lord. To believe Him and to act on that belief. Thus, the tension of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility is on full display. The outcome is never up to chance nor is there ever any doubt that God will accomplish what He has set out to accomplish -but God does not bind men’s wills to robotically obey, rather he frees men’s wills to be able to and to desire to obey Him. And so my friends, if the Lord has set you free… you are free indeed. God is at work to accomplish His purposes not just in the world at large but in your heart individually. Knowing this – we must trust and obey Him. But let us apply this doctrinal truth in more practical ways this morning. 1.) [Slide 15] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that God exercises His sovereign will to accomplish His divine purposes.a. One of the dangers of preaching through a book of the bible is that you tend to see the same themes, applications, and main points revisited over and over again.b. This can lead to a few negative outcomes. i. Sometimes people can get tired of hearing the same thing over and over ii. Sometimes people assume it is a hobby horse of the pastor, that is why he keep teaching it. iii. Sometimes we can tune out what we think we’ve already heard.c. But as a common truism says, “repetition is the mother of learning.”d. We as frail and finite creatures often need themes and teachings repeated to us over and over again. Not because the teaching is difficult, but because we are very slow learners.e. I know Luke has really been hammering home this thought. But maybe that is because it is important for us to understand.f. God is in absolute control to orchestrate and accomplish His divine purpose. In the book of Acts in particular it is the extension and expansion of the gospel of Jesus Christ.g. We have seen this theme on repeat for the majority of this book. God works, God moves, God graces, God gives, God awakens, God empowers, God speaks and His gospel moves.h. Do we need to learn this lesson today? Does it even matter?i. Oh, my friends. In so much of evangelicalism today we have all but rejected this truth. While some churches and movements say they rely on God to advance His Kingdom and gospel work, in application they repudiate this statementj. They design their evangelistic endeavors around convincing men to pray prayers, to believe truths, to confess doctrines, to say or do something. Very quickly it becomes apparent. Although they may say that God is sovereign over the advancement of His Kingdom, they believe they themselves have created a winning strategy to assure the salvation of the lost.k. I am reminded of the book of James when people say that they will go into a city and live there for a year and do business, all without asking or confessing that it is completely up to the will of God the Sovereign one. James rebukes such people for forgetting such a pivotal doctrine.l. I am convinced that our evangelism must begin and end with us on our knees.m. Why?n. We do not go and try to convince those with their eyes closed to open them. We go and tell the blind to see. We do not go and try to convince those sitting to stand, we go and command the lame to leap. We do not go and try to convince those who are ill to take medicine to improve their condition. We go and command the dead to live.o. If God is not sovereign over the expansion of His church… then it will never expand.p. So my friends… as you share the gospel to your friends, your family, your co-workers… recognize that God’s providential and sovereign hand must be working in their lives to bring about their reception of the message you bring them. Just like God’s providential and sovereign hand worked in Cornelius’ life to bring about his reception of the message Peter brought Him.q. So pray. Pray that God would lead you and prepare the soil to receive the Word. Without that… you preach to dead men. Without that… you cast your seeds on deficient soil that will produce no fruit.2.) [Slide 16] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that God’s sovereignty eliminates human responsibility.a. What is the often-repeated retort of those who distrust the ancient doctrine of the sovereignty of God is that if God is truly sovereign even over the expansion of His church, then He simply overrides and overruns His creation to make robots instead of worshippers.b. But this turns out to be little more than fear-mongering and distrust of God Himself.c. For although at times God does override the wills of people in the scriptures, it is not something we see applied directly to every situation.d. Did God override the will of Cornelius? Did He override the will of Peter? No.e. But would Cornelius or Peter be anywhere close to where they are now, let alone where they will be by the end of this chapter, if God did not providentially and sovereignly lead them to that end?f. Before you ponder that question too hard, let me simply answer it for you- no they would not.g. We must allow both truths to stand in full in scripture if we are to not error to one side or the other.h. God must be fully and completely sovereign over every single thing in this universe, including the very will of men. Otherwise, we have compromised or misinterpreted scripture.i. But also, God does not program and puppeteer every man and woman to accomplish His purposes in a divine play called human existence in which they are little more than passive agents.j. God’s will must be done. But God often uses human agency to do it.k. Indeed, God delights in delegating His purposes and His will to His people.l. He delegated the dominion of the earth to Adam in the beginning. And at the end He will glorify us to reign with Christ. Never because He needs us my friends. But always because that is what a good King, Father, and Leader does. He grows those He leads.m. God is sovereign… and He employs us to do His will.3.) [Slide 17] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must trust what God has said and obey what He has commanded.a. The first two points combine to make an obvious but important command.b. If God is in complete control, but commands us to bring about His will… what must we do?c. Is such a God trustworthy? Is such a God worthy of obedience?d. These questions asked in this way focus on the human responsibility side. For if God is truly sovereign, it matters little whether we think He is worthy of our trust. If He is truly sovereign it matters little if He is worthy of our obedience.e. But there is more at work here than merely the attribute of God’s sovereignty. There is also God’s goodness, His mercy, His grace, His lovingkindness.f. True we must trust and obey Him. He is King. But it is not blind trust or robotic obedience. Instead, it is trust and obedience borne out of a faithful, loving, and generous God who gave Himself for us.g. Friends, there is all the motivation you need.h. What has God said that you are having trouble believing? What doctrines are you having trouble accepting? What commands of God are you balking at?i. Is His Sovereignty juxtaposed against His gracious desire for your willing trust and obedience not enough to secure both from you? Is it unreasonable for the one who loved you first to expect love in return?j. Cast aside your hesitancy. Trust and obey Him.4.) [Slide 18] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must not stand in the way of the gospel going forward.a. Peter pondered the vision he had.b. His Jewish sensitivities may have prevented him from receiving these men and going with them.c. God told him to lay aside those doubts and go.d. My friends, if we truly believe that Jesus died for men and women of all nations, backgrounds, and creeds. If we truly believe that there is no one so lost that God’s grace cannot reach them.e. Then we must not allow our disdain for their sin or our fear of being stained to keep us from sharing the gospel.f. Let us remember that we were similar kinds of people, enslaved to similar kinds of things… but we were bought with a price.g. Gretchen Whitmer is not beyond the saving grace of God.h. Your transgender neighbor is not beyond the saving grace of God.i. The couple who are sleeping together and are not married – are not beyond the saving grace of God.j. The Muslim at your work is not beyond the saving grace of God.k. Why?l. Because God is sovereign. Let us obey the Lord and take the gospel… even to these people.5.) [Slide 19(end)] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God actively pursues His own.a. Jesus gives us an illustration in the book of Matthew of a shepherd who leaves his fold of 99 sheep to go and rescue the one who is lost.b. There is also a story of a woman who had lost a coin. She diligently sought it until it was found.c. Cornelius is a lost sheep of God. Look at all that God has done here to pursue him? He sent an angel to him. A vision to Peter. The Spirit spoke directly to Peter. All so Peter would come and preach the gospel to him and his household.d. My friends as we go out among the lost in our families, in our communities, at our work places… you don’t go alone. For God is pursuing His own. He is calling them to Himself.e. He doesn’t command you to win them. He simply commands you to bear witness of Him.f. I hope this takes a weight off your shoulders. It isn’t up to you and it never has been.g. Simply bear witness. And pray, pray for the sovereign God to open the eyes of the blind, to give strength to the lame, to call the dead to life. Let me close with a prayer by the early church father John Chrysostom Lord, help us to imitate you, and never give up on anyone. For those who fish, they may have cast many times without success, but when they cast one more time, they gain all. So we also expect that you will all at once show to us ripe fruit in the lives of others. The farmer, too, after sowing, waits one or two days, and anticipates a long while… but all at once the crop springs up on every side. This we expect will take place also by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and also to the Holy Spirit be glory, might, and honor, now and forever and world without end. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Now to you who dwell securely under the shadow of God’s throne,And who know the sufficiency of God’s sovereign arm,May you be active in sharing your faith, so that you have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Until we meet again… Go in peace.

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Title: What is Baptism?Text: Various; Eph 4:1-6FCF: We often struggle to appreciate the significance of the sacrament of baptism.Prop: Because Baptism is full of significance and meaning for a believer, we must submit to the sacrament of baptism after we believe. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Ephesians chapter 4. In a moment I’ll begin reading in verse 1 from the New English Translation which you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1319 or in whatever version you prefer. No, you didn’t have a stroke. I am up here fairly early. As was mentioned in the announcements our normal liturgy for the service is interrupted today because we have some wonderful things happening this morning. Three people are coming to be baptized in obedience to Christ. The Elders after examining these three candidates have determined that their confession of faith is credible and the fruit of their faith is observable. Therefore we see no reason to prevent them from being baptized. In preparation for that, I have decided to teach a short topical lesson on baptism. I call it a lesson because it is not a true sermon. The application of the lesson will be in baptizing the three who have come. Another application would be for all who claim faith in Christ to consider the command of Christ to be baptized and to understand the significance of this sign. Please stand with me out of respect for and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Transition:My goal is to teach two lessons this morning. The first being baptism, the second church membership. But in reality they are essentially one message. Where one leaves off the other picks up. For baptism and all its meaning and significance ties in directly to the concept of church membership. This is one of the reasons the Elders have decided going forward that any who desire to be baptized in this church should also be ready to also join the church in membership. I hope that by the end of today, the reasons for that are abundantly clear. So let us endeavor to answer the question, What is baptism? Let’s start first with the history of baptism. I.) [Slide 2] What the history of baptism?a. Baptism had been practiced for some time in Israel to indicate that someone was leaving one way of life and entering into another.b. There are at least 9 baptisms in the bible, but as we read in Ephesians 4, there is only one Baptism in the bible. How is this possible? i. That one baptism is the baptism into the name of Jesus Christ. And by relation of Christ’s union to the trinity, it is also baptism into the name of the entire Godhead. ii. We will look more closely at what that means in a minute. But this establishes for us that baptism has been practiced in the church since the beginning and was not an unknown concept even before the church.c. Pedobaptism or Credobaptism? Why? i. Pedobaptism refers to the practice of baptizing infants. The vast majority of Christendom baptizes infants, but for different reasons.1. The Roman Catholic church baptizes infants as a way of washing away original sin.a. The line between Christ and His church is intentionally blurred in Roman Catholicism, so when a baby is baptized into the church, they are baptized into Christ.b. We would see this exactly opposite. When someone is baptized into Christ they are also then baptized into the church.c. In Roman Catholicism, baptism is regenerative. Meaning that once baptized the baby is going to heaven.2. The Orthodox church (Eastern, Greek, Russian etc.) is similar in that it is regenerative although they do not believe in original sin.3. Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians, believe that baptism is not regenerative but is like the sign of circumcision was to the Jews.a. It marks out the child as a member of God’s church in preparation for them to be received into His church by faith.b. They would neither baptize the child again once they believed, nor would they consider those who permanently walk away from the faith who had been baptized to be still part of the church somehow. ii. Then there is Credobaptism. One of the distinguishing features of being a Baptist is that we hold to credobaptism.1. Anabaptists, Methodists, Non-denominational, and Pentecostal churches would all hold to this position as well.2. Even with all those denominations, we are still in the minority.3. We would flatly reject the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Church’s ideas of baptism simply on the basis that we do affirm original sin and that we deny that water baptism washes it away.4. With Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Episcopalians who are truly of Christ, we would humbly disagree with their application of the sign to the circumcision of the Jews. Not in the sense that it is not the same but in the sense that they have mixed their metaphors.5. With circumcision it was a physical sign of a physical truth for a physical nation all requiring another circumcision of the heart. 6. We might agree that baptism is the same kind of sign as circumcision for the church as it was for the nation of Israel, but that it follows spiritual birth not physical birth. Although a physical sign accompanies it, it is primarily a spiritual sign. It signifies a spiritual nation not a physical one. And it requires no further baptism for we are baptized into Christ once.7. Now although we cannot conclude that infant baptism is a heretical teaching – we as Baptists would say that the only clear examples we have in scripture concerning baptism is to those who believed first and were then baptized. iii. As Baptists, we contend that baptism should be commanded only of those who are regenerated and have received faith in Christ.d. Mode of Baptism? i. Over the years the church has seen various modes of baptism. ii. Pouring, sprinkling, and immersion are the most common modes of baptism. iii. Pouring and sprinkling lean heavily into the “washing” of the sign whereas immersion adds the element of being crucified, buried and raised with Christ. iv. Again, this is probably not an issue worth dividing over. It is not heretical to be baptized by sprinkling or pouring. v. However, as Baptists we believe based on several reasons that immersion is the best mode to baptize an individual. The most convincing of which, I believe, is that the Greek word is used in other sources of that time to speak of sunken or sinking ships and to dipping cloth into dye.e. [Slide 3] Summary of the Point: So, although we are in the minority, we can trace what we believe about baptism all the way back to the apostles. We baptize believers by immersion as a sign of a spiritual baptism that has already occurred in their life. Transition:That brings us to what is certainly the more important question about baptism. What is the Meaning of Baptism? II.) [Slide 4] What is the Meaning of Baptism?a. Other ways we could ask this question include i. What is the purpose of Baptism? ii. Why do we baptize believers? iii. What does baptism accomplish?b. Remember that we narrowed baptism to one expression out of the 9 different baptisms that are mentioned in the bible. That is to be baptized into the name of Jesus Christ. Or into the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. i. To be baptized in someone’s name forms a difference between John’s baptism and the Christian baptism. ii. John baptized for the repentance of sin. The apostles baptized in the name of the Triune God. iii. To be baptized in someone’s name then is to be baptized with and in their authority, their dominion, their rule, their ownership, their jurisdiction. It is to be clothed in their colors. It is to wear their name on your jersey. It is to brand their mark on your skin.c. Therefore, when we try to answer these questions regarding meaning, purpose, and intention of baptism, we must look to this one expression of baptism for our answer.d. In the baptism of a believer into the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, we find 3 different but necessarily connected purposes of baptism. i. First, is the Sacramental meaning and purpose.1. [Slide 5] A Sacrament is a sign set apart and commanded by Christ that declares to God’s people the promise of the gospel, namely that He grants us freely the remission of sin and life eternal – not for our sake – but because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. These symbols do teach and assure us that the whole of our salvation depends upon that one sacrifice of Christ and they also, by the Spirit’s work, more fully unite us to the One sacrificed.2. That is a “by the book” definition.3. Do you see the Triune God in there?4. How does being baptized into Christ (the spiritual reality) and water baptism (the sign) come together to form a sacramental purpose in baptism?a. We are baptized into all His name means and all He did in His name. Among many more, His election, atoning life and death, resurrection, mediation, indwelling and future glorification.b. We have the symbol of dying to self, being crucified and buried with Christ.c. We are then raised to walk in a new life, after having washed all the filth of our old lives away.d. Sign and symbol meet as God builds our faith.e. When we publicly declare that this is true of us. We trust the Lord to meet us in that sign not only to build the faith of the one baptized, but also to build the faith of those who witness the sign. Thus, God meets us in the sign to deliver the spiritual truth of it and increase our faith. ii. [Slide 6] Second, we have the purpose of discipleship.1. We are baptized into His name meaning we are baptized into His identity. His way, His truth, His life, His commands.2. In Matthew 28 the Lord instructs His disciples to go and make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that He has commanded them.3. Baptism into the name of the Triune God – both the symbol and the thing signified – is not only obeying Christ’s instruction but it is also beginning a life publicly committed to Christ’s Lordship over their you. 4. Just as Jesus publicly began His life devoted to the Father’s will with what? Yes, with a Baptism.5. It declares to all present that I am His and I will run this race in pursuit of Him. iii. Third, there is the purpose of uniting to the universal church. 1. We are baptized into His name in the sense that we come out of the water and into the arms of His Family.2. The body of Christ is an expression symbolically used of His church.3. Not one member is the body of Christ, but all those who are truly His children are in that body called the universal or the invisible church.4. And so, when we are baptized into the triune God, we are baptized into the universal assembly of believers – His family – the family of the seed of the woman.5. A public water baptism then is to make public what has already been done spiritually by God.6. This is to allow God’s true people to celebrate that one more has been freed from the tyranny of the family of the serpent and one more has joined the blessing of the family of God. 7. It also puts the burden of discipleship on the shoulders of all who witness the baptism.8. For after one is baptized they must enter the work in training them to observe and obey all the commands of God.e. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: So, for us, baptism is of immeasurable significance. Like the Lord’s Supper, it is rich with meaning and I don’t claim to understand it all. But I know that there is a lot going on here. So for these three today – and with all of us who watch in anticipation – Let us rejoice with them as three more make public declaration of Christ alone as King. As I go and prepare, can we have the men come forward for this morning’s tithes and offerings?

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Title: Why Should You Become A Member of CBC?Text: Various; Acts 2:41-47FCF: We often struggle appreciating the significance of church membership.Prop: Because loyalty and fidelity to one body of believers is the biblical ideal, we must join in church membership to a local church. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible once again, this time to Acts chapter 2. I’ll be reading in a moment beginning in verse 41 from the New English Translation which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1231 or in whatever version you prefer. We left off our discussion of baptism pointing to the nature of the church. That the church simultaneously speaks of both the visible and the invisible. The local and the universal. Today four people have expressed desire to become members of our church. They have been examined by the Elders and we have determined, to the best of our human ability, that they are regenerated people. We’ll be presenting them later to you, so you can covenant with them. But for now, Please stand again with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God. Transition:But, if these folks are regenerated, that means they are already members of the invisible church. And if they are a member of the invisible church… we might wonder why they must join CBC as church members? Well, let us start very basically. What is church membership? I.) [Slide 2] What is Church Membership?a. Defining our terms is a good place to start.b. Church means gathering. We are the assembly. Church can mean a particular building or meeting place, but that is a modern usage of the word. The biblical usage refers to a group of people.c. Membership then is almost a redundant term. To be a member is to join a gathering.d. So, if you are in the church, you are a member of the church.e. So, what is this assembly? i. Acts 2:41 and 47 indicate that there was some numerical tracking of those who had repented and been baptized in the name of Christ. ii. Throughout the book of Acts this continues as we are told often that the church expanded and even several times given a number to their expansion. iii. But it is clear that the church was keeping track of not only the numerical value of those who were believers but even the people themselves. iv. Acts alone has several examples of named individuals known to the church as a whole.f. And as we attempted to delineate in our earlier discussion about our spiritual Baptism which occurs at conversion, we recognize this as the beginning of our joining with the invisible assembly.g. [Slide 3] Summary of the Point: So, to answer our question, “What is Church Membership” we must, on one level, define it as the necessary consequence of God saving someone and uniting them to Christ by faith. They join all others who have also been united to Christ by faith. They are, once saved, a member of His assembly. Transition:But this doesn’t quite satisfy our question, does it? We see churches today, including our own, asking people to join their rolls, join their constitution, to join not just the invisible global church but also the visible local church too. What are they asking? What is local church membership? II.) [Slide 4] What is Local Church Membership?a. Local church membership is the visible expression of the invisible reality.b. The local church is also an organizational necessity in a global church.c. Throughout the New Testament the scriptures refer to local assemblies far more often than they speak of the universal church.d. Indeed, each letter of Paul, Peter, James, Jude, John, and whoever wrote Hebrews, is given to specific churches in specific places. Certainly, those letters were intended to be passed around to the universal church – but their original audience was individual, local churches.e. Churches of a city, an island, or a region. Churches where there were Elders keeping watch over that particular church in that particular area. Elders who were not overseeing churches in other areas.f. This concept and organization of the local church is assumed throughout the New Testament.g. [Slide 5] Summary of the Point: So, in the New Testament it is assumed that the church will gather locally with one another and be overseen by local leaders. Leaders who know your name, your needs, and have responsibility and authority over you, individually. Meaning that it was not enough to simply be a member of the invisible church. You must join yourself to your local church too. Transition:But joining ourselves to a local church does not necessarily include submitting to being included on a roll, agreeing to a covenant, and submitting to a constitution… does it? Is joining a local church as a member as we define it today, a command from God? III.) [Slide 6] Is Joining a Local church as a member, as we define it today, a command from God?a. The short answer is no. There is no command to join a local church as a member as we have defined it in our modern era.b. But as I have already argued – church membership is a redundant expression.c. We have no examples in scripture of people coming to Christ and refusing to join a local assembly of believers or joining a local church and attending services only. There are exactly 0 examples of this happening.d. So, although the short answer to this question is no – it is a VERY nuanced no.e. Let me add some further nuance to that no…f. In Acts 2:42 the church devoted themselves to certain practices. What did they devote themselves to? i. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching ii. To fellowship iii. To the Lord’s Supper iv. And to the prayers.g. The word I want to key in on this morning is the word fellowship. i. This word for fellowship means partnership or union. It is used to speak of sharing in activities or privileges and is often associated with marriage. ii. Just as two become one in a marriage and enter a partnership or a holy union – so also the church is many members but one body. iii. Fellowship then, is not eating together around 8 foot plastic tables at the church potluck. iv. Fellowship isn’t even attending church or doing a church work day. v. Fellowship is family. Fellowship in unity. Fellowship is oneness. Fellowship is loyalty. Fellowship is identity. vi. Therefore, to be continually devoted to fellowship evokes a strong loyal commitment to love, honor, respect, submit, and humble ourselves toward one another. Knowing that we are one in Christ.h. Friends, this sounds an awful lot like what we at CBC call church membership.i. As a natural result of them joining the universal church, they devoted themselves to grow in unity with those around them of like faith and practice. j. Adding one more layer to this onion, in verse 47 the bible says that this body who devoted themselves to these things were experiencing the good will of the people outside the church. i. Although this verse teaches a lot of things, I want to camp on this one thought. ii. This partnership, this union, this loyalty they had for one another… was public. iii. It was not only public to the church itself but even those outside the church recognized that they were partnered with the church. iv. Everyone knew… not that they went to this gathering… but that they were partnered with this gathering.k. Friends, I don’t have a smoking gun verse that proves that you must join our church as a member. But I can find no discernable difference between what the church devoted themselves to in Acts 2 and what we call church membership here at CBC.l. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: Modern church membership is nothing more than a fleshed out and localized expression of the devotions of the early church in Acts 2. Transition:So now that I have defended the concept of church membership and why each believer should join themselves to a local assembly of believers… let me tell you why from another angle. Not just because the early church did. But let me tell you what the benefits are… specifically of joining CBC. IV.) [Slide 8] What are the benefits of becoming a member of CBC?a. Before I get to any of the benefits of joining our church as a member. Let me issue one disclaimer. i. Although I have and will continue to strive to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that joining our church as a member is not optional… ii. I don’t want you to rush into it either. iii. In each of these benefits there is a correlating responsibility. iv. So, if you are new to our church or have only been coming for a short time, I’d encourage you to take your time in evaluating whether or not you’d like to partner with us. Don’t rush into this. v. Although it certainly is the right decision, we would want you to make that decision fully aware of all that you are getting into and the responsibilities you are taking on yourself. vi. So, with that quick disclaimer, let’s look at the 3 major benefits of becoming a member of CBC.b. [Slide 9] The first benefit you receive by becoming a member of CBC is shepherding and oversight from the Elders. i. In Hebrews 13:17 – Elders are charged with the responsibility to watch over the souls of their flock. ii. Acts 20:28 Paul tells Ephesian Elders to watch over their flock faithfully. iii. Although we as Elders certainly watch over the greater flock of CBC, ie members and regular attenders, there is a certain and necessary priority given to those who are members. iv. Rather than considering this a slight to non-members, consider it instead as a perk given to members. v. In Hebrews 13, the same passage as before, the church is commanded to pray for and submit to their Elders.1. Ultimately Christians must submit to Christ. But Christ has installed Elders in His church to oversee and care for His church until He returns. We are stewards.2. As a member it is fairly easy for you to understand who you must submit to in our church. Via Christ and our Constitution (in that order), you must submit to the Elders in every area that the Lord has given them authority. 3. As a non-member… do you have to submit to the Elders? Can I be candid with you? Here is my answer… I have no idea. It seems like you should submit to the Elders of the church you are attending… but you haven’t partnered with the church… so, should you? I really don’t know.4. And that is why you should join the church as a member.5. To receive spiritual care and oversight from the Elders which necessarily includes you praying for and submitting to the Elders. c. A second benefit to joining the church is to grow in spiritual maturity i. Not only is there a group of godly men overseeing you and shepherding you – but they are not alone in that endeavor. The whole of the church is being trained by the Elders to do the work of the ministry which is to build up the body of Christ. ii. So how does the church do this?1. [Slide 10] First, by teaching sound doctrine and pointing out false teaching.a. The New Testament warns of false teachers going about seeking to cause ship wreck to the faith of believers.b. The advice often repeated is to heed the teaching of the apostles. To hold fast to the message they have heard.c. The Elder’s primary duty is to preach and teach the Word of God, which is the apostles’ teaching. Both in word and in deed. To rightly divide the word of truth.d. Not only this, but the church covenant binds all of us to watch out for one another and keep each from false teaching.e. We do this first by teaching the truth and growing one another in the knowledge and maturity of Christ. And second by pointing out false teaching and false teachers.f. We are all on the hook for each other’s spiritual growth.g. Are these benefits available to non-members? Sort of. h. But just like your commitment to the church is vague, the responsibility of the Elders and the rest of the church to you is equally vague. i. You haven’t covenanted with us… We don’t know where you stand. We know where we stand and where everyone who is a member stands. You are a wild card.2. Second, the church sees to the spiritual growth of its members by loving and serving one another.a. Hebrews 10 commands us to spur one another to love and good deeds.b. The New Testament speaks of spiritual gifts as spiritually empowered abilities that enable us to minister to the body of Christ. To grow each other in maturity and Christlikeness.c. As a member we promise one another in our covenant that we will fulfill this and we also inherit the promise from others that they will do this for us.d. Not just the Elders but every single member.e. If you are not a member, you haven’t promised this to us. And while we won’t keep these from you – we must give priority to those who have actually partnered with us. Those whom we have promised to support get our first priority.3. Third, the church assures the spiritual growth of its members through church discipline.a. As the church we hold the keys to the kingdom to bind and loose, to judge, to receive regenerate new members and to excommunicate those who appear as though they are not regenerate.b. This assures the spiritual growth of our membership because we assume that true believers do not live in unrepentant sin.c. And we promise our members that they cannot be partnered with us as one of us if they continue in unrepentant sin.d. Our promise as members… is to pursue them until it is clear that they want their sin more than they want to be partnered with us.e. Our promise is that we will hold one another accountable to a righteous standard. Not of perfection, but of repentance and faith.f. A non-member in unrepentant sin can simply walk away. You can join another church. And I can tell you this… the pastor at your next church will not call me to ask if we are pursuing you. He just won’t.g. But a member here will be called to restoration or they will be excommunicated with the hope that they will return and repent.d. [Slide 11] A third benefit of joining CBC as a member is joining in global evangelism. i. Even though we are a small church we have missionaries all over the world. ii. You heard about that this morning. iii. As a member you partner not only with us locally, but with them globally. iv. As a non-member, you can send them money sure, you can even pray for them… but they are partnered with us. So, partnering with us in membership is the fullest expression of partnering with them. e. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: Although there are clear responsibilities mixed in among these benefits, you can easily see that joining this church only serves to make you more like Christ. You will be served and you must serve. Today, four people are partnering with us by covenant. I’d ask that they come forward to read through the membership covenant.

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Title: Imperfect PerfectionText: Acts 10:1-8FCF: We often struggle with the tension of works and faith.Prop: Because Christ is well-pleasing to God, we can live in imperfect obedience and be counted righteous by faith in Christ, so we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 10. In a moment I’ll be reading starting in verse 1 from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1242 or in whatever version you prefer. Chapter 10 of the book of Acts represents a rather pivotal point in the expansion of the gospel of Jesus. In keeping with its significance, this next narrative episode is quite lengthy. From start to finish it encompasses a chapter and a half, 66 verses. That is the longest narrative episode we’ve seen yet in the book of Acts. Because it is so long it is difficult to know exactly where to break it up. At first, I had verses 1-23. Then I narrowed it down to 1-20. Then I went 1-16. I finally settled for 1-8. In this way I hope to build each detail of the narrative, one block at a time, as Luke does. The narrative as a whole is somewhat of a puzzle. We have several pieces handed to us, but until they are assembled, we won’t see the full picture. So, let’s begin with the first detail of the story… lets start with a man from Caesarea named Cornelius. Please stand with me to focus on and show respect for The Word of God. Transition:[Slide 2] Has this ever happened to you. You are standing in the line at the grocery store. It is a very busy day. Snow’s coming tomorrow so people are out in droves to make sure they have their bread milk and toilet paper. You are waiting and waiting, the line is moving slowly. Finally, you are getting close to the front. The magazines in the rack distract you… ok being honest it is the candy in the line that is distracting. All of a sudden you hear those wonderful words… “I can help you in line 3. You look up hoping to meet the gaze of the cashier only to find that this cashier had said this to the person who literally just got in line. Makes you a little hot right? Like, HEY! I’ve been here this whole time. What would justice be? Would it be that they have to wait the same amount you do, or more? We all kinda feel this way about short cuts don’t we. But Jesus taught a parable of men being hired for work at various times of the day and still getting paid the same amount. The employer couldn’t be accused of being stingy because he paid everyone a day’s wage. But to the one who worked less, it seemed like he got more. Jesus’ point was that it was the employer’s prerogative to be generous in the way He wished to be generous. Today, we will see the abundant graciousness and generosity of our Lord to offer the Jewish Messiah to a gentile. Let’s look at verse 1. I.) No matter how good man is perceived to be, he is not good enough by God’s standards, so we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. (1-2)a. [Slide 3] 1 – Now there was a man in Caesarea i. [Slide 4] Caesarea as we can see on our map, is the furthest Northwest that the gospel has ever gone in the book of Acts. ii. Damascus represents the furthest northeast. iii. Caesarea is almost at the furthest north border of Samaria. iv. In short, the gospel is spreading far and wide throughout all of Judea and Samaria. It doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.b. [Slide 5] named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort. i. Cornelius is a Latin name meaning Of the horn. Cornucopia means horn of plenty. ii. Having a Latin name is not the only indication that this man is a gentile. iii. He is also a centurion. Meaning he is the leader of about 100 men within the Roman army. iv. He was also part of a larger Italian division of the Roman army called a Legion or a Cohort. v. A legion or Cohort consisted of 600 men. Meaning that Cornelius was no doubt one of 6 military leaders within this particular division of the military. vi. All this establishes Cornelius not only as a gentile but also a prominent one at that. vii. The question arises, if this man was in the Italian Cohort, why was he in Caesarea? viii. Caesarea is a highly valued port city on the Mediterranean and it would not be unthinkable for the Roman Emperor to keep a Legion station here. Especially in the wake of the political upheaval of Caligula becoming emperor and Herod Antipas being exiled around this time. ix. It would actually make a great deal of sense to have extra troops in the area just in case something happens. x. But there is more to this man than simply his prominence and his nationality.c. [Slide 6] 2 - He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was all his household; i. What does Luke mean that he was a devout God-fearing man? ii. In some ways this could be a simple description of Cornelius’ affiliation with the Jewish faith. However, Luke hasn’t shied away from using the term proselyte. In Luke 6 he mentioned Nicholas who was a Gentile proselyte now converted to Christ. iii. So, what exactly is Cornelius? Is he a proselyte or something else? iv. [Slide 7] To answer this question, we must look back among the first century historical and archeological records to understand a hierarchy that existed within the Jewish faith.1. First there were Hebraic Jews. These were Jews who refused to allow Greek influence to spread among them. They continued to speak Hebrew or at least Aramaic. They did not assimilate into Greek traditions and heritages. They attended all the feasts and festivals and made sacrifices in the temple.2. Second there were Hellenistic Jews. These were Jews who had succumbed to Greek influence in some way or another. Though still devout and Jewish, they had lost the ability to speak Hebrew and possibly even Aramaic. They, in some cases, had allowed Greek thought and culture to influence other aspects of their lives. They still attended feasts and festivals and made sacrifices in the temple.3. Third there would be gentile proselytes. These would be gentiles who converted to Judaism and submitted themselves fully to the religious, ritualistic, and legal practices of the Jews. They would endure circumcision and offer whatever sacrifices they were permitted to offer though they would not be permitted in the inner courts of the temple. 4. Fourth there would be what would be known as God-Fearers. This is specifically a group of gentiles that are favorable to Jewish culture and faith and perhaps even in the process of becoming a proselyte, but are not yet truly converted. They were not circumcised. They did not necessarily attend the festivals and feasts, and they did not offer sacrifices at the temple. They would adopt monotheism and attempt to keep the 10 commandments in their lives.5. Finally, would be, essentially, everyone else. The pagans and polytheists. These are the furthest away from God, since they worship false gods and not the one true God. v. [Slide 8] Cornelius then, is a God-Fearer. He is not quite a proselyte but is sympathetic to Jewish culture and faith. vi. Why is this significant?1. This is the first time in the book of Acts so far that a non-Jew by blood and by religion becomes the focal point of the story.2. Second, we’ve seen Luke’s story arch up to this point and it is reasonable to conclude even if we’ve never read the rest of this narrative, that the gospel circle is widening yet again.3. Will the gospel go to gentiles not fully assimilated into Judaism? If so, do they need to be Jews first? We’ll have to see. vii. We also see that his whole household were also God-Fearers. Now what does this mean?1. A household is the basic unit of social structure. But it differed from our household structure we have today.2. Ignoring for the moment the fracturing of the modern household; even in the ideal with Father, Mother, children this would represent a much smaller sphere than 1st century households.3. A household in the first century could include a much wider spectrum of kinship. There could also be servants and slaves included in the term household.4. In short, a household could include anyone who lived in the home and met in the home as family.5. And so, as we might expect, everyone in Cornelius’ house were God-Fearers also. We get the impression that he led the effort for this to be so. Most likely he was the patriarch and priest of his family. viii. How else did he lead?d. [Slide 9] he did many acts of charity for the people and prayed to God regularly. i. Alms giving and prayer have long been a standard measure for the truly pious. ii. As such the Pharisees were critiqued for their show of contributing large sums of money and long public prayers in order to seem very devout and pious. iii. Alms giving and prayer are two of the five pillars of the Islamic Faith. iv. Alms giving and prayer are sometimes a means of restitution in the Catholic Church. v. And even in the 1st century, Roman and Greek philosophers idealized acts of charity and devoted prayer to deities. vi. In short, giving charity to those who are less fortunate and praying regularly have always been associated with those who are devout and pious people. Whether it is true or not. And regardless of religion. You at least appear to be pious when you give alms and are consistently praying. vii. We ought also to see the correlation between Tabitha and Cornelius. Tabitha was a disciple of Christ who gave charitably too. We are not told that she prayed often, but it is reasonable to conclude she did. viii. On the surface then, we are given a man who has everything right, but he is missing one piece of the puzzle. But here is a hint. The piece of the puzzle he is missing isn’t that he hasn’t yet become a Jewish proselyte. e. [Slide 10] Summary of the Point: As wonderful of a man as Cornelius was, admired by men, prominent, a leader, a manager of a house, and pious to boot, he was still not good enough. He still lacked something. No doubt everyone admired and respected a man like Cornelius. And even though he wasn’t quite Jewish, we will see later he is highly respected by the Jews. The core truth we see in this first point is that a man can be judged to be a good man by all of society and still be short of the standard of God. For God does not require a good man. He requires a perfect man. Jesus died for sinners… even those whom our society labels as saints. So, we must not rest on our laurels and our own self-righteousness, for it will never be good enough. But we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. Transition:[Slide 11 (blank)] But we have made some logical leaps here. Is God not pleased at all by Cornelius’ lifestyle? And how do we know Cornelius lacks Jesus? Well, God sends this man an angel. Let’s see what the angel says. II.) God is pleased with and graciously corrects those who sincerely worship Him, so we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. (3-6)a. [Slide 12] 3 – About three o’clock one afternoon he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God, who came in and said to him, “Cornelius.” i. At 3 in the afternoon, it would be a traditional time for sacrifices and prayers to be offered up at the temple. ii. It was at this time that Cornelius, who was probably entering again into prayer, saw a waking vision. iii. A vision is something that appears clearly, vividly, and credibly in the mind but is not actually present. iv. An angel appears to him in this vision and calls to him. v. Like Jesus to Saul before him, this angel identifies Cornelius by name.b. [Slide 13] 4 – Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius replied, “What is it, Lord?” i. Cornelius had never seen anything like this before. ii. Like every person who encounters an angel of God, he becomes sorely afraid. iii. Cornelius responds to this angel’s call by using almost the same words Saul used when he was met by Christ. iv. Saul asked, who are you, Lord? And Cornelius says, “What is it, Lord?” v. What does this mean? vi. It is difficult to know whether Cornelius has assumed that he was seeing God Himself or whether he is using this term “lord” in its less theologically charged meaning, “Sir.” vii. Even if he did mistake this angel for God, would you blame him? viii. Regardless of what Cornelius meant, the angel makes it plain that he is not God but bears God’s message to him.c. [Slide 14] The angel said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have gone up as a memorial before God. i. The angel indicates clearly that he is not God, but informs him that his prayers and charity have gone up before God. ii. What does it mean that his prayers and offerings have “Gone up before God?“ iii. And what is meant by it being a memorial or as other translations have it a “memorial offering?” iv. In the book of Leviticus, in several sacrifices the priests are instructed to take a handful of the offering and burn it on the altar before the Lord. The rest of the offering would be used by the priests. v. These are called memorial offerings because the one who gives the offering and the one burning the offering are all reminded that though God deserves all of the offering, he is pleased with a small portion. vi. How appropriate for the angel messenger to convey this to Cornelius. vii. Cornelius is, after all, not circumcised. He does not go to the temple for sacrifices. He meets in synagogues to learn of the Jewish faith and practice, and attempts to live accordingly, but is not Jewish. viii. Yet Yahweh, The God of Israel, through His angel, tells Cornelius that his charity and prayers have amounted to a memorial sacrifice. They have pleased God. ix. Though he has never sacrificed in the temple, his charity and prayers have been his offering. x. And his offering has pleased God. xi. So, is he good? Is Cornelius saved? Is that enough? Did he earn his salvation by an offering? xii. No. The angel had more to say.d. [Slide 15] Now send men to Joppa and summon a man named Simon, who is called Peter. 6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” i. The angel communicates another message to Cornelius that, at first, appears to be separate from the first. ii. However, they are related. iii. He tells him to send men to fetch Peter and tells him where Peter is staying. iv. But we all know the reason for this. v. And later we find out that the angel told Cornelius not only that Peter needed to come to see him, but that he had a message to give to him. A message of salvation. For him, and his household. vi. It is almost as if God is telling Cornelius, “Remember, though you stand a far way off, you have gotten the important part of Judaism. You have gotten enough of Judaism to be ready for the next step in Judaism. Now Peter will come and show you what you lack.” vii. Is God giving Cornelius a shortcut? Is God saying… I desire obedience and not sacrifices?e. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: And so, in this point, although those who are perceived as good and devout men are still not good enough, God is good and gracious to those who diligently seek Him. Though Cornelius had just enough truth and just enough good works to condemn him to hell, God rewards those who are pursuing Him. In many ways, Cornelius was probably more devout than most Jews of his day, because his motives were pure. He sincerely sought the Lord. God is pleased with those who, even imperfectly, sincerely worship Him. And God is sure to lead such people to what they lack. So, we must not be satisfied with our broken attempts to please God, even if He is pleased by our sincerity. Instead, we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. For it is in Jesus that the Lord has said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.” Transition:[Slide 17(blank)] God rewards Cornelius’ diligent seeking by revealing his need. He needs to call on Peter. Peter needs to come and give him and his household a message. So, what do those who have been illuminated by God do? What do those whose eyes have been opened do? They obey… III.) All who God corrects and instructs with truth obey His commands, so we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. (7-8)a. [Slide 18] 7 – When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius called two of his personal servants and a devout soldier from among those who served him, i. Like Aeneas and Tabitha before, Cornelius sets out to obey what has been revealed to him. ii. Aeneas was healed of his paralysis, Tabitha raised from death, but Cornelius was healed of another malady. A malady equally as hopeless. iii. You see for Cornelius though he was a God-Fearer, and though he could potentially achieve proselyte status in the Jewish faith and gain some measure of closeness to Yahweh, the God of Israel. He could never come closer than this. He could never enter the courts of the Jews much less the holy place or the Holy of Holies for that matter. iv. But what has his acts of charity and prayer done? It is a memorial offering. A reminder to him that though God requires all, He is pleased with what Cornelius has done. For he has done it while sincerely seeking Yahweh. v. So God rewards Cornelius by sending an angel, with the truth of the way he could be healed of that relational distance. vi. He has been told that he can come and receive the same gospel message that was given to the Jews. He need not be a proselyte first. Cornelius doesn’t need to be circumcised. He doesn’t need to become a Jew first. He simply needs the message that Peter will give him. What is that message? Jesus Christ crucified for sinners.1. Jesus is the funnel. Jesus is the choke point. Jesus is not only the next and final redemptive step in Judaism, but He is also the next and final redemptive step for the Gentile as well.2. He is the next and final step in the covenants He made with Adam and Eve.a. He is the sacrifice that was killed in their place so that they could be clothed perfectly and completely.b. He is the seed that has crushed the head of the serpent and enlarged the family of God.c. He is the New Adam, our new representative, keeping the covenant of works perfectly.3. He is the next and final step in the covenant made with Noah.a. He is the ark delivering His people from the world of sin and the judgment that will overwhelm it.b. He is the bow of promise establishing peace between the Father and His people.c. He is bringing the next baptism with the Spirit and with Fire.4. All the covenants of God, to Jews and Gentiles alike, are funneled down to Jesus. vii. And what does Cornelius do after receiving this command which he is told will be the solution for his malady of relational distance to Yahweh? What does he do when he is told that Peter holds the key for that distance to be erased? He obeys the angel and sends for Peter.b. [Slide 19] 8 - and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. i. It is difficult to know exactly what he tells these two servants and soldier. ii. The text says he had explained everything. iii. It seems as though everything he knew, saw, and believed was given to these men as he sent them to bring Peter. iv. Cornelius not only believed the angel, but wanted his whole house to believe as well.c. [Slide 20] Summary of the Point: We’ve seen how the devotion and goodness of Cornelius was not enough, that he still lacked true righteousness. We’ve also seen the faithfulness and compassion of God to reward those who seek Him diligently. And finally, we see the faithful obedience of all whom God reveals truth to… Cornelius was given life changing truth that would free him from his relational distance to God. And that truth would be given to him by Peter the apostle. So, what does Cornelius do when he is told that Peter holds the key for him to be brought into a close and special relationship with Yahweh? He obeys the angel and sends for Peter immediately. My friends, we know the piece that Cornelius was missing. It is Jesus crucified for sinners. So, we too must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. Conclusion:So, CBC, what has the Lord said and how then shall we live? What doctrinal takeaway can we pull from this today? Doctrinal Takeaway:[Slide 21] Men and women can live lives that are devout and pious, being paragons of good among humanity. God is pleased with those who attempt to live out His law and seek to please Him. But mankind’s devotion and piety is not enough to satisfy the holy standard of God. So, God in His grace rewards those who diligently seek to please and worship Him. He rewards them by revealing to them how they can be made right with Him. In this we see the tension of mankind’s spiritual status as dead and paralyzed juxtaposed against being able to actually, in some way, please God with our meager efforts. Another riddle. The great answer is that God’s legal standard is perfection, even if it is pleasing for us to obey Him and seek Him, it will never satisfy the legal requirement of perfection. But that is why God has sent His Son. And that is why God promises to reward those who seek Him. Cornelius was rewarded for faithfully pursuing the God if Israel. How was He rewarded? He was rewarded by God offering Him the next and final step in His redemption. And it was not to make him a Jew first. It was to transfer him directly into the family of the Son. So Cornelius obeyed the Lord and sent for Peter. Jesus is the answer for all men and not just the Jews. All the covenants of God are fulfilled in Him. My friends, although it is true that when we are God’s people, we obey Him… our obedience is not what we rely on. Because our obedience will always be imperfect in this life. Instead, we depend on Christ’s righteousness. For it is only in Christ that the Lord’s legal standard is met. The best we can hope for is God to be pleased with us. With Christ, The Father is well-pleased. So let me improve upon this point in a few ways for us this morning. 1.) [Slide 22] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that no matter how much righteousness we can muster, it will never satisfy God’s perfect standard.a. Cornelius was a man who put many Jews to shame. He devoted himself and his entire household to upholding monotheism and the law of the God of Israel.b. Even though he would never be accepted into the inner relationship to Yahweh, he still served Him and sought Him.c. This is a far cry from the Sadducees who only wanted power with their piety. It is lightyears away from the Pharisees who desired honor from men by their devotion to God.d. Nevertheless, as righteous as he was, Cornelius was still missing something. As pleasing as his actions were to God, he still lacked what Peter would bring.e. From meticulous legalism to liberal sincerity, mankind cannot ever achieve the perfect standard of God.f. As we spoke last week, we are all dead in sin. We are hopeless to heal ourselves. Hopeless to raise ourselves. The Lord must do this work.g. But our problem only begins there. Even though the Lord must raise us from sin death that is only half of our problem. For not only are we dead in sin, but we also dead to righteousness,h. Mankind, my friends, is in quite the pickle. Not only do they not want to please God, but even if they did want to, they couldn’t. You see God can’t bring us to life and then let us go. For we would simply die in sin again when we fail.i. No. God must unite us to something that will never fail.j. This is what orthodox Christianity teaches. Mankind is doubly damned. Not only are we dead in sin, but God’s standard is perfection. You cannot be perfect if you are by nature dead in flaws.k. Like a computer with a hardware problem. Even if you reboot it and debug it… if there is a flaw with the hard drive or the motherboard… it will never function properly. The bad hardware must be replaced.l. Mankind not only needs a reboot, but a hardware replacement as well.2.) [Slide 23] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that being dead in sin means we are unable to do good.a. Some having misunderstood this teaching have critiqued it by saying, “If mankind is dead in sin, If mankind is not righteous, then why do my Muslim neighbors shovel my driveway out of kindness? Why do my lost family members buy me flowers when I’m down? Why do my unbelieving co-workers pay their taxes and offer sacrificial love to their families?”b. They offer a wise critique to a doctrine no one is teaching.c. No one teaches that because mankind is dead in sin they can do no good thing. No one is teaching that because mankind is enslaved to sin that all they can do is sin.d. What we mean when we say that mankind is totally depraved or totally unable is that man is not able and not willing to spiritually free himself from sin or seek God or be made right with God.e. In the previous example we said that “mankind not only needs a reboot, but a hardware replacement as well.” Now think with me… if we are the computer, can we do that on our own?f. And I know you are thinking – well sometimes my computer reboots on its own.g. Does it? Or did someone program the computer to reboot under certain conditions? h. This is what this doctrine means. Just like a computer, we are not able to reboot ourselves or change our hardware.i. But that doesn’t mean that the computer can’t do some good things right? It just means that those good things don’t fix the problem.j. Cornelius proves this out. He was able to do good things, things that were pleasing to God – but he still needed God to send an angel and an apostle to bring him to Christ.3.) [Slide 24] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop relying on our own obedience to perfectly please God.a. No doubt we all sometimes succumb to this erroneous teaching that has bound so many of God’s dear children.b. We speak harshly to our wives and hit every red light on the way to work. Immediately we observe, God is punishing me for being harsh.c. We pray for our neighbor and then we inherit a small house form a distant uncle who passed. Apparently, God is pleased with me for praying for my neighbors. d. If I wear this, or go to that movie, or drink that, or say this, God will be most displeased with me.e. Even though there is a certain measure of truth in some of this – God is pleased and displeased by our choices, the thing that is faulty is our reliance on our performance to please God.f. My friends, our performance is not what perfectly pleases God. Why? Because our performance is never perfect.g. The scriptures teach us that there is no condemnation in Christ. The scriptures teach us that although we will be rewarded with crowns for our faithfulness to God – we will cast them all at the feet of Jesus.h. The whole of it my friends is that we can’t be more or less pleasing to God because we are in Christ. And with Christ, the Father is well-pleased.i. But we could pendulum swing here couldn’t we…4.) [Slide 25] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must obey the Lord while trusting that Christ has satisfied God’s perfect standard of performance.a. You see my friends, we obey the Lord out of love and thanksgiving.b. We are not trying to please Him more or fear displeasing him. We are obeying His law because we love Him and are thankful that He first loved us.c. We rest in the perfect righteousness of Christ, knowing that we will never lose that perfect standing before our Father. And then in that state of declared righteousness, we imperfectly obey.d. This is the beauty of the gospel.e. We are imperfectly perfect by faith in Christ.f. And it works because He changes our desires. We no longer want to wallow in imperfection. Instead, we long to be like Christ, while knowing that God has made us to be His righteousness.g. What a great God we serve that although His standard is perfection, He has achieved it for us while changing us to continue to desire it.5.) [Slide 26] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God will reveal Himself to those who diligently pursue Him. a. Perhaps you left last week with a feeling of despair.b. God must wake up people from spiritual death and paralysis. I get it. But what if someone really really really wants to serve God but God says no to waking them up?c. What if someone really wants to be saved but God never turns the lights on, God never opens the prison cell. God never raises them up. What happens then?d. My friends… God promises that those who diligently seek Him will be rewarded. Those who keep knocking on His door, He won’t cast out. He will welcome them in.e. Perhaps that is you today. Perhaps you have desired to be God’s child and have been knocking and knocking and still He has not answered.f. Will you give up now? Will you turn away? Where will you go? Who else can save like our God?g. There is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved. He is the Son of God who has the words of life… where else can you go?h. Don’t stop knocking my friends. The Lord promises that He will let you in. Let me close with a prayer from the church father Eusebius of Caesarea, fitting since Cornelius was from this city. We give you thanks, our God and Savior, and to you, O Christ, in our own feeble way. You are the supreme providence of the mighty Father, who both saves us from evil and teaches us in the way of truth. I say these things not to praise, but simply to give thanks. Who among us is worthy to give you praise? You called creation into being from nothing. You illuminated it with your light. You regulated the confusion of the elements by your laws of harmony and order. More than that, we recognize your lovingkindness. You caused those whose hearts inclined toward you to sincerely seek a divine and blessed life. You’ve allowed us to pass along what we’ve received from you, like merchants of wisdom and true blessings. We reap the everlasting fruit of your goodness. Freed from the net of sin, and permeated with a love for others, mercy is always our point of view. We hope for the promise of faith, and we are devoted to modest living – all the virtues we had once thrown aside, but are now restored by you whose generous care is over all. In Jesus name we pray… Amen. May the God who did not spare His own Son,But sent Him to gladly bear our burden on the cross,Remind you always of these things, though youKnow them and are firmly established in the truth,Until you arrive to a full measure of glory. Until we meet again… Go in peace.

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Title: Imperfect PerfectionText: Acts 10:1-8FCF: We often struggle with the tension of works and faith.Prop: Because Christ is well-pleasing to God, we can live in imperfect obedience and be counted righteous by faith in Christ, so we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 10. In a moment I’ll be reading starting in verse 1 from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1242 or in whatever version you prefer. Chapter 10 of the book of Acts represents a rather pivotal point in the expansion of the gospel of Jesus. In keeping with its significance, this next narrative episode is quite lengthy. From start to finish it encompasses a chapter and a half, 66 verses. That is the longest narrative episode we’ve seen yet in the book of Acts. Because it is so long it is difficult to know exactly where to break it up. At first, I had verses 1-23. Then I narrowed it down to 1-20. Then I went 1-16. I finally settled for 1-8. In this way I hope to build each detail of the narrative, one block at a time, as Luke does. The narrative as a whole is somewhat of a puzzle. We have several pieces handed to us, but until they are assembled, we won’t see the full picture. So, let’s begin with the first detail of the story… lets start with a man from Caesarea named Cornelius. Please stand with me to focus on and show respect for The Word of God. Transition:[Slide 2] Has this ever happened to you. You are standing in the line at the grocery store. It is a very busy day. Snow’s coming tomorrow so people are out in droves to make sure they have their bread milk and toilet paper. You are waiting and waiting, the line is moving slowly. Finally, you are getting close to the front. The magazines in the rack distract you… ok being honest it is the candy in the line that is distracting. All of a sudden you hear those wonderful words… “I can help you in line 3. You look up hoping to meet the gaze of the cashier only to find that this cashier had said this to the person who literally just got in line. Makes you a little hot right? Like, HEY! I’ve been here this whole time. What would justice be? Would it be that they have to wait the same amount you do, or more? We all kinda feel this way about short cuts don’t we. But Jesus taught a parable of men being hired for work at various times of the day and still getting paid the same amount. The employer couldn’t be accused of being stingy because he paid everyone a day’s wage. But to the one who worked less, it seemed like he got more. Jesus’ point was that it was the employer’s prerogative to be generous in the way He wished to be generous. Today, we will see the abundant graciousness and generosity of our Lord to offer the Jewish Messiah to a gentile. Let’s look at verse 1. I.) No matter how good man is perceived to be, he is not good enough by God’s standards, so we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. (1-2)a. [Slide 3] 1 – Now there was a man in Caesarea i. [Slide 4] Caesarea as we can see on our map, is the furthest Northwest that the gospel has ever gone in the book of Acts. ii. Damascus represents the furthest northeast. iii. Caesarea is almost at the furthest north border of Samaria. iv. In short, the gospel is spreading far and wide throughout all of Judea and Samaria. It doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.b. [Slide 5] named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort. i. Cornelius is a Latin name meaning Of the horn. Cornucopia means horn of plenty. ii. Having a Latin name is not the only indication that this man is a gentile. iii. He is also a centurion. Meaning he is the leader of about 100 men within the Roman army. iv. He was also part of a larger Italian division of the Roman army called a Legion or a Cohort. v. A legion or Cohort consisted of 600 men. Meaning that Cornelius was no doubt one of 6 military leaders within this particular division of the military. vi. All this establishes Cornelius not only as a gentile but also a prominent one at that. vii. The question arises, if this man was in the Italian Cohort, why was he in Caesarea? viii. Caesarea is a highly valued port city on the Mediterranean and it would not be unthinkable for the Roman Emperor to keep a Legion station here. Especially in the wake of the political upheaval of Caligula becoming emperor and Herod Antipas being exiled around this time. ix. It would actually make a great deal of sense to have extra troops in the area just in case something happens. x. But there is more to this man than simply his prominence and his nationality.c. [Slide 6] 2 - He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was all his household; i. What does Luke mean that he was a devout God-fearing man? ii. In some ways this could be a simple description of Cornelius’ affiliation with the Jewish faith. However, Luke hasn’t shied away from using the term proselyte. In Luke 6 he mentioned Nicholas who was a Gentile proselyte now converted to Christ. iii. So, what exactly is Cornelius? Is he a proselyte or something else? iv. [Slide 7] To answer this question, we must look back among the first century historical and archeological records to understand a hierarchy that existed within the Jewish faith.1. First there were Hebraic Jews. These were Jews who refused to allow Greek influence to spread among them. They continued to speak Hebrew or at least Aramaic. They did not assimilate into Greek traditions and heritages. They attended all the feasts and festivals and made sacrifices in the temple.2. Second there were Hellenistic Jews. These were Jews who had succumbed to Greek influence in some way or another. Though still devout and Jewish, they had lost the ability to speak Hebrew and possibly even Aramaic. They, in some cases, had allowed Greek thought and culture to influence other aspects of their lives. They still attended feasts and festivals and made sacrifices in the temple.3. Third there would be gentile proselytes. These would be gentiles who converted to Judaism and submitted themselves fully to the religious, ritualistic, and legal practices of the Jews. They would endure circumcision and offer whatever sacrifices they were permitted to offer though they would not be permitted in the inner courts of the temple. 4. Fourth there would be what would be known as God-Fearers. This is specifically a group of gentiles that are favorable to Jewish culture and faith and perhaps even in the process of becoming a proselyte, but are not yet truly converted. They were not circumcised. They did not necessarily attend the festivals and feasts, and they did not offer sacrifices at the temple. They would adopt monotheism and attempt to keep the 10 commandments in their lives.5. Finally, would be, essentially, everyone else. The pagans and polytheists. These are the furthest away from God, since they worship false gods and not the one true God. v. [Slide 8] Cornelius then, is a God-Fearer. He is not quite a proselyte but is sympathetic to Jewish culture and faith. vi. Why is this significant?1. This is the first time in the book of Acts so far that a non-Jew by blood and by religion becomes the focal point of the story.2. Second, we’ve seen Luke’s story arch up to this point and it is reasonable to conclude even if we’ve never read the rest of this narrative, that the gospel circle is widening yet again.3. Will the gospel go to gentiles not fully assimilated into Judaism? If so, do they need to be Jews first? We’ll have to see. vii. We also see that his whole household were also God-Fearers. Now what does this mean?1. A household is the basic unit of social structure. But it differed from our household structure we have today.2. Ignoring for the moment the fracturing of the modern household; even in the ideal with Father, Mother, children this would represent a much smaller sphere than 1st century households.3. A household in the first century could include a much wider spectrum of kinship. There could also be servants and slaves included in the term household.4. In short, a household could include anyone who lived in the home and met in the home as family.5. And so, as we might expect, everyone in Cornelius’ house were God-Fearers also. We get the impression that he led the effort for this to be so. Most likely he was the patriarch and priest of his family. viii. How else did he lead?d. [Slide 9] he did many acts of charity for the people and prayed to God regularly. i. Alms giving and prayer have long been a standard measure for the truly pious. ii. As such the Pharisees were critiqued for their show of contributing large sums of money and long public prayers in order to seem very devout and pious. iii. Alms giving and prayer are two of the five pillars of the Islamic Faith. iv. Alms giving and prayer are sometimes a means of restitution in the Catholic Church. v. And even in the 1st century, Roman and Greek philosophers idealized acts of charity and devoted prayer to deities. vi. In short, giving charity to those who are less fortunate and praying regularly have always been associated with those who are devout and pious people. Whether it is true or not. And regardless of religion. You at least appear to be pious when you give alms and are consistently praying. vii. We ought also to see the correlation between Tabitha and Cornelius. Tabitha was a disciple of Christ who gave charitably too. We are not told that she prayed often, but it is reasonable to conclude she did. viii. On the surface then, we are given a man who has everything right, but he is missing one piece of the puzzle. But here is a hint. The piece of the puzzle he is missing isn’t that he hasn’t yet become a Jewish proselyte. e. [Slide 10] Summary of the Point: As wonderful of a man as Cornelius was, admired by men, prominent, a leader, a manager of a house, and pious to boot, he was still not good enough. He still lacked something. No doubt everyone admired and respected a man like Cornelius. And even though he wasn’t quite Jewish, we will see later he is highly respected by the Jews. The core truth we see in this first point is that a man can be judged to be a good man by all of society and still be short of the standard of God. For God does not require a good man. He requires a perfect man. Jesus died for sinners… even those whom our society labels as saints. So, we must not rest on our laurels and our own self-righteousness, for it will never be good enough. But we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. Transition:[Slide 11 (blank)] But we have made some logical leaps here. Is God not pleased at all by Cornelius’ lifestyle? And how do we know Cornelius lacks Jesus? Well, God sends this man an angel. Let’s see what the angel says. II.) God is pleased with and graciously corrects those who sincerely worship Him, so we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. (3-6)a. [Slide 12] 3 – About three o’clock one afternoon he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God, who came in and said to him, “Cornelius.” i. At 3 in the afternoon, it would be a traditional time for sacrifices and prayers to be offered up at the temple. ii. It was at this time that Cornelius, who was probably entering again into prayer, saw a waking vision. iii. A vision is something that appears clearly, vividly, and credibly in the mind but is not actually present. iv. An angel appears to him in this vision and calls to him. v. Like Jesus to Saul before him, this angel identifies Cornelius by name.b. [Slide 13] 4 – Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius replied, “What is it, Lord?” i. Cornelius had never seen anything like this before. ii. Like every person who encounters an angel of God, he becomes sorely afraid. iii. Cornelius responds to this angel’s call by using almost the same words Saul used when he was met by Christ. iv. Saul asked, who are you, Lord? And Cornelius says, “What is it, Lord?” v. What does this mean? vi. It is difficult to know whether Cornelius has assumed that he was seeing God Himself or whether he is using this term “lord” in its less theologically charged meaning, “Sir.” vii. Even if he did mistake this angel for God, would you blame him? viii. Regardless of what Cornelius meant, the angel makes it plain that he is not God but bears God’s message to him.c. [Slide 14] The angel said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have gone up as a memorial before God. i. The angel indicates clearly that he is not God, but informs him that his prayers and charity have gone up before God. ii. What does it mean that his prayers and offerings have “Gone up before God?“ iii. And what is meant by it being a memorial or as other translations have it a “memorial offering?” iv. In the book of Leviticus, in several sacrifices the priests are instructed to take a handful of the offering and burn it on the altar before the Lord. The rest of the offering would be used by the priests. v. These are called memorial offerings because the one who gives the offering and the one burning the offering are all reminded that though God deserves all of the offering, he is pleased with a small portion. vi. How appropriate for the angel messenger to convey this to Cornelius. vii. Cornelius is, after all, not circumcised. He does not go to the temple for sacrifices. He meets in synagogues to learn of the Jewish faith and practice, and attempts to live accordingly, but is not Jewish. viii. Yet Yahweh, The God of Israel, through His angel, tells Cornelius that his charity and prayers have amounted to a memorial sacrifice. They have pleased God. ix. Though he has never sacrificed in the temple, his charity and prayers have been his offering. x. And his offering has pleased God. xi. So, is he good? Is Cornelius saved? Is that enough? Did he earn his salvation by an offering? xii. No. The angel had more to say.d. [Slide 15] Now send men to Joppa and summon a man named Simon, who is called Peter. 6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” i. The angel communicates another message to Cornelius that, at first, appears to be separate from the first. ii. However, they are related. iii. He tells him to send men to fetch Peter and tells him where Peter is staying. iv. But we all know the reason for this. v. And later we find out that the angel told Cornelius not only that Peter needed to come to see him, but that he had a message to give to him. A message of salvation. For him, and his household. vi. It is almost as if God is telling Cornelius, “Remember, though you stand a far way off, you have gotten the important part of Judaism. You have gotten enough of Judaism to be ready for the next step in Judaism. Now Peter will come and show you what you lack.” vii. Is God giving Cornelius a shortcut? Is God saying… I desire obedience and not sacrifices?e. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: And so, in this point, although those who are perceived as good and devout men are still not good enough, God is good and gracious to those who diligently seek Him. Though Cornelius had just enough truth and just enough good works to condemn him to hell, God rewards those who are pursuing Him. In many ways, Cornelius was probably more devout than most Jews of his day, because his motives were pure. He sincerely sought the Lord. God is pleased with those who, even imperfectly, sincerely worship Him. And God is sure to lead such people to what they lack. So, we must not be satisfied with our broken attempts to please God, even if He is pleased by our sincerity. Instead, we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. For it is in Jesus that the Lord has said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.” Transition:[Slide 17(blank)] God rewards Cornelius’ diligent seeking by revealing his need. He needs to call on Peter. Peter needs to come and give him and his household a message. So, what do those who have been illuminated by God do? What do those whose eyes have been opened do? They obey… III.) All who God corrects and instructs with truth obey His commands, so we must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. (7-8)a. [Slide 18] 7 – When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius called two of his personal servants and a devout soldier from among those who served him, i. Like Aeneas and Tabitha before, Cornelius sets out to obey what has been revealed to him. ii. Aeneas was healed of his paralysis, Tabitha raised from death, but Cornelius was healed of another malady. A malady equally as hopeless. iii. You see for Cornelius though he was a God-Fearer, and though he could potentially achieve proselyte status in the Jewish faith and gain some measure of closeness to Yahweh, the God of Israel. He could never come closer than this. He could never enter the courts of the Jews much less the holy place or the Holy of Holies for that matter. iv. But what has his acts of charity and prayer done? It is a memorial offering. A reminder to him that though God requires all, He is pleased with what Cornelius has done. For he has done it while sincerely seeking Yahweh. v. So God rewards Cornelius by sending an angel, with the truth of the way he could be healed of that relational distance. vi. He has been told that he can come and receive the same gospel message that was given to the Jews. He need not be a proselyte first. Cornelius doesn’t need to be circumcised. He doesn’t need to become a Jew first. He simply needs the message that Peter will give him. What is that message? Jesus Christ crucified for sinners.1. Jesus is the funnel. Jesus is the choke point. Jesus is not only the next and final redemptive step in Judaism, but He is also the next and final redemptive step for the Gentile as well.2. He is the next and final step in the covenants He made with Adam and Eve.a. He is the sacrifice that was killed in their place so that they could be clothed perfectly and completely.b. He is the seed that has crushed the head of the serpent and enlarged the family of God.c. He is the New Adam, our new representative, keeping the covenant of works perfectly.3. He is the next and final step in the covenant made with Noah.a. He is the ark delivering His people from the world of sin and the judgment that will overwhelm it.b. He is the bow of promise establishing peace between the Father and His people.c. He is bringing the next baptism with the Spirit and with Fire.4. All the covenants of God, to Jews and Gentiles alike, are funneled down to Jesus. vii. And what does Cornelius do after receiving this command which he is told will be the solution for his malady of relational distance to Yahweh? What does he do when he is told that Peter holds the key for that distance to be erased? He obeys the angel and sends for Peter.b. [Slide 19] 8 - and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. i. It is difficult to know exactly what he tells these two servants and soldier. ii. The text says he had explained everything. iii. It seems as though everything he knew, saw, and believed was given to these men as he sent them to bring Peter. iv. Cornelius not only believed the angel, but wanted his whole house to believe as well.c. [Slide 20] Summary of the Point: We’ve seen how the devotion and goodness of Cornelius was not enough, that he still lacked true righteousness. We’ve also seen the faithfulness and compassion of God to reward those who seek Him diligently. And finally, we see the faithful obedience of all whom God reveals truth to… Cornelius was given life changing truth that would free him from his relational distance to God. And that truth would be given to him by Peter the apostle. So, what does Cornelius do when he is told that Peter holds the key for him to be brought into a close and special relationship with Yahweh? He obeys the angel and sends for Peter immediately. My friends, we know the piece that Cornelius was missing. It is Jesus crucified for sinners. So, we too must seek out and trust in the righteousness of Christ. Conclusion:So, CBC, what has the Lord said and how then shall we live? What doctrinal takeaway can we pull from this today? Doctrinal Takeaway:[Slide 21] Men and women can live lives that are devout and pious, being paragons of good among humanity. God is pleased with those who attempt to live out His law and seek to please Him. But mankind’s devotion and piety is not enough to satisfy the holy standard of God. So, God in His grace rewards those who diligently seek to please and worship Him. He rewards them by revealing to them how they can be made right with Him. In this we see the tension of mankind’s spiritual status as dead and paralyzed juxtaposed against being able to actually, in some way, please God with our meager efforts. Another riddle. The great answer is that God’s legal standard is perfection, even if it is pleasing for us to obey Him and seek Him, it will never satisfy the legal requirement of perfection. But that is why God has sent His Son. And that is why God promises to reward those who seek Him. Cornelius was rewarded for faithfully pursuing the God if Israel. How was He rewarded? He was rewarded by God offering Him the next and final step in His redemption. And it was not to make him a Jew first. It was to transfer him directly into the family of the Son. So Cornelius obeyed the Lord and sent for Peter. Jesus is the answer for all men and not just the Jews. All the covenants of God are fulfilled in Him. My friends, although it is true that when we are God’s people, we obey Him… our obedience is not what we rely on. Because our obedience will always be imperfect in this life. Instead, we depend on Christ’s righteousness. For it is only in Christ that the Lord’s legal standard is met. The best we can hope for is God to be pleased with us. With Christ, The Father is well-pleased. So let me improve upon this point in a few ways for us this morning. 1.) [Slide 22] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that no matter how much righteousness we can muster, it will never satisfy God’s perfect standard.a. Cornelius was a man who put many Jews to shame. He devoted himself and his entire household to upholding monotheism and the law of the God of Israel.b. Even though he would never be accepted into the inner relationship to Yahweh, he still served Him and sought Him.c. This is a far cry from the Sadducees who only wanted power with their piety. It is lightyears away from the Pharisees who desired honor from men by their devotion to God.d. Nevertheless, as righteous as he was, Cornelius was still missing something. As pleasing as his actions were to God, he still lacked what Peter would bring.e. From meticulous legalism to liberal sincerity, mankind cannot ever achieve the perfect standard of God.f. As we spoke last week, we are all dead in sin. We are hopeless to heal ourselves. Hopeless to raise ourselves. The Lord must do this work.g. But our problem only begins there. Even though the Lord must raise us from sin death that is only half of our problem. For not only are we dead in sin, but we also dead to righteousness,h. Mankind, my friends, is in quite the pickle. Not only do they not want to please God, but even if they did want to, they couldn’t. You see God can’t bring us to life and then let us go. For we would simply die in sin again when we fail.i. No. God must unite us to something that will never fail.j. This is what orthodox Christianity teaches. Mankind is doubly damned. Not only are we dead in sin, but God’s standard is perfection. You cannot be perfect if you are by nature dead in flaws.k. Like a computer with a hardware problem. Even if you reboot it and debug it… if there is a flaw with the hard drive or the motherboard… it will never function properly. The bad hardware must be replaced.l. Mankind not only needs a reboot, but a hardware replacement as well.2.) [Slide 23] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that being dead in sin means we are unable to do good.a. Some having misunderstood this teaching have critiqued it by saying, “If mankind is dead in sin, If mankind is not righteous, then why do my Muslim neighbors shovel my driveway out of kindness? Why do my lost family members buy me flowers when I’m down? Why do my unbelieving co-workers pay their taxes and offer sacrificial love to their families?”b. They offer a wise critique to a doctrine no one is teaching.c. No one teaches that because mankind is dead in sin they can do no good thing. No one is teaching that because mankind is enslaved to sin that all they can do is sin.d. What we mean when we say that mankind is totally depraved or totally unable is that man is not able and not willing to spiritually free himself from sin or seek God or be made right with God.e. In the previous example we said that “mankind not only needs a reboot, but a hardware replacement as well.” Now think with me… if we are the computer, can we do that on our own?f. And I know you are thinking – well sometimes my computer reboots on its own.g. Does it? Or did someone program the computer to reboot under certain conditions? h. This is what this doctrine means. Just like a computer, we are not able to reboot ourselves or change our hardware.i. But that doesn’t mean that the computer can’t do some good things right? It just means that those good things don’t fix the problem.j. Cornelius proves this out. He was able to do good things, things that were pleasing to God – but he still needed God to send an angel and an apostle to bring him to Christ.3.) [Slide 24] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop relying on our own obedience to perfectly please God.a. No doubt we all sometimes succumb to this erroneous teaching that has bound so many of God’s dear children.b. We speak harshly to our wives and hit every red light on the way to work. Immediately we observe, God is punishing me for being harsh.c. We pray for our neighbor and then we inherit a small house form a distant uncle who passed. Apparently, God is pleased with me for praying for my neighbors. d. If I wear this, or go to that movie, or drink that, or say this, God will be most displeased with me.e. Even though there is a certain measure of truth in some of this – God is pleased and displeased by our choices, the thing that is faulty is our reliance on our performance to please God.f. My friends, our performance is not what perfectly pleases God. Why? Because our performance is never perfect.g. The scriptures teach us that there is no condemnation in Christ. The scriptures teach us that although we will be rewarded with crowns for our faithfulness to God – we will cast them all at the feet of Jesus.h. The whole of it my friends is that we can’t be more or less pleasing to God because we are in Christ. And with Christ, the Father is well-pleased.i. But we could pendulum swing here couldn’t we…4.) [Slide 25] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must obey the Lord while trusting that Christ has satisfied God’s perfect standard of performance.a. You see my friends, we obey the Lord out of love and thanksgiving.b. We are not trying to please Him more or fear displeasing him. We are obeying His law because we love Him and are thankful that He first loved us.c. We rest in the perfect righteousness of Christ, knowing that we will never lose that perfect standing before our Father. And then in that state of declared righteousness, we imperfectly obey.d. This is the beauty of the gospel.e. We are imperfectly perfect by faith in Christ.f. And it works because He changes our desires. We no longer want to wallow in imperfection. Instead, we long to be like Christ, while knowing that God has made us to be His righteousness.g. What a great God we serve that although His standard is perfection, He has achieved it for us while changing us to continue to desire it.5.) [Slide 26] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God will reveal Himself to those who diligently pursue Him. a. Perhaps you left last week with a feeling of despair.b. God must wake up people from spiritual death and paralysis. I get it. But what if someone really really really wants to serve God but God says no to waking them up?c. What if someone really wants to be saved but God never turns the lights on, God never opens the prison cell. God never raises them up. What happens then?d. My friends… God promises that those who diligently seek Him will be rewarded. Those who keep knocking on His door, He won’t cast out. He will welcome them in.e. Perhaps that is you today. Perhaps you have desired to be God’s child and have been knocking and knocking and still He has not answered.f. Will you give up now? Will you turn away? Where will you go? Who else can save like our God?g. There is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved. He is the Son of God who has the words of life… where else can you go?h. Don’t stop knocking my friends. The Lord promises that He will let you in. Let me close with a prayer from the church father Eusebius of Caesarea, fitting since Cornelius was from this city. We give you thanks, our God and Savior, and to you, O Christ, in our own feeble way. You are the supreme providence of the mighty Father, who both saves us from evil and teaches us in the way of truth. I say these things not to praise, but simply to give thanks. Who among us is worthy to give you praise? You called creation into being from nothing. You illuminated it with your light. You regulated the confusion of the elements by your laws of harmony and order. More than that, we recognize your lovingkindness. You caused those whose hearts inclined toward you to sincerely seek a divine and blessed life. You’ve allowed us to pass along what we’ve received from you, like merchants of wisdom and true blessings. We reap the everlasting fruit of your goodness. Freed from the net of sin, and permeated with a love for others, mercy is always our point of view. We hope for the promise of faith, and we are devoted to modest living – all the virtues we had once thrown aside, but are now restored by you whose generous care is over all. In Jesus name we pray… Amen. May the God who did not spare His own Son,But sent Him to gladly bear our burden on the cross,Remind you always of these things, though youKnow them and are firmly established in the truth,Until you arrive to a full measure of glory. Until we meet again… Go in peace.

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Title: Paralyzed and DeadText: Acts 9:32-43FCF: We often struggle admitting how spiritually helpless we truly are.Prop: Because Jesus died for sinners, we must turn from our sins and obey in belief. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 9. In a moment we’ll be reading starting in verse 32 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible starting on page 1241 or in whatever version you prefer. By verse count we will be about a third of the way through the book of Acts by the end of this sermon. I am actually quite surprised that we are moving as such a brisk pace. I think having the Wednesday night prayer group available to talk about some items in more detail has helped me stay focused. I know I can get through a bit more since we can cover some less relevant material on Wednesday. If you have ever thought, why didn’t he cover this detail in the sermon, perhaps you should join us on Wednesday nights

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Title: The Fountain of Life: A Display of Christ in His Essential and Mediatorial Glory: 42 Sermons:

Sermon XXI: The Second Preparative Act of Christ for His own Death.

Text: I Corinthians 11:23-25

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Corinthians chapter 11.

Today, as I alluded to last week, we will hear a sermon from a man whom you or I have never met. A man who has never been to the United States. Of course, the reason that both of these are true, is because this man’s name was John Flavel and he died in England in 1691.

But who is John Flavel?

[Slide 2] John Flavel was born around 1630. This year doesn’t mean much to us, but for any acquainted with the history of England, you will know that this was a tumultuous time indeed. A great civil war broke out in 1642. England was in the midst of change from an absolute monarchy to some form of limited or even no monarchy at all. During the time that the monarchy was deposed, Flavel had given himself to the study for ministry and began ministering from 1650 to 1660 in both Diptford and Dartmouth. After Charles II was restored to the throne, a couple years later Parliament approved the Act of Uniformity in 1662. This was part of a greater effort to unify England, specifically under the church of England. Charles II favored religious toleration, but having recently felt the sting of a civil war, he acquiesced to the Act. The act demanded that all ministers swear an oath to Parliament that in their church they would accept and practice Anglican communion among other Anglican rites and use exclusively the Anglican book of common prayer.

John Flavel was one of about 2000 ministers who did not agree. They were not only forced to remove themselves from their churches, but were also forbidden from public office, forbidden from meeting with any more than 5 members of any who do not conform to Anglican Worship rites, and forbidden from coming within 5 miles of towns or their former livings. In addition, they were forbidden from teaching in schools.

This means John Flavel spent most of the rest of his ministry as a vagabond preacher, wandering the country sides to find those to whom He could preach.

In 1672 he took advantage of an indulgence given by King Charles II to form a congregation of his own and set up a meeting house in town. No doubt it was during this time that he wrote the sermon that you are going to hear today.

But parliament made Charles II withdraw this indulgence in 1679. After which, John Flavel stayed in his church in that town and continued to preach illegally until 1682 when he had to flee to London.

Until 1688, he was again a vagabond persecuted and wandering preaching where he could and when he could.

In 1688 James II fled during the Glorious Revolution. A revolt securely putting Parliament above the crown and quickly led to the toleration act enabling non-conformists, like John Flavel, the freedom to worship as they pleased.

While visiting Exeter in order to preach, John Flavel died suddenly of a stroke on June 26, 1691.

But why are we doing this?

[Slide 3] Why are we being forced to listen to a sermon that was preached over 350 years ago?

First, my great desire has always been and probably ever will be that you would grow to love the Puritans as I have. I don’t agree with everything they say and I don’t have a biblical mandate that you should read them. But my hope is that by bringing their words to life – by peeling them off the page and attempting to infuse them with the same emotion as the original writers once did – that you will at very least appreciate their deep devotion to the Lord. And maybe that you would glean growth from them.

My second reason for doing this is so that you can come to grips with the very real concept, that American Evangelicalism represents less than 10% of the history of the church. That some doctrines and traditions to which we’ve held to as Americans are comparatively young and relatively new. And that some doctrines to which the Elders of our church are attempting to teach you – that seem like they are new – are in fact far older than these new ones. And although it may be true in a great number of things that newer is always better… in theology… this is never true. My friends, I desire you to see that the conclusions we have come to about the Lord’s Supper here, are not new. But they are written here… over 300 years ago, preached by a man who was only 100 years removed from the Protestant Reformation.

My third and final reason for doing this, is quite simply because I was greatly moved by Pastor Flavel’s treatment of the text and this topic… and I hope you will be moved too.

[Slide 4] I am in I Corinthians 11. I’ll read verses 23 through 25. I’ll pray and then once I say amen, I will begin immediately almost word for word, John Flavel’s sermon titled “The Second Preparative Act of Christ for His own Death.”

[Slide 5] Christ had no sooner recommended his dear charge to the Father, but (the time of his death hastening on) he institutes his last supper, to be the lasting memorial of his death, in all the churches, until his second coming; therein graciously providing for the comfort of his people, when he should be removed out of their sight. And this was the second preparative act of Christ, in order to his death: he will set his house in order, and then die.

This his second act manifests no less love than the former. It is like the plucking off the ring from his finger, when ready to lay his neck upon the block, and delivering it to his dearest friends, to keep that as a memorial of him: “Take this, in remembrance of me.”

In the words read, are four things noted by the apostle, about this last and lovely act of Christ, which are the Author, Time, Institution, and End of this holy, solemn ordinance.

1. [Slide 6] The author of it, The Lord Jesus:

a. It is an effect of his lordly power, and royal authority;

i. Matth. 28: 18. “And Jesus came, and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and earth: Go ye therefore.”

ii. The government is upon his shoulders, Isa. 9: 6.

iii. He shall bear the glory, Zech. 6: 13.

b. Who but he that came out of the bosom of the Father, and is acquainted with all the counsels that are there, knows what will be acceptable to God? And who but he can give creatures, by his blessing, their sacramental efficacy and virtue? Bread and wine are naturally fit to refresh and nourish our bodies; but what fitness have they to nourish souls? Surely none, but what they receive from the blessing of Christ that institutes them.

1. [Slide 7] The Time when the Lord Jesus appointed this ordinance.

a. “In the same night in which he was betrayed:”

i. it could not be sooner, because the Passover must first be celebrated; nor later, for that night he was apprehended.

ii. It is therefore emphatically expressed “in that same night,” that night for ever to be remembered. He gives, that night, a cordial draught to his disciples before the conflict: he settles, that night, an ordinance in the church, for the confirmation and consolation of his people, in all generations, to the end of the world.

b. By instituting it that night, he gives abundant evidence of his care for his people, in spending so much of that little, very little, time he had left, on their account.

1. [Slide 8] The Institution itself;

a. in which we have the [memorial], [symbolic], instructive signs, and they are bread and wine; and the glorious mysteries represented and shadowed forth by them, which are

i. Jesus Christ crucified; the proper New-Testament nourishment of believers.

ii. Bread and wine are choice creatures, and do excellently shadow forth the flesh and blood of crucified Jesus; and that both, in their natural usefulness, and manner of preparation.

1. Their usefulness is very great; bread is a creature necessary to uphold and maintain our natural life; therefore, it is called the staff of bread, Isa. 3: 1. Because as a feeble man depends and leans upon his staff, so do our feeble spirits upon bread. Wine was made to cheer the heart of man, Judg. 11: 13. They are both useful and excellent creatures; their preparations, to become so useful to us, are also remarkable.

2. [How are they prepared?] The corn must be ground in the mill, the grapes torn and squeezed to pieces in the winepress, before we can either have bread or wine. And when all this is done, they must be received into the body, or they nourish not.

iii. So that these were very fit creatures to be set apart for this use and end.

iv. If any object, It is true, they are good creatures, but not precious enough to be the signs of such profound and glorious mysteries: it was worth creating a new creature, to be the sign of the new covenant. Let him that thus objects, ask himself, whether nothing be precious without pomp?

v. The preciousness of these elements is not so much from their own natures, as their use and end; and that makes them precious indeed.

1. A loadstone at sea is much more excellent than a diamond, because more useful.

2. A penny-worth of wax applied to the label of a deed, and sealed, may in a minute have its value raised to thousands of pounds.

3. These creatures receive their value and estimation on a like account.

vi. Nor should it at all remain a wonder to you, why Christ should represent himself by such {hum-drum] and common things, when you have well considered that the excellency of the picture, is its similarity and conformity to the original; and that Christ was in a low, sad, and very abased state, when this picture of him was drawn; he was then a man of sorrows.

b. These then, as lively signs, shadow forth a crucified Jesus, represent him to us in his red garments. This precious ordinance may much more than Paul, say to us, “I always bear about in my body the dying of the Lord Jesus:” That is the thing it signifies.

1. [Slide 9] Lastly take notice of the use, design, and end of this institution.

a. In remembrance, or for a memorial of me. O there is much in this:

b. Christ knew how apt our base hearts would be to lose him, amidst such a [great number] of sensible objects as we here converse with; and how much that forgetfulness of him and of his sufferings, would turn to our prejudice and loss; therefore does he appoint a sign to be remembered by:

c. “As oft as you do this, you show forth the Lord’s death till he come.”

[Slide 10] Hence we observe, suitable to the design of this discourse, [This primary doctrinal truth]

“That the sacramental memorial Christ left with his people, is a special mark of his care and love for them.”

What!

To order his picture (as it were) to be drawn when he was dying, to be left with his spouse! To rend his own flesh, and [pour out] his own blood to be meat and drink for our souls! O what manner of love was this! It is true, his picture in the sacrament is full of scars and wounds: but these are honourable scars, and [a great] grace and commend it to his spouse, for whose dear sake he here received them.

“They are marks of love and honour.” And he would be so drawn, or rather he so drew himself, that as often as his people looked upon the [picture] of him, they might remember, and be deeply affected with those things he here endured for their sakes. These are the wounds my dear husband Jesus received for me. These are the marks of that love which passes the love of creatures. O see the love of a Saviour! …We have read of pitiful and tender women that have eaten the flesh of their own children, Lam. 4: 10. But where is that woman recorded that gave her own flesh and blood to be meat and drink to her children? Surely the spouse may say of the love of Christ, what David in his lamentations, said of the love of Jonathan, “Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.”

But to prepare the point to be meat indeed, and drink indeed to your soul, I shall discuss briefly these three things, and hasten to the application.

First, What it is to remember the Lord Jesus in the sacrament. Secondly, What aptitude there is in that ordinance, so to bring him to our remembrance. Thirdly, How the care and love of Christ is discovered, by leaving such a memorial of himself with us.

1.) [Slide 11] [First], Remembrance, properly, is the return of the mind to an object, about which it has been formerly conversant; and it may so return to a thing, it has conversed with before, two ways; speculatively and transiently; or affectingly, and permanently.

a. [Slide 12] A speculative remembrance is only to call to mind the history of such a person and his sufferings: that Christ was once put to death in the flesh.

b. An affectionate remembrance, is when we so call Christ and his death to our minds, as to feel the powerful impressions thereof upon our hearts. Thus, Mat. 26: 75. “Peter remembered the word of the Lord, and went out, and wept bitterly.” His very heart was melted with that remembrance; his bowels were pained, he could not hold, but went out and wept abundantly. Thus Joseph, when he saw his brother Benjamin, whose sight refreshed the memory of former days and endearments, was greatly affected, Gen. 43: 29, 30. “And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son: and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom you spoke to me? and he said, God be gracious to you my son. And Joseph made haste, for his bowels did yearn upon his brother, and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.” Such a remembrance of Christ is that which is here intended. This is indeed a gracious remembrance of Christ: the former has nothing of grace in it.

c. The time shall come when Judas that betrayed him, and the Jews that pierced him, shall historically remember what was done; Rev. 1: 7. “Behold he comes with clouds, and every eye shall see him; and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” Then I say, Judas shall remember; This is he whom I [faithlessly] betrayed. Pilate shall remember; This is he whom I sentenced to be hanged on the tree though I was convinced of his innocence. Then the soldiers shall remember; This is that face we spit upon, that head we crowned with thorns; Lo, this is he whose side we pierced, whose hands and feet we once nailed to the cross.

d. But this remembrance will be their torment, not their benefit.

e. It is not therefore a bare historical, speculative, but a gracious, affectionate, impressive remembrance of Christ, that is here intended: and such a remembrance of Christ supposes and includes,

i. [Slide 13] First, The saving knowledge of him. We cannot be said to remember what we never knew; nor to remember, savingly, what we never knew savingly. There have been many previous, sweet and gracious transactions, dealings, and intimacies betwixt Christ and his people, from the time of their first happy acquaintance with him: much of that sweetness they have had in former considerations of him, and hours of communion with him, is lost and gone; for nothing is more volatile, hazardous, and inconstant, than our spiritual comforts: but now at the Lord’s table, there our old acquaintance is renewed, and the remembrance of his goodness and love refreshed and revived: “We will remember your love more than wine; the upright love you,” [Song of Solomon]. 1: 4.

ii. Secondly, Such a remembrance of Christ includes faith in it. Without discerning Christ at a sacrament, there is no remembrance of him; and, without faith, no discerning Christ there. But when the precious eye of faith has spied Christ, under that vail, it presently calls up the affections, sayings “Come see the Lord.” These are the wounds he received from me. This is he that loved me, and gave himself for me. This is his flesh, and that his blood; such eyes, such hands- so his arms were stretched out upon the cross to embrace me; so his blessed head hung down to kiss me. Awake my love, rouse up my hope, flame out my desires; Come forth, all you powers and affections of my soul; come, see the Lord. No sooner does Christ by his Spirit call to the believer but faith hears; and discerning the voice, turns about, like Mary, saying, Rabboni, my Lord, my Master.

iii. Thirdly, This remembrance of Christ includes suitable impressions made upon the affections, by such a sight and remembrance of him: and therein lies the nature of that precious thing which we call communion with God.

1. [Slide 14] Various representations of Christ are made at his table. Sometimes the soul there calls to mind the infinite wisdom, that … laid the glorious and mysterious design … of redemption: the effect of this is wonder and admiration. O the manifold wisdom of God! Eph. 3: 10. O the depths, the heights, the length, the breadth of this wisdom! I can as easily span the heavens as take the just dimensions of it.

2. [Slide 15] Sometimes a representation of the severity of God is made to the soul at that ordinance. O how inflexible and severe is the justice of God! What, no abatement! no sparing mercy; no, not to his own Son? This begets a double impression on the heart.

a. [Slide 16] Just and deep indignation against sin; Oh cursed sin! It was you who used my dear Lord so; for your sake he underwent all this. If your vileness had not been so great, his sufferings had not been so many. Cursed sin! You were the knife that stabbed him: you the sword that pierced him. Ah what revenge it works! … when the believer considers and remembers, that sin put Christ to all that shame and ignominy (Igknow-MINI), and that he was wounded for our transgressions, he is filled with hatred of sin, and cries out, O sin, I will revenge the blood of Christ upon you! You will never live a quiet hour in my heart. And,

b. It produces a humble adoration of the goodness and mercy of God, to exact satisfaction for our sins, by such bloody stripes, from our surety. Lord, if this wrath had seized on me, as it did on Christ, what had been my condition then! If these things were done to the green tree, what had been the case of the dry tree?

1. [Slide 17] Sometimes representations, (and not common ones), are made of the love of Christ, who assumed a body and soul, on purpose to bear the wrath of God for our sins. And when that surpassing love breaks out in its glory upon the souls, how is the soul transported and ravished with it! crying out, what manner of love is this! here is a love large enough to go round the heavens, and the heaven of heavens! Whoever loved after this rate, to lay down his life for enemies! O love unutterable and inconceivable! How glorious is my [groom] in his red garments!

2. [Slide 18] Sometimes the fruits of his death are there gloriously displayed; even his satisfaction for sin, and the purchase his blood made of the eternal inheritance: And this begets thankfulness and confidence in the soul, Christ is dead, and his death has satisfied for my sin. Christ is dead, therefore my soul shall never die. Who shall separate me from the love of God?

f. These are the fruits, and this is the nature of that remembrance of Christ here spoken of.

2.) [Slide 19] Secondly, What [suitability] or [decency] is there in this ordinance, to bring Christ so to remembrance? Much every way; for it is a sign, by him appointed to that end, and has (as divines well observe) a threefold use and consideration, which are. as it is [Memorial], [Symbolic], and instructive.

a. [Slide 20] First, As it is [memorial], and so it has the nature and use of a pledge or token of love, left by a dying to a dear surviving friend. And so the sacrament, as was said before, is like a ring plucked off from Christ’s finger, or a bracelet from his arm; or rather his picture from his breast, delivered to us with such words as these; “As oft as you look on this, remember me; let this help to keep me alive in your remembrance when I am gone, and out of your sight.” It induces to it also

b. Secondly, As it is a [symbolic] sign, most aptly signifying both his bitter sufferings for us, and our strict and intimate union with him; both which have an excellent usefulness to move the heart, and its deepest affections, at the remembrance of it. The breaking of the bread, and shedding forth the wine, signify [his sufferings for us] and our eating, drinking, and incorporating them, is a lively signification of [our intimate union with him].

c. Thirdly, Moreover, this ordinance has an excellent use and advantage for this affectionate remembrance of Christ, as it is an instructive sign. And it many ways instructs us, and enlightens our mind, particularly in these truths, which are very affecting things.

i. [Slide 21] First, That Christ is the bread on which our souls live, proper meat and drink for believers, the most excellent New-Testament food. It is said, Psal. 78: 25. “Man did eat angels food:” he means the manna that fell from heaven, which was so excellent, that if angels, who are the noblest creatures, did live upon material food, they would choose this above all to feed on. And yet this was but a type and weak shadow of Christ, on whom believers feed. Christ makes a royal feast of his own flesh and blood, Isa. 25: 6. All our [delights] are in him.

ii. Second, It instructs us that the New Testament is now in its full force, and no substantial alteration can be made in it, since the [one who made his will] is dead, and by his death has ratified it. So that all the excellent promises and blessings of it are now fully confirmed to the believing soul, Heb. 9: 16, 17.

d. All these, and many more choice truths, are we instructed in by this sign: And all these ways it [reminds] us of Christ, and helps powerfully to raise, warm, and affect our hearts with that remembrance of him.

3.) [Slide 22] Thirdly, The last enquiry is, How Christ has, hereby, left such a special mark of his care for, and love to his people. And that will evidently appear, if you consider these five particulars.

a. [Slide 23] First, This is a special mark of the care and love of Christ, inasmuch as hereby he has made abundant provision for the confirmation and establishment of the faith of his people to the end of the world. For this being an evident proof that the New Testament is in its full force, (Matth. 26: 28.“This is the cup of the New testament in my blood,”) it tends as much to our satisfaction, as the legal execution of a deed, by which we hold and enjoy our estate. So that when he says, Take, eat, it is as much as if God should stand before you at the table with Christ, and all the promises in his hand; and say, I deliver this to you as my deed. What think you, does this promote and confirm the faith of a believer? if it does not, what does?

b. [Slide 24] Second, This is a special mark of Christ’s care and love, inasmuch as by this he has made like abundant provision for the enlargement of the joy and comfort of his people. Believers are at this ordinance, as Mary was at the sepulchre, with fear and great joy, Matth. 28: 8. Come, [my listeners], speak your heart, if you be one that heartily [loves] Jesus Christ, and has gone many days, possibly years, mourning and lamenting because of the [obscurity] and cloudiness of your interest in him; who has sought him sorrowing, …: if at last Christ should take off that mask, that cruel covering (as one calls it) from his face, and be known of you in breaking of bread: suppose he should, by his Spirit, whisper thus in your ear as you sit at his table, “Do you indeed so prize, esteem, and value me? Will nothing but Christ and his love content and satisfy you? Then, as sweet, lovely, and desirable as I am, know that I am yours: take your own Christ into the arms of your faith this day” Would not this create in your soul, a joy transcendent to all the joys and pleasures in this world? What do you think?

c. [Slide 25] Third, Here is a signal mark of Christ’s care and love, inasmuch as this is one of the highest, and best helps for the mortification of the corruption of his people. Nothing tends more to the killing of sin, than this does. Christ’s blood, as it is food to faith, so it is poison to our lusts. O what a pill is wrapped up in that bread! what an excellent potion is in that cup to purge the soul? One calls that table, an altar, on which our corruptions are sacrificed and slain before the Lord. For how can they that there see what Christ suffered for sin, live any longer [in it]?

d. [Slide 26] Fourth, Moreover his care and love appear in providing an ordinance so excellently adapted, to excite and blow up his people’s love into lively flame. When Joseph made himself known to his brethren, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold, be not grieved:” O! what showers of tears and dear affections were there? How did they fall upon each other’s necks! so that the Egyptians wondered at the matter. How does the soul (if I may so speak) passionately love Jesus Christ at such a time? O what a Christ is my Christ! “The fairest among ten thousand.” What has he done, what has he suffered for me! what great things has my Jesus given, and what great things has he forgiven me: A world, a thousand worlds cannot show such another. Here the soul is melted down by love at his feet; it is pained with love.

e. [Slide 27] Fifth, To conclude; Christ’s care and love are further manifested to his people, in this ordinance, as it is one of the strongest bonds of union betwixt them that can be: 1 Cor. 10: 17. “We being many, are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread.” And though, through our corruptions… what was intended for a bond of union proves a bone of contention, yet, inasmuch as by this it appears how dearly Christ loved them; for as much also as here they are sealed up to the same inheritance, [the things that divide us are] here slain, their love to Christ, and consequently to each other, here improved; it is certainly one of the strongest ties in the world, to wrap up gracious hearts in a bundle of love.

[Slide 28] And thus, I have dispatched the doctrinal part of this point. The improvement of it is in the following inferences.

Inference 1.

[Slide 29] Did Christ leave this ordinance with his church to preserve his remembrance among his people: Then surely Christ foresaw, that, notwithstanding what he is, has done, suffered, and promised yet to do for his people, they will for all this be still apt to forget him.

A man would think that such a Christ should never be one whole hour together out of his people’s thoughts and affections: that wherever they go, they should carry him up and down with them, in their thoughts, desires, and delights: that they should let their thoughts work towards Christ as the longing thoughts of her that is with child do work after [the one she carries]: that they should lie down with Christ in their thoughts at night, and when they awake be still with him that their very dreams in the night should be sweet visions of Christ, and all their words savour Christ.

But O the baseness of these hearts! Here we live and converse in a world of sensible objects, which, like a company of thieves, rob us of our Christ, and lay the dead child in his room. Wo is me, that it should be so with me, who am so obliged to love him! Though he be in the highest glory in heaven, he does not forget us; he has graven us upon the palms of his hands; we are continually before him. He thinks on us, when we forget him. The whole honour and glory paid him in heaven by the angels, cannot divert his thoughts one moment from us; but every trifle that meets us in the way, is enough to divert our thoughts from him. Why do we not abhor and loathe ourselves for this?

What!

Is it a pain, a burden, to carry Christ in our thoughts about the world? As much a burden, if your heart be spiritual, as a bird is burdened by carrying his own wings. Will such thoughts intrude unseasonably, and thrust greater things than Christ out of our minds? For shame, Christian, for shame, let not your heart play the [harlot], and [wander] from Christ after every vanity. In heaven nothing else takes up the thoughts of saints to eternity; and yet there is no tiring, [they are never full]. O learn to live nearer that heavenly life. Never leave praying and striving, till you can say as it is, Psal. 63: 5. “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips; while I remember you on my bed, and meditate on you in the night watches.”

Inference. 2

[Slide 30] Hence also we infer, that sacrament-seasons are heart melting seasons; because therein the most affecting and heart-melting recognitions and representations of Christ are made. As the gospel offers him to the ear, in the most sweet, affecting sounds of grace; so the sacrament to the eye, in the most pleasing visions that are on this side heaven. There, hearts that will not yield a tear under other ordinances, can pour out floods: Zech. 12: 10. “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and mourn.” Yet I dare not affirm, that every one whose heart is broken by the believing sight of Christ there, can evidence that it is so by a [weeping eye]. … yet they are truly humbled for sin, and seriously affected with the grace of Christ….Deep displeasure with yourself for sin, hearty resolutions and desires of the complete mortification of it, this is essential to all spiritual sorrow; but tears are accidental, and in some constitutions rarely found. If you have the former, trouble not yourself for want of the latter, though it is a mercy when they kindly and [freely] flow from a heart truly broken. And surely, to see who it is that your sins have pierced, how great, how glorious, how wonderful a Person that was, that was so humbled, abased, and brought to the dust, for such a wretched thing as you are, cannot but tenderly affect the considering soul. If it was for a lamentation in the captivity, “that princes were hanged up by the hands, and the faces of the elders not reverenced,” Lam. 5: 12. And if at the death of Abner, David could lament, and say, “A prince, and a great man is fallen in Israel this day,” 2 Sam. 3: 38. If he could pathetically lament the death of Saul and Jonathan, saying, “Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet; the beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places!” Ah! how much more should it affect us, to see the beauty of heaven fallen, the Prince of life hang dead upon a tree! O let the place where you assemble to see this sight of your crucified Jesus, be … a place of lamentation.

Inference 3.

[Slide 31] Moreover hence it is evident, that the believing and affectionate remembrance of Christ, is of singular advantage at all times to the people of God. For it is the immediate end of one of the greatest ordinances that ever Christ appointed to the church. To have frequent recognitions of Christ, will appear to be singularly efficacious and useful to believers, if you consider,

1. If at any time the heart be dead and hard, this is the likeliest means in the world to dissolve, melt, and quicken it. Look hither hard heart; hard indeed if this hammer will not break it. Behold the blood of Jesus.

2. Are you easily overcome by temptations to sin? This is the most powerful restraint in the world from sin: Rom. 6: 2 “How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” We are crucified with Christ, what have we to do with sin? Have such a thought as this, when your heart is yielding to temptation. How can I do this, and crucify the Son of God afresh! Has he not suffered enough already on earth; shall I yet make him groan as it were for me in heaven! …For it is the blood of Christ: it cost blood, infinite, precious blood to expiate it. If there were a knife in your house that had been thrust to the heart of your father, you would not take pleasure to see that knife, much less to use it.

3. Are you afraid your sins are not pardoned, but still stand upon account before the Lord? What more relieving, what more satisfying, than to see the cup of the New Testament in the blood of Christ, which is “shed for many for the remission of sins?” Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is Christ that died.”

4. Are you staggered at your sufferings, and hard things you must endure for Christ in this world? Does the flesh shrink back from these things, and cry, spare thyself? What is there in the world more likely to … fortify your spirit with resolution and courage, than such a sight as this? Did Christ face the wrath of men, and the wrath of God too? Did he stand as a pillar of brass, with unbroken patience, and steadfast resolution, under such troubles as never met in the like height upon any mere creature, till death beat the last breath out of his nostrils? And shall I shrink for [my small sufferings]? Ah, he did not serve me so! I will arm myself with the like mind, 1 Pet. 2: 2.

5. Is your faith staggered at the promises? Can you not rest upon a promise? Here is what will help you against hope to believe in hope, giving glory to God. For this is God’s seal added to his covenant, which ratifies and binds fast all that God has spoken.

6. Do you idle away precious time vainly, and live [uselessly] to Christ in your generation? What more apt both to convince and cure you, than such remembrance of Christ as this? O when you consider you are not your own, your time, your talents are not your own, but Christ’s; when you shall see you are bought with a price (a great price indeed) and so are strictly obliged to glorify God, with your soul and body, which are his, 2 Cor. 5: 14. This will powerfully awaken a dull, sluggish, and lazy spirit.

In a word, what grace is there that this remembrance of Christ cannot quicken? What sin cannot it mortify? What duty cannot it animate? O it is of singular use in all cases to the people of God.

Inference. 4.

[Slide 32] Lastly we infer; Though all other things do, yet Christ neither does, nor can grow stale. Here is an ordinance to preserve his remembrance fresh to the end of the world. The blood of Christ does never dry up. The beauty of this rose of Sharon is never lost or withered. He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. As his body in the grave saw no corruption, so neither can his love, or any of his excellencies.

When the saints shall have fed their eyes upon him in heaven, thousands and millions of years, he shall be as fresh, beautiful, and [bright] as at the beginning. Other beauties have their prime, and their fading time; but Christ abides eternally. Our delight in creatures is often most at first acquaintance; when we come nearer to them, and see more of them, the edge of our delight is abated: but the longer you know Christ, and the nearer you come to him, still the more do you see of his glory. Every farther prospect of Christ entertains the mind with a fresh delight. He is as it were a new Christ every day, and yet the same Christ still.

Blessed be God for Jesus Christ

And as your pastor, in hopes that you have heard and agree with what this long in heaven preacher has said here today, I ask you repeat that last phrase twice more with me.

[Slide 33 (end)] Blessed be God for Jesus Christ

Blessed be God for Jesus Christ

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Title: Four DevotionsText: Acts 2:42FCF: We often struggle being what the church is called to be.Prop: Because God has given 4 devotions to His church, we must continually devote ourselves to these things if we are His people. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 2. It is a joy to be back with you this week. Both to worship together with you and also to preach. We always greatly enjoy our time away… but always greatly look forward to our first week back among you. I want to thank both Nick and Jerry for doing a wonderful job in my absence. I am thankful that we have men that are apt and qualified to teach. By way of reminder to you, since it has been a couple weeks, Peter has just completed his first sermon in the book of Acts. It was the sermon he delivered at Pentecost. Of course, his primary topic was that Jesus was the Messiah of God and the King of Kings. Peter presents Jesus as both Savior and Lord of all. In response to his message, we see many ask what they must do. Peter advises that they repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. With many more words, the Spirit moved upon about 3000 souls that day, and they received faith in Jesus Christ. After this great harvest, the church in Jerusalem had officially begun. At various points in the book of Acts, Luke summarizes all that the Lord did to expand and grow His church and to fulfill the promise Jesus made to the disciples that they gospel would go to the uttermost part of the earth. And today’s text is the outline of the first of those summaries. Today’s text also provides a unique opportunity for us in that I preached this passage on the first Sunday in January after becoming your pastor. 7 years ago I spoke on this very text. I actually went back and re-read my sermon from that day. What a blessing to go back and see not only how God’s Word never changes but also how much we’ve grown as a church. Perhaps you’ll see that as we go forward. I am in Acts chapter 2. I am reading from the LSB today but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1231 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:If you were thinking that because we only have 1 verse today that it may be a short sermon… alas, you’d be mistaken. Remember I’ve had two weeks of rest

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Title: Peter’s Pentecost Sermon: Application

Text: Acts 2:37-41

FCF: We often struggle when faced with conviction.

Prop: Because those who repent and welcome the message of truth receive the Spirit, we too must repent and believe the gospel.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 2.

Last week, Peter stood to respond to the questions and criticisms of the crowd who witnessed the pouring out of the Spirit of God upon the church.

Peter made a spectacular defense of Jesus the Nazarene being both the Messiah and the Lord of glory, which he said was proven by the prophetic words of David the Patriarch. He punctuated these statements indicting the Jews for piercing this One who was sent to save and rule them.

But last week, we kind of left things unsettled. We didn’t see Peter’s application and we didn’t see the crowd’s response. Today we will see just that and a bit more.

Let’s look at chapter 2, starting in verse 37. I’ll be reading form the Legacy Standard Bible today but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1231 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Even though we will only cover 5 verses today, paradoxically, this sermon will be longer than last week’s which covered 22 verses. There are reasons for that – but all you need to know for now is that there is much here we need to uncover. Be sure to stick with me as well as you can this morning.

I.) Those convicted of sin can receive the Holy Spirit if they repent and believe on Jesus, so we must repent and believe the gospel. (37-39)

a. [Slide 2] 37 - Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart,

i. Luke says that when they heard this, when they heard that they were on the hook for piercing their Messiah and Lord, they were pierced to the heart. What does this expression mean?

ii. It means that they were deeply convicted. They were fearfully dismayed. They were wrecked. Fear and guilt overwhelmed them.

iii. Here is a question we must ask ourselves… did Peter’s mere words do this?

iv. Was Peter’s message especially moving?

v. In John 16:18, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit after He is glorified. He says that when the Spirit comes, He will convict the world.

1. To convict means to rebuke or reprove, it means to show the world to be in error. Showing it to be out of step with what is real or true. To convict is to prove beyond doubt that the world is wrong. But wrong about what?

2. Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and the judgment.

a. Concerning sin, the Spirit will reveal the depth of man’s sinfulness. It will be revealed to unbelievers how rebellious and utterly wretched they truly are before a Holy God.

b. Concerning righteousness, the Spirit will reveal the high and perfect standard that God requires for those He will accept into His Kingdom.

c. Concerning the judgment, the Spirit will reveal the truth about the judgment, that the Lord of glory will judge all men according to their deeds and all who are not found in the book of life will be cast into eternal death.

vi. Therefore, based on the teaching of the whole New Testament, we know what truly caused these Jews to be deeply affected by Peter’s sermon.

vii. It was not that Peter’s words here were especially powerful. Indeed, theology nerds could easily point out 5 or 6 key teachings about salvation that Peter omits.

viii. And although Peter does lay the charge of killing Jesus upon them – such an accusation might stir up anger as easily as it would stir up conviction. Such words could lead the proud to protest – “Was I the one that drove the nails in His hands and feet? Was I even in the crowd that day?”

ix. It is clear – that what has happened here – is the work of the Spirit of God to open the heart of the hearer to receive conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

x. But notice… they didn’t just feel bad. They weren’t simply distressed.

b. [Slide 3] And said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men, brothers, what should we do?”

i. Conviction of sin produces a desire to be vindicated. Conviction of righteousness produces a desire for grace. Conviction of judgment produces a desire for mercy.

ii. They ask the apostles – all of them – what should we do?

iii. Tell us is there anything we can do to escape the just rewards for our sins? Is there anything we can do to be pleasing to God?

c. [Slide 4] 38 – And Peter said to them, “Repent,

i. There is a movement today which would suggest that repentance is unnecessary to salvation.

ii. That you need not turn from sin in order to be saved.

iii. I have found that the reason this position is taken is because of an inaccurate understanding of repentance and what it means to believe or to have faith in Christ.

iv. In the New Testament, when people are called on to respond to the gospel, many times repentance and faith are used together. Several times only repentance is used – one of those times being right here in Acts 2. And several times only faith is used without repentance.

v. The most natural conclusion we can come to is that regardless of whether both terms are used, both terms are implied. Why? Because you cannot truly believe in the gospel without repenting of your sins and you cannot truly repent of your sins unless you truly believe the gospel.

vi. Repentance and Faith are two sides of the same coin. They are sides of the same command. This is the command to respond to the gospel. And both repentance and faith are gifts of God, given to enable us to be saved.

vii. Repentance though should be defined specifically, not because it can occur without faith, but because it expresses a particular side of faith.

viii. It is the faith that all our former ways, both of sin and self-righteous performance, are woefully inadequate to fulfill the demand of a Holy God upon our lives.

ix. Not only are they inadequate in and of themselves, but they are infinitely less than what Jesus the Messiah of God has offered as a substitute for us. He has both taken the penalty for sin and is perfectly and perpetually pleasing to the Father.

x. There is no amount of penance we can perform that is capable of dispelling the accumulated wickedness of our hearts, nor is there any amount of good works we can amass that would be near to the holy standard God demands.

xi. Repentance expresses the belief that compared to the person and work of Christ, I bring absolutely nothing of value to God whatsoever.

xii. Repentance is to turn from sin and self-righteousness.

d. [Slide 5] and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;

i. Although this statement can cause great confusion, when we understand what is being said here, we easily see Peter’s meaning.

ii. First, baptism is not a new concept to Jewish people. Not only did John the Baptist baptize many Jews prior to Jesus beginning his ministry, it was also common practice to baptize non-Jews who converted to Judaism. These individuals were called “proselytes.”

iii. Baptism then was synonymous to a change of direction. It meant to abandon one path and embrace another.

iv. John’s Baptism was for repentance and for the forgiveness of sins. As people were confessing their sin they were being baptized to signify and seal their washing away of the sins they confessed and are to walk out of the waters having abandoned those former ways.

v. John’s Baptism then on the surface doesn’t look that dissimilar from the baptism to which Peter refers. Except for two main differences.

vi. The first is that Peter commands that after repentance they should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

vii. What does it mean to do something in the name of another?

viii. It means to do it for the sake of another. Or in consideration of another. Or for the benefit of another.

ix. When we ask something in Jesus’ name, it is not with His authority that we ask it, rather we are asking God the Father to honor our requests based on His love for His Son. It is for His sake we ask these things. As He would answer His Son, we ask Him to answer us.

x. To be baptized for the sake of Christ then, is to be baptized or dedicated fully to the thing in which we are being baptized. Namely Jesus Christ.

xi. So that when we enter the waters of baptism in the name of Jesus, we enter them to identify with Him. We enter them to die to ourselves, to die to sin, to die with Him, to be buried and be risen again to walk in new life with Him living in us.

xii. And this entire baptism is for the forgiveness of our sins. Not in that entering into the raw sign do we somehow wash away sin itself, but rather the sign seals upon our hearts the reality that our sins are truly washed away for the sake of Christ for those who have called on His name. For His sake we have been forgiven.

xiii. What Peter says here then is not a works-based repentance and baptism that somehow leads to forgiveness, but rather the two-sided coin of repentance and faith demonstrated and sealed by the sacrament of baptism. A sacrament that both symbolizes and freshly applies the spiritual truth. That we have been washed clean by the blood of Christ. For we have been baptized for His sake.

xiv. Indeed, all who are baptized into Christ are baptized for His sake – for we are the reward for His Suffering. We are the bride he went through hell to secure.

xv. And it is only for Christ’s sake that any of us shall be passed over on that day of judgment.

e. [Slide 6] and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

i. This is the second aspect of this baptism which differs from John’s baptism.

ii. The construction of possession here could be read in several different ways.

iii. But the clear way intended by context is that the Holy Spirit is the gift.

iv. All who are baptized for the sake of Christ for forgiveness of sins will be given the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

v. Notice here a precious truth. Even though every single one of them present that day have inherited the national shame of crucifying their own Messiah and Lord…

vi. They too can call on the name of that same Jesus and be saved.

vii. But is this promise only for those present today? Is this a one-time offer? What about friends and family back home? What about their children and those yet to be born?

f. [Slide 7] 39 – For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off

i. The gospel call is unlimited.

ii. Peter emphasizes here that the gospel is to be given to every Jew everywhere. Even if they have never lived in Judea their entire life. Even if they have never been to the temple. Even if they have never gone to a synagogue, the gospel call is to be given to all Jews.

iii. You might balk at these statements. Wait a second Chris- Peter doesn’t say anything about it only being for Jews here.

iv. Yes, but in the context of Acts it is quite clear that Peter has not quite understood the complete scope of the gospel call. Here at Pentecost, he is talking to Jews and anticipates the gospel being the next step in Judaism. Meaning that the most likely scenario would be Jews being baptized for the sake of Jesus and into the final and best version of Judaism.

v. For our purposes, knowing what we know, and being who we are, we can take Peter’s words at their fullest value, even if he didn’t mean them that way.

vi. The gospel call is unlimited. It must be given to every single boy, girl, woman and man regardless of age, ethnicity, mental capacity, social status, religion, language, political party, or any other ways we divide ourselves.

vii. That is our human responsibility. The gospel call goes out to all. But…

g. [Slide 8] As many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

i. This is not a quote but rather an allusion. In Joel 2, where Peter ended earlier, he ended in the middle of a verse.

ii. All who call on the name of Yahweh will be saved… even among the survivors whom Yahweh calls.

iii. What does this teach us?

iv. The gospel call we give is unlimited. But the effectual call God gives… is particular.

v. Again, we are confronted with God’s Sovereignty juxtaposed against human responsibility.

vi. Peter makes it clear that the gospel call must ring out to all people.

vii. But as a subset of that group, as the call is given there is another call that God gives.

viii. Romans 8 tells us of this call. Whom the Lord predestines he also calls, whom he calls he justifies, whom he justifies he glorifies.

ix. The gospel call is given to all according to the responsibility of men to issue that call. But the Lord ultimately determines whom He summons to Himself.

x. This does not eliminate our responsibility to issue the call to all. Rather it empowers our gospel call to reach those whom the Lord is calling unto Himself.

xi. In this we maintain that the gospel results are not up to us. Instead, it is merely bearing witness to any and all what the Lord has done.

xii. The Lord will call to Himself those whom He wills.

h. [Slide 9] Passage Truth: So, Luke to Theophilus explains the true nature of what man can do when he experiences conviction. What can man do? How can man escape conviction? How can man escape the just rewards for His sin? How can man hope to be acceptable to a Holy God? What shall we do? Luke through Peter confirms to Theophilus that there is a way to be forgiven and to receive the gift of the Spirit of God. Even for those who have sinned gravely. They must repent and they must be washed in and raised up into Jesus Christ.

i. Passage Application: Theophilus then must renew His commitment, his allegiance, his trust and his hope in Christ alone for salvation. He must renew his abandonment of His former sins and his former efforts to earn the good pleasure of God. He must instead fall on the mercy of God and depend on and submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, for it for Christ’s sake that he has been baptized into a new life.

j. [Slide 10] Broader Biblical Truth: Is this not the sum of the whole of the gospel? Is this not the sharpest edge of the sword of the Word of God? Does this not cut to the bone? Such teaching is not relegated to the New Testament either. What is Israel called to do when God threatens them with judgment? Are they not called to repent? Are they not called to trust and obey God? God has always offered the hope of forgiveness and His aid to those who repent and trust Him to the extent that they obey Him.

k. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC have you felt the sting of conviction? Has the Spirit of God pricked you to the heart? Are you feeling the weight of your sin and the promise of judgment? Are you not fearful of the Lord of glory returning to judge you for your deeds? Do you not see the Holy and perpetually perfect obedience the Lord requires for those who would enter His Kingdom? Do you wonder what you must do? You must realize that this could never be you. Would you pay penance for the rest of your days and would you do good works for a thousand lifetimes you would never be perfect as God is perfect. You would never be Holy as God is holy. You would never conform to the standard that God has set for any to enter into His Kingdom. What should you do? Turn from your sin and your self-righteousness. Turn from your natural belief that you are good and able to please God. Turn from your unbelieving family and friends. Turn from your culture. Turn from your worldview. Turn from your values. And swear allegiance, dependance, and submission to Jesus Christ alone. Then and only then will you escape the coming judgment of a Holy God.

Transition:

[Slide 11 (blank)] What a glorious promise! Not only is this what we should do, but we will receive the Spirit of God if we do this. Amazing. But what will they do with what Peter said? And if they do it, will God honor Peter’s words?

II.) Those who come out from the world and welcome the truth are added to the church, so we must repent and believe the gospel (40-41)

a. [Slide 12] 40 – And with many other words he solemnly bore witness and kept on exhorting them saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation!”

i. Notice that Peter did not win them over immediately.

ii. What lessons might we learn from this?

iii. They were pierced to the heart. They were ready to act. They wanted to be rescued from their certain doom.

iv. Nevertheless, the exhortation to repentance and belief on Jesus and the promise of forgiveness and the Spirit… was not enough.

v. Truly the hearts of men are depraved, hardened to the gospel of Christ. The unbelief of natural man is strong against even the message of the truth spoken with signs and wonders.

vi. Their conviction produced in them a desire to be forgiven but not a desire to repent. Not a desire to devote their lives to Jesus. They did not want the punishment of their sin – but had no intention of following Christ so easily.

vii. Nevertheless, Peter endured. He continued with many words bearing witness to them of all that Christ had done and accomplished for them.

viii. And kept warning them, exhorting them, telling them what?

ix. To be saved from this crooked generation.

x. Be saved from those who are telling you that you can be righteous enough. Be saved from those who teach that God doesn’t care about your sin. Be saved from those who tell you that this life is all there is and there is no resurrection. Be saved from those who emphasize nation over deity.

xi. Abandon the wisdom of this age, the sins your cling to, and the righteousness you are trying to earn.

xii. Instead run to Christ.

b. [Slide 13] 41 – So then, those who had received his word

i. This little phrase clues us into a couple things.

ii. First, not all who were present there with the apostles responded to the gospel.

iii. We will talk about the numbers in a bit but saying “those who responded” indicates that there were others and perhaps several more who did not respond.

iv. Secondly, responding is receiving the words that were preached.

v. To receive here means to welcome or to recognize, or to acknowledge. It describes those who have not only felt conviction for sin, but were convinced of the truth of Peter’s words.

vi. Although much of salvation is a mystery to us, what we do know is that God gifts both repentance and faith to us. This means that God enables those whom He is calling to respond to His call.

vii. But again, that does not eliminate the human responsibility to respond. And that is what we see here. We see humans welcoming and heartily receiving the message of the truth.

c. [Slide 14] Were baptized;

i. We assume of course this is the baptism that Peter spoke of earlier.

ii. They are baptized into Christ, for the sake of Christ. A water baptism symbolizing and sealing the spiritual truth of being washed and forgiven of sin.

d. [Slide 15] And that day there were added about three thousand souls.

i. Here we see the effect of the gospel on this crowd.

ii. First, we see that about 3000 souls were added that day. To put this in perspective, a conservative estimate is that on any given Pentecost during the first century, there were no doubt in excess of 200,000 people in the city of Jerusalem. Some estimates go as high as half a million.

1. Considering the tight streets and where they could have reasonably been heard by a large crowd, we know that many in the city that day would not have heard the message of Peter.

2. Nevertheless, it is likely that 3000 was a drop in the bucket of those who heard the message Peter gave.

3. I don’t say this to cheapen the work of God at all. Please don’t misunderstand.

4. Instead, I say this because many modern evangelistic endeavors are designed to try to replicate Pentecost. People expect thousands of people to come to Christ in these evangelistic endeavors.

5. God is not beyond doing this – but putting Pentecost into perspective helps us to affirm that even in this powerful moving of the Spirit where many are saved… the narrow way is still found by very few and the broad way is pursued by the vast majority.

6. Even at this Pentecost… even with the Spirit’s empowering… this is still true.

iii. Secondly, the terms “souls” and “were added” need defining.

1. Souls is an interesting term because it can mean both soul and life.

a. Oftentimes it refers to the immaterial part of man inherited by God breathing life into Adam.

b. Man is both body and soul.

c. And soul seems to be the truest part of him, although neither will be eternally separated from one another for any human being.

d. Is this a confirmation that these people were genuinely saved? It seems to be.

1. Were added – were added to what?

a. The book of life? No, it cannot be the book of life for the names are already written in that book. The scriptures never speaks of someone’s name being added to the book of life. They are either there or they aren’t.

b. To God’s family? This could be. Before we are converted or justified, we are children of Satan, of our father the devil. We are in the family of the serpent. God adopts us out of that family and into His when we are untied to Christ by faith.

c. More likely this means that they were added to the assembly of 120 believers. They joined the visible church. Which has now grown by 2,500% in one day.

e. [Slide 16] Passage Truth: Lukes second point, which serves as a fulfillment of his first point, shows us those who came out from their own generation and welcomed the gospel message, were saved and added to the disciples. And although Luke does not say it overtly – they received the Holy Spirit.

f. Passage Application: So Theophilus must endure in his faith having received the Spirit himself. He must continue to repent and believe the gospel as he did when he first heard it and all the more now that he has heard Luke’s ongoing testimony of its truth.

g. [Slide 17] Broader Biblical Truth: Is this truth found in scripture? We see many times the truth offered. Those who repent and trust and obey the Lord are rescued. Do we see this happen? Adam and Eve are the first examples. Have you ever considered the fact that Adam named his wife Eve, which means mother of all living, right after God said that he would return to the dust of the earth when he dies? God promised before that a seed that would be from the woman that would crush the head of the serpent. In faith, Adam believed God’s promise to send one who would give life. Who would break the curse of death. Adam believed it and stamped his belief on his wife, who would be the instrument God used for his faith to be made sight. Then God clothed them in animal skins. He cast aside their inadequate coverings and gave them a new covering. My friends… God is faithful to forgive, restore, and transform all who repent and trust and obey Him. It has been true since the first two humans fell… when there was only one law to keep. And it is true now when so many are hardened to gospel.

h. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC this does not stand as a vague promise from which we have not seen any fruit. Instead, we see time and time again this happening. God is faithful to forgive, restore, and transform all who turn from their sin and self-righteousness, and call on the name of Jesus. All who depend on Him and submit to His authority. All who cry out to Him in desperate dependance… These are the ones who will receive the Spirit of God and be freed to live for Him. Both now and forevermore. Is the Lord calling you today? Repent my friends. And rely on and swear allegiance to Jeus Christ alone.

Conclusion:

So, CBC what have we learned today and how then shall we respond?

[Slide 18] Luke has given two truths. They are, once again, correlating truths. The first expresses a promise that the second fulfills. The first is that all who desire to free themselves of the conviction of the Spirit of God must repent of their sin and swear allegiance to and dependance on Christ. If they do this, they will receive the gift of the Spirit of God along with forgiveness. The second truth shows that those who did reject their former lives and receive with joy the truth of Christ crucified for sinners, did that day receive the Spirit and join the family of God. Combining these truths together we see that God’s gift of the indwelling of His Spirit, His very presence – is given to those who turn from their sin and their self-righteousness and depend on and devote themselves fully to Jesus Christ and Christ alone.

[Slide 19] So, for us how then shall we respond? All must respond generally in the same way. We must repent and we must call on the name of Jesus. For those who are already believers, this must be a continual repentance and a continual call. For those who are not yet converted – they must sever their ties to sin and this world. They must separate themselves from their allegiance to themselves, their earthly hopes and dreams, and must pledge their unconditional surrender and allegiance to Jesus and Jesus alone. And they must do this publicly with the sign and seal of baptism.

Based on this truth and this application for us CBC, there are several ways that this message impacts us today.

1.) [Slide 20] The first way it impacts us is in our presentation of the gospel to a dying world. My assertion is that based on this text, presenting the gospel accurately to sinners is incredibly important.

a. Peter’s message correlated perfectly to the message of Joel.

b. Peter’s message correlated perfectly to the prophets of the Old Testament.

c. Peter’s message correlated perfectly to the message of John the Baptist and Jesus Himself.

d. We should be very careful not to change our presentation of the gospel message, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

e. While it would be impossible for me to address every single erring gospel presentation, I can point out a few poplar ones that miscommunicate the gospel call.

i. The gospel call is not summarized in asking Jesus to save us from hell or even from sin.

1. This would be an example of an insufficient call to the gospel.

2. Where is repentance?

3. Where is the Lordship of Christ?

4. Did Peter instruct the people to ask Jesus to save them? Or to simply believe that He is the Savior?

ii. The gospel call is not summarized by asking Jesus into our heart.

1. Indeed, this is worse than the first because it means almost nothing.

2. What does it mean to have him in our heart in the first place?

3. Where is repentance?

4. Where is submission and allegiance?

5. Further compounding the problem, this message is often given to children. I’m not sure I could quickly explain what it means to have Jesus in my heart… much less a child to explain what exactly that means.

iii. The gospel call should not include a call to admit that you are a sinner.

1. In some ways this is a good thing to call someone to recognize.

2. But Peter did not ask the people there if they would admit they were sinners. He simply declared that they were sinners.

3. Admitting that you are a sinner is not the same as repenting of your sin.

4. The gospel does not ONLY call us to recognize that we have failed the Lord or that we are guilty of sin.

5. What is so drastic about the gospel call is that is calls us to HATE our sin and to abandon it.

6. Admitting I am a sinner is easy and can be done by any natural man. Many who are unbelievers admit they are not perfect. For no one is perfect.

7. Turning from sin is a gift of God, a supernatural ability that God gives to those whom He is calling to Himself.

8. Therefore, we should stop telling sinners to admit they are sinners. Instead, we should tell them to turn from their sin.

iv. The gospel call should not put an equal’s sign between faith and agreeing to facts.

1. Belief on Christ is not the same as believing what has been said of Christ.

2. Belief on Christ or in Christ includes believing what has been said about Christ but also dependance on and submitting to Him as Lord and Savior.

3. Oftentimes when we issue the gospel call we inadvertently lead sinners to believe that if they ascribe to a certain set of facts then agreeing to those facts saves them. This sells them a false gospel.

4. For Demons too believe the same facts that we tell sinners to believe.

5. Instead, it is not the mere belief that these facts are true – but rather that these facts are what we hang our entire eternal lives upon. That we have abandoned our lives and crucified ourselves in order to follow Christ no matter the cost.

6. This is what it means to believe in Christ. It is to depend on Him for salvation and submit to Him as Lord. With no exceptions.

v. Generally speaking If the gospel call is easy for the sinner, simple for the sinner, or demands little of the sinner – then you are probably doing it wrong.

vi. The gospel call is a call to radically separate yourself from all you hold dear and fully and completely surrender to Christ. If the people we share the gospel with do not sense the heavy cost of the gospel call… it is likely they have not heard a true gospel call.

2.) [Slide 21] Not to undo what I have just said but to be sure we do not pendulum swing too far, while recognizing that the way we issue the gospel call is important, we must also recognize that God is calling with us as we call.

a. Therefore, even our messy and broken presentations of the gospel can be used by God to effectively call His own to Himself.

b. Perhaps if you think back to the moment that you responded to the gospel, you would say that you responded to one of the gospel calls I have pointed out was lacking.

c. Experience does not invalidate the truth. The call you were given was not proven correct simply because you repented and believed on Christ through it.

d. Instead, it verifies the truth of this passage that God is the one who ultimately is effectually calling His own to Himself through the gospel call of His church.

e. I hope that this gives you comfort, knowing as you look back on your gospel calls that you have no doubt given a few stinkers and a few clunkers.

f. Do not be discouraged. God has not given the fate of those who would respond solely to our call.

g. Make your gospel call as close to the call of the scriptures as you can – but know that God is the one speaking through you when people respond with God-given repentance and faith.

My three final applications to the text today are of the utmost importance. Not that the previous two were inconsequential, but to these three I cannot impress upon you too little comfort and too little warning. If you have paid no attention up to this point… start now or may God be merciful to you.

3.) [Slide 22] Water baptism is neither optional nor a matter of convenience or preference.

a. Baptism has always been intricately bound to the gospel. The instance of a person who is saved but not baptized would be a completely foreign concept in the New Testament.

b. Many times, we see people in Acts immediately baptized upon confessing Christ. Today, for fear of inadvertently authenticating a false convert, we tend to look for spiritual fruit to reflect a real conversion to Christ.

c. But this should not indicate to any that water baptism of believers is optional.

d. The solemn truth is that baptism is a sign and seal of the spiritual truth of identification with Christ and the washing away of sin. It both symbolizes the spiritual truth and seals that truth on the hearts of the one baptized and the ones witnessing the baptism.

e. It also seals the truth of the coming of the Spirit and the joining of that person to the fellowship of body of Christ.

f. I cannot stress enough to you that if you have confessed Christ as Savior and Lord, if you have repented of sin and self-righteousness and are depending on and submitting to Christ alone – and yet you are not baptized – then the New Testament has exactly 1 example conforming to your life and confession. His reason was because he was dead moments after he believed. What is your excuse?

g. We cannot impose so much importance on baptism to make it a requirement for heaven… but we also cannot degrade its importance to the level of preference or convenience.

h. Listen very carefully for I will endeavor to be quite plain on the matter. If you are a believer on Christ that has not submitted yourself to baptism, then you have begun the race having tripped over the starting block.

i. The first thing Christ has commanded you to obey – you have failed to obey.

j. How can you say you are submitted to Him when you have not obeyed His first command?

k. As we end the service today – if you are a believer but have never been baptized or if you are a believer but weren’t baptized as a believer (aka you were baptized as an infant or false convert) then I implore you to seek me out and we will start the process of your obedience to the Lord.

4.) [Slide 23] The next item from the text that is of immeasurable importance is simply this, no sin is too great for the grace of God to break through.

a. Peter speaks to those who share the national shame of killing their own Messiah.

b. They committed regicide against their own King and attempted Deicide against their God.

c. And yet they received the gospel call of the apostles.

d. And as we’ve seen today – 3000 of them received the effectual call of God.

e. God forgave them for killing His Son.

f. My friends… with our sins… every single one of us nailed Him there.

g. But the gospel call still goes out to you.

h. There is no sin stuffed in your ears too dense to muffle out the call of God.

i. If God is calling you… you can come.

j. And that leads me to my final item.

5.) [Slide 24 (end)] Be saved from this wicked generation!

a. Your sin is not worth it my friends.

b. Your family isn’t worth it.

c. Your friends aren’t worth it.

d. Your self-righteous attempts to earn God’s love and favor have accomplished nothing for you.

e. All the penance in the world couldn’t change the fact that you killed the Lord of glory.

f. All the good works in the world couldn’t change the fact that God demands perfect and perpetual obedience.

g. There is nothing in this life worth losing enteral life to have.

h. And being granted a shack at the furthest outcropping of the furthest cliff from the Lord’s throne in the New Kingdom is better than the finest home on the grandest throne in the lake which burns with fire and Sulphur.

i. My friends…. DO NOT IGNORE ME.

j. Repent. Turn from your sin

k. And cry out in desperate dependance on the person and work of Christ as your Savior. Cry out in total submission to Him as your Lord.

l. Trust in and obey Him and Him only.

m. Be saved from this wicked generation.

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Title: Peter’s Sermon: Explanation

Text: Acts 2:14-36

FCF: We often struggle turning to the Lord alone for salvation.

Prop: Because God through Christ brought the time when all who call on the Lord would be saved, we must repent and believe on Christ alone for salvation.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 2.

Last week we saw a miraculous event unfold before our eyes. We saw wonders that no eye had seen before and no ear had heard before. A temporary turning back of the tower of Babel. A pouring out of the Spirit of God. A supernatural, multilingual praise service about the greatness of God’s deeds and the miraculous work of His Son.

Nevertheless, despite all the wonder, the best it could produce was confusion and the worst, scoffing.

But today, we will see an apostle stand before those who jeer. He will stand before those who wonder. And he will preach Christ. We won’t quite get to the application of Peter’s sermon today, nor will we get to the response of the hearers. But we will at least see the explanation answering their question… “What does all this mean?”

Let’s start in verse 14 of chapter 2. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible starting on page 1230.

Transition:

From cowardly denier to bold preacher, Peter now preaches the answer to their question. Let’s waste no time this morning.

I.) God has prophesied that a day of wonder will come after which all who call on the Lord will be saved, we must repent and believe on Christ alone for salvation. (14-21)

a. [Slide 2] 14-15 - 14 But Peter stood up with the eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them: “You men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, know this and listen carefully to what I say. 15 In spite of what you think, these men are not drunk, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning.

i. So, after the general response from the nationally diverse Jewish crowd, in which they expressed both confusion and scorn, Peter stands up with the other 11 apostles and raises his voice.

ii. This does not mean that Peter is the only one speaking, for all the 120 were given the gift of tongues to prophesy.

iii. Instead, we should infer from this that Peter, stands up and raises his voice not in anger but in order to answer the questions and criticisms of the crowd.

iv. He addresses them as men of Judea and those who live in Jerusalem. This address is probably intended to include everyone rather than exclude anyone. Peter is neither interested in addressing only those who are from Judea nationally nor those who are residents of Jerusalem specifically, nor men only. Instead, he wishes to lump all of them into the same boat. They are Jews, just like him, whether they live in Jerusalem or not. And this is what he wants. They are all culpable for what he is about to tell them. He wants all of them to listen very carefully and attentively.

v. First, he deals with the easiest and most aggressive of the responses to the outpouring of the Spirit. He denies that those who speak in tongues are drunk. His reasoning is that it is only the third hour or as the NET renders this – 9am.

vi. Most likely this proves that they are not drunk because sweet wine would be wine that has only begun to ferment meaning the alcohol content would have been quite low. To be drunk on such wine so early in the morning would require them to have been drinking for many hours and consuming it in vast quantities.

vii. This, then, is either not possible or highly unlikely.

viii. Now Peter moves on to address the second response at length. Their question was… “What does this mean?”

ix. Peter goes on the offensive. Everything that follows should be seen as Peter’s answer “This is what it all means.”

b. [Slide 3] 16-19a - 16 But this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And in the last days it will be,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 And I will perform wonders in the sky above and miraculous signs on the earth below,

i. We should take note of Peter’s tactic in addressing such a question.

ii. When we face those who are confused or curious about the work of God, we must take them to scripture. This is exactly what Peter does. Although receiving the power of the Holy Spirit and armed with teaching from Christ – Peter goes to the scriptures to address his Jewish brothers.

iii. He tells them that what they have seen is both full of meaning and significance.

iv. He tells them that it was prophesied in the scriptures by the prophet Joel.

v. Peter adds the phrase “in the last days” as he understands that such a prophesy was not fulfilled in near vicinity to Joel’s time. When Peter quotes this it is about 900 years after Joel wrote it.

vi. The key points of this prophesy up to the first part of verse 19 is to recognize 3 things.

1. There will come a day when God will pour out His Spirit.

2. The purpose of this will be to empower people from all walks of life to prophesy, dream and have visions specifically revealing God’s message to men.

3. The evidence of this will be wonders in the sky and miraculous signs on the earth below.

vii. Peter’s clear point here is that this time has come. Men and women and people from all walks of life – even Galileans – are prophesying (speaking in tongues) and receiving revelation from God to give to the world.

viii. But it is not merely the fact that these things have happened and that they are in the time Joel prophesied.

ix. Peter goes on with his quote of Joel 2 to pick up one significant thought that contributes to his entire sermon.

c. [Slide 4] 19b-21 - blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 20 The sun will be changed to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. 21 And then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

i. Many commentators, revealing their eschatological persuasions, try to make these events fit into either Christ’s crucifixion or the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. However, I believe these events correlate better to the end of the world and coming judgment.

ii. Meaning there is a gap between 19a and 19b. This is not abnormal in prophesy from the Old Testament.

iii. Verse 21 raises what becomes the main point of his sermon.

iv. Peter tells them that AFTER these events occur, after the Spirit is poured out, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

v. What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord? And saved from what?

1. [Slide 5] First, let’s look at what it means to call on something.

a. To call on is an expression used throughout the New Testament to invoke.

b. It means to cry out in dependance on either a deity or an authority for assistance or protection.

c. But it inherently also includes a recognition of both submission and deference to that authority or deity. There is a surrender to the authority itself as well as respect and honor given to the authority.

d. We also should not expect this to be a single event in a person’s life. Indeed, if it were a single time of submission and deference the case could be made that it was mere lip service. Instead, this is an ongoing calling.

e. In this we see multiple layers of the gospel call.

f. We see repentance in the sense that dependance on one’s self, one’s efforts, or commitment to one’s own desires has all been cast aside and abandoned.

g. We see humility in the sense that there is recognition of the sad state of affairs one is in to come to the point of needing to be rescued or delivered.

h. We see also belief in the sense that there is absolute trust and dependance that the authority to which one is calling or appealing is the only one able to save them from their plight.

i. To call on the Lord addresses the motivations and posture of a convert.

j. Although what we believe at conversion does matter, and we’ll see that as we get to the end of Peter’s sermon, this particular expression points to the humble and desperate position of the person seeking salvation.

k. To call on the Lord then, is an expression indicating the hopeless state of the caller, the authority and ability of the Lord to rescue them, and thus the utter and complete submission and deference to the Lord.

l. To put it negatively, to call on the Lord is not a pre written prayer, magic spell, empty ritual, or mere statement of doctrinal confession. Instead, it is a desperate cry of eager repentance and absolute belief.

1. [Slide 6] But what are we saved from in Joel 2 as quoted by Peter?

a. When we went through the various theories of the atonement, we recognized several theories that tended to downplay God’s wrath or His intention to punish sin.

b. And in the context of Joel 2, sin was a problem. In fact, Joel is calling them to repentance just before this passage that Peter quotes.

c. But sin in and of itself is not the thing from which we need salvation in Joel 2. Sin is merely the cause of the greater danger to us.

d. Joel speaks of the great and terrible day of the Lord where He will come to judge and punish lawbreakers.

e. This is when Joel/Peter says they can and must call on the name of the Lord to be saved. They must call on the One who brings such a day upon them. There is none who could save them from His wrath except the Lord Himself.

d. [Slide 7] Passage Truth: So, Luke to Theophilus gives a doctrinal teaching that is clear in this text. God has fulfilled prophesy of the Old Testament by pouring out His Spirit on His church to enable them to perform various signs and wonders indicating that the day has come when all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

e. Passage Application: Theophilus then must rest in the fulfillment of prophesy and continue to call on the name of the Lord. He must continue to repent of His sin and His self-righteousness and trust only in the name of the Lord.

f. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: It is not hard for us to prove that this is exactly what the whole of the scriptures teach since Peter does this for us. He shows us that prophesy from the Old Testament has revealed this time of wonder to be the day of salvation. This time before the great and terrible day of the Lord is the time when men and women everywhere are called to repent and believe the gospel.

g. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must do just that. The call to repent and believe the gospel is not a call only to those who are currently unbelievers. For the gospel is how we are sustained as believers. Repentance is an ongoing disposition of the hearts of those whom the Lord has saved. Indeed as 1 John 1:9 says, if we confess, or agree with God about, our sin then that is a sign that He is forgiving our sin and cleansing us from all unrighteousness – why? Because He is faithful and just. Thus, ongoing repentance and ongoing belief are necessary for all God’s people. For there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved. We never leave the elementary principles of the gospel. We simply build on them.

Transition:

[Slide 9 (blank)] So we see that prophesy is being fulfilled before their eyes in the pouring out of the Spirit. But how did that come about and who specifically is the Lord they must call on to be saved?

II.) Jesus is both the fulfillment of this prophesy and the Lord on whom all must call to be saved, we must repent and believe on Christ alone for salvation. (22-36)

a. [Slide 10] 22-24 - 22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know—23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. 24 But God raised him up, having released him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power.

i. Before Peter merely said that the events that they had seen were a fulfillment of Joel 2.

ii. Now he will be a little bit more specific about how exactly these signs correlate to Joel 2 and how these signs came about.

iii. His argument points to Jesus the Nazarene being the direct fulfillment of all of this prophesy. Not the apostles. Not the church. Jesus.

iv. How is Jesus the fulfillment of these prophesies?

v. By God, Jesus performed miracles, signs, wonders, and many marvelous deeds.

vi. They know this better than most, for they have all been in the area during many of these events. Whether they are Jews visiting or Jews living in Jerusalem, they have seen these mighty works displayed.

vii. God has authenticated Jesus as His anointed one. His Messiah. Indeed, no one can say He performed these deeds by any other power than by the power of God.

viii. Now Peter moves on to some of the mightiest works of Jesus.

ix. That he was handed over, he was delivered. To whom was he delivered?

x. He was delivered to them. Perhaps some of them in the crowd that day yelled out “Crucify Him” But at very least he was delivered to fellow Jews just like the ones Peter is speaking to right now. The best of the Jews actually. The religious and political leaders.

xi. Well, what did they do with Him?

xii. They executed Him. How did they do this?

xiii. By nailing Him to a cross at the hands of the Gentiles.

xiv. This is some fairly aggressive language. Peter is accusing the people there of having some part in the execution of Jesus of Nazareth, a man through whom God was clearly demonstrating His power. A man whom God had anointed.

xv. To both Jews and Gentiles the question would remain. How could God allow someone whom He anointed, His Messiah – which He claims to be – How could God allow this to happen?

xvi. [Slide 11] He says, “by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” There are two words we need to define here. “Predetermined” and “Foreknowledge.”

1. Predetermined is something that has become definite, or decided as an outcome. This means that Jesus’ crucifixion was something that God Himself planned, decided, and ultimately saw to fruition. Indeed, the scriptures say that Christ was slain before the foundation of the world.

2. Foreknowledge is sometimes used to speak of what is known ahead of time. However, as we’ve seen in other studies, when this is applied to God’s knowledge it cannot mean raw knowledge beforehand since God is not bound by any limitations of knowledge or time. Instead, when it is used here it means to plan or plot in advance. When used in reference to God it always speaks of His divine ordination of events according to His will. Events that cannot be undone or thwarted in any way.

xvii. [Slide 12] Although God planned and brought about the death of Christ to reconcile His people to Himself – it did not absolve the sin of the Jews in killing their own Messiah and King.

xviii. But just as God planned His death, He also raised Him up.

xix. We see that there are pains of death. Pains here is often used in birth language and it is an interesting mix of metaphors here to refer to the sting or finality of death.

xx. But Jesus was not able to be contained or held in death’s power.

xxi. But why? Why was He not able to be held under death’s power? Notice it is not the fact of His resurrection that Peter sets out to prove – rather it is the reason of it. Why must He be raised?

b. [Slide 13] 25-28 - 25 For David says about him, ‘I saw the Lord always in front of me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; my body also will live in hope, 27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor permit your Holy One to experience decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of joy with your presence.’

i. This is taken from Psalm 16.

ii. It seems that David speaks to his own salvation and prevention of death – but Peter sees and points out the inconsistencies of David’s statements here indicating that David cannot be speaking of himself at all.

iii. That prophetically, David must be speaking of one greater than he.

c. [Slide 14] 29-32 - 29 “Brothers, I can speak confidently to you about our forefather David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 So then, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, 31 David by foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his body experience decay. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it.

i. First, he points out the most obvious discrepancy. David died, is currently buried, and Peter can actually walk them all to the tomb of David to prove it.

ii. Second, since the Holy One not being allowed to decay is connected to the soul that is not abandoned in Hades, we must assume both of these predictions refer to one who is NOT David.

iii. Third, if this one is not abandoned in Hades nor allowed to have his body decay, it must be referring to one who dies but returns from death in a relatively short time after they have died.

iv. Lastly, he points to David being a prophet having received prophesy from the Lord specifically in the Davidic covenant where God promised to put one of his descendants upon his throne forever. These are quoted from Ps 132 and II Sam 7. Since every descendant of David had died and not been resurrected, these obviously point forward to someone who is coming or has come recently.

v. These inconsistencies motivate the apostle to conclude that David does not speak of himself, but prophesies about God’s Messiah. This was a common and accepted way to interpret some of David’s more troublesome psalms among Jewish Rabbis at the time. David was seen as a prophet who often spoke of the coming Messiah.

vi. So, since someone would be on David’s throne forever and it obviously wasn’t him or any descendants to date – And since God validated Jesus the Nazarene as the Messiah through many mighty works and since Jesus was a descendant of David both by his adopted father and His Mother’s side, And since Jesus died but was resurrected, then David must have been foreseeing the resurrection of Jesus the Nazarene who was also called the Christ or the Messiah. He was not abandoned to Hades nor did his body decay.

vii. This is why death could not hold Him… because He is the descendant that David prophesied about that would not be abandoned to decay or to hades.

viii. And to prove that all this is so – Peter attests that all 120 of the church had seen Jesus of Nazareth after being confirmed dead – now alive.

ix. But this still leaves the matter of the throne of David. How is Jesus to sit on it forever since He is no longer present on earth?

d. [Slide 15] 33-36 - 33 So then, exalted to the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out what you both see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’ 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.”[1]

i. There is no higher throne than the one at the right hand of God. A position of authority, honor, and privilege.

ii. Jesus has been exalted; indeed, they saw Him go. And He has also received the promise of the Holy Spirit.

iii. Jesus acquired the Spirit who poured out everything that these people today have seen and heard.

iv. This is the fullest fulfillment of Joel 2. The signs they have seen and the pouring of the Spirit are only because the King has returned to His throne and is seated at the right hand of God.

v. It also fulfills another prophesy of David.

vi. David again in Psalm 110 cannot be speaking of himself since he did not ascend to heaven. Indeed, as Peter said, his body was subjected to the grave, decay, and Hades.

vii. But David wrote that the Lord said to his Lord. Well, who might that be? Who is David’s Lord that is not the Father?

viii. The Father says to the Son sit at my right hand. Until when?

ix. Until all the enemies of Christ are fully and finally subjected to him.

x. By all this prophesy and by the words of one of the highest esteemed patriarchs, all of Israel must know without shadow of doubt that God has made Jesus – the same one that they crucified – both Lord and Christ. Both Absolute Authority and Anointed One of God.

xi. What does this mean?

xii. It means that the days when God pours out His Spirit have come. And since they have come, they are days that all those who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

xiii. What Lord?

xiv. Jesus the Nazarene. The Jewish Messiah. The Anointed One of God who has been promised since the beginning. But this anointed one is also The Lord above all lords. King above all Kings. He is David’s eternal heir.

xv. And He is available to any who call on His name.

xvi. It is by desperately abandoning our old ways and declaring our dependance, submission, and deference to Jesus and only Jesus that we can be saved from the wrath to come.

e. [Slide 16] Passage Truth: So Luke not only reveals that God has fulfilled prophesy in order to bring about a day when any who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. But also, that prophesy was fulfilled by Jesus, who is both the Messiah and the Lord. He is both the fulfillment of the prophesy and also the Lord all must call on for salvation.

f. Passage Application: So Theophilus must not call on the name of any Lord or even some vague notion of Yahweh affiliation. He must instead repent and believe on the name of Christ. No one is saved except through Jesus.

g. [Slide 17] Broader Biblical Truth: The scriptures come together to teach this truth loud and clear. Jesus is the fullest expression of all the promises for obedience. He also took for His people the fullest expression of all the curses for those who are disobedient to His law. Jesus is our all in all. He is everything. It is in His life and work that we must trust. He becomes our substitute. He stands in our place.

h. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, to trust Him, is to abandon any way of life that is counter to what He taught. It is to abandon any hope in any other way of rescue from the coming judgment of God. Whether that be our own words and works, our rituals, a prayer we’ve said, or anything else that is not simply Christ and Christ alone. Let us abandon these cheap imitations and cling to Christ and Him only for our salvation. You must call on the name of the Lord to be saved. You must submit and show deference and honor to His name, and continue to do so, to be saved.

Conclusion:

So, CBC, what have we learned today and how then shall we live?

[Slide 18] Luke has given two precious truths today. They are correlating truths. The first teaches us that God fulfilled Old Testament prophesy in pouring out the Spirit upon the church at Pentecost indicating a shift in the redemptive history of the world. The end is coming and we are in the final days. But any who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. The second truth simply expands on the first. That Christ is both the fullest expression of the fulfillment of this prophesy since He ascended to heaven to send the Spirit but He is also the Lord on whom we must call if we are to be saved. To put these two truths together we simply can say what Peter concludes – that because He fulfills prophesy - Jesus is both Messiah and Lord. He is both Lord and Savior.

[Slide 19] Living in light of this truth is to obey the commands of John the Baptist, Jesus Himself, and the teaching of the church since the beginning. It is to repent of sin and self-righteousness and it is to desperately cry out in submission and honor to our Lord and King. If we are doing this, we are promised, that He will save us from the judgment that is to come.

Today I have four main takeaways from the text this morning. Four items that are worth a deeper look as we consider the truth and application of this text.

1.) [Slide 20] The first is the tension that God’s Sovereignty does not negate human responsibility or vice versa.

a. As we have seen in this text it was God predetermined and foreordained plan to crush His Son for the sin of His people.

b. As the scriptures elsewhere reveal, Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world.

c. This means that before the Lord ever spoke creation into existence, He had already ordained that Christ would die for His people.

d. Nevertheless, those who crucified Christ are still held accountable for their grave sin of executing the Lord of glory.

e. I can think of no other text that so plainly illustrates the tension of God’s Sovereign will juxtaposed against man’s responsibility.

f. Our logical mind assumes that if the Lord planned for Christ to die, why does He hold the sin of those who killed Him against them? But such thoughts betray a flaw in our thinking. Our thinking is that God is not being fair by punishing sin when it was in His plan to use the sin to accomplish His purpose.

g. Instead, God is both just to punish sin and sovereign to use the sin of men to accomplish His purpose.

h. In all instances of God’s Sovereign will and its natural tension held beside the responsibility of man to act, the one thing we cannot do is negate either for the sake of the other.

i. We cannot emphasize the sovereignty of God to such a degree that all men are robots or slaves to fate to the extent that they are innocent victims of a God who forces them to play their part against their will.

j. But nor can we emphasize human responsibility to such a degree that God yields in any way to the will of man to the extent that there is any shadow of uncertainty of the world and all that will happen.

k. Somehow both are true. And as an illustration of this we can look to the crucifixion of Christ. God’s divine purpose was to crucify His Son on a tree for the sin of His people. But He still holds guilty those who executed Him.

l. So, God is Sovereign and will not permit the will of man to undo His decrees of predestination, election, foreordination or any other decree that He has made since the beginning.

m. But man is also responsible to seek the Lord and call on Him for salvation. God’s decree of an individual’s election is known to no one but God Himself. For one to say, I cannot respond for I am not of the elect, is to assume knowledge that he does not have.

n. For man to acquit himself of sin because he is merely acting out in the nature of his will and for the purpose God has destined him since He is not elect is both to assume knowledge he does not have and also to ignore the law of the same God with whom he pleads innocence.

o. No matter how attractive it is to resolve this tension – we must let both stand in their fullest sense. For man is always held accountable for what they do but God is in complete control of all of His creation… including mankind, their wills, their actions, and their plans.

2.) [Slide 21] Secondly, speaking of God’s sovereign provision, we must celebrate the blessed privilege it is to live in time of the New Covenant

a. For two thousand years we have lived in the church age.

b. All we have known and all anyone has known for the last 80 ish generations, has been to look back on the fulfillment of the promise of the coming Messiah and King.

c. We are so blessed to live in a time when the redemptive plan of God is completely revealed to us.

d. Paul talks about the mystery of the cross. That these things were not made plain before but are now revealed.

e. And how privileged we are now. We live in an age where we can consult the writings of John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Polycarp, Luther, Calvin, Bunyan, Watson – and we can do so in the click of a mouse. We can have all this and much more available to us at the cost of a week’s wage or less.

f. We have entire libraries at our fingertips to plumb the depths of church interpretation of the scriptures and we have the bible, not just in our language… but in several versions of our language.

g. We are blessed… but we are cursed too.

h. For my friends, to whom much is given… much will be required.

i. Jesus said of Bethsaida and Chorazin that if the same signs and wonders had been performed in Sodom and Gomorrah that were performed in their cities, then they would have repented in sack cloth and ashes. Jesus goes on to say that in the day of judgment, it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for these cities.

j. How can any neglect so great a salvation? But today so many have hardened their hearts to the truth.

k. This leads me to the third item on my list today.

3.) [Slide 22] How can we be saved?

a. Perhaps today you see that God stands as judge waiting to judge the world. That He will hold the wicked accountable for their sins. That He brings justice to all who have broken His law in the smallest detail.

b. Perhaps today, for the first time, you have heard that Jesus is truly the Messiah of God.

c. He was proven to be God’s Anointed One by the power He displayed. He accomplished His Messianic purpose by dying for the sins of His People. He was raised from death because Death could not hold Him. He was brought to God’s side by His right Hand for that was His rightful place. Now He sits as Lord of all.

d. Perhaps today you see that He is the Lord on whom you must cry out in submission and in deference if you are to be saved.

e. Perhaps today, for the first time, you realize that you need that saving work from the coming judgment of God.

f. The Lord who brings this judgment has also provided salvation to you. Submit to Him and Honor Him with your life as your God and King. He alone is able to save you from the judgment He is bringing upon the world.

4.) [Slide 23] My final thought today is both to those who feel compelled to call on Him today for salvation and also for those who think they have done that but their lives show they haven’t. He must be your Lord if He is to be your Savior.

a. My friends to call on the name of the Lord is not simply to ask him to save you. It is not simply to accept him as your savior. It is not simply to say a prayer saying you believe he exists. It is not simply to say you believe he did what he said he did or is who he said he is.

b. To call on the name of the Lord is to bow the knee. It is to submit to and honor Him as the Lord of glory and trust Him completely for your salvation. This is what it means to call on the name of the Lord.

c. In short, Jesus will not be your Savior unless He is also your Lord, Master, and King.

d. So, if you for the first time are calling on Jesus’ name for salvation, you must count the cost. He does not save you so you can be free of His judgment but live as you wish. He only saves those who cast aside their former ways to follow Him.

e. And if you are here today and have made a profession of faith but have never desired Jesus to be your Lord, your Master, and your King – may I suggest to you that He cannot possibly be your Savior if He is not also these.

[Slide 24] Jesus is the fullest fulfillment of the prophesy of scripture that in the last days God will pour out His Spirit and make salvation available to those who submit to and trust Jesus. So trust Jesus and submit to Him. Abandon your former ways and keep running from them. Follow Him. He will lead you in the paths of life. He will lead you to His heavenly home. He will lead you to that promised land.

[1] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), Ac 2:14–36.

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Title: The Sign You Can’t Afford To Miss

Text: Acts 2:1-13

FCF: We often struggle neglecting our great salvation

Prop: Because God must reveal truth to natural man, we (who have seen the truth) must continue to believe the gospel.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 2.

After all the buildup, after all the promises, after all the anticipation, after all the waiting… today – the church begins. Today we see God change the world. Today we see the 3rd person of the Godhead assume His glorious role in the salvation and preservation of His people.

Strange and miraculous deeds await us today. Things no eye has seen or ear has heard ever before. Signs and wonders are ours to behold. Let’s not waste time.

I am in Acts 2. I will begin reading in verse 1. I am reading again from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1230 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Much to get to today in an already long service – so lets get to it.

I.) God has sealed the message of Jesus Christ through mighty signs, so we must continue to believe the gospel. (1-4)

a. [Slide 2] 1 - Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

i. Pentecost was also known as the festival of weeks which was to be celebrated 7 weeks after Passover.

ii. It was a festival to celebrate the end of the harvest and the giving of the law at Mt Sinai.

iii. Jesus promised them that the Spirit would baptize them in a few days. From His ascension we know it was no more than 10 days and probably closer to a week that they waited for the promise to be fulfilled.

iv. Who is all here? Is this all the apostles or is this the whole 120-member assembly?

v. The last referent would be to the 12 apostles. But that reference is in the greater context of the 120-member gathered assembly.

b. [Slide 3] 2-3 - Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. 2:3 And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them.

i. There is significant overlap in the scriptures concerning wind and the Spirit. Indeed, breathe, wind, and the Spirit are interchangeable terms.

ii. Jesus when speaking to Nicodemus, compared the new birth to the wind. Specifically, how it cannot be controlled or captured but can only be seen as it blows the way it wishes to go.

iii. God breathed the breath of life into Adam in Genesis 2 and Jesus breathed on His disciples and commanded them to receive the Spirit in John 20.

iv. So we shouldn’t be surprised at wind joining the moving of the Spirit here. But what exactly is going on?

v. It is here that I need to issue an apology and correction.

1. [Slide 4] In my sermon on Acts 1:1-11 a couple of weeks ago I made a fairly strong case for the baptism with the Spirit being an empowering of the Spirit and not an indwelling. My arguments were as follows.

a. First, When Jesus makes this promise to the Apostles, He seems to lump both the baptism with the Spirit and the power from the Spirit coming upon them into the same event.

b. Second, in Joel 2, a passage Peter references later, it refers to a future pouring out of the Spirit when men and women will prophesy and receive visions. Peter says that at Pentecost, this was fulfilled.

c. Third, In John 20:22 the evening of Jesus’ resurrection, He visits his disciples and in the midst of conversing with them he breathes on them and says “Receive the Holy Spirit”. This seems to indicate that the Spirit was already given to them by Christ after His resurrection.

d. Based on these arguments I concluded… wrongly… that the baptism with the Spirit in Acts 1 and 2 was an empowering and not an indwelling since they were already indwelled with the Spirit.

1. [Slide 5] Today I am going to argue with myself and make a correction to what I previously stated. Before I do that though – you might be wondering a few things.

a. Why does this matter?

i. Although you may not see the importance of getting this right – it actually connects quite readily to our current culture and the state of Christendom for many reasons.

ii. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of time to delve into those right now.

iii. Depending on how you see the Baptism with, in, or by the Holy Spirit it can affect your view of sanctification and twist your view of what is the normal experience of every believer when they are genuinely converted.

iv. This has implications both toward the Pentecostal movement generally and even the higher life or Keswick theology on sanctification and a second work of grace.

v. If you have no idea what I am talking about – don’t worry about it for now. Maybe join us on Wednesday and we can discuss it further.

vi. For now, just realize that getting this teaching right is important for us.

b. How did you mess this up so bad?

i. Well, there are several reasons/excuses I could make.

ii. But in short, I am human and I did not fully consider the broader teaching of scripture when forming my conclusions.

c. Can I ever trust anything else you say?

i. My feelings on this are two-fold.

ii. First, I hope that you would see my eagerness to correct myself as endearing to your trust, to know that I will strive always to give you the best interpretation of scripture that I can – even if that means humbling myself like this to beat up my own arguments.

iii. But second, I desire that you would test me as you would any other preacher. Should you find something you disagree with– be ready and willing to be proven wrong. But I will do the same. And may God keep us humble as we seek His truth.

d. How did the Lord reveal this to you?

i. Unfortunately, it was not the scriptures that called this to my attention.

ii. Rather it was the questions of another Elder.

iii. In a way that was humble, meek, and seeking answers, I was approached by another Elder to consider the possibility that I was wrong.

iv. Upon investigating further, it became apparent that he was right.

v. This proves out the strength of a plurality of qualified Elders leading the church.

vi. My friends if this church was single pastor led – you would be the poorer for it. But instead, you are led by 6 godly men who strive to deliver to you the truth of the Word. I hope you realize how blessed you are to have the church you do.

1. No more stalling! Why was I wrong?

a. [Slide 6] Let’s start with John 20:22. If we can defeat my alter ego’s interpretation of this text, it will go a long way to defeating him completely.

i. In John 20, Jesus appears to His disciples the evening of His resurrection day. Looking at the entire context, it is clear that Jesus has the future in mind.

ii. First, he tells them that just as the Father sent Him, He is sending them. However, in the book of Acts, Jesus tells them to wait until they receive the Spirit before leaving to do the mission.

iii. Second, after He says this is when he breathes on them and commands them to receive the Spirit.

iv. Could it be that just like the first statement that he was sending them out at a future time, so also the second statement is a sign of the future indwelling of the Spirit? Indeed, as we saw here in Acts 2 – a sound of a wind or breath comes first and then the Spirit.

v. In this text we also find out that Thomas was not among the others. Jesus appears again when he is present and Thomas believes. However, Thomas is not breathed on and told to receive the Spirit. Did Thomas miss out on being indwelled? Certainly not. Another peg in seeing Jesus’ actions as a prophetic sign of a future event.

vi. Finally, Jesus in the book of John, in chapter 16, said that “Unless I go away, the advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send Him to you.” Although we could say that Jesus’ death was His “going away” in another text in John 7, John reveals that the Spirit had not yet come because Christ had not yet been glorified. Therefore, how can Christ give the Holy Spirit before He had ascended? Answer? He cannot.

b. [Slide 7] In Joel 2 a reference is made to the pouring out of the Spirit where people prophesy and receive visions. And in Acts Jesus clearly combines the baptism with the Spirit and the power they will receive when He comes upon them at Pentecost. So how are these not the same?

i. The simple explanation is that they occur at the same time but are not the same thing.

ii. The church was baptized by the Spirit, meaning they were indwelled by Him, and as a sign that this was so, they were also filled with the Spirit (which is what Acts 2 focuses on).

iii. Thus Joel 2 is correct and Jesus does set these two items next to one another because they go together at Pentecost but that doesn’t mean they are the same.

1. After this brief aside we can see all the clearer what is happening in Acts 2.

vi. [Slide 8] What we see here is the Holy Spirit inaugurate a new era. A new Covenant. A new step in Judaism. God has come to dwell in us in the form of His Spirit.

vii. Notice they do not experience the movement of wind but rather the sound of it. Can you imagine how fear inducing and bewildering it would be to hear the sound of rushing wind and feel no wind?

viii. Furthermore, we note that the sound of this wind came from heaven. Above them a sound of rushing wind. How confused do you think they were?

ix. Not only that but they were in a house. They were not outside – but inside. The entire house was filled with the sound of the rushing wind that they could not feel.

x. Verse 3 is incredibly difficult to understand from a grammatical perspective. The word for division or separation is used here in reference to the tongues of fire. But it is unclear as to whether the tongues appeared to look like fire, spread like fire, divided themselves up or began as a larger whole and divided to each apostle.

xi. What is happening here? Well, let’s keep reading and see if we get some clarity.

c. [Slide 9] 4 - All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.

i. Here is part 2. They were baptized with the Sprit and now they are filled with the Spirit. So what are these tongues of fire? They seem to be a visible sign of the Holy Spirit’s filling. Much like Jesus when coming up from his baptism received the power of the Spirit by something that descended from heaven like a dove – so here the apostles receive the Holy Sprit’s power by these tongues of fire.

ii. We see here that the apostles when receiving this gift spoke in real languages. Not the languages of angels and not unintelligible languages, and not one mysterious language that everyone heard in their own native tongue. Rather they spoke in real languages. For what purpose and in what manner we will get to later.

iii. For now, it is enough to see that the Spirit of God had given His apostles power to take the gospel far and wide. And this was accomplished by supernatural power to speak other languages.

iv. This gift of tongues then was a visible sign of the inward truth that they had been filled and empowered by the Spirit to accomplish the mission of God. And that filling and that empowering was itself a sign that they had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

d. [Slide 10] Passage Truth: So, Luke shows us the fulfillment of the promises of Jesus that in the coming days they would be baptized with the Spirit and receive power when He came upon them. In the events of the Day of Pentecost, these promises were fulfilled. All of this serves as an abundant sign and seal of the Lordship of Jesus Christ the authentication of the gospel.

e. Passage Application: So, what is Theophilus to do with this account? Since Luke wrote this to strengthen his faith in what he had heard, Theophilus must observe these miraculous signs and believe and keep believing what He had received as the truth. That Jesus is the Messiah who was crucified for sinners, was raised, and is coming again. Theophilus must place all his hope squarely on Christ.

f. [Slide 11] Broader Biblical Truth: Do the scriptures reveal other times where God has confirmed His message to us through signs and seals? Indeed, in all the times where God is moving and guiding His people we see an abundance of miraculous signs to authenticate His will. Beginning with Noah then to Abraham, Moses, then to the Judges, then to David and to Elijah and Elisha, then the prophets, God has continually performed many signs and wonders to prove to all who would hear who He is and what His will is for them.

g. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we cannot afford to miss these signs. Although we have not seen with our eyes, nor heard with our ears the signs of the message of the apostles, we have been shown the truth and we have been set free by it. So we cannot afford to neglect so great a sign as God has provided. We must not forget what God has done both in our lives and in the lives of all those He loves. We must believe and continue to believe the report of His apostles, that He is the Messiah of God, who died for sinners, to free them from sin and save them to life and life abundant. If the Son has set you free – Columbus – You are free indeed. May we hold fast to this no matter the cost. He is our Redeemer.

Transition:

[Slide 12(blank)] We might think that such a great and powerful sign would immediately motivates those who are able to see and hear it to believe and continue to believe. But even such a powerful sign is not sufficient in and of itself to overcome the unbelief of man. Let me show you what I mean.

II.) Mere signs and words are unable to pierce through man’s unbelief, so we must continue to believe the gospel. (5-13)

a. [Slide 13] 5 - Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven residing in Jerusalem.

i. Now let’s think for a moment here. Why would there have been devout Jews from every nation in Jerusalem at this time?

ii. Exactly! It is Pentecost. Of course a mandatory religious festival would have drawn devout Jews from every nation.

iii. Now Luke says they were here from every nation under heaven. Does this mean that there were Jews from China and India here too?

iv. There is something really cool happening here on this particular Pentecost that you need to see. But unfortunately, it takes a little time to set it up. For now, let me caution us against a global understanding of what Luke is saying. No, he is not saying Jews from China were here. He has something far more… biblical in mind when he says from every nation under heaven.

v. The final thing we must note in this verse is that these folks were residing or living in Jerusalem. Now why might they be living there? Certainly, they would be visiting because of Pentecost but why would they be living there?

vi. Some archeological evidence suggests that Jews in their “retirement” would move back to Jerusalem to finish their life in God’s holy city. This is certainly true – but why would they need the disciples to speak in their native language if they were living in Jerusalem? Certainly, if they were living in Jerusalem permanently, we might expect them to speak Hebrew or at least Aramaic. Perhaps Luke has something else in mind…

vii. If they were truly devout Jews, they would have been there for Passover which was a mere 49 days earlier. And if they are from every nation under heaven, they certainly would not have left for home after Passover. To do so would be to need to turn around and head back to Jerusalem immediately.

viii. The same people who would hear the apostles preach on this day – were in Jerusalem and had no doubt heard of Jesus – the supposed Messiah being killed, supposedly raised, and now ascended to heaven. Perhaps some welcomed him into Jerusalem laying down palm branches. Perhaps some were in the crowd yelling “crucify Him.” Now they stand watching this marvel and wondering at what it could mean.

ix. Truly God’s timing and providence is worthy of praise.

b. [Slide 14] 6-8 - When this sound occurred, a crowd gathered and was in confusion, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 2:7 Completely baffled, they said, “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 2:8 And how is it that each one of us hears them in our own native language?

i. The sound of the rushing wind was not heard by simply those in the house.

ii. Indeed, many in the streets heard the roar.

iii. Filling in the gaps a bit, we see the disciples of Christ come out into the streets or perhaps standing on the roof or on balconies speaking.

iv. We don’t yet know what they are saying – but what we do know is that they are speaking various languages.

v. Because of this, the people in the streets were greatly confused. They were bewildered. Why?

vi. They knew these people were from Galilee. Galilee was not the center for culture and education. Galilee was rural and kinda hickish.

vii. The crowd does not remark on the tongues of fire. This seems to indicate that this visible aspect of the sign had dissipated – much like the Spirit’s presence on Jesus like a dove did not remain with Him. So also the sign of the tongues of fire did not stay on the disciples.

viii. The crowd recognizing them as Galileans does not mean that only the 12 were in view. Certainly, many of the 120-member church were from Galilee.

ix. Luke’s account continues as it expands on what we have already seen.

c. [Slide 15] 9-11 - Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia, 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 2:11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great deeds God has done!”

i. Here we see a grouping of nations listed.

ii. [Slide 16] For your edification I have put on the slides behind us the identity of each of these nations on a map.

iii. As we can see the vast majority of the Roman empire is covered by this list.

iv. There are 15 nations mentioned here. Certainly, this is not every nation under heaven. Or is it?

v. [Slide 17] This next map is the map of the division of the nations after the flood in Genesis 10. It represents the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth - Noah’s sons – as they eventually dispersed after the tower of babel. There were 5 nations of Shem, 4 nations of Ham, and 7 nations of Japheth. 16 nations in total.

vi. What do you notice about these nations and the nations represented at Pentecost?

vii. [Slide 16] To aid you lets go back to the first slide.

viii. [Slide 17]And now back to the next.

ix. [Slide 16] The first one again…

x. [Slide 17] And last time on the second one.

xi. What is happening here? It is the opposite of the event at the tower of Babel.

1. The nations gathered after the flood to attempt to ascend to heaven and take the throne of God. God confounded their language and scattered them.

2. Now, at Pentecost, God the Son has ascended and taken His throne, He has gathered them again for the feast of Weeks, and every man hears in their own language.

xii. [Slide 18] And what do they hear?

xiii. They are hearing the apostles speak about God’s great deeds.

xiv. Luke’s description here is difficult to draw many details from. Of what specific great deeds are the church speaking?

xv. Is it perhaps too much of a leap to suggest that they were praising the Lord for His mightiest deed? The salvation of His people? They are hearing about what God has done through Christ.

d. [Slide 19] 12-13 - All were astounded and greatly confused, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 2:13 But others jeered at the speakers, saying, “They are drunk on new wine!” [1]

i. Everyone was confused. Everyone was astounded.

ii. Nothing like this has happened before this… and I’d say that we really don’t see anything like this happen since.

iii. The Lord gathered the nations and gave them the gospel of Christ in a language they could understand.

iv. And He did this… miraculously. It is obviously HIS power doing this. And it is not for personal or individual benefit but so the gospel could go forth.

v. Nevertheless, an important point that we must see.

vi. Despite all the wonderous signs, despite the rushing sound, despite them hearing non-educated men speak in their languages, despite the powerful testimony of the works of God, despite the wonder and amazement by everyone there…

vii. General praises of God’s mighty works and praising Him for the coming of the Messiah and the salvation of their souls was only enough to produce wonder and uncertainty at best…

viii. And scoffing at worst.

ix. “They are just drunk on new wine.” They said. So great were the praises and the cacophony of the voices that the only reasonable explanation by the most cynical was that they were men who were drunk.

e. [Slide 20] Passage Truth: So, Luke builds on the first point he made. He shows this grand sign and seal that the message of the disciples was from God Himself. Miraculous and wonderous things, even for a brief time undoing the curse of the tower of Babel, things never before seen are happening on this day at Pentecost. Nevertheless, the raw sign in and of itself, even accompanied by the message of the gospel, is not enough to convince any. Many simply wondered in bewilderment… and some even jeered.

f. Passage Application: Theophilus then must be careful not to allow himself to be swept away with doubt or cynicism. Instead, he must continue to believe and trust what he was taught and cling to it with all he is. For it is not simply a collection of wonderful and miraculous praises, but it is God’s truth that has been supernaturally revealed to Him. He must hold fast to what He has believed.

g. [Slide 21] Broader Biblical Truth: Do we see this truth taught in the rest of scripture? My friends it is on every page. Israel notoriously continued to fall into their rebellion despite God showing them various signs and giving them various prophets warning them of their judgment should they fail to listen. In the New Testament we see in II Corinthians 2 that natural man is unable to understand the truth of God because it is spiritual truth that must be revealed spiritually. But natural man is spiritually dead. What does this mean? It means that mere signs and wonders, mere words of the great and mighty deeds of God, mere preaching of the gospel cannot and will not ever pierce through the heart of natural man unless… unless the Spirit of God moves among them.

h. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, what does this mean for us? We who have been shown God’s truth. We who have had ears to hear. We who have had eyes to see. It means we should hold fast to what we have been shown. If we have seen the truth of the Word of God, if we have received Christ and His atonement for us. If we have been granted the ability to turn from our sin. If we have been granted faith to believe in Christ – then we must hold fast to this truth. For it is not something natural. It is not something common. It is not something that even signs and wonders could have revealed to us. It is only truth that God’s Spirit could have shown us.

Conclusion:

So what have we learned today CBC and how then shall we live?

[Slide 22] Luke has demonstrated two significant truths to us. That God has sealed the truth of the gospel by many wonderous sings, but sealed signs are not enough to overcome the unbelief of natural man. To combine these two truths we see quite clearly that if natural man is ever to know and believe the gospel it must be a work of God to enable him to do so.

[Slide 23] What are we to do with this? How should we live with this truth? Quite simply, if you have eyes to see, if you have ears to hear, if you have been brought out of darkness and been shown a great light, if you have been convinced that Christ is Lord and came to save sinners like you from sin and give you life in Him to live and follow Him, to love and adore Him, to make Him your prize, your pursuit, and your highest aim – If this is you… Then hold fast to your faith. It is no mere man conjured belief. Rather it is God given faith. Exercise your human responsibility and cling tightly to Christ! For your faith has been granted by a loving God who desired you to come, who called you unto Himself, so that you may be with Him forever. But remember Judas. Do not abandon it. Hold fast.

In light of these truths and the application to hold fast to Christ, I have several inferences for you to consider.

1.) [Slide 24] Witnessing

a. You can’t win them

i. No matter how hard you witness, no matter how convincing you are, no matter how good you are at tearing down arguments to leave only Christ as the answer, no matter how appealing you make Jesus… You cannot convince men to believe on Christ. Why?

ii. They are simply unable to do so on their own.

iii. This of course, does not mean that we witness half-heartedly or flippantly.

iv. But it does provide to us much needed humility. The salvation of the soul of man is not dependent on us. We are certainly tools in the use of the master – but we are not the means… we are simply the method.

v. But even if we could convince the heart of men that Jesus was the answer… do not forget…

b. [Slide 25] This is Spiritual warfare

i. Not only is mankind naturally unable to understand the truth of God…

ii. But natural man is in bondage. They are enslaved to sin. They are children of Satan. They are in his family. They are under his dominion.

iii. And Satan will not let one of his own go easily. Do you think your tongue is sharper than the forked tongue of the old serpent? Do you think you are more cunning than that sly snake? Do you think the strength of your arguments are any match for the power of the dragon?

iv. My friends make no mistake – if you went toe to toe with the devil for the soul of a man – you would lose. Even if you were armed with the gospel of Christ – you would lose.

v. If God is on your side – none can stand against you. But if it is you alone – you haven’t any hope at all.

vi. This naturally leads us to my last observation within this inference.

c. [Slide 26] Prayer is step 1, 2, 3 and 4.

i. No man can truly and effectively witness to any other without the power of the Spirit of God going with him.

ii. Therefore, we must first be in prayer for those to whom we give the gospel.

iii. Praying while we are witnessing to them.

iv. Praying while they contemplate our responses.

v. Praying when we part with them.

vi. Praying the rest of our lives for their souls.

vii. Praying that the seeds we cast take root and bear fruit.

viii. We plant, we water… But God alone produces the increase.

ix. If witnessing does not begin and end with prayer… then it is not witnessing… it is wasted breath.

2.) [Slide 27] Gospel focused living. Given the application to hold fast to the truth and given the preciousness of the gift of faith given to us by God Himself… we must be absolutely dependent on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not as a check box and a bus pass to heaven – but as the very means by which we survive a world where we are still not dwelling in His presence.

a. Feast on the atonement quarterly – If the Lord’s Supper has not been a priority to you, I’d encourage you to forsake all other engagements no matter how important they may seem to you and instead put priority on feasting with us at the atonement meal. Not only does the Lord offer up Himself spiritually to us to be sustained on what He has done through visible signs… but we also experience the community and fellowship of His body expressing their need and dependence on Him. Mark the next Lord’s Suppers on your calendars and forsake all else to come. The last two Lord’s Suppers of the year are on September 10th and November 19th. Do not miss your chance to feast with us.

b. [Slide 28] Feast on the atonement weekly – If the weekly assembling of the body of Christ has not been a priority to you, I’d encourage you to revaluate what you have deemed more important than gathering and fellowshipping with the body of Christ. What takes priority over worshipping the Lord? What has stood in the way of your feasting on the word of God with His people? I won’t play the part of the Holy Spirit to you – but you must really think long and hard at what counts as valid reasons to forsake the assembling of the body of Christ. Be where God’s people are any time you are able to be there. Come alone. Come with your family. Be among God’s people whenever possible, especially on the day we have set aside to worship the Lord together. Put this glimpse of heaven above all other lesser priorities you may have.

c. [Slide 29] Feast on the atonement daily – There is no replacement for the daily consumption of the Word of God. The reason the book is a living books is because it is designed to be lived on. Just as your body cannot survive on a quarterly or weekly meal, so also your soul cannot survive on the weekly feasting on the word of God. I see the messages I prepare as a large meal designed to give you plenty of leftovers. But leftovers won’t keep forever. And they will only last you at most a day or two. You must feed yourselves on the atonement of Jesus Christ. It must be always present in your souls that you are a great sinner but that the Lord has done a great and might saving of your wretched heart. If you are not daily feasting on these gospel truths – you will be prone to wander.

d. [Slide 30] Feast on the atonement without ceasing – In difficult times, when trials engulf, when enemies surround, when pain is present, when fears are strong – even a daily reminder of the atonement of Christ will not be sufficient. As those who run marathons consume large amounts of carbohydrates and weight lifters consume large amounts of calories so also those who are being tested and tried must consume large portions of the gospel of Christ. For the hope of Christ is sometimes all that will sustain you through all you face.

3.) [Slide 31] My final inference from the text today is that we should not aim for heaven. Instead, we should aim for Christ

a. Two lessons from the table talks this week communicate the true cost of being a disciple of Christ.

b. It is so costly to follow Christ. It is as if we are building a great watchtower. It is a great benefit but also a great expense. Shall we begin building if we have not considered how costly it may be?

c. It is like going to war with a rival King who doubles the size of your army. Can we achieve victory? We must send peace delegations right away or we will lose it all.

d. Indeed, our love for Christ ought to be so deep that it exceeds all other loves so far… that they seem like hatreds by comparison.

e. Do you love Christ in this way? Is He your only pursuit? Or are you distracted by other things?

[Slide 32 (blank)] My friends, our natural state is a state that God must break through in order to show us the truth. Signs and wonders to our eyes and ears won’t get through when we are blind and deaf. He must give us sight first in order to show us truth. So, if He has given you sight and shown you truth… What does that communicate about the preciousness of the truth He has given? Believe friend… and keep believing.

[1] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), Ac 2:1–13.

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Title: Trust the Lord

Text: Acts 1:15-26

FCF: We often struggle always trusting the Lord.

Prop: Because we cannot trust in ourselves, we must continue to trust the Lord.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts 1.

Today’s passage is special for a lot of reasons.

it is the first passage we have seen that is not a retelling of what Luke has already told Theophilus in his gospel.

Second, it raises many difficult questions for us that we will only touch on.

Third, it prepares us for the explosive beginning of the church by airing out the dirty laundry a little.

This sermon will serve as the greatest advertisement for the Wednesday Night Bible study that I can possibly give to you. This sermon is long. It is long and it will virtually ignore at least 3 difficulties of this text that we simply do not have time to get to.

To put it in perspective, this sermon will probably be over 50 minutes long. I have cut 30 minutes worth of material from this sermon. And the 30 minutes that I cut… were not even thoughts that were fully developed. I had to abandon them because they were not relevant to the point of the text.

So if we get to the end and you think… wow he like totally ignored that explosive and controversial topic. Well then why don’t you come on Wednesday and talk about it. Odds are I have at lest 10 -15 minutes worth of insights on what you saw

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Title: Unity: A Goal or a Byproduct?

Text: Acts 1:12-14

FCF: We often struggle with the disunity present in the church today.

Prop: Because unity is a product of truth and obedience, we must believe and obey our Lord to be unified.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 1.

Last week we opened up Luke’s part 2 of His gospel. We discussed God the Triune’s Sovereign role in advancing the Kingdom of God the Son by the Power of God the Spirit and in the timing of God the Father. Therefore, the title of Acts may best be rendered the Sovereign Acts of God through His Church.

Jesus told His apostles of their great mission; to go and be His witnesses to the farthest reaches of the earth. But to do this, they must wait for the Spirit to empower them to accomplish that task.

Our text today could have easily been included in last week’s message. But it also functions well as a standalone sermon and an intriguing follow up message to what we saw last week.

All of Acts is the exploration of the effect of the gospel on those who have received it. What effect does the gospel have on the apostles after being told by Jesus to wait in Jerusalem for the Power of the Spirit? What effect does the gospel have on the apostles after the angels told them that Jesus would return but not to wait idly for Him?

Today we will see the gospel’s effect on those who have truly received it. In short it produces belief, obedience, and through these… unity.

I am in Acts chapter 1. I’ll begin reding in verse 12. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1229 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

In 1974 a 3M scientist named Art Fry was abundantly frustrated as a choir singer at his church. Each Wednesday night they would practice the songs they were going to sing on Sunday, but inevitably every Sunday, every paper he had inserted to mark the hymns would have fallen out. He needed something sticky to put on the back of the bookmarks that would not damage the page when removed. As frustration grew, he remembered back to a seminar he had attended where a colleague of his, Dr. Spencer Silver, had described his failed attempt to create a strong adhesive able to be used in the aerospace industry. Rather than creating a strong adhesive, he instead created a rather weak adhesive that was easily removed without residue. Although taking some time to work out the kinks, by the 1980s they had both worked together to develop the product we all know as Post-It Notes. In this little story we see that one person set out to create something that was only discovered when doing something else. In many ways the adhesive used in Post it Notes is nothing more than a byproduct of failure. There is no doubt about it – Acts presents to us a church that is United and triumphant. It’s kinda the tag line of the sermon series

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Title: Unstoppable Church God

Text: Acts 1:1-11

FCF: We often struggle submitting to the sovereignty of God in His redemptive plan.

Prop: Because God exercises sovereign control over the growth of His church, we must only witness in God’s power.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 1.

What an amazing day. We have heard much of what the Lord is doing in Scotland through the faithful witness of the Landons.

Today we will look at how all this began. Why do you and I confess Christ? Why are the Landons in Scotland preaching Christ? From the book of Acts today, we will get a taste of where it all started. Ground Zero as it were.

I am in Acts 1. I’ll begin reading in verse 1 from the NET, which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1229 or in whatever version you have in front of you.

Transition:

Realistically, we probably won’t be out today by noon. But I hope with Mark’s words about serving the Lord and with the words of Luke recorded here, that you will leave spiritually full even if your bellies are growling. So let’s work together to stay engaged as we open the text of Acts this morning.

I.) Jesus as the Son of God possesses all power and authority to teach and shape His church, so we must only witness in God’s power. (1-5)

a. [Slide 2] 1-2a – I wrote the former account, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day He was taken up to heaven,

i. From last week we can easily conclude that the former account Luke mentions is his gospel.

ii. Especially when he describes the content of that former account.

iii. The content is summarized here as “all that Jesus began to do and teach until he was taken up into heaven.”

iv. [Slide 3] Turning back to Luke 24:50-53, we can see just that.

1. 50 Then Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands, He blessed them. 51 Now during the blessing He departed and was taken up into heaven. 52 So they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple courts blessing God.

2. Luke concludes his gospel with an abbreviated account of what he relays to Theophilus in more detail here in the book of Acts.

v. [Slide 4] One final thing we should note here is that the gospel of Luke recorded all that Jesus BEGAN to do and teach. This implies heavily that the book of Acts is a continuation of what Jesus will do and teach through His apostles.

b. [Slide 5] 2a-3a - After he had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 To the same apostles also, after His suffering, he presented Himself alive with many convincing proofs.

i. Now Luke wishes to dive into these events in greater detail, working backward from the ascension.

ii. First, he reveals that before ascending to heaven, Jesus gave final marching orders to the apostles.

iii. The remaining 11 disciples is no doubt what Luke means by “the apostles he had chosen.”

iv. Now to these 11 men, Jesus appeared after his suffering and death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.

v. Not only did he appear before them but there was no other way to account for Him sitting with, conversing with, and eating with them than to recognize that He that was once dead was now raised. Just as He said.

vi. Just as no other sign so fully and finally settles the matter of Jesus’ humanity as His death, so also no other sign so fully and finally settles the matter of Jesus’ divinity than His resurrection from the dead.

c. [Slide 6] 3b - He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the Kingdom of God.

i. In John’s gospel we know that there were times when Jesus was absent from the disciples.

ii. So, Christ was not physically present with them for the entire 40 day period.

iii. What is significantly more important than the amount of time He spent with His disciples, is the teaching he gave them.

iv. He taught them about the Kingdom of God. He taught them the gospel. He taught them the redemptive plan. He taught them to preach as He had.

v. What is significant about this?

vi. Quite simply it is Jesus acting out what He said of Himself. That all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him.

vii. Therefore, He, as the Son of God, has the power and the authority to continue to teach and to shape His church.

viii. And He plans to do it by means of delegation. He is passing on the mantle.

d. [Slide 7] 4-5 – While He was with them, He declared, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about form me. 5 For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

i. Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom of God is sharpened to a final lesson from the Messiah to His apostles.

ii. This message encompasses themes that will continue to be expounded in our text today.

iii. First, Jesus commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit.

1. This is significant because John records for us that the apostles at some point did go back to Galilee after Christ’s death.

2. This is the instance where the resurrected Christ appears and restores Peter.

3. They have since returned to Jerusalem, probably to celebrate Pentecost.

4. In essence, Jesus’ final lesson to them was, do not despair and go back home after I leave you again. Stay here and wait.

iv. Jesus references The Baptist’s prophesy when he preached in the wilderness. That he baptizes with water but the one coming after him would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

v. This draws up a question for us. One we’ll have to continually weigh out as we go through the book of Acts.

vi. Does this baptism of the Spirit here refer to being supernaturally enabled by the Spirit of God – or does this mean the indwelling of the Spirit of God?

vii. If we say it means indwelling, we immediately have a problem. Our problem is two-fold.

1. This language of spirit-baptism or the pouring out of the Spirit comes from Old Testament references to a unique event signaling the Lord’s restoration of His people. In a quote from Joel 2 (which Peter will reference in Acts 2 for his first sermon on the day of Pentecost) Joel predicts that God will pour out His Spirit upon a wide variety of people. And what will happen? They will prophesy and do mighty deeds. All this seems to indicate a “supernatural empowering” and not an “indwelling.”

2. Our second problem is that in John 20, only a few pages from where we are now, Jesus actually breathes on His disciples and tells them to “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Much like Adam’s body received the breath of life from God – so also Jesus’ disciples received the Spirit of God by the breath of Jesus. This seems much more likely the event of their Spirit indwelling.

viii. So we can probably conclude that this Spirit-Baptism is being empowered for a special purpose rather than being indwelled by the Spirit of God.

e. [Slide 8] Passage Truth: So, in this prologue, this opening introduction, Luke very clearly tells Theophilus that Jesus proved Himself to be the Son of God through the resurrection. As the Son of God He is the only authority and power of the church being its head. As such, He delivers the marching orders for His apostles.

f. Passage Application: And what were the orders to the apostles? To wait on the Lord’s Power. This application is not just for the apostles. This application is for Theophilus too. He must realize that his power alone is insufficient to carry on the work of Christ. That if he is to be a representative of God’s Kingdom, he must wait for the Lord’s power, and act and teach only in His power.

g. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Truth: But is this truth attested in all of scripture? My friends, Jesus Himself, the master expositor, on the road to Emmaus, taught all things from the scriptures concerning Himself and His work. What we are to surmise from this is that all of scripture points to the coming of the Son who not only Redeems His bride from sin’s slavery and death’s sentence but also exercises spiritual headship over her, washing her with the water of the word and empowering her to be all that God has purposed her to be. Jesus is not only the Lord of all, but He is the head of the church. His orders are binding commands of the utmost importance. He has freedom to command His church.

h. Broader Biblical Application: And what is His command CBC? Knowing all we know of Acts, it is surprising. We’d expect, perhaps, Go gettem guys! For the Kingdom! To the Harvest! No. What does He command? Wait. Be patient. Wait for the Power of the Lord. Putting this into our context this cannot mean to passively wait for some supernatural power of tongues or miracles before going to the lost. But it does require us to not set out to seek and save the lost in our own strength. By our own cunning. With our own methods. In our own program. Charles Finney of the Second Great awakening who provided the theological groundwork for the easy-believism gospel once said with certainty that revival is not a work of supernatural power nor of Spirit empowering but rather a work of well planned and executed means and works of men. It seems Mr. Finney claims himself better equipped than the apostles to preach the gospel in that he needs nothing of spiritual power or divine intervention to revive the souls of men. Either this is true, or Charles Finney is dead wrong. Since our Lord told His disciples to wait on the power of the Spirit and to go in that power to fulfill their mission – I’d say that he is wrong. As ministers of the gospel, we have no power if we do not have the Spirit of God empowering us. This is why Paul said in I Corinthians 2 that he came in weakness and trembling. His message was not wise or persuasive. Rather in demonstration of the power of the Spirit of God, they saw that their faith rested on God’s power and not human wisdom. My friends – if we are to bear witness to Christ and His Kingdom… we need God’s guidance and His Spirit’s power.

Transition:

[Slide 10] The apostles must wait for the Spirit’s baptism. But what does that mean for Jesus? What is His place in the future of the church?

II.) The Father’s authority and the Spirit’s Power will bring about God’s plan, so we must only witness in God’s power. (6-8)

a. [Slide 11] 6 – So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, “Lord is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

i. Some early commentators find a foolish question here. I don’t see that.

ii. What I do see is that based on the quote from The Baptist which includes a baptism in fire, they expected the great outpouring of God’s spirit of redemption and the purification of the world to take place and they assumed that would be the reestablishment of a holy Israelite Kingdom.

iii. Why wouldn’t they assume this? Doesn’t the Old Testament seem to indicate this?

iv. Even in our limited study in Foundations, we’ve seen how these two events seem to go together.

v. We could even argue that this was the primary thing they expected to come with the coming of the Messiah.

vi. No, the question of the disciples is not surprising at all. Nor do I find any fault with it. And neither, it seems, did Jesus.

vii. That doesn’t make Jesus’ response any less jarring though…

b. [Slide 12] 7 – He told them, “You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority.

i. There are just all kinds of layers to this response. Let me start with surface level and we’ll drill down deeper as we go.

ii. First, the answer is essentially – you don’t get to know. Remember it is the glory of the Lord to conceal a matter. Consider God glorified! Even the apostles were not given the right to know when the Kingdom of Israel would be restored.

iii. Second, notice the Godhead at work here. In verse 1-5 Jesus is the proven Son of God through the resurrection and He gives commands to His church. And He commands them to wait on the Spirit of God and His power which the Father had promised to given them. Here the Son is asked when He will restore Israel. And the Son states that the authority of the Father is what sets the times and periods of existence. Clearly, we serve One God – but He is in 3 distinct persons.

iv. Third, notice that Jesus did not say that the restoration of Israel would not come about. He did not say that the church will replace or become the new Israel. Jesus doesn’t actually tell them they are wrong to believe that Israel will be restored. Instead, he simply says they don’t get to know God’s timing for His plans.

v. Jesus isn’t done responding though. He continues…

c. [Slide 13] 8 – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”

i. This is the clearest evidence that the baptism of the Spirit spoken of by the Baptist, and referenced by Jesus in Acts 1, is a supernatural empowering to perform a specific calling.

ii. Therefore, to be baptized in the Spirit, at least here, does not equate with the indwelling of the Spirit of the moment of salvation.

iii. Instead, it is a supernatural gifting to go and do a task.

iv. And what is that task given to the apostles?

v. To be witnesses for Christ in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.

vi. Has this happened yet? Yes, it has.

vii. Now that is not to dampen our missionary fervor. Are there still unreached people groups? Of course, there are.

viii. But what did Luke mean when he transmitted Jesus’ words here? Did he mean every single language? Did he mean every single people group in the world? Every culture?

ix. What is clear is that this is an outline for the book of Acts. Luke will record for us that through the power of the Spirit, the apostles took the gospel and bore witness to Christ in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.

x. Is there still work to do and places for the gospel to go? Of course. But that doesn’t mean that the apostles failed. Because they didn’t.

xi. The book of Acts ending in Rome shows that the gospel mission was successful, even if it was not complete.

xii. A final point worthy to be unearthed here – is that Jesus and His ministry began in the same way that He predicts the apostles’ ministry would. Jesus waited until he was 30 years old to begin His ministry. The power of the Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove after arising out of water baptism. So also, the apostles must wait, only a few days, to have the Holy Spirit come upon them in the form of tongues of fire. Then they can begin this mission He has laid before them.

xiii. Truly the student is not greater than the master. And Jesus is clearly passing on the mantle to His apostles here.

d. [Slide 14] Passage Truth: So, the second point of truth or doctrine that Luke gives to Theophilus in this introductory retelling of what he has already written, is simply that God the Triune is at work to bring about the success of the mission through the apostles. The mission was not simply the revitalization of Israel – but a worldwide mission bearing witness to Christ to the farthest parts of the earth. And God the Father’s authority determines the timing of these events and God the Spirit’s Power produces the effect of these events.

e. Passage Application: So to Theophilus as to the apostles, Luke demands that he wait on the Spirit’s Power and God’s timing in preaching the gospel of Christ.

f. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Truth: Does this truth bear out in all the Scriptures? My friends – of course it does! Have we not seen time and time again the Sovereignty of God? The gospel of Luke bears witness. The Proverbs bear witness. The letters, the psalms, the Pentateuch, indeed all the scriptures speak to the absolute sovereign control of God over His creation. Should we be surprised then that the success of the gospel and the timing of the coming of the New Kingdom is not in our hands? Do you want to know the true teaching of the book of Acts? Shall I summarize it briefly? It is Christ’s Kingdom spreading far and wide in the timing of the Father and by the Power of the Spirit. It is God’s Sovereign work to advance the His Kingdom. To the extent that to call this book “The Acts of the Apostles” to me is bordering on blasphemy. Certainly, the apostles were used by God to accomplish great things. But wouldn’t it be silly to say when beholding a fine sculpture, “What beautiful craftsmanship! Surely the work of a sturdy hammer and a fine chisel!” Would we not instead praise the sculptor? So, this book is not the Acts of the Apostles but rather the Power of a Sovereign God.

g. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must understand our place in this grand purpose for us to bear witness to Christ. We are not permitted to know the timing of the coming Kingdom – be it short or long. Nor are we able to expand the gospel to our own children let alone the world unless we have the Power of the Spirit going with us and working in those to whom we preach. Therefore, we must be instruments in the hands of the master craftsman. We must be hammers and chisels used to carve out of sin the children of God.

Transition:

[Slide 16] Jesus is the head of His church, continuing to teach and shape it through the passing on of the mantle. God is sovereignly in control of the advancement of His Kingdom in which we are simply tools used for His purposes. These are two powerful truths. But what else does Luke wish to convey regarding the advancement of the kingdom?

III.) The Son was received into heaven and will come again just as He left, so we must only witness in God’s power. (9-11)

a. [Slide 17] 9 – After He had said this, while they were watching, He was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight.

i. After making these bold predictions about them receiving the Holy Spirit and bearing witness to Him unto the uttermost parts of the earth, Jesus is taken up into heaven.

ii. They watch him until a cloud comes between their vision and his physical body.

iii. Jesus didn’t melt away or disappear. He ascended.

iv. From what we know of Ancient Near Eastern Cosmology this a strong affirmation of His divinity.

v. Mankind’s last attempt to reach the heavens and join the realm of the gods and even breech the throne of the heavens was at the tower of Babel. United together they attempted to ascend to the realm of the gods. They were going to make their own mountain to get there.

vi. Jesus… simply… goes. In fact this is passive. He was lifted. He did nothing to ascend to Heaven. He was lifted to Heaven.

vii. He floats up – slow enough for them to see him ascend… until they cannot see Him any longer.

viii. The similarity to Christ’s ascension and Elijah and Elisha is readily apparent

1. Elijah after completing His work, is accepted by God and brought to Him by a chariot of fire. He casts down his mantle to Elisha so he can go in his spirit and continue his work.

2. Christ also is accepted by God, exalted to His right hand, and His power, His mantle that came upon Him, The Spirit of God, would come down upon the disciples.

b. [Slide 18] 10-11a – As they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky?

i. The apostles stand there watching, even after He has disappeared from their sight.

ii. Suddenly two men dressed in white clothing are standing next to them all. Angels from heaven, deprived of rejoicing at the return of the Lord of Glory because they were given a task to explain and prophesy to His bride. The first born shall indeed serve the younger.

iii. What is said, is meant as a rebuke.

iv. Jesus just got done telling them their mission. He tells them what they are going to do and by what power they are going to do it… and then He floats up to heaven and disappears.

v. As soon as He was gone – they should have set out immediately to the work.

vi. But perhaps they linger, hoping to see Him descend again? Perhaps they are struck with fear at being alone on the earth, with a daunting mission and still no promised Spirit. Perhaps because he was no longer seen, they began to despair.

vii. The angels say… What are you still looking up for? Are you afraid He is gone forever? NO!

c. [Slide 19] 11b – This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”

i. The exact same Jesus – not another – not a spiritual one – the exact same one will come back.

ii. And he will come back in the same way he went. What does that mean?

iii. We don’t have to guess. John reports to us from a vision that the trump shall resound and Jesus, the Lamb of God, The Son of Man, the Commander of Heaven’s armies, will return as the Lion of Judah riding a white horse, riding on the clouds.

iv. This is both to their comfort and edification.

v. They are to be comforted to know that Jesus will not forever leave them physically. But they should also not sit around and wait for Him. Watch for Him? Sure! Be ready for His return? Of course. But not idly!

vi. They must wait on the Spirit to baptize them… and then they must get to work!

vii. From Luke’s gospel we know that they went away worshipping Jesus and praising God in the temple courts. From the time of His ascension to the time of their Spirit baptism, the apostles believed all that Jesus had said and eagerly awaited the fulfillment of the angels’ prophesy.

viii. Just as we today believe all that Jesus said, and eagerly await the return of the King of Glory.

d. [Slide 20] Passage Truth: Luke’s final point to Theophilus in this opening introduction is to show him that the King of glory will return. That He has gone into the highest heavens. He has taken His rightful place at the right hand of the Father. But He will return. Even though he has left them physically, He has not left them fully. And one day, He will come back to them again.

e. Passage Application: So Theophilus must as the apostles did, trust in the ongoing presence and power of God the Triune to fulfill the mission of the gospel – to bear witness of Christ to the farthest places of the earth.

f. [Slide 21] Broader Biblical Truth: Do the scriptures testify to this truth? The promises of God to Abraham and to David are of a physical kingdom and a physical King. Certainly, this could be fulfilled in spiritual ways – but no matter what system of Eschatology you ascribe to – if you are truly a Christian – you confess that Jesus is coming again. Jesus spoke of this plainly in the gospel of John. He tells us that if He departs it is to prepare a place for us to dwell with Him. But He will return to bring us unto Himself. John also wrote Revelation and despite all its difficulties one thing is sure. The Kingdom of God includes Christ’s returning and God dwelling, forever, among His people.

g. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we labor on in this life, bearing witness to the truth of Jesus as the Messiah of God. But we do not labor on without hope. One day we know He will return. And though we may be absent of His physical presence among us – we have been given the Spirit of God to go with us in our mission. Therefore, we must wait on and depend on the power of God to fulfill our mission.

Conclusion:

[Slide 22] So CBC, what have we learned today and how then shall we live?

First, we saw how Jesus inescapably proved His divinity in His resurrection from the dead. Therefore, He alone has the authority and power to continue to teach and shape His church. Next, we saw that the Father has the authority to determine the timings of all the events of not only His redemption plan but even the events of History itself. And the Spirit of God was given to the apostles to accomplish their mission to go to the farthest parts of the earth. And finally, we saw that although the Lord Jesus will depart from us physically for a time, He will return to consummate His Kingdom. He will return at the Father’s appointed time.

[Slide 23] To summarize all these points into one, it would be to recognize that God the Triune is sovereignly working to bring about the salvation of His people, that by the appointed time of the Father, and by the Power of the Spirit, He will advance the Kingdom of His dear Son.

What does all this mean for us?

[Slide 24] It means we must follow our Lord’s command, though given to His apostles first, it still holds true for us. We must depend on the Spirit’s power in bearing witness of Christ.

But let’s take some time this morning to understand the implications of what that means for us practically.

I see two comforts we can take from this command and also two rebukes.

[Slide 25] To our comfort we can see that we are not alone in the mission that our Lord has given us. He did not leave us out to sea fighting against the forces of darkness, alone and afraid. Indeed, we need not fear bearing witness of Christ to any we come in contact with because He is with us and His Spirit is in us.

[Slide 26] Another comfort we may draw from this command is that from beginning to end, the mission of the gospel going forth does not depend on us. God is not waiting for us to complete our mission to bring the Kingdom. God is not depending on our power and intelligence to get the mission done. God has sovereignly provided to His church all that is required in their part to serve Him and complete this mission. While the passage in Ezekiel that CJ preached on 2 weeks ago is true – that to be a watchman and not warn others about their coming doom is to bear some responsibility for their judgment – it is also true as is mentioned in that same passage, that if we are faithful, we bear no shame for their judgment and simultaneously we receive no glory for those who repent.

But also, from this command to wait on the Lord we receive two rebukes. Two corrections. Two instructions.

[Slide 27] To wait on the Spirit’s power does not include passive inactivity. The disciples rejoiced and worshipped the Lord in the temple courts. They publicly worshipped Jesus as the Messiah of God at the heart of Judaism. They went back to where they were staying in Jerusalem and prayed asking the Lord to send the Spirit among them. They were not idle as they waited. Neither should we be idle. We should instead be lifting up prayers to God, worshipping Him, publicly speaking of Him but all while depending on Him to empower us to preach His truth. To wait then, is to depend on or rely on the power of God. We cannot hope to see any come to Christ without the power of the Spirit working through us and in them. We must prayerfully and faithfully bear witness to Christ.

[Slide 28] Our final implication and final rebuke about this command to wait on the Lord’s strength is simply this. To wait on His strength does not mean to program, commercialize, intellectualize, or repackage His gospel.

By programing the gospel, I mean that it is not waiting on the Lord’s strength when we create extrabiblical methods and means to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are all kinds of manmade schemes full of 3 to 12 step programs for sharing our faith with others. A series of questions, a series of emotional pleas, a series of verses to point people to. My friends – as we walk through Acts we will see various means, various methods, various programs for preaching the gospel. And if there are various of these – then we can in no way pick one as the right one or the best one. Instead, we must trust in the Power of the Spirit not the pragmatism of a program. Simply bear witness to Christ, His death and resurrection.

By commercializing I mean that it is not waiting on the Lord’s power when we carve out events specifically designed to bring people to the gospel. When we put up tents, when we inundate them with food and fun all in an effort to slip in the gospel of Jesus Christ – this is not relying on the power of the Spirit of God. This is relying on the craftiness of men.

By intellectualizing the gospel, I mean that it is not waiting on the Lord’s power when we outthink and out argue every nay sayer and scoffer to conclusively prove to them beyond shadow of doubt that Jesus is the Lord of Glory. It is not by cunning words and wonderful arguments that men’s hearts are won but always and only by the power of the Spirit of God at the preaching of the gospel of Christ.

Finally, by repackaging the gospel I mean that it is not waiting on the Lord’s power when we omit or add to the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we say Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life – should we be surprised that they agree? This evangelism thing is easy right? When we say Jesus has paid for all your sin but you must work to keep yourself in a state of His grace lest you fall away… is there power in this gospel? Is that power from God or men? It is only when we preach the raw, unfiltered, and unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ crucified for sinners, raised and coming again that we rely on the power of God. For such a message is foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews.

[Slide 29] Depending on the power of the Spirit of God as we bear witness to Christ, is eliminating our own performance, intelligence, strengths, and charisma from the whole and prayerfully and expectantly anticipating God to work in the hearts of those to whom we preach.

May we be comforted and rebuked this morning. May we bear witness to Christ without fear – not because we are trusting in something of men… but because we go with the power of the Spirit of the Living God.

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Title: Acts: An Introduction

Text: Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-3

FCF:

Prop:

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 1. Keep your finger there and also turn to Luke 1 as well.

Well, I am so glad to be back behind the pulpit. I’m so grateful for Elders who are capable and qualified to preach and teach the Word of God. I hope you were blessed by their study and exposition of the Word. What a joy to be challenged to be a watchmen who plans his way but knows that God guides his steps as the Sovereign Lord over all.

Today we begin our study of the book of Acts. This is a large book. That is the primary reason it will most likely end up being the longest series I have ever done. Acts is composed of 28 chapters tying Matthew for the most in the New Testament.

Acts has 1006 verses putting it firmly in third behind both the gospel of Luke and the gospel of Matthew in total verses.

What Acts lacks in verse count though, it makes up for in words. Although Matthew exceeds Acts by over 60 verses, Acts exceeds Matthew in word count by over 100 words.

So, although Matthew was a large book, taking us two and half years to get through covering 105 sermons – I expect Acts to be longer.

So why Acts?

Well to this question I have several answers.

1.) Why not Acts? Like Revelation is serves as the only work of its kind in the entire New Testament. This makes it a prime candidate for study.

2.) Epistle Fatigue. We’ve been in several general epistles and pastoral epistles for the last several years. It is time for us to take on a new challenge and practice interpreting a different kind of work in the New Testament.

3.) Foundational Truths. Acts serves as the only inspired source of early church history and the spread of the gospel through the known world. It is the necessary connection between Christ’s ministry on earth and His church fulfilling the great commission. That makes it a fairly important and foundational book to understand who we are and what we are supposed to be doing.

4.) The Tabletalks right now are studying through Luke which is part 1 of Acts. So it seems to be a good 1-2 combo.

5.) The Lord impressed upon me the need we have to see how the early church began and expanded in the midst of great persecution. A theme that becomes more and more applicable every single day.

As we typically do in an introductory sermon to a book – we will focus on some of the background information surrounding the book enabling us to interpret the text well. However, unlike the more recent introductory sermons we have done – we will not be reading the entire book of Acts this morning. At just shy of 18,500 words, and with the average reading speed of an adult at 238 words per minute, plus adding transition times between readers, we would be here about an hour and a half. And that would simply be the reading of the book. Let alone the introductory material.

So, I put that on you. I challenge you to read the book of Acts this week. And I challenge you to do it in one sitting. I’m sure you could break it up and read it throughout the week 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there. But you lose a lot when you do that. Trust me. I’ve read the book of Acts 7 times in the last couple weeks. I’ve done it all in one sitting and I’ve done it parceled out. The best way… is all in one sitting. Carve out for yourself an hour and half of your week. Read the book of Acts. Let me know what you find.

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Title: James Finale

Text: Various in James

FCF: We often struggle to see the complexity and unity of a book of the bible.

Prop: Because James is one book in the whole of scripture, we must submit to all God has taught us through this book.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Go ahead and turn in your bible one more time to the book of James.

Today I will do my best to succinctly summarize and review the entire book of James.

[Slide 2] After 27 sermons covering 108 verses in just shy of 20 and a half hours, we are going to try to boil all that down to the next 45 minutes. The task before us is Herculean… but I think we can do it.

I printed off 25 of my revised and expanded outlines for the book of James. You are free to grab that if you like and if we are out of them, I can make more if you want it.

However, we won’t go line by line through that outline as we review the book of James. Instead, we will be looking thematically over all that James has talked about. And we will do so in ascending order of importance..

But before we get into this – let’s pray and seek the Lord this morning.

Transition:

If I can say this reverently, without appearing to be critical of James at all, James’s structure of his book is abundantly offensive to western minds. We enjoy order, points developing into other points, and a direct purpose that is clearly defined. We like solid starts and finishes. We like cohesion and clarity. James is a very Jewish book. It is arranged somewhat thematically, but even then – the themes spiral in and out of every succeeding point. James’ thought appears more like a spider web where threads connect to other threads before it and after it. This makes it incredibly difficult to organize and collate what he is saying, especially when we cover it all in 27 sermons spread out over 34 weeks. So today – we will attempt to zoom out and see the forest as a whole. We’ve seen every tree or at least many of them. But what is the forest like? There are 6 key themes in the book of James. Each of them fit within and connect to one another. Because of this, the first 4 themes we will look at this morning, I will cover very quickly – simply because I do not want to needlessly repeat myself over and over again. I’m sure you’ll appreciate that. However, the last two themes must be seen in full. So have your bible open to chapter 1. When we get to those last two themes, I’d encourage you to follow along with me as I call out references and we move through the book. So let’s get to it ok. The very first theme we need to see is…

I.) [Slide 3] The lack of wisdom

a. This is the first lack that James addresses with his audience in James.

b. In many ways this is the beginning of everything James has to say. Not that it is the most important thing -but that without wisdom all that he says won’t actually make a lot of sense.

c. Wisdom is knowing what God has said, understanding what God has said, and then living what God has said. Wisdom is the foundation of all that James considers going forward.

d. Wisdom is connected to every other theme we will discuss today. So as we go through each theme we will highlight how wisdom connects to it.

e. Twice in James he overtly speaks of wisdom in chapter 1 and chapter 3.

f. The sum of those verses is that Wisdom from God looks like God. Just like faith from God should manifest itself in godliness.

g. Generally speaking, James imparts wisdom to his readers by giving them insight on their current sufferings and difficulties.

h. And so, Wisdom, or the lack of it, underpins the entire letter.

i. Without knowing what God has said, what he means, and living according to what He desires – we cannot hope to hear James’ message.

Transition:

[Slide 4 (blank)] There we go. One theme done. Wisdom starts us because in and of itself it is a theme that is only addressed in a couple spots. But each subsequent point connects back to wisdom and its need. So let’s move on with the next most important theme in the book of James.

II.) [Slide 5] The power of the tongue

a. A good chunk of James’ letter is devoted to the power of the tongue.

b. He tells us that it can do great things but also terrible things.

c. Every chapter in the book of James tells us something about the tongue.

d. To sum up what is being taught – Though it seems to be an impossible task, God’s true children must control their tongues. Whether it be confessing wrong doctrine, slandering, grumbling or prejudice, we must control our tongue. And not just to keep it from doing evil but to use it to do good, like teaching, praying, confessing sin, and disciplining one another.

e. The lack of wisdom connects readily to the use of the tongue in distinct ways.

i. We must ask of the Lord for wisdom using a tongue that is not doubting.

ii. We must also have a wisdom that is from above which is characterized by peace and gentleness – which would certainly mean gentleness and peacefulness in our spoken words.

f. And so, as the next largest theme in the book we see layers being added together. The power of the tongue will also connect to every other theme we will see. So, we’ll trace that out as we go forward.

Transition:

[Slide 6 (blank)] Well, that is two themes down. Only 4 to go. We are making great time! Don’t worry – as they grow in importance, they will grow in length too.

III.) [Slide 7] The command to love

a. Love for one another is an essential Christian doctrine that we find woven to much of what James says.

b. Every chapter except for chapter 3 speaks overtly about loving others.

c. To sum up James’ teaching, If our faith in the Lord is genuine and we are truly God’s children, we will love one another as Christ loved us.

d. But how do the other themes shuffle into this one?

i. As for wisdom

1. Wisdom from God is pure, peaceable, gentle, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good works.

2. Wisdom relates directly to how we treat one another in the sense that when we have God’s wisdom – wisdom from above – we are able to love one another.

ii. As for the tongue

1. Our tongues can be used to express love for other believers

a. By following up well wished words with action

b. By showing no partiality to those of different earthly backgrounds

c. By teaching one another sound doctrine and imparting true and godly wisdom

d. By praying in faith and trusting God

e. By praying for others

f. By rebuking others

1. But our tongues can also be used to withhold love from other believers

a. By speaking over people or using angry words

b. By speaking favorably or prejudicially to other believers

c. By cursing or speaking harshly against one another

d. By selfishly and jealously entering into disputes with others

e. By slandering or judging others

f. By grumbling against others.

Transition:

[Slide 8 (blank)] And so, we are starting to see why the book of James gives us all kinds of fits. Everything we’ve covered so far, is woven within itself. But as the advertisements always say – just wait there’s more!

IV.) [Slide 9] The need for humility

a. A dominant theme throughout the scriptures as a whole and indeed in James as well, is the need for God’s people to be humble.

b. Broadly speaking the whole of this letter communicates this need fairly well in the sense that James addresses 9 things that his readers are lacking that God is trying to perfect in them through trials, testings, and temptations. Since he ended the letter without any benediction, we wonder if 9 is all he saw, or if 9 is all that would fit on the bit of parchment that he had available at the time. In either case – 9 lacks in faith are a LOT. And should immediately humble his readers. And perhaps as you assessed yourself you found that most of these lacks were in your faith too.

c. So broadly from the whole letter – the need for humility is apparent.

d. The need for humility is overtly stated in every single chapter except chapter 2.

e. The sum of James’ teaching is that we can only approach God and therefore be what He desires us to be when and if we are humble or humbled. And if we are not humble, it leads to a whole host of sin that threatens to undo us perhaps even to the point of our soul’s death.

f. And all three of the previous themes connect to this need for humility.

i. If we are to have the wisdom from God, it is a wisdom without selfish ambition and pride. Which of course, we must humbly ask God for in faith without doubting.

ii. If we are to control our tongues

1. We must speak less often and listen much more.

2. Slander is woven to considering ourselves more highly than we ought.

3. Grumbling over others lacks humility in that we judge others

4. Thinking we need to be teachers because we are so very wise is the obvious opposite of humility.

iii. If we are to love others

1. Even a person who thinks they are religious but does not humbly care for others is lacking.

2. If you think you are wise but do not sow peace then your wisdom is the wisdom of demons. It is no wisdom at all.

3. Grumbling against others is a sign of arrogant judgement against them and not love.

Transition:

[Slide 10 (blank)] And so, we see humility as another core or foundational principle. As much as the control of the tongue is important, wisdom, love, and humility dominate the themes throughout this book. These are foundational truths of those who are truly believers. And that naturally leads us into our last two themes which easily take the trophy as the two primary themes in the book of James. Because both of these themes are pervasive throughout the entire book. We will take a more expanded look at them this morning. Have your bible out and turned to chapter 1. As I call out each reference, you see how these last two themes are woven to almost every single verse in this book. So what is the next theme?

V.) [Slide 11] The works of saving faith

a. As we supposed in our introduction to the book of James, it seems that James is responding to a twisted version of Paul’s teaching.

b. Paul taught that we are justified by faith alone. He makes this statement overtly in several of his letters and those who are in youth community should be very familiar with this teaching since it is found quite plainly in Philippians 3.

c. But Paul’s teaching was easily twisted. James writes to Jewish Christians who had concluded that since they were declared righteous by faith alone they could therefore live as they wished never needing to actually be righteous.

d. James throughout this letter has stressed repeatedly that there are two kinds of faith. There is a faith that saves us and there is a faith that doesn’t save us.

e. [Slide 12] Chapter 1 -

i. From the very beginning James tells them that their faith is in need of being perfected (1:4)

ii. He continues with 9 lacks in the letter which indicates a continual and growing nature to their spiritual walk

iii. He says that it is only those who persevere through trial that will inherit the crown of life or salvation (1:12)

iv. He indicates that it is not only possible to still sin after having been justified by faith but he also tells us the source of such temptation to sin – which is our own lusts. In this he shows that although we have been declared righteous by God through faith, we are still sinners needing more saving (1:13-15)

v. James tells his readers that God has brought them to life by His will for a purpose. So that they could be a first fruits among His creatures. In other words, they were regenerated and birthed in His family to be something different – not to be what they had always been. (1:16-18)

vi. He stresses that they must lay aside all that is filthy and instead receive the word which is able to save their souls. They are to be hearers and doers of the word and not hearers only. (1:19-22)

vii. He tells them that hearers only are like those who go to a mirror and notice all that is wrong but forget how bad it is. But doers correct what is wrong. (1:23-25)

viii. He tells them that if they think they are religious but can’t control their tongue then their religion is futile (1:26)

ix. He tells them that pure and undefiled religion before God includes not just faith in Christ but sacrificial and unconditional love and purity from sin. (1:27)

f. [Slide 13] Chapter 2 –

i. Immediately in chapter 2 he stresses that you cannot hold your faith in Christ along with favoritism or prejudice. When you have one you lose the other. (2:1)

ii. Showing partiality is sin, and if you sin in one point you violate the entire law. (2:9-10)

iii. Then he challenges them to speak and act as those under the law of freedom and warns them that they will be judged as they judge others – regardless of what they say they believe. (2:12-13)

iv. James finally reaches the heart of the argument in chapter 2.

1. Faith without works is a dead faith that is unable to save.

2. He proves this as true by citing that Abraham and Rehab were justified by works and not by faith alone.

3. We saw that this is not a contradiction of Paul’s doctrine, merely another guardrail on the other side of the gospel. Justification is by faith alone in that God does not use our works or our merit as a means to declare us righteous. Rather He does so through us receiving faith in Christ.

4. Yet those who truly receive faith in Christ will ALWAYS be irrevocably changed to produce the good works which God has prepared for us to do.

5. Faith that saves is faith that works. Faith that is alone… is like the body without a soul. It is empty and lifeless. (2:14-26)

g. [Slide 14] Chapter 3 –

i. Chapter 3 opens with another big clue that we cannot live as we wish after being justified by faith. Teachers will be judged more strictly for what they say (3:1)

ii. James, speaking in riddles, makes it clear that no man can control his tongue but then ends by saying that Christians can. Those who have been justified by faith can by the power of the cross of Christ purify their speech and use their words for God’s glory. Indeed, they must because God has changed their very nature from a bitter well to a fresh well. He has changed them from a bad tree to a good one. (3:2-12)

iii. Wisdom mimics saving faith. Wisdom from God is full of good works, gentleness, peace, love, purity, and mercy. Just like justifying faith from God is also full of good works. (3:13-18)

h. [Slide 15] Chapter 4 –

i. He lays out at the beginning of chapter 4 that the reason they are constantly fighting with one another is because they have selfish passions that war against each other. These passions are ultimately sinful and worldly. He then concludes that you cannot be both a friend of the world and a friend of God. Stating essentially that you cannot have true faith that justifies and also love the world. (4:1-4)

ii. Then he commands them to repent of sin, resist the devil, and seek the Lord humbly while purifying their hearts. (4:6-10)

iii. He follows this with a command to stop speaking maliciously against each other and being vengeful judges against each other, saying that only God is able to save and destroy (4:11-12)

iv. Even boasting about plans for the future and being self-made men and women is said to be evil. James concludes that if they know to do right and don’t do it… it is sin. They are not yet free of sin. (4:13-17)

i. [Slide 16] Chapter 5 –

i. James concludes his entire letter on a somber note.

ii. Any who wander away – who deliberately keep on sinning or who deny Christ – their souls are in danger of death and they are still in their sin.

iii. James makes it abundantly clear that such people – regardless of what they believe – will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Because a saving faith is a working faith. There is no such classification of Christian who are carnal, live as they wish but have prayed a prayer and will inherit the new Kingdom. They simply… do not exist (5:19-20)

j. [Slide 17] Maybe you feel like we just went through the entire book of James?

k. This is why I say that these last two themes easily take that trophy as the two most dominant themes in the book.

l. And as I said, every other theme easily fits within this theme throughout the book of James.

i. Wisdom mimics faith in that if it is from God, it produces good works. One could argue that just like faith without works is dead, so wisdom without good works is dead too.

ii. The tongue is frequently challenged as a source of sin in a believers life but James makes it obvious that a Christian is not incapable of mastering his tongue, since he has been made into a new creation.

iii. Love for others includes things like confessing sins to each other, praying for others and stopping a person who has professed Christ from pursuing a life of sin. Out of love a Christian cannot allow someone who claims Christ to have faith alone that does not produce good works.

iv. Humility is included in a lengthy section talking about resisting the devil and repenting of sin. Getting victory over sin by purifying hearts. And at the heart of that is submission to God.

Transition:

[Slide 18 (blank)] But as pervasive as this theme is throughout the book – even though the works of saving faith is very clearly a MAJOR theme in James... there is still one more theme that dominates literally every verse, every section, and underpins every single concept, including a working faith. It is the faithfulness of God.

VI.) [Slide 19] The faithfulness of God

a. When I say the faithfulness of God, what I mean is that God is simultaneously good to His people while also being in complete control of His entire creation. God keeps His Word because nothing can stop Him from doing so. God keeps His Word because He is good to those He loves.

b. [Slide 20] Chapter 1 -

i. From the very beginning of the letter, James seeks to assure his readers that despite their trials, tribulations, tests, and temptings – God is still at work to perfect their faith. (1:1-4)

ii. God even gives whatever a believer lacks (wisdom in this instance) and He does so generously when they pray in faith. When they do not doubt, He lavishes upon His children what they ask for in His will. (1:5-8)

iii. God gives greatly to those who are weak and he humbles those who have much all so they can be exalted in His Kingdom. (1:9-11)

iv. The Lord has promised eternal life to those who love Him and as we know, we only love Him because He first loved us. (1:12)

v. God is not the tempter because He has never been tempted by sin nor can He tempt anyone. He can allow temptations to come before us to test us. But He is never the one who tempts us. No, we are tempted when we are drawn away by our lusts. When we succumb to temptation it is all on us. (1:13-15)

vi. But every perfect and good gift comes from God who is the Father of all creation. He never changes – He has always been good and will always be good to those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. (1:16-17)

vii. And the greatest and best gift He ever gave to us, as an exercise of His will alone, was that He birthed us into His family by the Word of truth. He is good and sovereign indeed (1:18)

viii. He has given the word so that we can not only hear it but do it. He has revealed what righteousness is and what He desires. And He determines what is pure and undefiled religion which is not a faith that simply trusts Him but also serves Him. A faith that is not double minded. (1:19-27)

c. [Slide 21] Chapter 2 –

i. God stands alone as the impartial judge. He determines who is to be honored and who is to be cast aside. He alone doles out mercy and justice. Showing prejudice or favoritism makes us wholly unlike God. God shows no favor nor prejudice based on any external standard but by the counsel of His will, He give grace to those whom He wishes and shows mercy on those whom He wishes and many times those to whom He lavishes grace, are those the world considers the least. (2:1-13)

ii. Faith from demons is a faith that can say all the right things and believe all the right things but live in outright rebellion to God. It is not the faith from God. God given faith is a faith that works. It is a faith that changes us. Would we expect anything less from a God who is Sovereign and good? Would a God who is Sovereign and good give us a faith that fails? (2:14-26)

d. [Slide 22] Chapter 3 -

i. God changes the hearts of His people so much so that He enables us to do something that no man can possibly do. He enables is to control our tongues. (3:10-13)

ii. Wisdom from God is full of good works, peacefulness, gentleness, and without selfish ambition. Again – would we expect anything less from a Sovereign and good God?

iii. Would God give us a wisdom that is arrogant or abusive? Would God give us a wisdom that forgets Him?

e. [Slide 23] Chapter 4 -

i. God is wholly opposed to the world and all its wickedness. So much so that to be a friend of the world is to immediately be enemies with God. (4:1-5)

ii. But God gives grace to His people to be able to overcome the world. (4:6)

iii. He exalts the humble and draws near to those who draw near to Him. He forgives the repentant and helps to chase off the devil when we submit to Him. (4:7-10)

iv. Would we expect anything less from a Sovereign and good God?

v. God alone is the lawgiver and judge of the law. So much so that His people cannot go about pretending as if they are. He alone can save or destroy the soul. (4:11-12)

vi. As the Sovereign One who is good, He will judge rightly and give abundant mercy.

vii. God determines where we go, what we do, when, and for how long. He determines how long we live, where, and in what manner. There is no single quark, not one gluon that lives outside of His control.

viii. Men can lay their plans but God alone guides their steps. (4:13-17)

f. [Slide 24] Chapter 5 -

i. The wicked that are rich and powerful may think that they have it good. And the righteous may wonder why the rich prosper. But God alone is judge. And He will justly punish all who are wicked. He will bring them to their appropriate end when He determines it is time to do so (5:1-6)

ii. Would we expect anything less from a God who is Sovereign and Good?

iii. God is worthy to be waited on, because He is faithful and will keep His promises. He is worthy to be believed and His people are worthy to be treated with love from one another. And because He is good and because He is Sovereign and because He will keep His promises because nothing can stop Him from doing so – we must endure and we must be patient. (5:7-12)

iv. While we wait, we will hurt. God knows this. And He is ready to hear from us. He is ready to hear our prayers of pain. He is ready to receive praise and thanksgiving from His people. And He has given His church to look after one another until His return (5:13-20)

g. [Slide 25] My friends… the center of the book of James, is the faithfulness of God.

h. How can He call on us to be joyful in trial?

i. How can He get wisdom to His people?

j. How can He get us to perceive the world around us as He does?

k. How can He give us a faith that produces endurance?

l. How can He give us a tongue that is under control?

m. How can He produce love toward one another and humility in our hearts?

n. How can He get from us the proper deference for His character?

o. How can He teach us patience?

p. How can He show us guidance?

q. How can He ensure that we, His people, continue to pursue Him and do not wander?

r. My friends… Without the faithfulness of God. Without Him being both Sovereign and Good. None of this could be.

s. He is faithful. The whole essence of what James has to say is simply this.

t. God is faithful. He fills every lack. He gives every good gift. He will get you from here to His Kingdom… IF. You are truly His.

u. The heart of James’ letter, is that we serve a great BIG God who loves His people. And He loves them so much and He is so much in control of the world… that HE WILL NOT ABANDON THEM to sin, or to death, or to principalities, or to powers. In fact, with Paul James concurs…

v. NOTHING CREATED can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He will not let it happen. No power of hell and no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand!

Conclusion:

[Slide 26 (end)] So CBC… What do we do with the book of James?

One of the reasons I think we love the book of James is because it seems like there is a little bit of something for everyone here. He deals with what seems like a wide array of topics from wealth and prejudice to how we talk to each other, to dealing with trails, and even being teachers. There is so much here.

But I think the greatest danger in the book of James is that it becomes very easy to see this book as a series of 9 or 10 lessons thrown together almost haphazardly. In this we would miss the forest for all the trees. We’d get great lessons about Ash trees, oak trees, cherry and cedar. But we wouldn’t know how big the forest is or how to survive in it.

My friends I hope that today’s sermon gave you some perspective. I hope that you were able to isolate some key themes from the book of James that are much bigger than one point here and there but have huge implications on your Christian life and whether or not you are indeed, a genuine believer.

But Christian I especially hope that your view of God through the book of James was enlarged. I hope that you came away from the book of James realizing that He is always faithful to those who are genuinely His people. How can we know that He is faithful? Because first, He is good, and second because He is Sovereign.

There are some who believe God is powerful but ultimately does not actually care about His creation. He set the world in motion and then walked away.

There are some who believe God doesn’t care what we do, only that we are happy.

There are some who believe that God cares deeply for His people but is ultimately not able or not willing to do much in the world He created.

There are some who believe that God looks on at us in our trials and troubles and shakes His head wishing He could do something about it but alas He can’t because He is not powerful enough or perhaps because He would have to infringe on someone’s right of free will.

All these views of God are not the God James presents. God is absolutely Sovereign over all His creation and perfectly good to His people. That is why James can say, “Count it joy when you fall into trails.” Why? Because we can trust God to have a purpose in them. We can know that faith will produce works, why? Because God gave it to us. We can know godly wisdom will be pure and gentle, why? Because God gave it to us.

God is faithful. And the only way you can truly say amen to that is if you believe that He is Sovereign and that He is good.

That is the great message of James. We serve a truly Awesome God. And because of that – we can trust Him without hesitation, without reservation, and without end. Amen?

Amen!

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Title: A Brother GainedText: James 5:19-20FCF: We often struggle confronting professing believers for lifestyles of sin or denial.Prop: Because there is much at stake for the wandering, we must discipline one another. Scripture Intro: NET[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 5. Well, here we are. The final sermon covering a specific text in the book of James. Because this has been such a lengthy series, I will do a finale sermon next week tying together all the various themes of the book of James. I’ll also have my new and revised outline for the book available next week if you are interested in having a copy for yourself. James has covered 8 lacks in his readers. 8 lacks that God is at work through trial, temptation, and testings of all kinds to purify from them. The last lack he addressed was their lack of discernment. They needed to know what to do and where to go. James basically says that in every situation seek the Lord. And in every situation, seek the Lord for one another. Building on that last point, James will give to them one more lack at the close of his letter. It is a lack intimately connected with the need for bringing others to God in order to heal them. It is the lack of communal discipline. I am in James chapter 5. I’ll begin reading in verse 19. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1363 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:You’ve probably had the nightmare before. You walk into class casually, trying desperately to act a lot cooler than you are. You plop yourself down and ready yourself for another boring lecture. Only to discover that there was a test today. A test for which you have not studied. Then you wake up with that pit in your stomach. Well, I’ve had one that is similar but with a slight twist. I walk into class having been told that there was a quiz today. I didn’t study since it is only a quiz and not usually worth much toward my final grade. Only to find out it is a full-blown test. These are similar dreams with the same basic concept at its core. The fear of being surprised by a something, that if you had prepared for it, it would not be so devastating. Today, James doesn’t want you to live in that nightmare. He wants to let his readers know that their role of spiritually disciplining one another can have monumentally beneficial or catastrophically devastating outcomes. Let’s begin in verse 19. I.) Because the wanderer’s soul is at stake, we must discipline one another. (19-20a)a. [Slide 2] 19 - My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you i. This may seem like an odd place to pause before we start dissecting what is being said. ii. But it is important for us to define our terms in this passage, otherwise we may be led down some divergent doctrinal paths. iii. James addresses his readers again – my brothers – or as the NET has inserted, my brothers and sisters. iv. Students of scripture would be wise to approach such addresses with caution. v. [Slide 3] We can error on two sides as we attempt to interpret this.1. We might assume that James speaks to all humans everywhere.a. Many times, in various contexts of the Word we find things that may be true of all humans or should be applied to all humans. A perfect example of this is back in chapter 4 verse 11.b. When we talked about this, we noticed that James is commanding them not to maliciously speak against or be vengeful against brothers and sisters.c. Question – is it ok then for Christians to maliciously speak against and be vengeful toward unbelievers?d. Of course not.e. So, James in chapter 4 must be speaking to all humans everywhere. Right?f. Well… No.g. Just because James is giving a command in reference to the household of faith, doesn’t mean that he is saying the opposite for another group of people, nor does it mean we MUST interpret it both ways.h. We must simply let James say what he did. Which was to not speak maliciously against or be vengeful toward other Christians.2. On the other hand, we might assume that James speaks only to true believers.a. Another error we can make when we see this address and others like it, is to assume that James addresses only true and genuine believers with his letter.b. This argument supposes that God has given James spiritual insight to conclude that everyone he writes to is a part of not only the visible church but also the invisible church. i. For clarity – the visible church is all those who claim the name of Christ and assemble themselves with the entity known as the church on earth. ii. The invisible church is all those who are actually united to Christ by God-given faith and will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and enter eternal life. iii. We call it visible because it is something we can experience with our senses. We can look at church rolls and ask people if they are Christians. iv. We call it invisible because God alone knows the heart of men. He knows their true nature. He knows His sheep. v. Well if God alone knows the hearts of men – could he have revealed that to James? Certainly…c. However, James clearly addresses a faith that is not saving in this very letter.d. This and various other writings throughout the New Testament force us to conclude that James and the other New Testament writers did not write to a group they knew were all true believers. Instead, it seems that they assumed that not all members of the visible church are truly part of the invisible church.e. Therefore, when a biblical author uses this kind of address, though inspired by the Spirit, he still does not know the true heart of the people to which he writes.f. James, when calling these people brothers – does not guarantee us that all of them are genuine Christians to which he writes. Nor would James assume this. vi. [Slide 4] So, what can we know about how James has addressed his readers throughout this letter? vii. Very simply, James addresses them as brothers and sisters because that is what they profess. They have expressed a credible faith in Christ and have joined in the local assembly of believers which are dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. They are part of the visible church. Therefore, they are addressed as brothers. viii. But as James continues, he does not assume that profession always equals reality. ix. [Slide 5] James brings a conditional clause to bear upon this final lack that God is perfecting in them. x. The condition has a two-part protasis. Instead of saying if A is true then B. He is saying if A and B then C. xi. The beginning of the A clause is “if anyone among you” What does this mean? xii. Because of our previous discussion we can more easily deduce the answer. xiii. James, although seeming to say “If any Christian”, is instead most certainly saying, “If any visible church member” xiv. In other words, James sets his sights on someone in their assembly, who has a profession of faith. xv. What is the second half of phrase A?b. [Slide 6] Wanders from the truth i. Wander is a Greek word from which we get our word for planets. Ancient astronomers and astrologers would observe that some stars would be constant while others would move or wander. ii. These wanderers were imbued with godhood and given names of demonic entities to whom people worshipped. iii. When New Testament writers use this term, they do not simply mean to wander or to be led astray. Instead, they mean to apostatize. iv. What does that word mean? v. Apostasy is to abandon in practice or renounce in confession a certain set of beliefs. vi. Many today call this deconverting or deconstructing one’s faith. vii. In my limited time on this earth, I have noticed that we often come up with replacement labels for things that make us uncomfortable or cause us guilt. viii. Narcissism has replaced arrogance and selfishness. Depression can sometimes be a replacement for laziness or lack of faith. Cheating or having an affair has replaced adultery. Kleptomania has replaced thievery and so on. ix. Likely a person who has “deconverted” doesn’t like the label that the scriptures assign to them. They are apostates. They have renounced or abandoned the faith. x. And to wander from the truth, as James has pointed out in this very letter, could mean not simply to deny the truths of the gospel, but even to deny obedience to the gospel. To profess Christ and not do the word, or to indulge the flesh, or to not have works – would just as much fulfill the definition of wandering as to deny Christ would be to wander. xi. So, if a person who has claimed to be of Christ is led astray or wanders from the truth of their profession…c. [Slide 7] And someone brings him back, i. This is the second part of the protasis. This must also be true for the conclusion to be true. ii. If someone brings this person back. iii. Now what does this mean? iv. This word means to turn or to cause someone to direct his trust toward something. v. This word is used often when speaking of spiritual conversion. When someone becomes a child of God. vi. In other words, someone renounces their faith in Christ or lives as though they have - and another goes and causes them to turn back. vii. Notice it is not that they attempt to bring the wandering one back – but rather that they succeed. This is an obvious but important point. viii. So, we have our A and B protasis… so what is the apodosis – what is the conclusion?d. [Slide 8] 20 – he should know i. Now before we get to what he should know we need to make sure we understand what is happening here. ii. First, who is he? There are two potential subjects for this verb. It could either be the one who was a former wanderer that has been brought back or it could be the one who turned him back. iii. How would we determine this? Well unless context makes it very clear, the last subject would be the inheritor of the verb. That would be the one who turned back the wanderer. iv. “Should know” is actually the command of this passage. v. James says that the person who turns back apostates should or MUST know something. vi. Two somethings actually. vii. The first is…e. [Slide 9] That the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death. i. What should they know? ii. That they have saved this person’s soul from death. iii. Not simply the death of the body – but the death of the soul. And of course, as the scriptures teach, the death of the soul no more refers to annihilation as does the death of the body. iv. God will raise up all men in the last day. All people – the living and the dead – will be resurrected. Some will be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death. And some will be taken into the kingdom of God which is eternal life. v. A soul’s death then must refer to the second death. It refers to condemnation. It refers to eternal death. The wrath of God. vi. This affirms and seals our understanding of wandering. It is not simply to sin or to slightly deviate. It is not to trespass on accident. It is to turn away intentionally. It is to renounce the faith either in profession or in lifestyle. vii. But why must the restorer know this? viii. If it were the person who wandered and it was for them to know this – we might assume it was for them to be grateful to the person who turned them back. ix. But why must the person who turned them back know that they have saved the wanderer’s soul from death? x. This passage could, at first glance, seem to confirm that people can lose their salvation. That they can be true believers and wander away from the truth. xi. However, James’ point throughout the whole letter has been that there is a faith that is not able to save. That profession without obedience cannot save and obedience with denial or rejection of the real Jesus Christ cannot save either. xii. James’ readers are very fuzzy on what true Christians look like. James has written at length to let them know that true Christians both hold fast to their profession AND are not only hearers but doers of the Word. xiii. Why must this person know that the person they turned back was rescued from eternal death? xiv. Because they must not ever say that a person who has renounced the faith or deliberately keeps on sinning, is still somehow a Christian. Because… quite simply… they never were. xv. There is no such thing as an unbelieving believer. There is no such thing as a deconverted convert. There is no such thing as citizen of the kingdom of God who intentionally continues to violate God’s law. xvi. James wants the restorer to know – that the stakes are high when someone wanders. xvii. They cannot let them go thinking – well they made a profession of faith. They are probably fine. xviii. James says – go after them… because if you restore them – you have won a brother. You have saved their very soul from death.f. [Slide 10] Passage Truth: Even though the command in this passage is to know something, the knowledge of that thing is expected to produce an action by those to whom James writes. James very clearly teaches, that those who profess Christ but deliberately keep sinning or those who deny Christ – are in danger of eternal death. Not because they were once saved and have lost their salvation, but because they were never truly a believer even though it may have seemed to everyone else as though they were.g. Passage Application: James’ audience must pursue the wayward. They must rebuke the sinning. They must correct the deniers. They must seek to turn back those who have gone astray. They must execute communal discipline.h. [Slide 11] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the rest of the scriptures we see this theme echoed over and over again. Israel was God’s chosen people as a nation – but among them were a remnant. The church is God’s creation founded on Christ – but among us also are those who seem very much like they are of us. But they are not. Literally every single New Testament author warns us of false conversions. People who profess Christ with their lips but are not actually His children. They have a faith but it is not able to save them. How do we know who these folks are? How do we know they aren’t us? Ongoing repentance, ongoing faith, and ongoing obedience. This is the mark of genuine Christians. And if we at any time cease to bear one of these marks – then we have lost the assurance of our soul’s eternal destiny .i. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, how then shall we live? My friends we often allow our culture to seep into what we do. We can, at times, allow the “you do you” philosophy to creep into the church. In one sense, we should afford one another a lot of mercy and a lot of grace. We can disagree on almost every single tertiary teaching and even on several secondary teachings. We can disagree on sign gifts, the age of the earth, Calvinism vs. Arminianism, the rapture of the church, modesty standards, dating approaches, or parental strategies. Yes, we can disagree on all these things and afford one another love and fellowship even if we think they are absolutely crazy for what they believe. Love covers these things. But my friends – we cannot apply this to a sinning Christian. When we see a brother living in sin, when we see a sister denying Christ – we cannot say – well I’ll just let love cover this. No! Hatred allows them to continue in sin. Love… pursues them. Love rebukes. Love corrects. Whether they are your child or an 87 year old new member of the church – if you see someone in sin or denying Christ – you are to meekly go and restore. Why? Because their very soul is at stake. And I am not overstating that. We can’t see one another’s hearts. Only God ALWAYS knows who are His and who are not. And so, we do our best to observe certain fruits in one another’s lives. There are some here who I am fairly convinced are believers. There are others who I am not quite sure. There are still others who I am fairly convinced are not believers though they think they are. But ultimately, I cannot see your heart… only your fruit. So, when I see you in sin or denying Christ – it is not awful of me to assume that you are not God’s child. In fact, it may be the best thing I could assume. Because maybe you aren’t. Transition:[Slide 12 (blank)] But there were two things that James wants the restorer to know. So what is the second thing? II.) Because we are great sinners and God is a great Savior, we must discipline one another. (20b)a. [Slide 13] 20 – he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path i. I put this back up on the screen to remind us that the apodosis is not quite complete. ii. If there is one who wanders from the truth. If they are led away and renounce the faith in confession or in practice – but… iii. Someone brings them back… iv. Then the one who brought them back must know something. v. First – that you did not simply keep a brother from stumbling – but rather that you saved a soul from eternal death. vi. That person was only pretending and you were used to bring them to eternal life. vii. But that is not all a person who does this should know.b. [Slide 14] [and] will cover a multitude of sins. i. This is a quote from Proverbs 10:12. ii. “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.” iii. [Slide 15] There are a couple layers to this onion that we need to unpeel.1. What does it mean to cover sin?a. In Old Testament theology, the concept of covering sin is equivalent to forgiving sin.b. Unfortunately, we often equate forgiveness of sin with sin being excused or the case being dismissed against us.c. If this is our definition of forgiveness, then I’d challenge you – our sins are never truly forgiven. Our case is never actually thrown out.d. Instead, we should see our sins as being removed from us – expiated and paid for us – propitiated. Our sins were removed and placed on Christ and He paid the penalty for them on the cross. We are forgiven in the sense that our sins are not held to our charge – but they were never excused. Our debt was purchased by Christ. His credit of righteousness was also given to us. e. In this sense, the Old Testament concept of covering actually correlates quite well to the New Covenant concept of remission or forgiveness of sins.f. The only difference is, that a covering is a temporary hiding of sin from God’s face while forgiveness is a permeant washing away of sin through Christ’s blood.g. In this way, James is not saying that by turning someone back that we have stopped them from sinning more – rather that we have led to their sins being truly forgiven.h. Meaning of course, that even though they professed Christ and perhaps they even led a relatively moral life – their sins were still held against their account. This was evidenced by their wandering.i. In this sense their wandering could be the best thing that ever could have happened to them.j. It took their nominal faith and exposed it for what it was. False. Fake. And ultimately unable to save them.2. Multitude vs. alla. James says that this act covers a multitude of sin, whereas Proverbs 10:12 states that it covers all sin.b. Is there a contradiction here?c. There isn’t.d. There is a pithy phrase you’ve probably heard preachers use for a while now. “All means all that’s all, all means.”e. As pithy as it is – it is categorically false.f. All doesn’t always mean all or every in scripture. Often all means many. Often all means most. Often all means a lot.g. Therefore, James’ quote or translation here is more accurately representing the proverb.h. A great number of sins, beyond counting and fathoming, will be covered by this act of turning someone back to Christ.3. Can we import love?a. This is a tricky question.b. While it is tempting to pull the love concept into this text, we simply cannot be certain.c. Did James mean for his readers to connect the dots here? It is hard to know.d. But is love the true motive behind turning a wandering apostate back to Christ? I can’t say no.e. So, I’ll cautiously say – yes. Let’s import love as the motive behind this person turning someone back. iv. And so, we must ask the same question we asked before. To the one who turned back the apostate, why must he know that in that turning he has covered a multitude of sins?1. First, again emphasizing that the sins of the one who wandered were not previously forgiven. Even though their confession was believed and their lives seemed to show evidence, their sins remained against them. They were not truly in Christ.2. Second, A professor of Christ who is morally upright is still a wicked and vile sinner with a whole host of abominable deeds to send him to eternal death.c. [Slide 16] Passage Truth: So, the second thing James desires his potential restorers to know, is that by confronting and disciplining a wanderer– they are leading to God’s forgiveness of a plethora of sins. An abundance of sins are covered by this one act of rebuke. To preach the gospel is to preach Christ and Him crucified for sinners. Our duty is to be heralds of the truth. And when we turn someone back from being led astray – a great multitude of sins are washed away.d. Passage Application: So, his audience must be rebukers. They must not, in the name of tolerance or love, allow for professing believers to continue living lifestyles of sin or to allow people to continue to call themselves Christians when they have rejected Christ.e. [Slide 17] Broader Biblical Truth: But does all scripture teach us this? While there is some disagreement in Christendom about just how sinful we are from our birth – I find absolutely no evidence in scripture to suggest that mankind is simply sick or slightly marred by the fall. Instead, what I find is story after story, overt reference after overt reference – where the best of men are still wicked and sinful. There were two men in Scripture who claimed to be sinless. But there was only one who actually was sinless. And they met in the gospel accounts. A rich young man came to Christ, calling him good teacher, asking what he must do to be saved. Jesus asks the young man why he calls him good since only God is good. This is called foreshadowing. Jesus proceeds to answer by saying for him to keep the commands. That is still how we enter the kingdom of heaven my friends. By keeping His commands. The young man asks – which ones? Jesus quotes for him the second half of the decalogue which are perhaps more difficult to hide since they deal with the treatment of others. The young man says he has kept all of them since his youth. He has kept the whole law. What more do I lack? He asks. This is strike two. Jesus has already attempted to teach this man the same thing – twice. Jesus gives him one more chance to see. He tells him to sell everything he has, give it to the poor, and follow Him. At that – he balked. He understood that life in the kingdom was woven to following Jesus. Keeping God’s commands in total is still the entry fee for the Kingdom. But Christ has paid it for His people. Why? Because their sin was so great. As James said – to fail the law in one point is to fail it all. We all are guilty of the highest crime – treason against our God and we have earned the maximum sentence – eternal death. And we have earned that sentence a thousand times over and a thousand times again. But to turn back one who has wandered… is to lead to the forgiveness of the entire sum of them all.f. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must be a church that not only confesses sin to one another, that not only prays for one another, but that is willing to rebuke one another should the need arise. We must be willing to meekly go to those who profess Christ among us and challenge them with the gospel of Christ. A gospel that demands abandonment from former ways and obedience to the law. Christ did not fulfill the law on our behalf so we could forsake it! God forbid! He fulfilled it so that we would be free to keep it without fear of death for failure. He has taken all our failure and He provides the power and desire for our success. With this backdrop we must rebuke a believer in sin. We must also rebuke those who claim to be Christians even though they have rejected Christ. You cannot be an unbelieving believer. You cannot be a deconverted convert. As much as we’d like to think that because someone prayed a prayer or professed Christ at some point in their life – we do them no good, and we keep them from their sins being covered and sentence them to their soul’s death by pretending that their wandering is ok. Conclusion:So CBC, what have we learned today and how then shall we live? We have learned that when a professing believer abandons the truth either by deliberately sinning or by denying the gospel, they have wandered from the truth. The state of their soul is immediately in question, and James seems to show us that it is appropriate for us to consider their soul still in danger of death, and their sins are still held against their account. If such a person continues without a turning – they will not inherit the kingdom of God. My friends there is no such thing as a carnal Christian. There is exactly one mention of Christians being called carnal and it is in a context where Paul is clearly calling them carnal because they are immature. To assume that there were such things as carnal Christians would be to assume that there were such things as adult babies. Full grown saplings. Old puppies. Carnal may be a stage in our Christianity but it is a stage that all true Christians graduate from - and from the context of I Corinthians 3 – Paul assumes that it will not be a long study. My friends, the New Testament as a whole states overtly that God is at work in His people to grow them and press them into the mold of Christ. And His purpose will not fail Him. So what do we do when we see someone who is failing to be conformed into the image of Christ? We seek to restore them. We go after them. We don’t say – eh, well they prayed a prayer – they’ll be fine. We don’t say, well God will grow them eventually. James raises the final lack of his readers. They lack communal discipline. Half the things he wrote about to them should have been solved by people rebuking sin and apostasy. My friends – our church will crumble quickly if we do not discipline one another. When we talk about church discipline everyone always thinks of the final stage. Where we excommunicate someone. My friends, excommunication is what we do after several unsuccessful attempts to turn back a wanderer. We recognize publicly that they are not among us because they were not truly believers. But discipline… discipline is what occurs throughout that process. What are we to do with those in sin? Last week James gave advice. Advice for every situation. Draw near to God. So what do you advise? What do you say? How do you rebuke someone? You point them to God. God is holy. He has given you His law. He demands perfection. Christ purchased you from this. Repent and believe the gospel in word and in deed. This is the sum total of your rebuke. Repent and believe the gospel. Repent and follow Christ. Or as Jesus said to the rich young ruler - Sell your wealth and follow me. What is at stake if you don’t rebuke? What is to be gained if you do? The eternal destiny of the soul of the sinner and the balance of their all their sin is what is at stake. Love one another brothers and sisters. Love one another enough to rebuke the one living in sin and the one denying Christ. For if they listen… behold… you have gained your brother.

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Title: The Power of PrayerText: James 5:13-18FCF: We often struggle attempting to solve problems on our own.Prop: Because God is gracious and merciful to His people as they seek Him, we must draw near to Him. Scripture Intro: LSB[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 5. If you’ve been thinking that the end of our study in the book of James has been hanging in the balance for a bit – you’d be right. There is always a certain measure of uncertainty over how sermons will break down the text and how many more are left. The epistle of James has been especially difficult with several two-part sermons recently. Today’s sermon was almost a two parter as well – but I was able to trim down the sermon to fit into the time we have for today. James will begin to close out his letter, although if we weren’t able to see the end of the letter we might not realize he was closing it out. Nevertheless, James has two more lacks he wants to bring to the attention of his readers. They are struggling in their current situation. They are suffering. And really – they don’t know what to do about it. They are lacking discernment. What do I do about suffering? What do I do about sickness? Where do I go? How do I handle this? James provides direction and guidance through an obvious but necessary answer. I am in James 5. I’ll start reading in verse 13. I’m reading from the LSB, but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1363 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:People in counseling often tend to conclude that their situation is more severe or different than any person has ever faced before. It is this conviction or deception that causes them to feel hopeless as they attempt to survive something that, by their own reasoning, no one has ever faced. Certainly, there is specific advice for each situation that we can draw from the Words of scripture. And in each case, we can provide tailored guidance to lead people out of whatever situation they are in. However, no matter what the situation someone is facing, no matter what the problem, the solution to their problem is, in some ways, always the same. James is going to give the “go to” answer to all. And it is an answer we should heed. I.) In every situation, God is loving and merciful to His people, so we must draw near to Him. (13-15)a. [Slide 2] 13 – Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. i. James leads this next section with 3 questions. ii. If we were to summarize the questions in a statement, it would be, in whatever situation you find yourself. iii. But that doesn’t mean that the 3 individual questions or situations have no bearing on what is discussed. iv. Indeed, I think James hits on some of what his readers were struggling with the most. v. He first asks, is anyone among you suffering? To suffer here would mean to suffer a misfortune, or hardship, or to be put into distress. vi. No doubt with all his talk about the rich and the poor, not showing favoritism, and how they are to treat the poor – the poor may be wondering – so what about us? What are we to do? vii. But we need not sharpen the meaning here too finely. Suffering could be of any kind. Any trial, test, or temptation really. viii. Amid all the direction and guidance, we could find in all scripture, and with all my wisdom, I’m ashamed to say that I’m not sure I would have thought to advise them as James does.1. I might have said, trust the Lord and He will care for you.2. I might have said, call your brother or sister in Christ and let them know of your pain. ix. But James commands the most important and most powerful first step in any suffering. Though it is often overlooked, forgotten, neglected, or ignored. x. He commands them to pray. xi. He has said in his letter that they do not have because they do not ask. Or because they ask to spend on their own passions. He has said that they will not receive if they ask in doubt. xii. But requesting of the Lord, trusting He is the only giver of good and perfect gifts, fervently seeking Him and making a request of Him, in full submission to His sovereign will – should be the very first thing we do when in distress. xiii. But how often is it the last resort? xiv. How often when is the only option left, do we finally seek the Lord in prayer? xv. Only when we are pinned under the great weight of sorrow and affliction do we finally pray through gritted teeth. xvi. We say things like “we can still pray” or “all you can do is pray.” xvii. We don’t mean anything nefarious by these things – but it reveals our hearts. xviii. All we can do is pray? Friends, that is what we must do first. Before we know it is all we can do. xix. How flippant we are with the throne of grace! xx. Either we come unprepared and the command to come boldly is lost on us. Or we rarely come at all. xxi. James commands it. xxii. The sufferer MUST pray. Whatever else there is to do… He MUST pray. And He must pray first. He must pray often. And he must pray in faith, sincerely, and in the will of God.b. [Slide 3] Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. i. The next situation could not be further from the first. ii. Is anyone cheerful? iii. This is not the spiritual gift of joy that smiles in faith through every circumstance. No. This is genuine good cheer. This is happiness. iv. James asks – are you happy? Are you jovial? Are you encouraged? Are you in good spirits? v. What is James’ advice? What is His command? vi. Can I suggest to you that it is essentially the same as the previous command? vii. It is not exactly the same. But it is very close. viii. He does not command sadness. He does not command sobriety. He does not command that we hide our happiness from those who are less fortunate. ix. He commands us to sing praise to God. x. As we normally in suffering attempt to fix it ourselves first before prayer… so also in good cheer we tend to praise everything but God for our good fortune. How foolish, since He is Lord of all and the giver of every good and perfect gift. xi. This is a command. My friends, singing praises to God is not optional. It is no less optional than praying. It is no less optional than bible study. It is no less optional than believing the gospel. My friends – singing praises to God should be a NORMAL part of our lives. xii. I won’t say that you cannot listen to secular music. xiii. I won’t say that you cannot listen to talk radio or podcasts. xiv. But my friends – if you are not singing to the Lord praising His name… then you are disobedient to His Word. xv. And broadly – James is saying the same thing to those who are happy as he said to those who are suffering. Go. To. God. xvi. Take your sufferings and sadness to God. Take your happiness to God. xvii. Might we say… draw near to God.c. [Slide 4] 14 – Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the Elders of the church i. Although we could interpret this as spiritual sickness, more likely James means physical sickness. Although that line gets a little blurry as we move forward. ii. Other commentators point out that the level of sickness seems to be quite severe due to various details in the text. However, I don’t find these arguments compelling. James leaves in ambiguity what he could have made plain. The word for sick simply means weak. Not necessarily overcome. iii. Should Elders be called when you have a cold? Should Elders be called when you skinned your knee? I don’t think so. It makes a lot of sense that the Elders would be called in more serious cases. But I also can’t make James say that if he doesn’t. So, it seems we are at an impasse. iv. All we can clearly surmise is that if you are sick and feel the need – you must call for the Elders. v. Again, James gives us a command that we might not expect.1. Why not a reiterated command to pray?2. Why not advise them call for a doctor? A Psychiatrist? A Pharmacist? vi. No, none of those. vii. They are commanded. That’s right, commanded to call for the Elders of the church. viii. These aren’t elders in the sense of older or more seasoned people. Instead, these are the formal office of the church known as the Elder. The Spiritual leaders. ix. Why? x. Elders can’t possibly be any help to you when you are sick can they? They aren’t doctors! xi. [Slide 5] There are two basic ways that James’ command to call for the Elders makes perfect sense.1. The level of medical care available during the 1st century was imprecise, expensive, and sparse. Therefore, for James to refer his readers to a doctor would seem impractical.a. This reason alone would not adequately explain why James does not include some sort of medicinal solution.b. Medicine in the Roman world was actually quite advanced and in the relative time James writes this, some great strides were being made in medical treatment.c. So, for James to suggest the Elders to come because there were no other options, is simply untrue. Those options would be difficult and expensive – but still there.2. The second layer to this, which makes it all the clearer why James commands them to call for the Elders is simply because up until very recently, the sciences of medicine and theology were wed.a. To be a healer would automatically require someone to be somewhat religious.b. Medical facilities and physicians would often set up their practices near temples and shrines to various deities.c. When we think of witch doctors and shamans – we ought not be consulting our map of the world and locate ourselves in the remote tribes of Africa or in some Island in the Asia Pacific.d. My friends, religion and medicine are still treated as one and the same by the vast majority of the world and has been treated that way since the beginning of time. xii. But before you start to scoff and think – but now we know better – perhaps we should read on in James and consider that… perhaps… medical and spiritual are more wed than they are separate.d. [Slide 6] And they are to pray over him i. Throughout this section, James has commanded the person who is in a situation to do something. ii. Here he issues two commands. iii. The first is that the person who is sick must call for the Elders. iv. But not just for encouragement. v. They are to come and pray over the sick person. vi. This is actually a command to the Elders. vii. It isn’t optional for a sick person to call for the Elders. And it isn’t optional for the Elders to pray over the sick when they’ve been called for. These are commands. viii. But while the Elders are praying over them, they are to do something else.e. [Slide 7] Anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. i. What is the nature of this anointing with oil?1. Although some commentators attempt to explain this in a medicinal sense, their arguments are shallow and unsupported by historical, cultural, and biblical evidence.2. What is almost unanimously agreed upon is that anointing with oil is an Old Testament practice where someone is consecrated or set apart for a special work of God.3. In this case, they are set apart to be worked upon by God.4. The oil symbolizes the desire of the prayer of the Elders, that God would pour out His Spirit of Grace upon the individual as the oil has been spilled out over them.5. As one commentator puts it, this is quasi-sacramental in the sense that there is hope that God will meet the sign and symbol. ii. What does it mean to do something in the name of the Lord?1. Does it mean with His backing? With His blessing?2. Although these could be true – they are only the result of what this actually means.3. To do something in the name of Jesus, in the name of the Lord, in the name of God – is to do it for the sake of God or Christ.4. It is appealing not to the sick person’s need but to the relationship of God the Father to God The Son. It is to appeal to the unity of the Triune God or for the reputation of God Himself.5. With that comes the authority and the beneficial outcome – but not because we prayed it that way but rather because it is for His sake and for His purposes.f. [Slide 8] 15 – And the prayer offered in faith i. Observe that even though the Elders prayed and anointed the sick person with oil, it is not the oil that yields any result, but rather, only the prayer of faith. This eliminates some sort of mystical connection to the oil that is divorced from God’s power or grace. ii. But what is a prayer that is offered in faith? iii. Is it a special kind of prayer by only those who are spiritually mature? iv. Is it a higher quality prayer? Is that why they need to call in the Elders to do this prayer? v. I do not think so and there are several reasons why but unfortunately, they don’t really come until verse 16. vi. If we skipped verse 16 and went to 17 and 18, we might be convinced that spiritual leaders have more powerful and effective prayers than your average joe in the pew. vii. But instead, what is actually true… viii. Is that a person who is resolute in their faith, who believes thoroughly that God is Sovereign, that He has the power to answer any prayer that is made in His will, that He can move mountains and heal any sickness, and raise the dead to life, and forgive sin by the power of His will, A person who has a great big view of God and utter dependance on Him for everything… that is a person who is offering their prayer in faith. ix. That is a person whose prayer will be heard. x. And that should be Elders. It is kinda what you’d expect from Elders. xi. But it isn’t exclusively Elders. And indeed, it shouldn’t be exclusively Elders. xii. All believers should pray in faith without doubting. xiii. But what can a prayer offered in faith do? g. [Slide 9] Will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. i. What are we to do with this? ii. Out of all the controversy in this text – this is by far the most perplexing! iii. You see James doesn’t say that the prayer of faith CAN do something. iv. He says that the prayer of faith WILL do something. Three somethings actually. The prayer of faith will:1. Save the one who is sick2. The Lord will raise him up3. And if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. v. [Slide 10] This passage, mishandled though it may be, is the direct proof for various false teachings.1. The Roman Catholics conclude that confession of sin must only be to priests.2. The Roman Catholics also see this as the sacrament of extreme unction or last rites. The prayer of faith saves, raises, and forgives the person so they are ready to die.3. Jewish teaching at the time of Christ associated sickness or disability with a sin that was committed by the person or their parents.4. Pentecostals see this verse as saying that God heals sickness and forgives sins EVERY SINGLE TIME it is prayed for in faith and if God does not heal us of sins, then it was not prayed in faith.5. So Roman Catholic, Jewish, and Pentecostal theology draw much from this verse. And on the surface – it seems that they have a good point. vi. So how should we address these false teachings?1. Regarding the confession of sin only to Elders – I think we covered that already in understanding what the prayer of faith is. And we will see more to that point as we get into verse 16.2. Regarding this being a last rite – the text is fairly clear that the “saving” and “raising” are actual physical concepts. Therefore, the sacrament of last rite actually assumes the opposite of what James is saying here. It assumes the person will NOT be raised up and is preparing them for the afterlife.3. But what is the nature of sin and sickness? Is James saying that all sickness is the result of sin? Like the Pharisees assumed that the young man who was blind either sinned or his parents did?a. Again, we must go back to the union between the sciences of medicine and theology. i. Physical sickness can be a punishment for sin.1. We saw this last week in those who blaspheme the Lord’s Table.2. We also see this in church discipline where someone is devoted to Satan so he may be abused and hopefully repent. ii. Physical sickness can be caused by sin.1. We understand from modern science that certain sins can lead to physical manifestations.2. Laziness, anger, bitterness, and worry and many more, can lead to all kinds of physical problems.b. Nevertheless, James says “if he has committed sins.”c. Therefore, this doesn’t mean that all sickness is caused by or associated with sin.d. But we cannot eliminate sin as a cause entirely.e. When the Elders come to minister to someone who is sick, they must come ready to pray and to counsel. They must come, potentially even to rebuke the person who is sick for a sin that they are committing.4. For the Pentecostal view, there are so many arguments against it that I was forced to cut almost 500 words out of this sermon just to get to the meat of it.a. If God is obligated to heal and raise anyone when the prayer is offered in faith,b. And if they are not healed or raised it means that the prayer was not offered with enough faith…c. We must simply ask – who is praying in this text? Is it the sick person or the Elders?d. It is the Elders.e. A Pentecostal preacher would NEVER suggest that he lacked faith and that is why a person was not healed. They ALWAYS say it was the deficient faith of the person who is sick.f. This simple point alone upends their entire doctrine.g. If the leaders do not have the faith necessary to heal, then no one would come to them to be healed. They know this. That is why they conveniently blame the deficient faith of the person who is sick. vii. [Slide 11] So, if all these interpretations are wrong – what is the right one? viii. The only path to true healing is through God. God is free to do what He pleases at that point. But our hope must be in prayer offered in faith. Meaning it is not the quality of our prayer or our faith to which we cling, it is instead the quality of the One to whom we pray and His faithfulness and lovingkindness. We must be dependent on Him and Him alone to heal us, raise us up from sickness and heal our sinful hearts too. ix. James’ entire point in these 3 verses – is that no matter what situation you find yourself in… draw near to God. He is the only one who can save us from physical or spiritual pain. And He is the only one deserving of praise for physical or spiritual happiness.h. [Slide 12] Passage Truth: James communicates very clearly that God is merciful and kind to His people. He desires to heal, raise up, and forgive us. He desires to help us in our suffering. And He desires to be trusted and praised for His lovingkindness to us.i. Passage Application: Therefore, James’ audience must go to God in whatever situation they find themselves. In rejoicing, in suffering, in pain, in sin – they must draw near to God.j. [Slide 13] Broader Biblical Truth: Does the bible teach the mercy and lovingkindness of the Lord? Friends, I could literally take the rest of our time proving this point this morning. We’d need to break for lunch and return to study this well into the evening. In fact, we’d need every moment of every day to study it deeply. [Slide 14] As the hymnwriter said: i. “Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made ii. Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade iii. To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry iv. Nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretched from sky to sky. v. O Love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! vi. It shall forevermore endure…” vii. And he concludes by saying that the Love of God – His grace – His mercy shall forever be “The saints and angels’ song!”k. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, how then shall we live? If God is so gracious and merciful to us – what shall we do when we find ourselves in any situation in all of life? Shall we not go to Him? What fools we are to delay to go! What fools we are to ignore His embrace. What blockheads we are to not avail ourselves of the throne of grace! Are you hurting? Are you sick? Are you troubled? Are you weak? Are you happy? Are you of good cheer? Are you overcome by sin? What must you do? Go. To. Him. Do not do so in doubt or in flippancy… but go to Him in faith. He will heal, He will raise up, and He will forgive. Transition:[Slide 16(blank)] But what if we are not the ones doubting the lovingkindness of God? What if it is a brother or sister who is struggling to come to Him. What shall we do then? II.) God graciously works through the prayers of His people for one another, so we must draw near to Him. (16-18)a. [Slide 17] 16 – Therefore, i. Because God is worthy of our sincere petitions, our trust, our love, and our devotion… ii. Because the prayer of faith in all that God is, is a means that God uses to heal us physically and spiritually. iii. Because of this…b. [Slide 18] Confess your sins to one another, i. Here the idea that we must only confess our sins to Elders or priests is utterly dismantled. ii. A person appears to be strong when they carry the load by themselves. iii. Their prayer of faith can appear to be most pious if it is but one voice calling for healing. iv. But this is not strength. It is weakness. It is not piety it is foolishness. It is not faith in God… but faith in their own faith in God. v. Genuine faith not only recognizes that God is our only hope for healing and the only one due our praise… but true faith also recognizes our own weakness. vi. True faith realizes that God has given us His church as a conduit for His love. vii. Though we should be satisfied with Him, He knows we are weak. He knows we need something physical. Someone we can touch. Someone to whom we can speak. viii. He has given us one another. ix. Confessing our sins to one another not only affirms our weakness x. But also…c. [Slide 19] And pray for one another so that you may be healed. i. When we share our infirmities and sins with one another we also exponentially increase those who offer up prayers of faith. ii. The power of temptation is infinitely weakened when the sin is known publicly to all who will hold us accountable. iii. And the holding power of the trap of sin, is all but gone when God’s people join together in earnest prayer on behalf of one another. iv. There is nothing the forces of darkness fear more than a church united in prayer. A church with one voice weeping for the healing of each other. A church with one voice rejoicing with those who are of good cheer. v. Pray for healing for one another. And watch as the Lord answers this prayer. vi. And now and truism we must heed. d. [Slide 20] The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. i. The easiest words to understand in this text are every word after the first two. ii. None of us are righteous in and of ourselves. But all who are children of God have been declared righteous in Christ. His righteousness is our righteousness. iii. To be righteous then, is to be a child of God. iv. Great things can happen when God’s people pray without doubting. v. But what does the word “effective” mean?1. This is the word from which we get our English word – energy.2. It means to be at work, to do what something is expected to do.3. Very often in the New Testament this word is used to speak of supernatural power. vi. If I were to translate this then, I would say, that the spiritually empowered prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. vii. When God acts in big ways, He often chooses to do so through and by empowering the prayers of His people to both fortify their faith and to do as He pleases. viii. If we take that interpretation, we are left with exactly what James wants us to feel… ix. The absolute need for God’s people to pray for one another about… everything. x. James proves his case by referencing an Old Testament prophet.e. [Slide 21] 17 – Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 – Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit. i. This too defeats the argument that only an Elder or Spiritual leader can pray with any hope for God to answer. Elijah, as James says, is only a man with a nature like us. ii. Mere hours after Elijah prays this prayer, he is fleeing in terror from the presence of Jezebel. iii. He is a mere human just like you and I. iv. Yet, as a righteous man, he asked the Lord to keep it from raining in Israel for 3 and a half years. And it did not rain. He also asked after the prophets of Baal were defeated on Mount Carmel, that the Lord would send the rain. And He did. v. God, when He wants to do BIG things, He acts through and empowers the prayers of His people.f. [Slide 22] Passage Truth: James teaches that God has graciously given His church, a body of people who have been radically changed by His power, to love, support, and pray for one another. Further, He chooses to work through their prayers in powerful ways to build their faith, heal, raise up, and forgive sin.g. Passage Application: The application for them is the same. They must go to Him. Not just in every situation, but even for one another. They must draw near to God on behalf of each other for physical and spiritual healing.h. [Slide 23] Broader Biblical Truth: Does the bible teach all this? James has already shown that God chooses to use mere humans to do wonderous things through prayer. He makes the prayers of His people effective and powerful. God has established a people, a kingdom of priests, a royal priesthood, who loves and depends on Him not just for their own needs but for great and mighty works. This is shown from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. It is a theme that is consistent throughout the Scriptures. i. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must be the people that God desires us to be. We must go to Him not only in every situation in life on our own behalf – but also we must go to Him in every situation on behalf of one another. Further, we must pray expectantly and without doubting, knowing that our God is able to do anything we ask or think. That doesn’t mean He will – for He chooses freely what will and will not be. But we pray knowing that we cannot ask anything too great of God. We cannot ask for any good and perfect gift, that He is unable to give. Thus, throughout prayers that are full of faith, God often empowers great and mighty works. Even wondrous healings, people brought back from the brink of death – and yet the even greater work… of forgiveness of sin. Conclusion:[Slide 24 (end)] So, what have we learned today CBC, and how shall we live? We have learned that God is abundantly merciful and loving to His people. That He desires often to heal, to raise, and to forgive those who seek Him in faith, trusting Him alone. We’ve learned that no matter what the situation and regardless of whether it is you or another brother or sister who is hurting or even if they are in a time of great cheer– the direction is always the same. Seek the Lord. Go. To. Him. Draw near to Him. This should be our first step… always. Various steps may follow depending on the situation we face – but the first step is always to draw near to God. It is to bring people to the Lord. The title of this sermon is “The Power of Prayer.” Well, what is the power of prayer? Is it not the One to whom we pray? God is the one who acts and empowers our prayers to do great and mighty things. He does this to build our faith. Do you not feel a fresh spark of faith and hope in the Lord when prayers are answered? God doesn’t have to do this. He could work without our prayer or in spite of it. But He chooses to work in it. Why? Because He loves us and He wants our faith in Him to grow. With a God like that… why are we so lax in coming to Him? Why do we thank Him so little? Why do we pray so infrequently? Why do we not pray for one another? Even with James concluding just a few verses ago that God is Sovereign over every single atom – He still commands us to pray and to pray for one another. God will do what He wills – this is true – but the God who is the Sovereign ruler over all, who has written everything that will be, whose plans will not be thwarted by humans, that same God desires greatly to empower our prayers to do mighty things! The core of it all – the essence of this message – is our great need to draw near to God. You could walk into my counseling office and before you even tell me what is wrong – I could safely and effectively advise without hearing any of your plight – Draw near to God. I could then pray and continue to pray for you without ever hearing a word of your problem – that the Lord would heal you, raise you up, and forgive your sin. And I would be doing exactly what the Lord desires. And without me every knowing what you were experiencing - the Lord can, may, and often does empower our prayers to accomplish great things. The prime advice. The primer guidance that James could give concerning any lack of any kind is simply this… Draw near to God. Seek Him desperately. Love Him earnestly. In any situation terrible or cheerful – Seek the Lord. For yourself and for other believers – Seek the Lord.

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Title: The Lord’s Supper at CBCText: VariousFCF: We often do not appreciate the significance of the Lord’s Supper.Prop: Because the scripture attests to a sacramental view of the Lord’s Supper, we must feast on the atonement of Christ. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Corinthians chapter 10. Today my goal is very simple. I want to preach a holistic sermon encompassing all that we have learned over the last four years regarding the ordinance or sacrament of The Lord’s Supper also known as Communion. We have added several new members and have had many new regular attenders join us in the last four years that have heard in pieces and bits what it is we believe about the Lord’s Supper. As it stands if I want to catch people up to where we are, I hand them a list of 8 sermons and say happy listening.

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Title: “Waiting Actively” Part 2Text: James 5:10-12FCF: We often struggle to wait patiently on the Lord.Prop: Because the Lord is coming soon to judge sinner and show mercy to His people, we must be patient. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 5. Last week James revealed the seventh lack in his audience’s faith. A lack that God has deliberately designed trials for them to endure so that their faith may be perfected. That lack, is patience. James assures them that the Lord of glory is coming soon. He is coming to judge sinners and to judge them. That is both a comfort but also a concern to them. James’ command is for them to be patient. And what does patience look like? Well so far, James has given two aspects of patience. Two ways that they can wait actively. First, they must fortify their hearts. They must strengthen their faith. We pointed out last week that God has given various means by which we can strengthen our faith. Ordinary means like hearing and obeying the Word, prayer, and fellowship with God’s people. And special means like Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. All of these build our faith and fortify us against difficulty and trials. Second, if they are to wait actively, they must resist the temptation to grumble against one another. Grumbling against other believers including their spiritual leaders, is a sure sign that they are not waiting patiently. Today, we will see two more aspects of what it means to wait actively. I am in James 5. I’ll begin reading in verse 7 again, just to pick up the context. I am reading from the ESV, but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1363 or in whatever version you have. Transition:You have no doubt heard the expression, “Monkey see, monkey do.” The essence of this expression is to remark on the predictable nature of human beings. We often simply blend into the environment in which we find ourselves. I saw a video once of an experiment. The whole room was made up to be the waiting room of a doctor’s office. Upon arriving, each subject came into a room with five or six people already there. A few minutes after sitting down a bell would sound over the loud speaker. All 5 people who were there already were in on the experiment, upon hearing the bell ding, got up out of their chairs and stood for a few seconds. A second bell rang a few moments later and then they all sat down. What is remarkable is… that almost every single test subject, while struggling to understand why… eventually just went along with everyone else. Even after a new person came in. They just kept standing and sitting according to the bell. Oftentimes, we do what we see others do. We mimic – especially when we are in uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations. James calls his audience to wait on the Lord. And to do so while they are in a very uncomfortable and unfamiliar spot. So James draws the attention of his readers… to those who have gone before them. Monkey see… monkey do. I.) The Lord is coming soon to judge sinners and show mercy to His people, so we must draw encouragement from previous examples. (10-11)a. [Slide 2] 10 – As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. i. It is truly rare to find a prophet of Israel who was not hated and reviled. ii. Some of the most quoted and noteworthy prophets of God were despised and rejected by their own people. iii. Even Jesus, the GREAT PROPHET was despised and rejected by most of the Jewish people. iv. Yet these prophets faithfully endured, preaching the words of God, even though some of them knew that the people would not listen.b. [Slide 3] 11 – Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. i. But speaking to Christ-following Jews, James speaks more highly of them. ii. He reminds them that they looked upon these prophets and the GREAT PROPHET Jesus, as blessed. As favored of God. As gifted with power and passion from Yahweh. iii. And what is the evidence that this was so? They remained steadfast. They held out. iv. They did not cave to the pressure. They did not bow to the wishes of kings, priests, other prophets, or emperors. v. Though they were tortured, imprisoned, abused, mocked, scorned, afflicted, ignored, killed, and put through hell on earth – they endured suffering to do what God had for them to do. vi. And we now reflect on their ministry and consider them blessed of God. vii. Why? viii. Because they held fast. ix. They endured. x. They patiently trusted God. xi. James brings a second example.c. [Slide 4] You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, i. Job lost everything – for a time. ii. He lost his possessions – for a time. He lost his friends – for a time. He lost his wife – for a time. He lost his health – for a time. iii. And although he was quite arrogant with God and demanded answers from Him… he certainly never rejected God. He never followed the advice of his wife to curse God and die. iv. He endured through all his pain without turning from God or rejecting Him. v. He may have cursed the day he was born, but he never cursed God. vi. In many ways what James’ audience is experiencing is certainly no more than what Job experienced and probably far less. vii. But James doesn’t simply point to the example of the prophets and Job. viii. No. He points to the God behind those examples.d. [Slide 5] And you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. i. What was the Lord’s purpose in the prophets suffering? ii. What was the Lord’s compassionate and merciful end for Job? iii. What is the Lord’s purpose in our suffering? iv. What is the Lord’s purpose in our trials? v. What is the Lord’s purpose in our pain? vi. Is it not compassion and mercy? vii. But you might say - the prophets died… many of them tortured! Job still lost everything… even if he did get more back in the end. How can we call that compassion and mercy? viii. Friends, all the Lord does is full of compassion and mercy. Even His wrath is merciful and compassionate. ix. When you understand the sinfulness of sin and wickedness of man’s heart – you realize that even these prophets and Job did not get what they truly deserved. x. Not to mention the compassion and mercy that comes as a result of their ministry. xi. The Lord put His prophets through the ringer so His message of judgment and call for repentance could be preached. Certainly, we know that many who heard them with their own ears, did not listen and certainly national Israel was judged for not listening. xii. But there have been countless Jews won to Christ because of Isaiah’s prophesy in chapter 53! xiii. An innumerable number of suffering servants of God have looked to the book of Job and seen the gospel on full display! xiv. Our personal pain, trial, and suffering… could be a way for God to show compassion and mercy on others. xv. And no matter how much God puts us through, it is far less than we deserve. For there are far worse things than being oppressed and afflicted by men. xvi. Men can only harm the body, after all. But God can cast a person’s soul into hell. xvii. Indeed, Jesus said that to suffer for His name is to be blessed. That we should rejoice. xviii. My friends… the Lord is compassionate and merciful to us… even in our suffering. Even in our oppression. Even in our pain.e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: Although it is less obvious in this particular portion, the main truth of this passage continues. The Lord is coming soon. The same Lord who had a compassionate and merciful purpose behind the suffering of the prophets and Job, is coming soon. f. Passage Application: So, James has told them to be patient. To wait on the Lord. One way they can be waiting actively is to go back and remember these examples. They should go back and remember what the prophets endured by the grace of God. They should go back and reflect on the compassionate purpose and merciful ends of those who endured by His grace. And they should endeavor to do likewise.g. [Slide 7] Broader Biblical Truth: The whole cannon of scripture reveals that the Lord of glory will one day make all things right. He will do so by returning to His people. He will bring them close to Him and they will never be separated from Him again.h. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, what does that mean for us? Since we know the ending, that God will return – what does that mean? It means we must be patient. We must wait on the Lord. Certainly, this is true – but how can we do that? We have learned last week that we must fortify our faith, partaking of the ordinary and special means of grace. We have seen how not to be patient, which is to grumble against other believers. But how else can we be patient in the midst of suffering and trial? We can look to the examples given to us in scripture. How God has dealt mercifully and compassionately with His people. How He has designed good for them in spite of all the pain. And how God’s purposes are often far grander and greater in trial that we could possibly imagine. God’s blessing is on those who endure suffering patiently. So, we must endure. We must be patient. We can do that by looking to those who have gone before us and seeing God’s mercy and compassion on them. Transition:[Slide 8(blank)] Regardless of what we are facing in this life, we know that we have a God working all things for the good of those who love Him and who have been called to do His will. We can observe that throughout the history of His people. We can fortify our faith to endure and we can keep our tongue from grumbling against others. In all this we can wait patiently on the Lord’s return. But what else can we do? How else is patience defined? II.) The Lord is coming soon to judge sinners and show mercy to His people, so we must hold fast to our confession. (12)a. [Slide 9] 12 – But above all, my brothers, i. Because James says above all here, many believe that this verse belongs with the next section. ii. In fact, myself and only a select few commentators believe this verse goes with James’ thoughts concerning patience and waiting on the Lord. iii. What could be an alternate way to interpret “above all” if not establishing some kind of distinct context or closing out the letter? Well, perhaps when James says above all here, he speaks to the greatest sin related to impatience. iv. The greatest sin that we could commit when faced with long trials, persecutions or pains… the greatest expression of not trusting our God is found… right here. v. That is why James says… above all. vi. Well, what could it be?b. [Slide 10] Do not swear i. In English vernacular to swear can sometimes mean to use vulgar language. ii. That is not what is happening here. iii. To swear or to make an oath is to do one of two things. iv. First it is to promise that you are telling the truth and to promise that in the name of something precious to you or on the life of something that is immovable or unshakable.1. Perhaps even swearing using God’s name. 2. The purpose of this kind of oath is to immediately dismiss any doubt in someone’s mind as to the legitimacy of what you are saying. v. A second form of oath is to bargain or barter to get something you want by offering something you love. In this case a person who swore an oath on God would be invoking Him to do something for them and they would keep their end of a bargain or deal. vi. Certainly, to swear an oath in God’s name regardless of which one we picked, would be blasphemous? vii. But James, like Jesus, does not consider this the only form of oath that is blasphemous.c. [Slide 11] Either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, i. The Jews were taught about the seriousness of swearing an oath in the name of Yahweh. ii. The prevailing interpretation of Leviticus 19:12 was that all vows that were made in close association to Yahweh, God’s name, were binding and must be kept iii. However, vows made with a significant distance from God’s name were not binding. iv. Like swearing by heaven or by earth. v. An oath says that for the sake of the earth or for the sake of heaven – let them all dissolve if I am lying. vi. Therefore, there were entire booklets at the time outlining what you could and could not swear by if you intended to break your oath. vii. James mimics Christ’s teaching in the sermon on the mount when he eliminates these as options for making oaths and vows. viii. Christ said that heaven was God’s home and that earth was His footstool. ix. The Jews desired to make oaths that were distanced from God but Jesus shows that you can’t get away from God in His creation. He is everywhere. Therefore, to swear by anything is to swear by God. x. James forms the same conclusion that Christ did too.d. [Slide 12] But let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no i. In other words, tell the truth. ii. Keep your promises. iii. If you say yes, mean yes. If you say no, mean no. iv. And in this, no one will doubt you since you are always trustworthy and truthful. v. This doesn’t necessarily make it sin to swear an oath where an oath is appropriate. In court hearings or in the taking of an office – oaths are appropriate. vi. In this vein, making a covenant with someone is akin to making an oath. When we promise to keep our membership covenant with one another, we are, in effect, giving an oath. vii. We offer vows in our wedding ceremonies – even in God’s name. viii. But for normal everyday life – we are not to swear oaths to prove we are not liars. Or to intentionally deceive others. Or to make bargains with God to get what we desire. ix. Instead, what we say should be what we mean. x. Why?e. [Slide 13] So that you may not fall under condemnation. i. This is one strong reason that I believe this verse should be included in this context. James again refers to the coming judgment of the Lord. ii. He insists that the Lord is coming soon, that he is coming to judge sinners and His people. He will deal compassionately and mercifully for the faithful but will condemn the faithless. iii. But why would God bring condemnation on those who swear an oath? iv. What makes this particular command to not swear an oath, above all? How does it relate to being patient? v. [Slide 14] There are two basic interpretations for how this is an expression of impatience.1. A foolish vow made promising something valuable in exchange for something else.a. Perhaps in his look back at positive examples of prophets and Job, James thinks of some negative examples of impatience and foolishness.b. Perhaps he thinks of Herod who in a moment of foolishness swore to his niece to give her anything she wanted. Which he regretted, since she asked for the head of John the Baptist.c. Or perhaps he thinks back to Japheth’s vow in Judges 11. i. For those unfamiliar with the story, ii. The Ammonites rose up against a branch of the tribe of Manasseh called Gilead. The tribe sought out Japheth’s help. Indeed, they were in such dire straits that they offered him leadership of the branch of the tribe. iii. Japheth begins by trying to settle the matter with the Ammonites. The king of the Ammonites did not listen. iv. At this point the Spirit of God was upon Japheth and he rode out to meet the Ammonites head on. v. Before doing so, he made a vow. He promised that if the Lord delivered the Ammonites into his hand, that the very first thing that came out of his house when he returned in peace, he would offer as a burnt offering to God. vi. God gave him victory over the Ammonites. But when Japheth returned home the first thing out of his home was his only child, a daughter who was too young to have been wed. vii. Although there are many attempts by several commentators to try to lessen the blow, it is obvious that after a period of mourning, Japheth sacrificed his daughter on an altar to Yahweh.d. Coming back to our context here, James is commanding his audience to not do the same.e. Do not enter a bargain or plea deal with God to trade alleviation of your pain, suffering, or trial for something you hold dear. Don’t swear to give something to God if He would only ease your pain.f. Instead, let your yes be yes and your no be no. You have said that you believe that God is good… so keep believing. You have said you trust God. So, keep trusting. There is no need to strike a deal. Simply be patient.g. Indeed, to strike such a deal is to imitate Gideon or Jephthah from the Old Testament and their very little faith in God’s promises.h. But another way we could see this is…2. A hasty vow made to escape persecution.a. Although similar in substance the details diverge quite quickly in this second interpretation.b. Similar to the first, an oath is made to attempt to get out of persecution or pain.c. However, this vow is not made to God but to the rich and powerful who are doing the oppressing.d. Perhaps James’ mind goes to the negative example of the disciples and in particular Peter.e. Peter made an oath, swearing that he did not know Jesus at all. All so he could not be captured along with Jesus and killed.f. James then warns against denying Christ, making a vow, swearing by heaven or earth or anything at all, that you do not know Him, so that you can be freed from the pain and oppression given to Christ’s followers.g. Instead, they should let their confession stand and take what they get. Their affirmation, their YES to Jesus should be a yes at all times and in all circumstances.h. If this interpretation is right, James has condemned in His letter any kind of salvation that does not include both confession and lifestyle. Just as it is not genuine saving faith to confess Christ but live as the world – so also it is not genuine saving faith to deny Christ but live in obedience to His commands. vi. All things considered I believe the second interpretation fits the context the best, but I think either interpretation would be suitable application to being patient. vii. James wants his audience to tell the truth and not make some kind of vow hoping to dupe their oppressors. To do so would show a lack of faith in God that He has good for them even in their trial, and it would be deliberately lying which God hates. viii. Therefore, patience in a trail does not attempt to weasel out of trouble by swearing an oath of non-affiliation with Christ.f. [Slide 15] Passage Truth: Through the entire passage now from verse 7 through to verse 12, James has emphasized the immanency of the Lord’s return. The Lord is coming to judge the living and the dead. He is coming to vindicate the righteous and punish the wicked.g. Passage Application: Therefore, they must be patient. They must wait on the Lord. And they can wait actively by not denying Christ to get out of their persecution or trial.h. [Slide 16] Broader Biblical Truth: Do we see this taught throughout the scriptures? I hope that by now you can see that point conclusively proven. God is at work to bring about the completion of His will. He has written the end from the beginning. He will soon return and usher in the last chapter of His plan.i. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, we must fight the urge to deny our Lord. When we are hurting, when we have a long trial, when we are in pain – we can do some pretty crazy things. Things that we wouldn’t normally do. And our actions become even more unpredictable as we add in things like persecution, suffering, and facing potential martyrdom. It may be tempting for us to distance ourself from God. We might think – “I can deny Him and then immediately repent of it after I am safely out of harm’s way.” There is a myriad of problems with such thinking. First, the Lord’s return is immanent. You may not have an opportunity to repent of your denial. Second, Christ’s words ring in our ears, “if you deny me before men, I will deny you before my Father.” Third, to make a vow or oath intentionally to deceive someone so you can get out of trouble is blasphemous and faithless. God HATES a lying tongue. Can you do something God hates on purpose and be a Christian? That is a thought worthy of consideration regardless of the answer. My friends, though we face uncertain days ahead – we must purpose in our hearts to let our yes be yes and our no be no. If we confess Christ, we must hold fast to our confession. In this we are being patient. For we do not fear what men can do to us – but trust that God is merciful and compassionate toward us – His people. Conclusion:[Slide 17 (end)] So what have we learned CBC and how then shall we live? I think we can wrap it up in a nice little bow by quoting Christ in Matthew 10:26-33. 26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. My friends. The Lord of glory is returning soon. He will come to judge the living and the dead. He will come to punish the wicked and reward the righteous. And we will give an account for every action we have done and every word we have spoken. Though we won’t face His wrath we will certainly face his judgment. One day, everything that has been said in quiet that people cannot see - will be shouted from rooftops and will be obvious to all. The light of truth will be seen even by the spiritually dead. And those who harm, maim, kill, and destroy us today… will not endure then. So be patient. My friends – I know I sound like a broken record. I know that you may tire of me saying it. And you may still be in denial about it. And while I still think that revival is possible and the rescue of this nation is possible – I think it would be healthy for us to come to grips with the very real probability that within the next few decades we may see actual, real, and intentional persecution of genuine Christians in this nation. In James’ day they faced persecution for eating and drinking the blood of their dead leader. Is this an accurate description of the Lord’s Supper? Of course not! But that is what they saw. And our culture will see the same things in us. It doesn’t matter how kindly or winsomely we disagree. They will still hate us simply for disagreeing. Very soon if we do not affirm (not just tolerate) but affirm the transgender, LGBTQA+ community, if we do not begin considering abortion a human right and only keep our disagreement in the realm of when we can abort and not if we can abort, if we do not admit openly that we not only need Christ to free us from sin but in addition we need to repent and make reparations for our inherent racism simply because we are a particular skin color. Very soon, my friends, if we do not bend or break on these matters. We will be persecuted. It has already begun. JP morgan chase has allegedly cancelled several accounts of religious freedom organizations and if they want their account reinstated, they must provide to JP Morgan Chase a list of all who donated to them. What if every bank in America did this? What if every credit card company did this. What if every employer did this. At this point it is probably too late. If you are here among us today – all your information – no matter how off the grid you think you are – your affiliation with Christ, this church, and our increasingly unpopular viewpoint on these matters – that connection is well established. Very soon – you may not be able to be a Christian and get a job. Or buy a house. Or get a loan. Or receive your pension or social security. Or find a lawyer to represent you. Very soon protestors may be meeting in the front of our church every week. Very soon, I may be hauled off to St. Clair County jail for teaching what the bible says. What will you do then? What should you do then? You should be patient. Why? Because the Lord is soon returning. Fortify your hearts. Don’t grumble against each other but draw near to one another. Look to the examples of those who have patiently endured suffering for His name. Look to them so you can gain the courage to patiently endure and rejoice when you are persecuted for His sake. Finally… Don’t deny Him. When the persecution of the church first began and Paul was hunting down Christians to haul them to jail. How do you think Paul found out where they lived? Some of them were fairly obvious. But some would have no doubt been hard to find. Do you think sons, daughters, friends, fathers, brothers, mothers, uncles, cousins, do you think they turned them in? Do you think they did so to escape persecution themselves? The same is going to happen here in this country. Perhaps even under the sound of my voice right now… a Judas walks among us. One who will turn us in to the authorities to escape imprisonment themselves. God forbid my friend. Steel yourself against such temptation! Do not forfeit your soul for temporary comfort! You cannot betray God’s people and expect to be welcomed into His Kingdom. Do not agree to any terms where you must deny your Lord or abuse His bride to save your skin. Instead, be patient. Suffer with us. Endure. Why? For the Lord will soon return. And He will show us the purpose and end of all of this. He will show us His compassion and mercy. Are we not worth many sparrows? Those whom the Lord has purchased with His death, earthen vessels He has chosen to store His treasure in, the bride of His Son… are we not worth much to Him? Don’t be afraid. Be patient instead. Wait on the Lord.

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Title: “Waiting Actively” Part 1Text: James 5:7-9FCF: We often struggle being patient for the return of JesusProp: Because the Lord is coming soon to judge sinners and show mercy to His people, we must be patient. Scripture Intro: ESV[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 5. James’ audience has several lacks in their faith. God is at work to perfect them and he is using trials to do so. The last lack that James exposed to them, was their lack of deference to God. A lack of placing God in His proper place. Through that section we see that God is the lawgiver and judge over His law, The Sovereign ruler over every atom in His creation, and the Lord of Heaven’s Armies able to justly punish the wicked. Not viewing God in this way, no wonder they have so many deficiencies in their faith. The god they believed in was quite puny. Coming out of this discussion of how High and Lofty our God truly is… James will disclose yet another lack in their faith. A lack… of patience. I am in James 5. I’ll begin reading in verse 7. I am reading from the ESV today but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1363 or in whatever version you have in front of you. Transition:We do a lot of waiting don’t we? We wait in traffic, we wait for trains, we wait on hold, we wait in lines, we wait for our internet connection, we wait for loading screens, we wait for our rides, we wait for our turn. With all this waiting, you’d think we’d be pretty good at it. Nothing could be further from the truth. One of the most difficult commands you could ever give your kids or grandkids to do… is to wait. To be still. You wanna see them go crazy… tell them to wait. In the midst of trial, pain, suffering, agony, difficulty, and living in a place that isn’t our home… God tells us… to wait. Turns out, that is incredibly difficult. Speaking of waiting… it will be a longer sermon today. Lots to talk about. Do your part to pay attention. I’ve done mine to shorten where I could. I.) The Lord is coming soon to judge sinners and show mercy to His people, so we must fortify our hearts. (7-8)a. [Slide 2] 7 – Be patient, therefore, brothers, i. As you teach children to strive toward reading comprehension, the word “therefore” becomes a huge talking point. ii. I’ve heard it taught many ways, “When you see therefore you need to figure out what its therefore.” Or various other trite little sayings. But they all boil down to this… iii. The word “therefore” points us back. iv. In fact, I don’t think we can consider anything James is going to say next without first going back and remembering what he just said. v. But how far back do we go? vi. Since the previous six verses were a tight unit, it seems like we should go back at least to chapter 5 verse 1. But based on what James intends to speak to next, I believe James wants us to go back further. vii. Looking ahead, the dominate theme through this section is the immanent return of a just and merciful Lord. viii. That theme alone indicates that the commands that James is about to give are based on all he has taught about God since the beginning of chapter 4. ix. God looms large throughout chapter 4 and into chapter 5 as The Just and Merciful God who will reject the proud but exalt the humble. x. He is Sovereign over every atom of His creation and He will make all things right. He will judge perfectly. He will judge finally. He will judge soon. xi. So James says, Therefore… based on all that… be patient. xii. Trust God. Be still. xiii. You desire and you do not have so you fight. Just stop. xiv. You aren’t King. You aren’t Lord. You can’t control anything about your life. Anything you think you can do is an illusion. God alone determines where you go, how long you stay, your success, your life, your breath. xv. Just. Stop. xvi. But they are hurting me! STOP! xvii. But those rich people – STOP! xviii. God has got it. He really does. Just be still. xix. When we are pressed on all sides we become like cornered beasts. We become unpredictable. We attack others who are in the same place. We become overconfident in our abilities thinking we can do better than God to get us out of trouble. We start to doubt God’s care that we are being harmed or that He will ever judge injustice or unrighteousness. We squirm and fret, and fear and bounce from this comfort to that. xx. James says… stop. xxi. Be patient. Wait. xxii. Well, for how long?b. [Slide 3] Until the coming of the Lord. i. There is no promise for a better life now. ii. There is no hope for wealth and relief now. iii. James does not tell his… PANIC STRICKEN audience to wait for earthly ease… iv. He says to be patient for the Lord’s return. v. Why? vi. For a heart that is truly seeking His Kingdom first – that is the only thing that will truly calm all our anxieties and put away all our fears. vii. EVERYTHING will be made right when the Lord returns. viii. We can find temporary relief in small ways – but the true alleviation of all this panic – is only going to be found when the Lord of glory returns. ix. Then James gives an illustration.c. [Slide 4] See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. i. Agrarian life is often the illustration of choice for teachers of the gospel. ii. The reason for this is not incredibly difficult to surmise. They lived in an agrarian culture. Most either were farmers or had farmers in their family to the point that they were familiar with the agrarian way of life. iii. But we probably need to understand their growing cycle because it is a little different than ours. Although, recently, not so much.1. Because of the climate of the middle east, they would experience very dry summers and very wet autumns and springs.2. Between mid-October and mid-November, they would experience heavy rainfalls. This would soften the ground preparing it to be planted. Through the winter months they would receive about ¾ of their total rainfall for the growing season. So, it would rain periodically until mid-March.3. Between mid-March and mid-April, they would experience heavy rainfall once again. This would finish up the growing and signal to the farmers that it was almost time for harvest.4. So, during one month in Autumn and one month in spring, they would receive about a quarter of their rain for the growing season. The first to germinate the seed and the second to stiffen the stems to hold the fruit.5. If a farmer were anxious, nervy, and impatient, he may find himself erring on two sides.a. If he does not wait and plants his seeds too early, they may be washed out in the heavy autumn rains that are yet to come.b. If he does not wait for the spring rains, fearing the dry summer, he may harvest too early and reap a small harvest endangering his livelihood and provision.6. It would no doubt be difficult to wait for these rains.7. But a wise farmer waits for early and late rains and reaps a more bountiful harvest.d. [Slide 5] 8 – You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, i. So too, like wise farmers, they must wait for the Lord’s return. ii. They must be patient and not get antsy or anxious. iii. Even though they are suffering and experiencing terrible pain and trial – they must not squirm under it. They must not flail themselves about, trying to go anywhere for comfort. iv. They must not act brashly or impulsively. v. But they also must not wait idly. vi. What does James mean by patience? He explains himself with the next phrase. vii. The idea of patience and waiting on the Lord is not idle. It is not twiddling our thumbs and tapping our feet waiting on His return. viii. Instead, they must establish, strengthen, or fortify their hearts. ix. They must hold fast to faith in the Lord. x. This is waiting actively. This is growing faith. This deepening trust. This is a faith that goes to the gym and builds up muscle in order to lift more and more. xi. Why?e. [Slide 6] For the coming of the Lord is at hand. i. Those who seek first the Kingdom of God will have everything put to right when the Kingdom is consummated. ii. And the Lord’s coming is at hand. iii. There isn’t much time for our faith to be perfected. There isn’t much time for our faith to lack nothing. That is why we must have growing and deepening faith. iv. The time to complete or perfect our faith is near. The Lord’s return is soon. v. But how can James say this if he wrote this 1,978 years ago? How could it be true both then and now? vi. There is no way that something could be considered soon almost 2000 years ago and also be considered soon today. Right? vii. Wrong. viii. The nearness is not chronological, nor circumstantial. It is unpreventable. ix. What I mean by that, is that the nearness of the Lord’s return is not in reference to time, nor in reference to the circumstances of history, but primarily in reference to the inability of any who would oppose it to prevent it from coming about. x. If we were to watch on the TV someone slowly filling a glass with water all the way up to the brim… we could say that the overflow of the glass is at hand. The nearness of its spilling out is upon us. Certainly, that could be time, and it could be circumstances, but primarily – according to where you sit – you have no power to stop it from happening. Even if you should turn your TV off… you cannot prevent it. You simply blind yourself to when it will occur. xi. There is nothing standing in the way of God that can prevent Him from returning and consummating His Kingdom. xii. So far, He has waited almost 2000 years since James wrote this. But today His return is no nearer nor farther than when James wrote. xiii. His coming is at hand. And we are not lunatics to preach this message. Those who wear the sign that warns of the coming of the judgment of God are not idiots. They are not crazy. They shouldn’t be corrected by God’s people to preach a message of love instead. xiv. For the warnings about the coming Judgment ARE a message of love. To whom? To those who will hear it. To those who repent it is indeed a message of love. xv. And to James’ audience… it was certainly a message of love. A message of hope. A message of relief. xvi. Their faith must last until He returns. xvii. Be patient. Wait. Fortify your hearts. Perfect your faith. xviii. The Lord is returning.f. [Slide 7] Passage Truth: So, the truth that James conveys to his audience here is that the Lord’s return is immanent. The day He will come to judge the living and the dead is upon them.g. Passage Application: That means they must endure. They must be patient. They must fortify their hearts. They must strengthen their faith. They must deepen their trust.h. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: Does the scripture as a whole teach us this? Absolutely. Old Testament prophesy regarding the Day of the Lord frequently refers to it as being immanent. As if it could happen at any time. Zechariah, Isaiah, Joel, and Obadiah to name a few – they all consider the Day of the Lord to be near. But how could this be true if Christ had not even come yet? Again, I would argue that the nearness of the Day of the Lord is not related to time or even the circumstances of the redemptive plan of God. Rather, the nearness of the Day of the Lord is always referring to the inability of anyone to do anything to stop it. God the Father knows the hour it will occur. And no one can stop Him from executing that plan. In this way… In Isaiah’s time the Day of the Lord was as near as it is today. God need only say the word, blink his bidding, or breathe his intention and the Lamb of God will come.i. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC – what must we do? If this is true, if God’s return is immanent, what must we do? We must be patient. We must wait on the Lord. But what does that mean? Does that mean sitting around, twiddling our thumbs, picking our noses, as if we are at the bus stop just waiting for the Lord to descend and begin His new Kingdom? Oh no my friends. Why? Because you and I aren’t ready. The King is coming. Indeed, He has already come once. But He is coming back. I know my faith isn’t ready. I know I still have many lacks that make my faith imperfect. Though it be a gift from Him, my use of it is shoddy and wavering. I believe – but help my unbelief. And I’d wager that yours is the same. Are you trusting the Lord? Is He your only hope? Or are you depending on your own cunning? Are you leaning on your wealth? Do you hope in the things of this world? Do you find comfort and peace in the fact that you aren’t nearly as bad as others in your country, your county, your church? Oh sinner listen. The bridegroom is coming. And our lamps are lit. But our oil is always running out. Are you sure you have enough? When He comes He’ll invite us to the wedding feast. But do you have your wedding clothes? Are you ready for the feast? Strengthen your heart my friends. Fortify your faith. As John 3:16 says – it is only the believing ones who will not perish. It is only the believing ones who will have everlasting life. Not those who believed once. Not those who believed a hundred times. Not those who got saved and rededicated themselves to the Lord 1000 times. No. It is only the ones who continue to believe who will be saved. For saving faith… is enduring faith. Fortify your faith, Christian. Transition:[Slide 9 (blank)] Being pressed on all sides, being persecuted by the rich, being squashed by the powerful for what they believe, they may find it difficult to remain still and fortify their faith for the Lord’s return. They may be tempted to act against the powerful or to curry favor with the wealthy, or to seek ways to alleviate their pain by their own power. But what else may they be tempted to do? What else do people do when they won’t be patient? II.) The Lord is coming soon to judge sinners and show mercy to His people, so we must not grumble against one another. (9)a. [Slide 10] 9 – Do not grumble against one another, brothers, i. When we experience great trouble of all kinds, we often turn on those closest to us.1. If you can’t do anything against your oppressor, you may start turning on others around you.2. Perhaps they are not as oppressed as you are, and so they earn your ire for being not equally squashed under the weight.3. Perhaps they are bearing up under the weight of trial better than you, so they are the subject of your envious complaints.4. Perhaps they inadvertently caused you hardship or trouble when you thought your hardship could not be worse?5. Perhaps they were supposed to be one you trusted and instead they added to your misery by sinning against you in some way. Though they sought forgiveness you are wrestling against forgiving them since they should have known better.6. Perhaps you have granted them forgiveness in word but are still privately grumbling against them or gossiping against them – spreading to others what they did to you.7. Perhaps you are simply sick of being oppressed and want to be the oppressor for a while instead.8. Perhaps you are under the deep conviction of the Spirit of God for your sin, false doctrine, or failures and rather than repenting and obeying the Lord you have started complaining about and blaming everyone else. You have doubled down on your sin rather than turning from it. It is, after all, far easier to crucify others for their faults than to crucify the faults in ourselves. ii. People also tend to lash out at those closest to them when they are made to wait for long periods of time for something that was promised to them.1. Look at the children of Israel in the Exodus from Egypt. What did they continually find themselves doing? Did they not grumble against one another and their leaders?2. As we wait, as we tire of the immanent return of our Lord being… immanent – we grow increasingly more frustrated with his children.3. As the dessert wanderings continue, as we wait for the promised land to be brought to us, we can lose the forest for the trees. We can focus on the back of the person in front of us rather than looking to the pillar of cloud and fire.4. And when we focus on the back of the person in front of us we can grumble about how fast or slow they walk. When they drop something, we can complain that they were so careless. When they lead us down a difficult path we can curse them behind their backs.5. Or perhaps we see beyond the backs of the person in front of us but not so far as to see the pillar of Yahweh… no we just see Moses. Ugh! Moses! What a terrible leader. I could do better than him. He is constantly doing and saying things that we’ve never done before. We had it so much better in Egypt. We should just go back. iii. Whatever the motivation, James spots our propensity to turn on each other when times get difficult. And he commands his audience to not grumble against one another. iv. But why must they not grumble and complain against others within their community of faith? b. [Slide 11] So that you may not be judged; i. The threat of judgment looms over this particular response to patiently enduring pressure, persecution and trials. ii. To turn on your brother or sister in Christ is to neglect to show them the love that you are commanded to give. The love of Christ. iii. It is most certainly and without question a grave sin to complain and grumble against a fellow believer. iv. Unfortunately, It is a sin we often tolerate within the church.c. [Slide 12] Behold i. James implores his readers to look. To pay attention. To listen. ii. They may take his warning of judgment to be a separate matter from what he has been discussing with regard to the return of the Lord. iii. But friends, as one commentator put it - “Christians will not face God’s wrath on judgment day, but we will face God’s assessment of every word and every deed.” iv. And by the way…d. [Slide 13] The Judge is standing at the door. i. The same judgment of the coming Lord against sinners, the same judgment that gives comfort to those who are oppressed, the same judgment that they are supposed to be waiting on and be patient for. ii. That judgment is the warning James issues to those who grumble and complain against other brothers and sisters in Christ. iii. What is the implication? iv. The implication is that we do not want to be caught maligning one of God’s children when the door is opened. v. The judge is standing at the door, ready to enter the home. vi. Do not lay a finger on His own, lest he open the door to find you standing over them. vii. The husband will not be pleased with any who abuse His bride.e. [Slide 14] Passage Truth: The truth that James conveys in this passage is the immanency of the return of Christ to judge the world. Indeed, that judgement is to the comfort – but also the concern of God’s people.f. Passage Application: Therefore, his audience must not groan or complain against God’s people. They must not be found griping or complaining about their fellow brothers and sisters lest the judge deal harshly with them. g. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Truth: As we have seen, the scriptures as a whole teach the immanent Day of the Lord. God will bring justice. And none can rise against Him.h. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, what must we do? We must not grumble or complain about one another. Necessary caveats must be inserted of course. We can and should be lovingly pointing out sin in others lives. We can and should be marking, pointing out, and avoiding false teachers who are a danger to the church. But this is not grumbling. This is not complaining. Complaining is comparing yourself to others and either determining that they should be like you or you should be like them. In both instances, you complain or grumble about how you aren’t the same. Your words and thoughts assume that if they were like you, then they would be better off. Or if you were like them, you would be better off. It is a sin borne out of misery and oppression. It is a sin borne out of impatience. Whether oppressed by sin, by conscience, by oppressors, persecutions, trials or tests – the longer we spend in these places, and the longer we are made to wait for deliverance, the more likely we will look for a target to vent our discomfort. And rather than giving our brothers and sisters an opportunity to mourn with us, we secretly despise and complain about their joy amid our grief. Rather than giving our brothers a chance to rejoice with us, we secretly hope they feel jealousy over what we have that they don’t. Rather than listening to and submitting to our leaders, we raise accusations against them but never afford them an opportunity to answer them. We raise small armies of rebels without going to them directly. CBC – do not do this. Do not do this to your brother or sister. And do not do this to your leaders. Do not grumble. Conclusion:[Slide 16] So CBC, what have we learned today and how then shall we live? We have learned only 1 point of doctrine. One point of teaching that James needs us to hear and understand. The Lord of glory – the just and merciful judge – is standing at the door. He will return very soon. Nothing is able to stop Him from His appearing. We are living in the last days. The cross of Christ was the breath before we plunged down under the water. But even now we are just below the surface. We wait only for the Lord to fish us out. What does this mean for God’s people? What may our faith yet lack that trials are serving to perfect? Patience. We must be patient. We must wait on the Lord. But James, wisely, under inspiration of the Spirit of God, does not leave us to define patience on our own. I’d wager we’d make a muddled mess of it if we tried. Patience can mean a great many things. But holy patience – patience from God – patience as a fruit of the Spirit – that is what James outlines for us. He defines patience in 4 actions. We’ve seen the first two this week and we will see the other two next week should the Lord allow us. The first action we must take is to endure. To fortify our hearts. To steel ourselves against the coming pains of this age. Commentators and systematic theologians all point out that it is not we who fortify or strengthen our faith, but God who does this. Who can argue this point? It is so plainly taught in scripture. Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” But it is also plainly taught that those who “wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” We are taught that we can grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, although the source of our growing and strength is the Lord – there is clearly a human responsibility associated with being God’s children. We don’t simply sit back and wait for God to fortify our hearts. But when we do wait rightly on Him, He will renew us. So how do we wait rightly? God gives us various means through which He promises to fortify and strengthen our faith. We call them the ordinary means of grace. Not saving grace or converting grace… but sanctifying grace. What are these means? They are the reading, teaching, preaching, study, discipleship in and memorization of His Word. They are the fellowshipping of Christians with one another in love and service. They are communion with God through prayer both private and corporate. God dispenses His grace and strengthens our hearts through these means. Not because we did them, but because He is merciful and loving to us His children and has determined to meet with and aid us through these means. We are comforted in the long wait for His return by our close proximity to Him, His Word, and His people. As James said earlier, when we draw near to Him… what does He promise to do? To draw near to us. God also offers a strengthening of our hearts through the special means of grace. He dispenses His help to us to fortify us against the delay of His return and the pressure and trials we face. He does this through signs and symbols in which He dispenses more of what the signs and symbols mean. These special means of grace are called Sacraments. We see two in the scriptures. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In both these events in a believer’s life and in the life of the church, God meets His people at the symbol and sign, dispensing grace to strengthen our faith, even though the sign has no spiritual value in and of itself. Do you not feel joy and hope and renewed strength when a new believer emerges from the baptismal waters? As you emerged from them do you not feel a great strengthening of your faith and increase of your awareness of God’s love and the love of His people? As you partake in the Lord’s Supper do you not sense a deep and renewed strength and hope in the atonement of Christ? Are you not propelled to mortify your sin all the more as you grind the symbol of the body of Christ between your teeth? Do you not hate your sin all the more and love His atonement all the more as the ink of His blood that He used to sign the New Covenant is poured down your throat? My friends, God has provided to us various means by which we may renew our strength for the difficult wait we have ahead. If you do not avail yourselves of these means… you cannot hope to be patient. You will stir in your anxiety and fear as the pressure increases all around you. Draw near to God my friends. And He will draw near to you. The second action, is an action we must NOT take if we are to wait on the Lord. Those who are patient do not grumble against one another. When we are near to our King and looking forward with patient expectation to His glorious return, there is not anything our brothers and sisters can do that would earn our ire. When we are seeking His Kingdom and righteousness first – above all – silly squabbles about secondary or tertiary doctrines, personal convictions, deeply held preferences, minor offenses, holy traditions, or petty jealousies – all of these will pass us by without us taking notice. Why? Because our eyes are on Christ. We are actively waiting on the Lord’s return in glory. Peter did not notice the waves while His eyes were on Christ. When we see a brother stumble and fall, we help to pick them up. We confront sin and help them get victory. When we notice a wolf seeking to pick off a sheep, we close ranks and shout out the wolf’s name… Joel Osteen! Kenneth Copeland! Over here, there is TD Jakes! Watch out, it’s Steven Furtick! Benny Hinn on the East! Bill Johnson on the West! Brigham Young – REMEMBER Mormons aren’t Christians! - we want to make sure every sheep knows the name of the wolves so they can mark them and avoid them. But none of this is grumbling or complaining against our brothers. With reference to wolves, they are not our brothers. With reference to correcting sin, it is not complaining but helping in love. But when we complain, gossip, backbite, malign, criticize or vent our frustrations about brothers or sisters in Christ over things that do not matter such as their preferences, their beliefs on secondary or tertiary doctrines, their convictions, their idiosyncrasies, or quirks – we are not being patient. We are not waiting on the Lord’s return. Instead, we have taken our eyes off the eternal to focus on what is temporary. And as it was in Israel, so it is often the case that this is directed against spiritual leadership. Look with me at Hebrews 13. Probably just a few pages back from where you are in James. Look at verse 17. I want to show you something. [Slide 17(end)] “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” When we are tasked with waiting patiently but the wait is long. When we are tasked with seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first, but that is a long process. We tend to let our eyes lower. We take our eyes off the King and look below Him. For the Israelites, they took their eyes off the pillar and looked at Moses instead. They didn’t dare criticize Yahweh. They knew what would happen if they did. But Yahweh’s prophet – sure why not. This is difficult for me to say because, having transitioned to an Elder led church I have emphasized the Sheep Side of Elders. That we are fallible people, humans, just trying our best to serve the Lord. But the other side of the coin must be taught on occasion. My friends, be so very careful what you say against those whom God has raised up to care for your souls. Oh be very careful my friends. Why? The writer of Hebrews tells you. You are tasked to very simply… obey your leaders. Certainly, you must pray for, minister to, and care for us – but above all, your duty, your command from God is to obey your leaders. To submit to our leadership. If we tell you something that is in accordance with scripture – then you must listen. You must submit. You must obey. Why? Because we are tasked with watching out for your souls. Yes, we are mere men. But God has placed us in a position to watch over you. And you are not always great at watching out for you… are you? Do you think that someone who is biblically qualified to lead might be able to see potential spiritual dangers in your life? Do you think that when we tell you to do or not to do things that we may actually be trying to prevent you from SHIPWRECKING your faith? But what if we are just drunk on power? My friends the argument is the same as the rich who oppress. If you have abusive leaders – God will judge them. Both in this life and in the life to come. Your job is not to determine the motive of your Elder’s instruction prior to your submission. Furthermore, it is not your Elder’s job to convince you a course of action is biblical beyond a shadow of your doubt before he earns your obedience and submission. It is simply your responsibility to submit. And if the Elder is rotten… God will hold him accountable. God is the one who gets vengeance. Not you. Why must we be a people who submit, who are not troublesome to our Elders? So we can watch out for your souls with joy. And get this… so we do not do it with… groaning. That is the SAME EXACT word James uses here. Do not grumble against one another. You can actively help your Elder to wait on the Lord and not grumble against you… by obeying and submitting to his leadership. What is at stake if you don’t? Your advantage. Your submission is ultimately for you. Having Elders who are constantly frustrated at your rebellious nature, constantly tired of having to convince you to listen, constantly beaten down from having to chase you up, down and all around to get you to follow… that is not an Elder that will give you any benefit. You have worn him ragged. Stop grumbling about your leadership. Stop complaining about their decisions. Stop questioning their competence. If you have concerns or wonder if they made the best choice or are teaching something correctly… you make the first move. You reach out. You offer advice. And if we are truly Godly men – we will listen, hear, consider, and possibly even change course. And my friends the Elders of this church have done that… OVER, and over, and over. We have listened, considered, and changed course on several things in only a year of Elder leadership. What does that mean to you if we don’t alter course after you voice your concern? It means you can rest assured that we are probably right and you are probably wrong. Wait patiently for the Lord’s return. Do this by fortifying your faith and by not grumbling against your brothers and sisters in Christ. And next week, we’ll see two more ways we can wait actively for the Lord’s return.

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Title: The Global Purpose of God’s Individually Given FavorText: Psalm 67FCF: We often struggle seeing the global vision of God in our individual blessing.Prop: Because God’s plan and provision for His people is a global plan, we must praise the Lord. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Psalm 67. Perhaps you were a little shocked to hear Psalm instead of James. I was a little shocked myself.

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Title: “Get Off His Throne” Part 3Text: James 5:1-6FCF: The ungodly wealthy often appear to be the true success stories.Prop: Because God will bring misery upon the ungodly wealthy, they must weep for their doom. Scripture Intro: LSB[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 5. Over the last two paragraphs in the book of James we have considered a lack that his audience may have. A lack of which God has Sovereignly placed trials in their life to rid them. It is a lack of proper deference to God. Not putting God in His proper place. They had taken God’s throne, and needed to get off it and let Him be God. The first symptom of this lack is their malicious speech toward other believers and their retribution or vengeance against a brother for some crime against them. James calls his readers to the reality that God alone is the lawgiver and judge of His law. He will separate the innocent from the guilty and He alone will assign the proper punishment for those who violate His law. He doesn’t need someone to fill that role. He’s got it covered. The second symptom of this lack is their presumption to be in control of their lives. From where they will go, how long they will live, and what they will do, they may consider themselves to be the author of their own destinies. That with the right amount of grit and determination they can do whatever they put their mind to. James calls his readers to the reality that God alone is in Sovereign control over EVERY SINGLE ATOM of his creation. And wherever their lives take them and in whatever situation they may find themselves, they must begin with the assumption that God, and God alone, has decreed that they be in that time and place. Even when we are tempted and even when we fall – God has designed even this for His glory and if we are His children, He has also designed it for our good. But this last text is by far the most obscure. While we may easily figure out how God must be reverenced here, it may not be easy to see how that connects to James’ audience or their lack of giving deference to God. And if we can’t figure out how it connects to James’ audience, it will be very difficult to see how it connects to us. But I assure you – at the 11th hour – we’ll make that connection I am in James chapter 5. I’ll be reading from the LSB today, but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1363, or whatever version you prefer. Starting at verse 1. Transition:One of the many joys in parenting is the times that you get to correct your children when they are not expecting it. Like when you are correcting your youngest for their behavior and bad choices, only to turn to your oldest right after that and say – and why didn’t you stop them from doing what they did? My how the tables have turned!

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Title: “Get Off His Throne” Part 2Text: James 4:13-17FCF: We often struggle accepting that God is Sovereign over all.Prop: Because mankind believing they are in control is evil, we must sincerely believe that God is Sovereign over all. Scripture Intro: LSB[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 4. After taking a break for Easter last week, I am happy to get back to the book of James. We are entering the home stretch here. After today we will only have one more chapter to go before we close out this hard hitting letter. James began chapter 4 identifying where quarrels and fights came from and how to remedy them. But he did not only speak of fights with other believers but fights with God too. The solution to all of this is for them to turn from sin and submit to God. The last time we were in James, we only looked at two verses which served as a transition. He connected quarreling and evil speaking to the problem of not being submitted to God. His point was that God alone is the lawgiver and judge of His law. Therefore, as believers we do not have the right to speak with malicious intent about one another, nor do we have the right to assign punitive action toward other believers. At the heart of this James reveals yet another lack that their trials are serving to root out of their lives. A lack of proper deference to God. God alone is the lawgiver and judge. Therefore, when they try to maliciously speak evil of others and judge one another – they are sitting on HIS throne. As the title indicates, today, James will continue with a different expression of this lack. I am reading today from the Legacy Standard bible starting in verse 13 of chapter 4. You can follow in the pew bible on page 1363 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:Have you ever heard your kid say something that every other parent thought was innocent, but because you are their parent, you knew it wasn’t? How did you do that? Because you can read between the lines. You know them well enough that you know what is being said with the words not spoken. James knows his audience. And he knows that they have got some learning to do regarding one specific topic. I.) God controls all things and man controls nothing, we must sincerely believe true doctrine. (13-15)a. [Slide 2] 13 – Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” i. The only command in this paragraph is stated immediately. ii. Come. The kind of person who is to obey the command is defined later. iii. This violates a guideline of homiletical construction. iv. I was taught in sermon crafting that if you have the application of a passage that commands the reader to think differently – then you have misidentified it as the application. It is actually the truth statement of the passage. v. The application must be an action. Something you must do. vi. I’ve been preaching to you for almost 7 years. And I can tell you that that guideline has never been wrong. vii. Until today.

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Go ahead and turn in your bible to I Timothy 3. We won’t linger long this morning. I wouldn’t call this a sermon. A sermonette rather. Yet I still intend to challenge you today. To get your wheels turning. By the end of this little sermonette, I want you to know the real Jesus. The one we’ve read about, sung about, prayed to, and worshipped this morning. It is so very important that you know the real Jesus.There are two major holidays that we could call, with very few caveats, Christian holidays. They are Christmas and Easter. And contrary to what your school teachers may have told you – the Roman Catholic Church did not replace pagan holidays that occurred during these times with Christian holidays. This point isn’t really the focus of my little Easter Sermonette, so I don’t want to dive too deeply. Perhaps if you want to discuss it further this Wednesday at bible study we can, but the overwhelming evidence suggests that the early church knew the day when Jesus was conceived, born, and died. Thus, their selection of both Christmas and Easter were not arbitrary or a papering over of pagan holidays- but actually down to the day celebrations. In our church we virtually ignore every other holiday. Why? Because when we are here on a Sunday, we are stepping into the shadow of the Kingdom that is coming. For a brief few hours, we get to experience what the New Kingdom will be like… at least in a shadowy, incomplete, and imperfect way. I can confidently say that we will not celebrate Memorial Day, Independence Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day or any other holiday of this sort in that New Kingdom. And while I am not as confident to say that we will definitely celebrate Christmas and Easter, I can say for certain that we will celebrate the meaning of these holidays in the New Kingdom. That is why every Sunday we celebrate Christmas and Easter – because every Sunday is a celebration of God the Triune, the gospel, and the hope of the New Kingdom. At Christmas time, we focus primarily on the humanity of Christ. This makes sense, since he was incarnated and born on this date. He took on a human nature. He became all God and All man. Why did Jesus have to become a man? Well because the only way for Him to become a true representative for us – as Adam was for us – was to become a human Himself. A good deal of the early church councils and creeds were aimed at protecting the true gospel against heresies that threatened the teaching of Christ being truly human. But at Easter, we focus on the deity of Christ. That Christ took on a human nature without sacrificing any of His Divine Nature. Unlike some interpretations of Philippians 2, Christ did not empty Himself of His Divinity so that He could make room for His humanity. Instead, He emptied Himself of His reputation. He humbled Himself by adding human nature to His divine. Subtraction by humble addition.But, why do you suppose that God’s Messiah, His Savior of His people, would need to be truly God? Could God not find any human being able to save His people? Was there no human capable of being a second representative? I think the Old Testament alone proves that conclusively. The only being faithful to God in the Old Testament… was God. Do you think that mankind got better after the Israelites were subjugated to various other super powers? If the most pious people of their day were the Pharisees, and Jesus said that their righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees, what hope did humans have for another representative?Not only that, but then you get into Paul’s letters and realize that to be a descendant of Adam means you are inherently unable to represent humanity, since he was your representative, and thus you are guilty along with him. But even if you were to somehow not be a descendant of Adam – you could never represent God’s people. Why? Our sin. Our sin can only be borne by us. A human, even if he were somehow not in Adam’s line, could at best bear the wrath of God against one other human. He would expire and be eternally destroyed long before any other human being would be atoned for. A perfect human who never sinned could conceivably atone for 1 other person’s sin. Trading their place with one other. But God desired to save all His people. Jesus said that as many as the Father had given Him, He would save. He would not lose any. Paul said that just as all were dead in Adam, many would live in Christ. This is why our Catechism question #23 says that our Redeemer must be truly God because in His divine nature His obedience to the law and suffering for His people’s sin would be perfect and effective for them. That He would be able to endure the full righteous anger of God against sin – and overcome death. In order for God’s people to truly have their sin paid for and to be rescued from the doom that awaited them for their sin, they had to have their new representative conquer sin and death for them so it wouldn’t all end at their death. And they would need their new representative’s righteousness to be accepted by God. No mere human… even if they had never sinned… could do that. Whoever God’s Messiah was… He had to be God Himself. But how do we know that Jesus is God? Paul says in I Timothy 316 And we all agree,[a] our religion contains amazing revelation:[b]He[c] was revealed in the flesh,vindicated by the Spirit,[d]seen by angels,proclaimed among Gentiles,believed on in the world,taken up in glory. The word vindicated here; is the word we use for “righteous.” That Jesus was proven to be righteous by the Spirit. He was proven to not be a liar or a blasphemer… but to be telling the truth. How? By the resurrection.What exactly did Jesus claim of Himself that he needed to be vindicated for?- IN ADDITION to what He said about His own resurrection- That He fulfills the law (Matthew 5:17-20)- That He is the Son of God (John 10:36)- The He and the Father are One (John 10:30)- That He always did what was pleasing to God (John 8:29)- That He is the Great I AM (John 8:58)If Jesus can predict His own resurrection – then we immediately gain confidence to believe everything else He claimed He was.And Jesus, unequivocally did NOT claim to be a mere –prophet, good man, seer, defender of the oppressed, soldier for equality, voice for the weak, or an example to follow –No one has any problem believing in these kinds of Jesuses.First of all, it is historically and archeologically irresponsible to not believe that a human being lived during the first century named Jesus. He was from Nazareth. He was born in Bethlehem. He lived much of his adult life in Galilee. He was baptized by John the Baptist and crucified by the Roman government. To deny this is to ignore or disagree with several trustworthy historical accounts of the time.Second, no one has any issue with Jesus being a prophet. Even the greatest prophet. Pagans, atheists, Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah’s witnesses, and your neighbor down the street – they all believe he was a great prophet and a good man. Oh they are fine with him being a religious and pious person for sure. What a shining example to follow.Third, no one has any problem believing Jesus was a defender of the oppressed, a solider for equality, and a voice for the weak. In fact, Jesus has become the mascot of various causes from abortion, to trans rights, to the LGBTQ+ agenda, to illegal immigration, to racism and partiality, and various other seemingly counter biblical causes. Why is Jesus their mascot? Because, according to their understanding of the Jesus of the bible, Jesus fought for equality. He loved all equally. He only spoke harshly to those who held strict religious beliefs. He worked to free people from the bigotry against various groups of people exercising their right to love whoever they wanted. Jesus healed women with issues of blood which is basically helping her with an operation which is be used to abort a baby today. See! Jesus is for our cause. He gets us. He wants us to be happy!My friends… no one has any problem believing all of this about Jesus. Until when? Until He claims to be God. That is something that they cannot abide. As long as Christ is a mere human… a good human… a loving human… no one has any problem. But Jesus did not claim to be a mere human.He claimed to be God. He assigned to Himself all the qualities, characteristics, attributes, and responsibilities of God the Father. He said – I and the Father are one.Furthermore, to the chagrin of those who use him as a mascot for their ungodly lifestyles – He claims to have exclusive authority to sort and separate His sheep and the goats. The sheep He will guide into everlasting life and the goats to everlasting death. That sounds fairly judgy doesn’t it? He doesn’t seem to be accepting of all people does He? In fact…In the gospels alone, we find examples of Jesus calling out sin – and not just the sin of the religious elite. He called out the sin of harlots, tax collectors, pagans, thieves, murderers, fishermen, zealots, and even greedy poor people. He told people to pay their taxes. He told people to stop worrying and fretting over what they would eat or what they would wear. He told people to love their enemies and pray for those who oppress them – not fight against them or do anything they could to break free. He claimed to be the Lord that people in the last day would come to seeking heaven and He would be the one to decide where they went. And He even reveals the standard by which He will judge. Did He know them? Not did they know Him… but did HE know THEM. But that isn’t the only standard. Did they keep His law? This seems like two things but they are actually one. Only those whom He knows keep His law. Those who do not keep His law, are those He does not know.Jesus as God, the second person of the Godhead, the Lord of all, the Righteous Judge, the Holy One of God, the Son of Man coming to the Ancient of Days – This Jesus is a Jesus that no one wants. Why?Because if He is God… then all must bow the knee and confess that He is God.But secular humanists, pagans, and atheists are not the only people who do not want to think of Jesus as God.Liberal Christians squirm under this, claiming that Christ’ deity was only a later addition and that the early church did not believe it in actuality. But Ignatius, Polycarp, and Aristides all confess it to be true and they all wrote before AD 125. The latest of which is less than 35 years after the death of John the last remaining apostle.But in many ways liberal Christians are the black sheep… the fringe of Christendom- a group that many Christians consider to be at best woefully deceived but in all likelihood – not believers at all. But even in OUR circles. Even in Conservative Baptist Evangelical Churches… some do not want Jesus to be God!They are fine with Jesus being their Savior. They are fine that Jesus had to be God in order to rescue them…but they have absolutely no desire for Jesus to be their Lord. But my friends – Easter… The Resurrection proves that He is both. Only God Himself could claim what Jesus claimed. And what did Jesus say? If you want to be my disciple, you must forsake all your earthly goods and follow me. You don’t get to be saved by Christ if you are not also committed to living for Christ and Christ alone. There is no such Jesus who is Savior only. And you don’t get to have Jesus in two stages. He is either Savior and Lord or He is neither your Lord nor your Savior. Why? Because He is Lord of all no matter what you believe. No matter what you think. No matter what you pray or do. He is Lord of all things. A position given to Him by God the Father. And all men will bow and confess that Christ is Lord. This is why the gospel invitation to accept Christ as Lord or invite Him into your heart is hopelessly flawed. Because He already is Lord and He needs no invitation to come into your heart. In fact, He is the one who puts repentance and faith into the hearts of His people. He is the one who puts His Spirit into the hearts of His people. The world didn’t invite Him to come as a baby. The world didn’t ask for Him to be raised from the dead. And the world isn’t wanting Him to come again. And yet all of those will be. Jesus’ resurrection is a rebuke to every fake version of Jesus. Every deficient form of Him is put to rest by the fact that He endured the cross, died, was buried, descended into hell, and rose the third day. With his death, burial, descent, and resurrection He declared victory over the sin, death, Satan, and has effectively established His New Kingdom. To the extent that upon His ascension he sat down at the right hand of God. And He will only rise from that throne when it is time for Him to consummate His Kingdom. So my friends – if your image of Jesus is something deficient – let this Easter be the one that you reject that idol that you have made. Do not worship the facsimile. Worship the real Jesus. Have true faith in the real Jesus.That true faith is described quite well in the Athanasian Creed, written around AD 400. I’ll only include a portion of it this morning – but here is what you must confess and believe if you are sure to have true faith from God.“Now this is the true faith: That we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, is both God and human, equally. He is God from the essence of the Father, begotten before time; and he is human from the essence of his mother, born in time; completely God, completely human, with a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as regards divinity, less than the Father as regards humanity. Although he is God and human, yet Christ is not two, but one. He is one, however, not by his divinity being turned into flesh, but by God's taking humanity to himself. He is one, certainly not by the blending of his essence, but by the unity of his person. For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh, so too the one Christ is both God and human. He suffered for our salvation; he descended to hell; he arose from the dead; he ascended to heaven; he is seated at the Father's right hand; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. At his coming all people will arise bodily and give an accounting of their own deeds. Those who have done good will enter eternal life, and those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.This is the catholic faith:one cannot be saved without believing it firmly and faithfully.”So, my question to you today is… do you have the right Jesus?

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Title: “Get Off His Throne” Part 1Text: James 4:11-12FCF: We often struggle with speaking evil against and judging other believers.Prop: Because we inadvertently take God’s place when do so, we must not speak evil against or judge other believers. . Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 4. Today James is in the midst of a transition. He is leaving but has not quite left the context of conflict among God’s people and with God Himself. And he is coming to but not quite gotten to the next lack of his readers. His tone shifts, but shockingly the reprimand seems almost more severe than before. It is a perplexing passage with twists and turns that we might not expect. So, let’s get to it this morning. I am in James 4. I’ll begin reading in verse 11 from the ESV but you can follow along in the pew bible starting on page 1362 or in whatever version you have in front of you. Transition:Any counselor, psychologist, therapist, or psychiatrist worth his salt, has in his office or is at least acquainted with 1 book called the DSM. DSM stands for “The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.” The contents of this volume include various identified and organized behavior patterns observed in human beings since the beginning of psychological study. These behavior patterns serve as tools to diagnose certain disorders or abnormal conditions of a person’s life. As Christians this is a helpful tool for us to come to certain conclusions about those whom we counsel, although the labels we might use and the solutions we might recommend would differ – sometimes drastically – from the secular science of psychology. Why am I bringing this up? Well, James, in the span of the next 12 verses, will give 3 separate patterns of behavior. All of which he diagnoses with the same problem. The same lack. James provides his audience a manual to determine if they might have such a lack… and if so… what to do about it. Let’s start in verse 11. I.) Since we are no longer doers but masters of the law when we do so, we must not speak evil against or judge other Christians. (11)a. [Slide 2] 11 – Do not speak evil against one another brothers. i. After 10 commands obviously tied together into one overarching thought, James issues another command. ii. He again addresses his readers as brothers. Has anything changed? Is it a different group of people now? Weren’t they just adulterers, sinners and double-minded? iii. Yes. They were. But James’ message doesn’t really change regardless of what they are. He assumes they are brothers because they share a common confession and faith in Christ. iv. That doesn’t mean that some of them aren’t Christians. That doesn’t mean that all of them are definitely Christians. That doesn’t mean that all the true Christians he writes to are acting like Christians. v. It does, however, show us that James is changing his tone a bit. vi. At the end of chapter 2 and into chapter 3 he really started to bring some very difficult things to bear upon them. He showed them two faiths, the danger that the tongue presents, two wisdoms, and the two conflicts they have found themselves in. vii. Addressing all their lacks, reaching a fever pitch, James points out some rather fundamental things wrong with his audience and in particular these would be teachers who desire the esteem of being a teacher – but lack the qualifications. viii. But now, after expressing his strong corrections and calling them to repent and submit to God, we see James come back to calling them brothers. ix. In this we might think that James will move to less serious matters. In fact, we may be tempted to think that he is coming back to talk about a Christian’s speech. x. Why would we think that? Well… xi. He commands them to not speak evil against one another. This is obviously a sin of their speech. However, the next lack is only revealed by our speech, but our speech is not the heart of it. In fact, the next lack may be the most egregious yet. xii. So, let’s start to unpack this. xiii. “speak evil against” is the translation of one word in the Greek. It is, however, the best translation. xiv. Other translations render the word “slander” “speak against” “criticize” and “Speak evil of” xv. The word has the prefix which means beside or against and the root word to speak. xvi. If we took the beside meaning we might think of a false accusation or talking behind their backs – but more likely the against meaning is intended. xvii. This means that whether or not the things said are true is not really the focus on James’ prohibition. Instead, it is that it is malicious, evil, and against a brother in Christ. xviii. This means anything that is said to maliciously attack, demean, harm or otherwise besmirch the good name and reputation of a believer, whether it is true or not is what James is prohibiting. xix. This would NOT include a cautionary warning of false teachers – since James and many other apostles have done just that. xx. This would NOT include protective naming of names of those who have abandoned the faith. xxi. This would NOT include the merciful and purity driven church disciplinary proceedings. xxii. The crux of it is the “malicious intent” of the speech. xxiii. Anything said on purpose to destroy, undermine, or smear another brother in Christ – is what James prohibits. xxiv. And what is the context of this evil speech against a brother? James is in the process of transitioning away from quarreling and fighting with God and one another. xxv. So, it may be best to view these evil words spoken against a brother as words uttered in the midst of conflict. Words designed to raise an army against another believer by maliciously defaming him. xxvi. James will now move to explain why such smear tactics are out of bounds…b. [Slide 3] The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother i. James hits us with the truth point of this passage, but not before he piles on what could be seen as an expansion of the command of the passage. ii. [Slide 4] He says that the person who speaks against a brother – which is clearly drawn from his previous statement. Why the ESV did not go ahead and add “evil” in their translation I am not certain. It is the same root word as before although it is in participle form now. Perhaps we should add that evil intent back in. iii. However, he goes on to add – “or judges his brother” iv. What does it mean to judge our brother? v. To judge can mean many things in scripture. The basic meaning of the word is simply to render a decision. It is to form an opinion of someone either positively or negatively. It is to observe, analyze and discern. vi. However, as we look at the context, we can determine fairly quickly that this is not the nuance James intends. vii. Instead, James uses this word similarly to how Jesus uses the word in the sermon on the mount. viii. Jesus said to judge not unless you desired to be judged because you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge. ix. It is obvious that Jesus, by saying “do not judge” is actually saying “judge carefully and rightly” by doing so with humility and mercy. How do we know that?1. Because he says that you will be judged by the standard you judge others.2. He then goes on to say that you should take the log out of your own eye so you can clearly pick out the dust in your brothers. Again – judge, but not until after judging yourself.3. Later in that same chapter Jesus says to JUDGE false teachers by their fruit. x. In other words, to judge does not mean to point out wrong doing. It is not to correct sinful behavior or doctrine. If that was the case every apostle would be guilty of judging. xi. Instead, to judge in this context means… to censor or call to account. xii. To judge is to impose sentences upon others or to punish others for failing to meet your particular standard. It is to reach and carry out a final punitive decision. xiii. [Slide 5] Remember a couple weeks ago when I gave the example of my daughters and their Legos?1. When Moira knocks over and breaks apart Waverly’s Legos…. Waverly desires a good thing. She desires justice.2. She applies the following standard of justice to this particular case.a. There is never a good reason to destroy something that you did not make.b. Her sister acted out of malice and hatred in destroying what she (Waverly) had made.c. Waverly would never do and has never done something so cruel to her sister.d. Such a crime is inexcusable and must be brought to trial immediately.3. And so, having applied this particular standard of judgment upon the crime, she has a brief hearing in her head.4. In this hearing she is simultaneously the witness, the prosecuting attorney, and the jury.5. Since Moira did not attend the hearing… in her head

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Title: “Humble Peacemakers” Part 2Text: James 4:6-10FCF: We often struggleProp: Because God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, we must submit ourselves to God and turn from sin. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 4. Last week, I admit, I kind of left you all on the edge of a cliff with no real way down. Perhaps you couldn’t take it and looked ahead in the passage to figure out where James is going. Perhaps you could guess where James will go. Perhaps you have no idea what I’m talking about

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Title: “Humble Peacemakers” Part 1Text: James 4:1-5FCF: We often struggle keeping peace with others.Prop: Because our differing, worldly, and unmet desires produce conflict, we must be humble peacemakers. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 4. The connection between last week’s message and this week’s could be obscured if you lean heavily on chapter divisions. But as you will soon see, the connection is fairly obvious. We have a whole lot to get to today so I want to be careful with time in this intro. Let’s get right to the reading of the text. I’ll start in verse 1 of chapter 4. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible starting on page 1362 or whatever version you prefer. Transition:Have you ever had a fight with a spouse, sibling or friend and by the time the fight ends no one can remember how it started or why? With all these lacks, especially the lack of pursuing humility and peace – I’m sure that tensions in are on the rise in these churches to which James writes. But I’m also sure that James’ audience has no idea where its coming from or why. James is going to clue them in. I.) Differing unmet desires produce conflict in the church, we must be humble peacemakers (1-2)a. [Slide 2] 1 - Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? i. If those who are peace-makers are the ones who will reap the harvest of righteousness… ii. If those who have wisdom from God produce the works of humble kindness that come from that wisdom… iii. Then James’ next question is one to which every one of his readers should already know the answer. iv. Or at least they should know what isn’t the right answer. v. It isn’t from God. He only gives good and perfect gifts. vi. We’ve seen faith from demons, tongues from hell, and wisdom that is demonic… perhaps these quarrels and fights come from demons too? vii. I have no doubt they do – but we cannot forget from where we are tempted. Are we not lured and enticed by our own desires? viii. So where do quarrels and conflicts among us come from?b. [Slide 3] Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you? i. While we would certainly be in error to claim that the Devil and his servants never oppress, hunt, and seek to destroy us – we would be equally in error to claim that they have power over God’s people to make them disobey the Lord. ii. No, the weapons of the enemy are not compared to giant spears or catastrophic battering rams – but rather to fiery… darts. Their devastation does not come from their power but rather from their precision. iii. The demons are only successful because they have so much to work with in us. iv. They know exactly where to strike and how. v. And the unprepared, the unarmored, the boastful and the selfish – well they are easy prey for these hunters. vi. [Slide 4] Instead of saying “inside you” as the NET translates this text – the Greek actually says “among your members” vii. Most translations make the interpretational decision for you, but since he still has the backdrop of discouraging many of his readers from becoming teachers of the Word of God because they are unqualified and would cause disorder in the church – we could see this still in reference to the church. viii. So rather than quarrels and fights coming from passions that battle within a person – there are quarrels and fights because there are passions that battle within a congregation. ix. This interpretation makes much more logical sense in that warring passions inside a single individual would more logically lead to confusion or inconsistency, whereas warring passions in a congregation would certainly lead to conflict. x. However, the first interpretation proves it is also valid as James continues. xi. Conflict and quarrelling are not problems that exist exclusively outside the body of Christ or even outside of an individual Christian. The battle rages in the church and in each member of the church. xii. But James desires to drive this point forward.c. [Slide 5] 2 – You desire and you do not have i. James restates the problem. Our passions are warring within us and/or within our gatherings. ii. Those passions and desires are not realized. They are not met. This is when conflict occurs. iii. Are these passions evil? Are these desires wrong?1. I think from the context we can see that James may not primarily be talking about evil desires.2. But how can we have righteous desires that lead to conflict?a. When my youngest daughter knocks over and breaks apart my eldest’s Legos – my eldest does what? Of course! She screams, yells and possibly hits her sister. This is certainly… conflict, yes?

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Title: Two WisdomsText: James 3:13-18FCF: We often struggle demonstrating true wisdom.Prop: Because heavenly wisdom produces works of humble kindness, we ought to do works of true wisdom and true wisdom only. Scripture Intro: CSB[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 3. Today we will find ourselves in the middle of a transition. James is still talking about how would-be-teachers should think long and hard about becoming a teacher of the Word. His first caution focused on their speech and how dangerous our tongues can be. Now he will give another argument as to why they should think twice about becoming teachers. I don’t think that if we said that teachers of God’s Word should be wise, it would be a controversial statement. I think most people would agree that if you are going to teach the Word of God, then you must be wise or at least that such a task would require wisdom. But James has already talked about wisdom. So that cannot be the next “lack” that he raises, can it? Is he repeating himself? We will find that the true definition of wisdom is only a segue to get to the actual lack that his audience may have. If they desire to teach, and have this lack, it would be quite disastrous for themselves and the church. The next lack – is lacking humility and peace. We might quibble and say that those are actually two lacks. But as James continues, I think we will see that there is no peace without humility and there is no humility that does not bring peace. Therefore, both are necessary for each other. I am in James 3. I’ll start reading in verse 13. I am reading from the Christian Standard Bible today, but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1362 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:Oftentimes parents use questions to bait their kids into incriminating themselves. It is one of the many pleasures that parenting brings?

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Title: “Unqualified Teachers” Part 2Text: James 3:5b-12FCF: We often struggle bridling our tongue.Prop: Because the tongue is by nature destructive and hard to control, we must not flippantly desire to be teachers. Scripture Intro: LSB[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 3. Last week we began James’ next lack. A lack that God is using trials to purge from James’ audience. In that process, if their faith is genuine, it will persevere and will be matured. This next lack is their lack of control over their tongue. But in order to understand what James is saying… we have to remember all that he has said. Particularly what he has said recently. If we don’t put James 2:14-26 behind this entire discussion. If we aren’t thinking with the backdrop of comparing a dead and lifeless profession with a faith proven by obedience and good works. Then we will quickly start to wonder if James has some sort of split personality disorder. Why? Because, he plays hopscotch with several themes throughout this chapter. Is the tongue a good thing or bad thing? Is one able to control it or not? What does our control or lack of control imply? For instance – in this discussion of the tongue – last week the tongue was capable of guiding the church. It was the gateway to bridling the entire person. Certainly – a good thing, yes? Yet today James will paint it as a very terrible thing. And just when we think that we can say – yes our tongues are capable of both great good and great evil – James says – IT OUGHT NOT BE THIS WAY! It should be one way or the other. That is why, as one commentator aptly observed, this passage is a riddle. A riddle that we must seek to solve. I am in James 3, I’ll begin reading in verse 1 again. I am reading from the Legacy Standard Bible, but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1362 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:[Slide 2] Add 5 to 9 and get 2. The answer is correct, so what am I? This is an example of a riddle. The nature of a riddle is to make a statement that seems to not make sense. In order to solve such a discrepancy, you must perceive the statement as more than the sum of its parts. In this case, the statement appears to be a simple math problem. We add 9 to 5 and get 14. Yet the answer is 2. But what if we weren’t adding raw integers, but were adding something else? Have you figured out the answer? [Slide 3] Yes! A clock. A clock only uses up to the integer 12. Adding 5 to 9 would take us past 12 and reset us at 1 before taking us to 2. In a similar way, James will make statements in this context that seem to contradict what he has already said. Therefore, we must look for missing pieces of information, in order to solve the riddle. I.) Because the tongue is by nature destructive, we must not flippantly desire to be teachers. (5b-6)a. [Slide 4] 5b – Behold how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! i. James interrupted a series of illustrations about the tongue to comment that the tongue, though being a small member, boasts of great things. ii. We saw last week that this statement is either neutral or even a positive statement. iii. Afterall, the illustrations he has made up to this point have been positive.1. A small bit controls the whole horse guiding it in the way it should go.2. A small rudder controls the whole ship guiding it in the way it should go. iv. So, for the tongue to boast of great things – is not necessarily of evil things. v. As we saw last week, pointed toward teachers, a teacher can use his tongue as an effective tool to guide the whole congregation or even to bridle his entire person. vi. This week, James continues illustrating the capabilities of the little member called the tongue. vii. However, this next illustration takes us in an obvious negative direction. viii. How much fire is necessary to set a whole forest ablaze? How dangerous is a floating ember next to a dry cornfield ready for harvest? How small a spark is required to ignite a powder keg? ix. This is the image James conjures to our mind. x. Such a little flame can do an inordinate amount of damage – can it not? xi. At first, the illustration is not clear. Why is James suddenly talking about forest fires?b. [Slide 5] 6 – And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; i. That’s why. ii. The tongue is a fire. iii. The tongue is the small member that is able to cause disproportionate catastrophe. iv. Remember that I said in the introduction that we needed to think about this passage with James 2:14-26 in mind – otherwise we will be very confused. Well, it all starts here. v. Certainly, if we isolated this one phrase, we could argue that fire is both profitable and destructive. But in the context, James is clearly saying that fire is bad. Very bad actually. Its destructive force reaches heights far beyond its initial creation. vi. Comparing the tongue directly to fire in this context – we must conclude that the tongue is a terrible thing. For proof of that, we need only keep reading. vii. This fire that is our tongue, is the very world of unrighteousness. viii. “the world” is actually a tricky expression. It can mean various things in various contexts. ix. There is debate on whether it means the order of unrighteousness or the whole of unrighteousness. x. But as one commentator astutely points out… it doesn’t actually matter because the basic meaning is the same. xi. The tongue’s sin capacity extends to the full gamut of all that we might call unrighteousness. xii. A similar expression is stated by Paul when he says that the love of money is the root of all evil. xiii. There is no category of evil that cannot be reached by the love of money. xiv. In the same way, there is no category of unrighteousness, no destination of wickedness, that our tongues cannot reach. xv. If James sees our tongue or our speech as this great evil – how could he have suggested that it was capable of good at all? xvi. I believe James gives us a clue to interpreting his riddle in the next three phrases. xvii. Let’s look at what all three say, and then we will try to answer the riddle.c. [Slide 6] The tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, i. At first glance, this seems to be a contrasting statement to the one in verse 2 in this chapter. ii. In verse 2 James said that if anyone doesn’t sin with his speech then he is perfect and able to control his entire body. Here James says that sinning with our speech defiles our entire body. iii. However, there are some key differences in these two expressions making them much more different than they are alike.1. In verse 2 the verse is set as a conditional statement. If A is true then B is true. And also C. But here there is no condition that needs to be met for B to be true.2. In verse 2, the responsibility of meeting the condition is placed squarely on the shoulders of the individual. If they do not stumble they are perfect and able to control their entire body. However, here, the tongue, the world of unrighteousness, is set or placed or made among our members. iv. As we interpreted verse 2 last week, a person who does not stumble with their speech is a mature believer – one who is qualified to teach. v. The counter point here is not that those who stumble with their speech are an immature believer and unqualified to teach. Instead, James seems to be saying that this is every human’s default position. vi. Our fire of a tongue, that is the very world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members and it defiles us. vii. [Slide 7] Go with me to Matthew chapter 15. It is quite small on the screen, so it would be best if you want to follow along to turn there yourself. That is page 1110 in the pew bible. viii. When we studied the book of I John, one of the things that John said in the opening of that letter, was that all that the apostles taught was from Christ. Because Christ was the Word of God given to us. ix. Therefore, it shouldn’t be difficult for us to find direct links to what Jesus taught in every single context in which the apostles write. x. Here is what James is getting at. xi. Let’s read verses 1-20 and I’ll make some comments1. Notice the context. The Pharisees and Scribes are insinuating that the disciples of Jesus are ritualistically unclean because they have not washed their hands before eating bread. This idea is an addition to God’s law made from their own traditions.2. Jesus points out that this tradition is not from God by completely ignoring their critique and asking why they choose to obey tradition which violates God’s law. He cites a particular tradition which allows for someone to give a great sum to the temple in order to avoid giving a greater sum to care for their own parents. Such a tradition was formed and applied by the teachers of the law, enabling people to disobey the command of God to honor father and mother.3. Jesus then calls them hypocrites and cites Isaiah. Notice what Isaiah says. They honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. In vain they worship, teaching as doctrines the commands of men. So they are confessing the right things but living differently. And specifically, they attempt to worship God while simultaneously teaching things that are in conflict with God’s commands. They confess to believe in honoring father and mother but are condoning practices that allows people to get out of helping them.4. Then Jesus calls the crowd over and says – what goes out of the mouth is what defiles the man. Defilement, true defilement, does not come from outside but from inside. How we speak defiles us. In their case, it was their teaching of things contrary to God’s commands.5. The Pharisees took great offense to this statement. To which Jesus said – every fake Christian will be judged. Let them alone. They are unqualified false teachers leading ungodly fake Christians to share their doom.6. Then Peter asks for Jesus to explain the parable. And I’m glad he did. Even though Jesus points out the slowness of his understanding.7. Jesus’ point is made plain.8. What passes our mouths, goes into our stomachs and the waste material is released from us and flushed away. But with our hearts, it works in reverse.9. The heart is evil, and wicked, and desperate. It is unknowable. It is unpredictable. And out of that heart the mouth speaks.10. Jesus’ point is that mankind is defiled already.11. Our heart flushes wicked waste through our mouths.12. Jesus points out elsewhere that those who believe on Him will not be condemned but those who do not believe on Him are condemned already. Meaning that mankind is defiled already and deserving of wrath. Not believing on Christ is not the catalyst for judgment. Not believing is simply a byproduct. A waste product from a heart already defiled. Simply being human is the catalyst for judgment, because we are all born sinners. xii. [Slide 8] This is exactly what James seems to be saying here. Natural man’s tongue is the exhaust pipe of the pollution producing idol factory of our hearts. xiii. And that sludge drips from our lips from before we can even form words. We lie, complain, insult, and express unholy anger – while we are infants in diapers. xiv. And unqualified teachers, who cannot bridle their tongue, will teach traditions of men and promote their own agendas and opinions rather than teaching the commands of God. xv. What devastation the natural man’s tongue can do!d. [Slide 9] And sets on fire the course of our existence, i. All of our existence, all of human history, every moment of every man’s life… ii. Is set on fire by our potty mouths. As we spew out all that our hearts flush. iii. We belch and vomit the deepest wickedness of our hearts, blowing the arrogance of our own traditions and it splatters all over ourselves and it even pollutes the church. iv. How much black sludge does it take to ruin a pure white robe? v. So, our tongue sets alight our entire existence, but what about after our natural lives? e. [Slide 10] And is set on fire by hell. i. Hell, or Gehenna here typically refers to a place of punishment. ii. The very fire of our tongues is kindled in the flames of our own judgment. iii. It is difficult to know whether James is saying that the source of the flame is from hell or the end of the flame is to hell. Perhaps – both is actually true. iv. Doctrines of demons have prevailed in so called churches since the beginning of Christ’s true church. They have led many astray – but make no mistake – one day they will be burned in the very fire which ignited them in the first place.f. Coming to the end of this verse, we cannot conclude that James is referring to believers with living and saving faith who are unable to control their tongues.g. Instead, by context and by the closing argument in verses 10-12, which I know we haven’t even gotten to yet – we must understand James to be speaking of someone who may have a profession of faith – like the Pharisees – but who are using their words to teach traditions, opinions, and/or teachings that contradict God’s law. Like the teaching which said we are saved by faith alone and can live as we wish.h. These teachers or would be teachers are unable to control their tongue. Thus, not only are they unqualified to teach, but also, their holiness is worthless.i. Remember, pure and undefiled religion before God is the care of widows and orphans in their oppression and keeping yourself unstained from the world. If indeed our tongues, the very world of unrighteousness, are staining and defiling us… then our holiness is worthless. Our religion is fake.j. [Slide 11] Passage Truth: James teaches that the natural state of man is to be born already defiled. Humans are born in sin. Human tongues are the window to see the true nature of the heart. Furthermore, the natural man’s tongue is capable of great devastation disproportionate to its physical size. Whether that is false teaching, anger, prejudice, quarrels, gossip, lying, backbiting – all these, and many more, leave devastation in their wake. k. Passage Application: The command for them in this passage is a carryover from last week. Not many of them should become teachers. Why? Because the tongue is capable of great devastation. If they cannot control it, they could destroy themselves and the church. l. [Slide 12] Broader Biblical Truth: Does the scripture as a whole teach this truth? Jesus says in Matthew 12:37 that a man will be acquitted or condemned by his words. Yet he also teaches that all men are condemned already and that men speak from the wickedness of the heart. Combining these teachings of Christ, we see this exact truth laid out for us. Our tongues prove who we truly are. They do so by wreaking great catastrophe, the very world of unrighteousness, staining ourselves and others. If our mouth speaks from the heart – and our hearts are naturally desperately wicked and unpredictable – then our words will be desperately wicked and unpredictable as well. What great damage natural man’s words can do. If a person is unqualified to teach since they cannot bridle their tongue, they could do great damage to themselves or even the church. Much like the Pharisees had done to the people of their time. As Jesus described them, they held the keys to the kingdom but neither went in themselves nor did they allow any others to go in. Such is the danger of an unqualified teacher who cannot bridle their tongue. m. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must be very cautious to desire the office or role of teaching Gods’ Word. Certainly, people are looking to teachers as models to follow. But even arrogance and pride can creep into the words spoken allowing for traditions or opinions to take center stage rather than the glorious gospel of Christ. Transition:[Slide 13 (blank)] But is the only danger of the tongue in its destructive power? Is there another layer to this onion? II.) Because the tongue is by nature indomitable, we must not flippantly desire to be teachers. (7-12)a. [Slide 14] 7 – For every kind of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. i. James either speaks here in exaggerated language or is referring to a time long gone. ii. Perhaps James is referring to Adam in the garden or even Noah who lived with and cared for two of every kind of animal for about a year. iii. More likely his point is that mankind has set his mind to taming many different animals and has succeeded in doing so. The Greeks actually drew great pride from the human being, a creature capable of reason, being able to dominate all manner of beasts. iv. But what about the tiny beast within our mouths?b. [Slide 15] 8 – But no one can tame the tongue; i. Once again, we feel the strain of the riddle. ii. James has already said that if anyone is not able to bridle his tongue then his religion is worthless. iii. James has said that if someone is able to not stumble in speech then he is a mature believer. iv. So when James says that no one can tame the tongue, we are immediately perplexed. v. But, much of the groundwork has been laid to help us interpret this rightly. vi. Natural man, by the exertion of his own will, can tame many beasts – but the small member of his own body – his tongue – he cannot tame. vii. It is, as we’ve said, an involuntary window into the status of the soul. And man can never truly hide who they are for very long. Eventually their speech will betray them. viii. Notice how the Pharisees allowed for and taught that you could give a large sum to the temple in order to not give a larger sum to your parents. How does such a teaching arise as acceptable, if it is not set alight by the fire of greed and selfishness? ix. But even as believers I think we can conclude the same thing. That were it up to us entirely, we would not be able to tame the tongue either. x. Augustine comments on this passage and I find his insights astute. xi. [Slide 16] He says, “He [James] said this not in order that we should tolerate this evil but in order that we should ask for divine grace to tame our tongue.” xii. In other words, of all men who walk this earth, it is only those whom the Lord promises to give grace in time of need, who can actually tame the tongue. But even then, it is only because of the grace of God.c. [Slide 17] It is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. i. Why can no natural man control his window into his soul, called his mouth? ii. Why can a teacher without a bridled tongue not help from teaching things that contradict God’s commands? iii. Because the tongue is restless. It is unstable. It is unceasing in motion and fickle. iv. It wants to be open and vent the deepest depravities of our hearts. v. And we use it to spew death. It infects and infests us and all who are around us. vi. Words can turn the most loyal of allies into the vilest rebels. Words can demonize and marginalize those whom we should love and respect. Words can lead a revolution against those we have been told to submit to. vii. The venom of that old snake is alive and well in the tongues of those who are his children.d. [Slide 18] 9 – With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. i. Again, the riddle presents itself. ii. We might be tempted still to cast this in a view that Christians are vacillating between praising God and cursing others. iii. But we must first see what it means to curse others. Then we can make the conclusions that we need to. iv. To curse others is to pronounce judgment upon a person. It is to issue a sentence of divine punishment. It is to say, “Go to hell.” It is to say “be accursed.” v. Jesus mentions something like this in Matthew 5. He says you have heard it said that whoever murders shall be guilty before the court. But I say to you that everyone who says to his brother “Raca” shall be guilty before the Sanhedrin or “you fool” shall be guilty enough to be thrown into hell. vi. We pointed out in our study of Matthew – which will have been 6 years ago this April (whoa!) – that to call someone a fool is to essentially call them godless, pagan, and deserving of hell. vii. This is what it means to curse someone. viii. Therefore, instead of reading this and seeing this as praising the Lord and saying a bad word, or praising the Lord and insulting someone, we should instead see this as praising the Lord and pronouncing eternal judgment on another person. ix. Have you heard preachers or teachers stand behind a pulpit and wish someone to burn in hell for their sin? Or perhaps they even express their desire that people suffer harm or death for simply not holding to their man made tradition like a version of the bible or a standard of modesty? Have you heard the satisfaction in their voices as they almost revel in the wrathful end of others made in the image of God? Does God even rejoice in the death of the wicked? x. It is not possible my friends to truly worship God and also act as the judge of those created in His image. xi. There is one exception to this which if we have time on Wednesday we can discuss that.e. [Slide 19] 10 – From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. my brothers, these things ought not to be so. i. If indeed the tongue cannot be tamed by any man – Christian or otherwise. If indeed, no man is able to control his tongue – then James cannot possibly say that this ought not be. ii. He may desire it to not be this way! In which case he would have said, “I wish this were not so, my brothers!” But to say, “This ought not be so my brothers” reveals that he believes that those with living faith and those with pure and undefiled religion, should be able to bridle their tongue. iii. Thus, with these words, he implores them to cleanse themselves of the pollution, the double mindedness. These concepts keep repeating themselves in James. To be double minded, to be stained, to be defiled. James calls them to purify themselves. Why? Because only pure and undefiled holiness is acceptable before God. iv. And now he sets out to prove this by illustrations from nature.f. [Slide 20] 11 – Does a fountain pour forth from the same opening fresh and bitter water? 12 – Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can saltwater produce fresh. i. We are immediately struck by the same imagery that we have seen in Christ’s teaching. ii. A good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree bad fruit. iii. Christ cursed the fruitless fig tree for bearing no fruit. iv. Christ pronounced woes on the Pharisees for being white washed sepulchers full of dead men’s bones. v. My friends – a fresh water spring produces fresh water and fig trees produce figs. vi. So also, a true believer with genuine saving faith will be able to bridle his tongue. Not perfectly – but progressively. A man in Christ will master what unbelievers cannot control. And a man or woman qualified to teach, must be a mature believer – meaning he or she bridles their tongue. vii. But a fake believer, a false teacher, will eventually be known by the way they praise God with their lips and use the same lips to curse others.g. [Slide 21] Passage Truth: James with the same base layer of teaching makes a separate point from his first. He reveals that it is man’s nature that determines what flows from their mouth. Indeed, he reaffirms this with his closing illustrations. But the point he adds to this, is not the destructiveness of the tongue, but the indomitability of the tongue. The tongue cannot be tamed. At least not by human will.h. Passage Application: Therefore, many of them must not be teachers. For their tongues will slip from their hold and reap the whirlwind. i. [Slide 22] Broader Biblical Truth: Do we see this in the rest of scripture? The psalmist asks the Yahweh by His covenant name to place a guard on his mouth and to protect the opening of his lips in Psalm 141:3. Negatively Proverbs 15:2 says that the fool spouts out folly. Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Our tongue is devastating and uncontrollable. Indeed, without the divine help of God almighty we would have no hope to bridle it and keep ourselves from spewing our folly. But for those in Christ, we ought to be different.j. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must not be hasty to desire the office or role of teaching the Word of God. For a teacher uses his tongue often. But to take such an untamable beast from its cage week in and week out, without relying on the grace of God to contain its bite… to remove it from its shackles, in our hubris thinking we have mastery over it – we will surely see it break loose from us. Only those who have learned to tie their tongue with the strands of God’s grace should consider the role of teaching His word. Conclusion:[Slide 23 (end)] So, CBC, what have we learned today and how do we live? We have learned two very important details about the nature of our tongue. And these two concepts are laid upon 1 foundational principle of doctrine that we must believe. The first concept about our tongue we actually saw last week. Last week we saw that a tongue that is under control is a sign that a person is mature in their faith. They have a living and saving faith that has produced a maturity in them. Such people ought to be teachers. They have a valuable asset in their speech – able to guide the church in the truth of God’s Word. But – From this week, we saw how the tongue while being capable of great good, is perhaps even more capable of terrible devastation. Which wouldn’t be so bad if it were not for it being so unpredictable. The foundational doctrine that we must see through all this is from James – but really – it is from Christ. What comes out of our mouth will either acquit us before God’s judgment or it will condemn us. Why? Because the mouth is a window to the soul. That which a man speaks, so is he. So what do we do with this text? I believe it has a few implications for us. First, given the nature of the responsibility of teaching the Word of God, it puts an immediate pause on any flippant aspirations toward becoming a teacher of God’s Word. We spoke a little about this last week, but it is a message worthy of repeating. Friends, our church needs teachers of God’s Word. We need people who will be willing to take God’s Word and teach it to others. We need young men to prayerfully consider whether God may be raising them up to be future Elders of our church. We have 6 Elders right now. But who will be our Elders in 20 years? 30? 40? What about Biblical Counselors? Who will engage young women and men with the Word of God teaching them to live upright lifestyles? Though the need is great for us to have teachers of the Word… greater still is the need for those teachers to be qualified. And one of the primary qualifications of a teacher of God’s Word is that they are able to bridle their tongues. Not only reigning in their doctrine, but even their anger, their prejudice, their quarrelling, their slander, and their curses. This leads me to a second point of application. My friends, we are children of God who have been called out of darkness. James makes it plain that we are new creatures in Christ. Our natures have been changed. We have the Spirit of God living in us. This doesn’t mean we will be perfect. But it does mean that we ought to bridle our tongues. It does mean that we ought to praise God with undefiled lips. We ought to use our words to sow peace and love among God’s people. We ought to confess clear doctrines which we have received from the beginning and not venture into fantasy or niche theological hobby horses. If it is true that your mouth is the vent for your soul – then vent the love, mercy, trust, hope, peace, and grace that God has filled you with. Let your living faith shine through what you say. Don’t grumble or complain, don’t back bite and destroy, don’t criticize and undermine, don’t sow discord or cause strife, don’t drum your opinions or spout your hubris – but instead be a fountain of living water. So that people might come to your words and hear the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. That He has made you alive and changed you to be His child. The whole world can fight and squabble. Indeed, see the news? The world of unrighteousness is quite adept at quarreling and spouting their deeply held opinions. How different we would be if we were to lovingly preach Christ crucified for sinners. If our mouth flows with the waste of our hearts… let the waste be only the mercy and grace of God that is exceedingly abundantly more than we would ever ask or need. May our cup run over. May we use our words seasoned with grace and sweetened with honey, to build one another up and tear down strongholds of the evil one. May we all aim to be qualified teachers of the Word of God.

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Title: “Unqualified Teachers” Part 1Text: James 3:1-5aFCF: We often struggle with desiring to be teachers but lacking self-control.Prop: Because teachers face a stricter judgment on their words, we must not flippantly become teachers of God’s word. Scripture Intro: LSB[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 3. Last week we finally finished up what is the core of James’ letter. Unfortunately we had to look at it in three parts, so we could see it deep enough without keeping us here for 3 hours. Today James will shift the discussion again, but the point he makes next is another that we will have to divide up. I hope that we will be able to see it all in only 2 parts, but no guarantees. What is a teacher? And when you find that answer – who is qualified to teach? Is it the person with the most degrees? The highest IQ? The oldest? The youngest? Does it matter what the teacher is teaching? This is where James will take us next. I am reading in James 3. I’m reading from the LSB today but you can follow along in your pew bible starting on page 1361 or whatever version you prefer. Transition:There is much to get to today concluding with a look at what this passage did to me this week. We best not waste time. I.) All believers fail the Lord but teachers will be judged more strictly, so we must not flippantly become teachers of God’s Word. (1-2a)a. [Slide 2] 1 - Do not, many of you, become teachers, my brothers, i. James’ telltale shift in theme occurs again here in verse 1 of chapter 3.1. Going back to the beginning of the book we have seen him move us along in this way several times.a. 1:2 – Consider it all joy my brothersb. 1:16 – Do not be deceived my beloved brothersc. 2:1 – My brothers do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.d. 2:5 – Listen my beloved brotherse. 2:14 – What use is it my brothers2. And again, here in verse 1 of chapter 3. ii. Part of the reason that the progression of the book of James is so difficult to map, has to do with these shifts accomplishing so many things all at once.1. Chapter 3 does begin a new lack that his audience may have, for which the Lord is giving them trials in order to purge from them. That new lack is self-control and specifically, the control of one’s tongue.2. As I stated several weeks ago, all of James flows into and out of his discussion of faith and works. Just because we have left that particular lack, does not mean we have left behind its teaching. Which colors our discussion of the lack of control of the tongue. More on that in a bit.3. But this is also connected to the other two foundational lacks James has already mentioned. The lack of wisdom, of a godly perspective, AND of a faith that works - are all contributory lacks to the rest of the letter, and nearer to us, to this particular lack.4. In addition to this, the theme he brings to bear in chapter 3 has already been mentioned in seed form.5. So, what passages in James have a direct connection to the teaching on how we should speak? It connects to chapter 1:2. It connects to chapter 1:5. It connects to 1:12 and 1:13; 1:19 and 1:24 and 25; Also, to 1:26 and 27. Surely it would connect to Chapter 2:1-4; 10; 12 and 13; and 14-26. How do you outline something like this? It is a spider web of connected thoughts that cannot be unwound from each other.6. But to keep us from losing the forest for the trees, what is James saying here in verse 1? iii. James gives a command to his brothers. And that command is… sobering. iv. Do not become teachers. v. Of course, the command is softened by the addition of the words “many of you.” vi. In other words, this is not a prohibition of any of his audience becoming teachers. This is not a prohibition of any of his future readers becoming teachers. vii. But it is a recognition that becoming a teacher is not something that all or even many are wise to pursue. viii. But what does James mean by becoming a teacher? Mathematics, Science, poetry? Do not the scriptures say that we are to teach one another? Are only some to teach one another? Are not Fathers to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Are not older men supposed to teach younger men and older women younger women? Are we not to teach one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs? ix. [Slide 3] James’ definition of a teacher must be interpreted to mean an authoritative expositor of the scriptures to the church. Each word in this definition is important. x. With every word, we can surmise that James is not precluding scriptural discussion, discipleship, or parenting. Certainly, we all should, in some capacity, be teaching others the scriptures. xi. Indeed, Timothy’s mother and grandmother were commended by Paul for teaching Timothy the scriptures from his youth. xii. Very clearly James refers to those drawing out the true meaning of a passage of scriptures and applying it to a church body in an authoritative way. xiii. Certainly, it would be an Elder, but really anyone who stands before the church to teach the scriptures and expect people to hear and heed the Word. xiv. [Slide 4] James’ command then, is that not many of you should become these kinds of teachers. xv. Two questions, both of them starting with why. xvi. Why is James issuing this command?1. Although we could see the language in this text translated as “Stop becoming teachers” the almost unanimous consensus of translations is as the LSB has translated this. Do not, many of you, become teachers, my brothers.2. What does that mean?3. It means that James sees a problem forming before it actually happens. And where he goes in the next two chapters helps to flesh out the need for his command.4. Becoming a teacher, particularly a teacher as we have described, brings with it some measure of authority, power, and prestige. Such a position of honor would be sought after by many… for the wrong reasons. xvii. The second why question though, is why must they listen to James’ command?1. There are some serious problems in the churches to which James writes his letter.2. Chapter 3 and 4 will note some of those problems. I don’t have time this morning to read ahead and point some out to you but even a quick perusal of these two chapters would show us a church, that if it had a bunch of teachers living this way, it would not end well.3. James sees the writing on the wall and as a concerned pastor – he commands many of them to rethink their desire for a teaching role. Why?b. [Slide 5] Knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment. i. James’ command has become a warning. ii. To those who are considering becoming a teacher… they should know… they will receive, or they will experience a harsher or as the LSB says, stricter judgment. iii. Confirming our case for interpreting “teacher” in the way we did, James includes himself in this warning. He too will be judged more strictly. iv. Who is judging these teachers? Of course, we must say the Lord Jesus. For it is His teachings that are being given. His life that is being taught to be observed and obeyed. He is the Great Shepherd and he will judge… strictly… those who care for His sheep. v. But what should we say about this stricter judgment. Is it more severe? Is James saying that offenses of a teacher will be punished more harshly than those of a student? Or is James saying that the lives of a teacher are judged more rigorously than those of a student? vi. It seems best, as we look throughout the New Testament to assume the latter. That the stricter judgment given to teachers is not harsher for failure but is instead more difficult to pass. vii. Think twice, maybe three times, before becoming a teacher of the Word of God. For teachers will be judged to a stricter standard than the students. viii. Although false teachers and their students are both condemned in scripture, it is only to the teachers that Paul says – let them be accursed. ix. But where is the sharpness in this warning? Teachers are judged by a stricter standard… so what? What have we to fear? We have been declared righteous in Christ have we not? x. Indeed, but are we not yet, still sinners?c. [Slide 6] 2 – For we all stumble in many ways, i. James said earlier that to violate the law in one point is to violate the whole law. ii. To transgress God’s commands in one area is to transgress all God’s commands. iii. In a similar idea, James reveals why many should not become teachers. Yes, they will be judged more harshly. But all men stumble in many ways. iv. James uses the concept of stumbling to speak of sin or of transgressing the law of God. Perhaps we could say, transgressing unintentionally. v. And James includes himself in this statement. He too is not immune to being led off course from following after the Lord’s commands. vi. Putting these two concepts together1. Everyone has difficulty staying on the path that God has laid out for us.2. Teachers will be judged by a higher standard than the students.3. James is, in essence, saying exactly what Paul said in I Timothy and Titus. People who are to authoritatively preach the word of God to the church, must be those who are above reproach and blameless.4. Not perfect… but certainly holy and godly. Their character is such that for some to claim they had major and pervasive sin problems that are controlling their lives… would be unthinkable and must be investigated to be believed.5. This is what it means to be blameless. And they must be blameless.6. For, as James says, they will be judged by a harsher standard.d. [Slide 7] Passage Truth: James’ point is that all of us trespass against the Lord’s law – but teachers are held to a more rigid standard than students.e. Passage Application: Knowing this, there are many among them that would make terrible teachers. Incurring judgment on themselves.f. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: Do we see this point made in the rest of scripture? There are two components of the statement but both of them are verified throughout the scriptures. Not only do all believers continue to unintentionally sin, but also, teachers of God’s word are held to a higher standard than others. Having gone through some of the Old Testament prophets, including Isaiah and Hosea, we have seen the indictment upon the priests for their continued mockery of God and misleading of God’s people. And certainly, we’ve seen in our dives into individuals like Abraham and Rahab, that even though they were declared to be righteous by God for their faith – they were not perfect. They still doubted, sinned, and acted unwisely. So, we see both these truths verified in the whole account of God’s Word.g. Broader Biblical Application: So, what does this mean for us CBC? It is a call for us to consider the weight that is borne by those who teach the Word of God to the church. What a great burden it is to bear. To know that all of us still stumble and fail the Lord’s holy standard – yet to also know that teachers of God’s Word will be judged by a stricter standard… It seems obvious to caution any who would flippantly approach the desire to teach God’s Word. Aspiring to hold the office or title of teacher within the body of Christ is a glorious and noble task – but with it comes great responsibility as well. While not required to be perfect, those who are called to teach His Word, must be blameless. They must be mature believers. And so, CBC, pray for your teachers, that they would continue to hold up under the scrutiny of Christ. And do not be hasty in thinking you might be a good teacher of the Word. Knowledge of doctrine is only part of the equation, and it seems that it is a good deal less important than a godly life. Transition:[Slide 9(blank)] As if to answer the question, “In what areas will a teacher be judged more strictly than others?”, James carries on through to what becomes his primary concern for his audience. II.) All believers fail with their speech but teachers must control their tongues, so we must not flippantly become teachers of God’s Word. (2b-5a)a. [Slide 10] If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, i. As a case study and subpoint from his statement about men stumbling in many ways, James looks to the tongue. ii. James’ seems to overstate his case. Is a man truly perfect if he does not stumble in what he says? In some ways this is a build on statement of what he said before.1. Those who keep the whole law but fail in one point are guilty of all the law.2. Therefore, what follows logically, is that James is saying that sins of speech are found among every single human that has ever existed save the God-Man Jesus Christ.3. I believe that theologically and experientially – we can all attest to that being true.4. That if it were possible to be perfect in the whole law yet fail in one point – that one point would be in our speech. 5. Whether uttering lies, hatred, blasphemies, gossip, slander, boasts, or all manner of other abuses of speech – we have all done it. iii. But our interpretation of this expression must first be governed internally by the book of James. iv. This is not the first time James has mentioned the tongue. He states that we should be slow to speak in chapter 1. He also says that if anyone thinks he is devout yet cannot control his tongue, his devotion, his holiness is worthless. v. This calls to mind Jesus’ teaching when He spoke about the relationship between the heart and what we say. He said that out of the heart the mouth speaks. vi. Jesus’ point was that we sin with our speech because of corruption within. Likewise, we control our tongues because there is holiness within. vii. James is saying that if a man does not unintentionally sin with his mouth – then he is perfect. viii. This is the same word he uses from chapter 1 where he speaks of the design of God in trials to produce an enduring faith lacking in nothing… a faith that is perfect. A faith that is complete. A faith that is mature. ix. There are two prevailing interpretations of James’ statement. At first, I was led to believe that James was using hyperbole. That he was saying that if you can control your tongue, you are in no need of salvation. An overstatement to emphasize the difficulty of controlling the tongue. x. But looking at the rest of James, it seems that James is not overstating anything. xi. He is simply saying, that a man that has the ability to control his tongue is a person who is mature in Christ. Their faith is lacking nothing in regard to their speech. xii. In other words, James doesn’t put the control of the tongue outside the reach of true believers. Because if a person truly can’t bridle his tongue, then his holiness is worthless. xiii. But he most certainly puts the control of the tongue as the standard of a mature believer. That a man that has reached the place that he is able to control his tongue, is a mature believer indeed. He is… someone who SHOULD be a teacher. xiv. This is the interpretation that I want to press here. For James to say that none can truly ever control their speech, while coming out of a section in which he said that true faith works – would be to undermine himself. xv. So, let’s continue with this interpretation and see where James goes with it.b. [Slide 11] Able to bridle the entire body as well. i. James juxtaposes the difficulty of controlling our speech next to the great potential that controlled speech offers. ii. But here again we face an interesting dilemma of interpretation. What is the “body” that can be controlled, bridled, or guided, by the person who can control his speech? iii. There are two prevailing interpretations.1. That the body is his own body. It is his behaviors, his lusts, his passions, his baser instincts.a. This is favored by several commentators who see verse 1 as a spring board to talk about matters within the church.b. They do not see the rest of chapter 3 as particularly applying to teachers or would be teachers, but instead toward the body as a whole.c. The strength of this view is that the word body naturally correlates to the tongue as a part of the whole.d. The difficulty of this view is discovering the exact correlation between the control of your speech and the control of the rest of your body.e. There is no direct correlation between one’s ability to control what he says and that enabling him to control the rest of his behavior. Certainly, someone can be a kind and gentle idolater or a soft-spoken fornicator.f. The best correlation is one relating to difficulty.g. Our speech is so difficult to control that if a man is able to control his speech – the rest of his passions, his lusts, his slothfulness, his baser instincts – are a sinch by comparison.h. But as we move forward into the illustrations that James gives – we have to wonder if it is truly the degree of difficulty that he has in mind.2. The second interpretation casts this in a different light. The body refers to the church.a. This is favored by several commentators who see verse 1 as permeating the intent of the rest of the passage extending even through chapter 4.b. That teachers and would be teachers are the emphasis and that James is trying his best to prove to them that many of them are not qualified to be teachers.c. The strength of this view relies on the specific words that James uses.d. Here in verse 2 he does not say “control of the tongue” but rather, control of speech. Thus the imagery of a body and its members, like fingers, toes, and tongues, has not actually been introduced.e. There is also no possession indicated in the text. James does not say he is able to control HIS entire body. He simply says the body.f. If James means that a teacher with pure speech is able to bridle and guide the church, we will also see a strong fit with the illustrations that are to come.g. But there are some challenges to this view.h. First, the word for body is used by James 4 other times besides this and in three of those 4 it is clearly talking about a corporeal body. Although the 4th is in this same context and is clearly referring to the church.i. Second, although the church is sometimes spoken of in nautical imagery, the church is never compared to a horse. So, for James to expect his audience readily pick up on the comparison is asking a good deal from them.3. Of late, I have attempted to eliminate such discussions from my sermons. Some of you were no doubt profoundly interested in understanding these two interpretations – but for most, you are probably thinking – ok Chris just tell me what it means.4. Well, that is the reason I included it. I don’t know. I definitely lean more toward the second interpretation, probably about 75% sure – but I have flip flopped at least 3 times on that conclusion.5. Therefore, as we go forward, we are forced to consider both as viable interpretations.c. [Slide 12] 3 – Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. i. James launches into two illustrations that would have been quite common in wisdom literature and connect readily with the common man. ii. The emphasis through these examples is the smallness of the item that controls the whole larger thing. iii. A bit in a horse’s mouth is but a fraction of the weight and size of the animal itself. Indeed to think that such a large animal could be guided, directed, and manipulated by one small piece, is quite astounding. iv. If we have concluded that James is only talking to believers about their ability for their tongue to control their behavior, the illustration makes sense… sort of.1. It is far more difficult to control a horse without a bit than with one.2. However, this doesn’t seem to be James’ point. He doesn’t directly compare a horse with or without a bit.3. He simply states the illustration in a matter-of-fact kind of way. We put bits to cause them to obey and so we can guide them.4. It is not the difficulty without the bit or even the difficulty of controlling the horses mouth that is in focus. Instead, it is how a small part controls the larger. v. If we have concluded that James is talking to all would be teachers about how their ability to control their speech can help to guide the church… the illustration crystalizes perfectly.1. A bit, being something small and insignificant, placed in the mouth, a seemingly unrelated part to guiding a horse, can guide the whole horse.2. In the same way, through the foolishness of preaching, a teacher can steer and guide the entire church, when his speech is used rightly.d. [Slide 13] 4 – Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot wills. i. Certainly, ships take a good deal of wind in order to drive them forward. ii. But to direct a ship – one only needs a much smaller rudder in order to guide the ship to where it needs to go. iii. Indeed, the pilot of the ship can guide it to wherever he wants it to go by such a small part of the ship being used. iv. Again, if we have concluded that our speech is so difficult to control that if we can control it we can control our behaviors as well, this illustration only kind of makes sense.1. Although we can see obviously the difficulty of steering a ship in strong winds on the open water… James does not overtly compare doing this with or without a rudder.2. Thus, the control of speech being difficult would be compared to what? Installing the rudder? Turning the rudder? None of these seem particularly difficult. v. But if we think James speaks to would be teachers of how controlled speech can guide the ship, things make complete sense.1. God drives the church with the wind of His Spirit.2. But the pilot, governed by his will, guides the ship safely to its destination.3. He does this by something as simple as a piece of wood attached to the bottom of the ship.4. So the teacher with something as simple as controlled speech, guides the people of God. vi. James interrupts himself because he has a point to draw out before he mentions another illustration and actually changes topics.e. [Slide 14] 5a – So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. i. Does body here refer to the church? Well, the simple answer is no. Why? Because the phrase “of the body” is not in the original Greek. It has been supplied by several translations. ii. We should probably read this as, “The tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.” iii. What is meant by this last phrase and what is James’ point? iv. To boast of great things does not necessarily imply sin nor does it imply lying. v. In fact, in taking what James has been saying and what he will say – I believe what he means when he says this is, essentially, the tongue though small, can have a HUGE impact. It can do great or terrible things. vi. But we must ask how does this correlate to what James is saying? vii. A ship is such a large thing and a horse such a large animal yet they can be subdued and guided by such a small thing. viii. But which interpretation is it? Is the large thing the church or our behavior. ix. Maybe we can combine them? Let me try

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Title: “Faith and Works” Part 3Text: James 2:25-26FCF: We often struggle demonstrating a saving faith.Prop: Because Rahab fulfilled her faith by her works, we must have a faith that works. Scripture Intro: ESV[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 2. There are different philosophies on crafting sermons. Those philosophies have changed throughout the church age. For example, the Puritans would take a verse or phrase and use it as a spring board to talk about a topic at length. But you have the other extreme in today’s evangelical church where a pastor will read about 35 verses, talk for 15 minutes basically rehashing what was read, make a few points on living better lives or encouraging the congregation, and then dismiss with prayer. Since I have been your pastor, I have adopted the thought-by-thought philosophy in crafting sermons. I try to capture a complete thought or paragraph that conveys either one truth or one application and relay that in a meaningful way to you. I endeavor to solve the riddle of what is said, what is meant, and how we should then live. Admittedly I don’t always hit my mark – but that is always my goal. This message along with the previous two represent one thought of James. And I really regret not doing the whole text of verses 14-26 as one sermon. But to have done all of it in one sermon that only lasted an hour or less – is also equally regrettable. All that to say that I will do my best to tie up in a neat bow this whole section by the end of this sermon – but if you did not hear last week or the week prior’s message from James – I’d encourage you to go back and listen. Go back and hear all that has been said. James’ argument is without flaw. He dismantles completely any notion of a faith that can confess Christ as Lord and live as if they were unchanged by God. But today, we will attempt to finish up what James is saying. I am in James 2, I’ll once again begin reading in verse 14 from the ESV but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1361 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:Even though it is only a 1 point sermon – there is still much we need to get to today, including a rather hard hitting application at the end. So let’s get to it. I.) Rahab’s faith was fulfilled by her works, so we must have a faith that works.a. [Slide 2] 25 – And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? i. The story of Rahab the prostitute is perhaps one of the most well-known stories in scripture. ii. The record is found in Joshua 2 -But the bible actually mentions a few more details about Rahab.1. [Slide 3] Joshua 6 records that she escaped the destruction of Jericho and the promise the spies made to her was honored. That she became a proselyte, which means she and all her family, after surviving the fall of Jericho, joined the covenant community of Israel.2. Hebrews 11 records that by faith she did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace. 3. But perhaps the most significant reference to Rahab the prostitute is that after she joined the assembly of Israel, she married a man named Salmon and birthed Boaz. Boaz, the great grand-father of David. Rahab, a former Canaanite prostitute, is mentioned specifically in the book of Matthew in the lineage of Jesus the Messiah. iii. [Slide 4] So, what is her story? How was she, like Abraham, justified by her works? When we compare what scripture has revealed about both their stories – do any patterns emerge?1. In Joshua 2, the story is not arranged for us chronologically – much to our western mind’s chagrin

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Title: “Faith and Works” Part 2Text: James 2:20-24FCF: We often struggle demonstrating a saving faith.Prop: Because Abraham fulfilled his faith by his works, we must have a faith that works. Scripture Intro: ESV[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 2. Let me tell you that this week was a doozy of a message to prepare for you. I really expected to be able to cover the rest of chapter 2 with this sermon, but unfortunately by the time I got done with my thoughts and confirmed and added to them by the commentary check, I had over 5000 words and I was really no where close to finished. So rather than short changing you or forcing you to sit through an 80 minute message, I chose to divide this sermon in two. That’s ok because it will give me a chance to expand both this sermon and next week’s. Since we are in the heart of the most important part of the book of James, it would behoove us to review a little before we get into the text this morning. We looked at James’ third lack last week. His audience either lacked the proper perspective on, or even the possession of a faith that endures and is being perfected. We recognize immediately the theme from the beginning of the book, that God uses trials to test our faith producing an enduring and perfected faith – which is of course God’s ultimate goal for His children. His desire is not simply to save them to heaven or from hell, but to conform them to the image of His son, refining them into vessels of pure gold set apart for holy service in His Kingdom which both is and is yet to come. But James’ audience is enduring trials of poverty, primarily because they are Christians in a predominantly pagan environment. The wealthier Roman pagans are oppressing them and taking them to court. Then suddenly they hear a message from a young man claiming to be an apostle. What do they hear? “We are saved by faith and our works no longer matter.” Well… that isn’t what the apostle said exactly. He actually said, “Justification is by faith apart from works.” But what they interpret it to mean is that if they hold fast to the right doctrines, they can completely blend in with their surrounding pagans in all their sinful practices because, after all, their works no longer matter. They are truly free from the law of God. YAY!? But James has a couple questions for that kind of faith. First, what good is it and second, can it truly save them? He then proves by use of logic, comparing that kind of faith, to the professed love of others without the outward works of care. Just as a professed love with no care is useless, so also professed faith with no obedience is also useless. Then he anticipates an argument against him, that perhaps faith and works are independent items from one another. Perhaps someone can have faith without works and perhaps someone else can have works without faith. But James immediately challenges such faith. He calls upon that individual to demonstrate worksless faith… knowing full well that faith cannot be demonstrated without action. Then James shows the ultimate example of how dangerous professed faith alone can be. He describes the theologically astute demons cowering in fear at the God they very much believe in… but they do not obey Him, nor do they serve Him, nor will they be rescued from His wrath. James’ conclusion stands. Faith without works is dead. It was never alive. Today, James will move on from logic, to theological and scriptural proofs for his position. He will call up one of the most well known and beloved examples of faith from the Old Testament, and he will prove without doubt that his faith was working with his works. I am in James 2, I’ll begin reading in verse 14, just to keep the context together. I am reading again from the ESV but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1361 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:Since this is a divided sermon, there is only one point in this sermon and one in the next. Thankfully the points are easily remembered. Abraham’s faith was fulfilled by his works… and next week… Rahab’s faith was fulfilled by her works. Unfortunately, the ease of this sermon ends there. There are some difficult theological concepts here that we must walk a tightrope to get right. I will do my best – but as a young man, recognize that I am still understanding all of this myself. Based on my commentary check, I have many assurances that I have landed where many wiser believers before me have also. That gives me confidence to present to you this very difficult section of scripture. I.) Abraham’s faith was fulfilled by his works, so we must have a faith that works.a. [Slide 2] 20 – Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? i. Perhaps the first question that comes to mind after reading such a verse is – who is the foolish person? ii. It is the hypothetical person that James raised in verse 18. iii. James predicts the argument of this person in that they will say that faith without works is a perfectly acceptable form of saving faith. Not only that, but even that it is equal or on par with a faith that has works. And even more egregiously, suggesting that works without faith could also be acceptable. iv. But James pointed out the logical blunder that is posed when we go to demonstrate faith. If you have only faith – then you cannot demonstrate it without works. Works flow out of faith. They are inseparable. v. Now James asks the same person who considers faith without works no less than faith with works, do you want to be shown? vi. James asks, literally, do you want to know that faith without works is useless? vii. The word to know has the idea of acquiring knowledge through observation or the senses. Keep this in the back of your mind for just a second, because there is some wordplay or thought play going on here. viii. The ESV pushes the meaning just a step, as do other translations, when they change James’ question to that of observable evidence. Do you want to know by proof? Do you want me to leave no room for doubt for you? Do you want me to show to your senses the proof you need to be convinced? ix. James also calls this person – a foolish person. The idea of a foolish person is one who is empty, devoid of advantage or benefit or… senseless. x. So, James calls upon a senseless person to experience through his senses the proof of the matter – that faith without works has no value or use. It is as empty as he is.b. [Slide 3] 21 – Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? i. Where might James go to prove to any Jew who professed Christ that faith without works is useless? ii. Where else but to the scriptures? Where else but to the patriarchs? And the patriarch of the patriarchs is none other than Abraham himself. iii. Their whole identity as Jews began right there. Indeed, there was so much pride in the idea of being in the bloodline of Abraham that had existed for over 2000 years. Greater than the span of time that we look back to Christ, they were looking back to Abraham. iv. This is why he calls him Abraham our “father.” v. So, James raises evidence from the most respected Patriarch. A gentile whom God called out from the land of Ur to begin a new nation. vi. He asks the question, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac on the altar?” vii. We need to break down this question to see exactly what he is asking. To help us, the assumed answer is… YES! This is a question but it is certainly a statement.1. The first and most obvious phrase we need to define is, “justified by works”- but since our understanding of that will require knowing to what instance James is referring, we best table this for now and come back.2. [Slide 4] The next phrase is, “When he offered Isaac his son on the altar.” Let’s review the events of Abraham’s life – very briefly – just to understand what is happening here.a. Abraham was 75 years old when God called him to leave his home, his family, all that he knew to a land that God would give him and would bless the whole world through him.b. God affirms his covenant with Abraham as he travels through the land of Canaan, and promises to give all the land he sees to his offspring.c. Because of famine, he goes to Egypt and lies about his wife Sarai, calling her his sister which was kind of true. She was his half-sister… but he omitted the tiny detail that she was also his wife. Pharoah takes her into his harem and immediately the promise of an offspring is threatened. God afflicts Pharoah and reveals to him that she is Abraham’s wife.d. Pharoah boots them out of the country but not before Abraham inherited great wealth in Egypt. God reveals that He did this not for Abraham’s sake but for Sarai’s who went into Pharoah’s harem for a time.e. Abraham handles tense relations with his nephew Lot over money and even rescues Lot when he becomes a prisoner of war.f. Abraham meets with Melchizedek, a priest of Yahweh, and is blessed by him.g. Then, in Genesis 15, Abraham gets another meeting from God in a vision. He is reassured that his own son will be his heir and the inheritor of all that God has promised him. He points to the sky and tells him to number the stars if he can. That is the number of his offspring. To this, Abraham is said to have believed God and God counted his faith as righteousness.h. But Abraham asks how he is to know that he will possess the land of Canaan. He asks for a sign or a promise from God. Then God forms an unconditional covenant with Abraham, which Abraham wasn’t even awake for

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Title: “Faith and Works” Part 1Text: James 2:14-19FCF: We often struggle with submitting to a Godly definition of true saving faith.Prop: Because faith without works is neither useful, saving, living, nor provable, we must prove our living faith through obedience. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 2. James has spent the last 40 verses preparing his readers for the point that he will make in the next 13. This is it. This is the heart of the letter. Everything flows to and from here. In what is perhaps one of the most famous passages in the New Testament, James presses his readers to answer some very difficult questions. Questions that he is sure they haven’t considered. Questions that if they answer honestly – it will change their life. I am in James 2, I’ll start reading in verse 14 from the ESV which you can follow on page 1361 in the pew bible or in whatever bible version you prefer. Transition:There is so much to get to. Really verses 14 through 26 are a complete thought. But I am going to be pressed for time as it is to try to cover these first 6. So let us dig in and get all we can from James this morning. I.) Faith without works is neither useful nor saving; it is dead, so we must prove our living faith through obedience. (14-17)a. [Slide 2] 14 - What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? i. James will finish chapter 2 with what is perhaps the most important section in his book. ii. I can’t overemphasize how important verses 14-26 are. Why is it so important? 5 really big reasons spring to my mind.1. [Slide 3] First, James introduces a third lack for his audience.a. You see back in the opening of the book he indicated that trials are used of God to test our faith, rendering it steadfast and perfecting it in us so that we don’t lack anything.b. So, what are they lacking that God is using trials to perfect in them?c. James goes into a 9 point investigation, showing them areas that the Lord is needing them to grow and is using trials to grow them.d. The first three of these nine are quite basic. Almost fundamental lacks. If they were not lacking these 3, no doubt the rest of the six would begin to right on their own. i. The first was wisdom – which is knowing what God says and doing it. Again – very basic. If your faith is going to endure and be perfected… it all starts with wisdom. If they lack wisdom– they need to ask in faith. ii. The second was a godly perspective – again this is very basic. Although James breaks it down in a few ways the core of it all is having a high view of God’s goodness and sovereignty, a realistic view of mankind’s sin nature, and a heavenly view of status and wealth. It will be hard for them to grow in their trials with any or all of these perspectives out of whack. iii. And now he will investigate the kind of faith that is necessary in order to endure and to be perfected so that we lack nothing. Again, this is so basic. What kind of faith do we need to have in order for it to endure and be perfected? Are there different kinds of faith? Why does faith need to endure anyway – isn’t faith just a decision or a choice to believe something is true? James will address all these questions and more in the next 13 verses. 2. The second reason this section is important is because this is the core of the letter. Indeed, this is at the heart of everything James is teaching them.a. James is correcting some misrepresentation of faith and comparing it to genuine, living, and saving faith.b. This is a theme that is spoken of in every single New Testament book. James stands against license with every other apostolic writer and declares that true faith looks a specific way compared to fake faith.c. Everything in this book flows to and from this discussion.3. Thirdly, James connects the context of loving others and showing no favor or prejudice with a faith that saves.4. Fourth, James uses questions to instruct them on their skewed view of faith.a. In this he mimics his half-brother and Lord, Jesus Christ’s style in teaching difficult things to those who oppose him.b. This gives a wonderful example to Elders and any who would teach a controversial subject- to do so using questions and logic and reasoning to help their opponent see the truth of what is being taught.5. Fifth, James uses two Old Testament examples to prove his point.a. Both of them were once Gentiles, both of them are in the line of Christ, both of them express their faith in God and His word in the exact same way.b. James uses this to prove that all faith that saves looks the same.c. This may not hit hard with us but it would with a Jewish audience. And in doing this, James mimics Jesus’ style of teaching to the Jews. iii. [Slide 4] And so, James asks some very poignant questions. Questions designed to get his audience to pause and consider something about their definition of faith. iv. Are all faiths the same? Do all faiths save? v. What about a faith that is not accompanied by good works? vi. His first question takes aim at the implications for the church – if they have such a faith.1. If they possess a faith that confesses all the right truths, believes all the right things, says all the right things but has no actual godly works that follow – what good is it for the church?2. Can the church survive on a faith that believes all the right things but their lives are the same as the world around them?3. How does the church benefit from those who confess all the right things but do not obey what God says?4. And not just the church – but the world. Does the world benefit from a people who say they believe all God has said and yet still love their sin and refuse to love others? vii. The second question targets the implications on an individual – if they have such a faith.1. If they possess a faith that confesses all the right truths, believes all the right things, says all the right things but has no actual godly works that follow – can this kind of faith save them?2. What about the passages in the Old Testament where God will give justice to every man according to their own deeds. Do those passages suddenly go away? Are they completely negated because we now have a faith that confesses everything rightly?3. If such a faith can justify us – what about the Pharisees who believed every single word of the Old Testament – even the Prophets? There are even strong indications that some if not many of the Pharisees believed that Jesus was the Messiah.4. Is this kind of faith strong enough to unite someone to Christ?5. The New Testament reveals to us that it is by faith that we are justified, yes? But is the faith that justifies us one that merely confesses that God is right and continues to live as if nothing has changed? 6. What about those whom the apostle John says believed on Jesus but then abandoned him? Did they walk away justified?7. Affirming Jesus is who He said, but never living like Him… is that what being united to Christ looks like? viii. The implied answer to both of these questions is in the negative. A faith that confesses all the right doctrine, a faith that holds to God’s given truth – but does not change a person to be godly … Such a faith is worthless. Such a faith cannot save. ix. James goes to prove his point- first with an illustration from the physical world.b. [Slide 5] 15-16 – If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? i. James’ use of this illustration is quite brilliant, showing the telltale signs of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. ii. It works on multiple levels for us. iii. First, and no doubt what most of us see, this is an illustration of someone not living out their faith.1. It is natural for us to see that because of context.a. James only a few verses ago said that pure and undefiled religion before God is caring for those who are truly desperate.b. James just had this large section on not treating the poor with prejudice because they are poor.2. So, we come to this illustration and we see a person claiming to be of Christ who encounters another brother or sister who is clearly in need.3. The need is great – they need their daily food. They need enough to survive another day. They need clothing – enough to keep warm at night.4. And what does this “Christian” say to this person? This person of “faith” says, “Leave me – go from me – but go in peace. We are not enemies. Warm yourself. Go find warmth! Be filled to the brim with food my friend. Don’t worry – I’m praying for you. I truly want you to be cared for and all your needs met and I believe God will do that for you.”5. After they say all this… they do not give any food or clothing to the person in need.6. Such is a vivid illustration of having a faith without works.7. However, this is NOT James’ only, or even primary meaning of this illustration.8. James is NOT simply giving us an example of faith without works. Because he asks the question…9. What good is that? iv. The second point James is making, and what I think is the primary point, is a direct comparison to faith without works.1. James is comparing the confession of truth, the belief of right doctrine, the faith that affirms all the right things – that kind of faith is the same as saying all the right things to this person in need.2. Who can find fault in the statement – “go in peace – be warmed be filled”? There is absolutely nothing about what was said that is in error.3. When we see this statement we naturally want to pick apart what was said to try to point out some hidden agenda or underhanded meaning. But the only reason we do that is because we already understand the point of James’ teaching.4. Having this kind of faith that lacks works is the same as someone not meeting the need of the poor person.5. You see it is because we already know and believe that this person was wrong to not give food and clothing to the poor person, that we go back to what they said and try to re-interpret it as something shady.6. But that is NOT what James is teaching.7. EVERYTHING this person said to the poor person was right and good.8. But he did not help them. v. James’ questions stand. What good is it to the poor person, to the church, to the world, to this individual – that he said all the right things but did nothing? vi. It is valueless. Useless. It is a garbage faith. It is a faith that cannot save. A faith that cannot justify. vii. That is why James concludes…c. [Slide 6] 17 – So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. i. I love James’ precision. He is concerned that he gets this exactly right. Again, this is evidence that what he writes is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. ii. If he simply said that “faith by itself is dead” he would have led us down a difficult path. iii. By adding “if it does not have works” he leaves no room for misunderstanding. It is through faith alone that we are saved from our sins. iv. We see in the scriptures what the reformers saw – that it is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone that we are saved from our sins. v. James is not suggesting that there is something that must be added to our faith to save us… vi. Instead, James is expressing what kind of faith is necessary. What do we mean by “faith” when we say we are saved by faith alone? vii. James hasn’t gotten yet to the discussion of what living and saving faith looks like. But here he explains that a faith that has no godly works flowing from it- a faith that confesses and professes all the right things with no works flowing out of that – that faith is dead faith. It was never truly living.d. [Slide 7] Passage Truth: James teaches his audience through questions, proving that faith without works is neither useful nor saving. In fact, it is dead faith.e. Passage Application: His audience must first reject a faith that is without works as an unprofitable and dead faith and must embrace and live out a faith that produces the spiritual fruit of righteousness.f. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: But does the rest of the scriptures teach this truth? Does the whole bible truly teach that true and genuine trust in God and His Word includes obedience? Without trying to steal James’ thunder from next week, let me simply point out that the Old Testament resoundingly approves of such a teaching. God demands obedience to His law so much so that men were instantly killed for violating it in the smallest point. Both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms were judged for failing to worship Yahweh in the way He wanted to be worshipped. Do you think “trust that produces obedience” was important to God if He was willing to destroy His chosen nation if they did not have that kind of trust? I’d say it was of supreme importance. The nation of Israel had a dead faith. Not all of them – there was certainly a remnant. But the majority of the leadership, the royalty, the priests, - their faith was dead. And it did not save them and it was of no value to the nation as a whole.g. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, what must we do? First, we must reject forever any idea that raw confession and mere profession of truth is somehow able to save us. Simply agreeing with and affirming that Jesus is the Son of God who died for sinners, was raised again the third day, and is seated with the Father – does not produce a living faith. It is not our intellectual decision to accept these things as truth that equals living faith. No, my friends, it is when that intellectual assent changes everything about us. It is when that truth transforms us into a new creature. It is when we have rejected sin and moved to obedience that we can truly say we have a saving and living faith. Second then, and quite natural to having a living faith, is to pursue, to seek, to strive to do all that our heavenly Father has commanded us. Why? Because we believe what He has said. Because we will be judged by the law of liberty. Because He has said that He has prepared good works for us to do from before the foundation of the earth. Indeed, as Peter says in the opening of his first letter, we were chosen, elected of God to obey Jesus Christ and to be purified of our sins through His blood. We were made… or rather… remade to obey Him. No one was saved to stay the exact way they always have been. That is why faith without works is dead faith. Transition:[Slide 9 (blank)] So, faith without works is of no value and cannot save. But what good is faith with works? Is it truly better than faith without works? That exact question is put to the test next. II.) Faith is only proven to be real through good works, so we must prove our living faith through obedience. (18-19)a. [Slide 10] 18 – But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” i. As we get into the second point of this sermon, we come across a rather tricky interpretational problem. ii. As you know, the original autographs and the subsequent copies of the scriptures not only did not include verse and chapter divisions, but they also did not have any punctuation. iii. Most of the time by context it is very clear where a period should be, whether or not it is a question, and when someone is being quoted – how far that quotation goes. iv. In this text however, the context does not make it clear how far the quotation extends. v. The first word we have to contend with is the first word in the sentence. “But.” vi. This is a clear adversative conjunction expressing a contrasting idea. Contrasting to what? Well, he just said that faith that is alone without works is dead faith. vii. By beginning the sentence with “but” he imposes upon his readers the expectation that there is a counter point coming. viii. Then he raises a hypothetical person who will say something. ix. Putting these two together we should be expecting this hypothetical person to speak against what James just said. x. What follows though …is not what we would expect from an opposing response. xi. “You have faith and I have works.” xii. This is quite perplexing. And perhaps you don’t see why yet but let me dive in here. xiii. The secret to understanding this problem and its solution - is in the pronouns. Who is “you” and who is “I”? xiv. I believe it will be helpful for you as we go forward for me to replace “you” and “I” in the text as we consider 2 possible interpretations. xv. If this opponent is responding directly to James – immediately we are struck with confusion. James just described a faith without works being dead and the contrasting response is “(James) has faith and (this opponent) has works. xvi. So, this person almost seems to be agreeing with James. If we take it this way, then the quotation could extent all the way to the end of verse 19 – because all this agrees with James too. But there are some inherent difficulties with this interpretation.1. Why does James begin the sentence with the adversative conjunction “but” if he is bringing in an ally to his position?2. Also – we have to wonder why James is raising someone who agrees with his position of the importance of works with faith?3. Why would James set aside his Elder authority, his apostolic authority and put the authority of this statement in the hands of a hypothetical person?4. This only serves to weaken his case.5. Because of this – I think we need to make sense of this in some other way.6. So… back to the pronouns. xvii. What if the pronouns were different? What if it was, “(his audience) has faith and (this objector) has works.” As if it will be a private conversation that the objector will have with them later. xviii. Or perhaps James is not quoting verbatim and is instead summarizing what his opponents will argue. Meaning that the verse would be “But someone will say [that] (his audience) has faith and (James) has works.” xix. Regardless of which of these two options you see, the meaning becomes far clearer as does the extent of the quote or paraphrase. xx. The quote or paraphrase has ended right here because what follows is James’ response. xxi. And the meaning of the objector’s argument is this… They are defending a separation of faith and works. They are saying…1. It is possible to confess, believe, and affirm all the right teachings without it producing godly behavior – and that person is saved!2. It is possible to live a godly life without confessing, believing, or affirming all the right teachings – and that person is saved!3. So, whether you have a faith in Christ without works or works for God without faith in Christ – you still get the prize at the end. xxii. This is exactly what James anticipates will be the reaction to his insistence that faith must be accompanied by works. And I can’t believe how much it sounds like something we’d hear in our culture today. xxiii. You do you! You can have it your way! You can have faith without works. Heck – you can have works without faith. It doesn’t matter! We are all different right! To each their own. And who is James to judge anyway! He doesn’t know my experience. He hasn’t walked in my shoes. How can he judge my works-less faith! Who is he to question my faith journey. Its all about the journey anyway right? We will all get to the top of the mountain, even if we take different paths. xxiv. You got faith and I got works… we aren’t that different! Let’s not divide over this. xxv. James… disagrees.b. [Slide 11] Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. i. James throws down the gauntlet. ii. Probably the most aggressive thing James has said yet, but it is blunted some because it is said to a hypothetical person… but it still comes down like a hammer. iii. What is he saying? iv. Let’s compare our faiths. v. You demonstrate your faith that has no works and I will demonstrate my faith with my works. vi. You no doubt see the logical inconsistency. vii. How can you demonstrate something without producing some sort of action? viii. James is saying that a person with faith but no works is unable to demonstrate their faith at all. One must simply take their word for it that they do in fact believe unto life. Whereas James can prove his faith with His works. ix. And what he says next will illustrate how dangerous and obscure a worksless faith can be.c. [Slide 12] 19 – You believe that God is one. You do well. i. Here we have James pointing to a real-life example where they might show their faith without works. ii. They confess the truth of sound doctrine. And don’t be deceived this is no simple concept of doctrine. iii. To confess that God is one is a HUGE doctrine. God in three persons but one in essence was the first great battle the early church faced. And the heretical errors fell on either side1. Either they came to the conclusion that there were three gods not one2. Or they denied the true deity of either the Son or the Spirit. iv. Saying God is one also speaks to the unity of God. That He is not 3 agents operating with separate wills and separate agendas but one in essence co-operating in triunity v. Finally, saying God is one is saying that He is unique and the only one of His kind. There is no other beside Him. All other gods, whether fictional, or powered by demonic forces, by comparison are not gods at all. vi. To believe God is one is no small feat of theological precision. vii. Indeed, there are many today who do not get this doctrine right. viii. There is actually a preacher that is fairly popular who described God the triune as a pretzel with 3 holes. 3 holes tied together with one pretzel. In an effort to describe God as one in essence and three in persons he actually stepped into the heresy of Partialism which sees each person of the Godhead is a component of the one God. In other words – each person is not fully God in and of Himself. ix. If you are swimming in this discussion thinking – wow I am lost… it only serves to prove my point. x. Believing that God is ONE is not some petty doctrine to confess. xi. This is pretty big. xii. That is why James says – YOU DO WELL! xiii. But here is why faith without works is useless. Here is why faith without works does not save anyone… are you ready?d. [Slide 13] Even the demons believe – and shudder! i. The forces of darkness know A LOT about God the Triune. ii. Whereas godly men teeter on the line between orthodoxy and unorthodoxy – demons are always orthodox in their theology. They know their doctrine. iii. And they not only know it, they believe it! They affirm the truth of it! iv. And one more thing… they shudder. v. The forces of darkness are absolutely terrified by God the Triune. vi. Remember reading their squeals when Jesus walked among them – “Are you here to judge us before our time!?” vii. They know they exist on gifted time. viii. They know they are absolutely subject to a Sovereign God. That though they have been given freedom to oppose Him for now – there is nothing they can do that God does not allow them to do – and when God the Triune says enough is enough – they will be absolutely powerless to stop Him. ix. The demons too have faith without works. Actually, the demons have a faith with emotions yet without works. A faith with feeling yet without works. A faith with fear but without works. x. Therefore it is my estimation that James presents a faith that is superior to faith without works in the faith of demons. xi. At least these confessors and professors cower at the Sovereignty of the Triune God. They won’t obey. They can’t go back. There is no redemption for them. Yet their faith is greater than the supposed, dead faith of those who profess without works.e. [Slide 14] Passage Truth: James teaches that a faith that is without works is unable to be validated. And as a case study of that, he presents a faith without works present in demons who clearly oppose God. In fact, demons who oppose God express a superior faith to the faith they have that is without works since demons shudder at the God they believe in, yet do not obey.f. Passage Application: So, his audience must first reject believing that faith without works is profitable or saving and instead confess a faith that produces good works.a. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Truth: But is this true in the rest of scripture? Does the bible actually teach us that works validate our faith? Of course, when we get to the New Testament we see books like I John that addresses that very thing. If you had to boil down I John’s message it would be – how do you know you are God’s child? You know because you live godly lives. And if we go to the Old Testament for this when the New Covenant is prophesied in Ezekiel and Jeremiah – in both contexts the Lord speaks about a Covenant that produces law abiding people. He tells of the core problem (our hearts of stone) being changed and how no longer do people need to teach others to obey – they will simply obey. The Old Testament looks forward to a time where God will make a people who obey Him. If our faith obeys Him we can rest in assurance that we have become partakers of this New Covenant. But if not – if we do not have this kind of faith… how do we know we have a faith that is better than demons? We can’t know – and that is the problem.g. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, since we have seen that living faith is only proven or validated by the godly works it MUST produce – we ought then to strive to produce these godly fruits with all our effort, relying on God’s Spirit to aid us. When our faith produces obedience we have confidence that we are partakers of the new covenant. We have confidence that our hearts are no longer stones but have been remade. We have hope that when we are judged by the law of liberty we will be presented before the throne spotless and in Christ. The good works which God has prepared for us to do, the obedience which we have been chosen to display serves to grant assurance of our faith. So that in the hardest of times – through the deepest of tests – through the darkest temptations – we may KNOW that we are His children and trust that we have not been abandoned, but rather that He will bring us through it all – refined like gold. Conclusion:[Slide 16 (blank)] My friends, if you are struggling with this teaching – let me try to help you. Your mind may be full of “what ifs” and scenarios that may serve to detract from the principles that James teaches. What if a person doesn’t produce works for a day, a month, a year – but they had produced godly works for a time. How long can we go without producing godly works from our faith to know it is dead faith. Can I simply suggest to you that these are the wrong questions. The purpose of James writing what he does is not so we can find out how long we can stop producing godly works before our faith is declared to be dead. Instead, his purpose is to spur God’s true children, who truly have a saving faith, to prove that faith by producing godly works from it. And although at the Reformation there was disagreement between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestants as to where the emphasis on good works is placed – the church before the Reformation was united in the importance of true faith producing godly works. Let me read to you from our church fathers – all of whom lived before 600 AD. [Slide 17] Origen said, “If someone dies in his sins he has not truly believed in Christ, even if he has made a profession of faith in him, and if faith is mentioned but it lacks works, such faith is dead, as we have read in the epistle which circulates as the work of James.” [Slide 18] Augustine says “I do not understand why the Lord said, “If you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments,” and then mentioned the commandments relating to good behavior, if one is able to enter into eternal life without observing them.” [Slide 19] Chrysostom said, “Even if somebody believes rightly in the Father and the Son, as well as in the Holy Spirit, if he does not lead the right kind of life, his faith will not benefit him at all as far as his salvation is concerned. For although Jesus says, “This is eternal life to know you, the only true God,” we must not think that merely uttering the words is enough to save us. For our life and behavior must be pure as well.” [Slide 20] Augustine also said, “Those who believe and act according to the true faith do live and are not dead, but those who do not believe, or else who believe like the demons, trembling but living evilly, proclaiming the Son of God but not having love, must rather be accounted dead.” [Slide 21] Hilary of Arles “Those who believe but who do not fear God are even worse than the devils. And those who believe and tremble but who do not practice what they preach are just like the devils.” [Slide 22] Salvian the Presbyter “Good works are witnesses to the Christian faith, because otherwise a Christian cannot prove that he has that faith. If he cannot prove it, it must be considered completely non-existent. [Slide 23] Oecumenius “Take note of what spiritual understanding really is. It is not enough to believe in a purely intellectual sense. There has to be some practical application for this belief. What James is saying here does not contradict the apostle Paul, who understood that both belief and action were a part of what he called “faith.”” [Slide 24(blank)] My friends, this is what the universal church of Christ has ALWAYS believed. Salvation is by faith alone – but the kind of faith required, the kind of faith that truly trusts Christ as Savior, is a faith that also submits to Him as Lord. It is a faith that will (is guaranteed) to produce a change in the person who has it. Simple confession is not enough to prove that faith is real. It must be confession and obedience. If I can be so bold as to slightly amend the text of a hymn… We must trust and obey – for truly there is no other way to be in Jesus and therefore be happy… but to trust and obey.

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Title: The Law of FreedomText: James 2:8-13FCF: We often struggle finding motivation to live out the law.Prop: Because the law is the perfect standard of God’s acceptance, we must live as those judged under the Christ-Fulfilled law. Scripture Intro: LSB[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 2. When I introduced the book of James to you, I readily admitted that the structure of the book is very difficult to understand. At times it is very challenging to connect what James says to what he has been saying. This is why no matter who you consult for an outline of the book – you will no doubt get a very unique outline. Since no one really knows how to divide this letter up – it makes my guess all the more valid. At least in my opinion of the structure of this book, James is coming to the end of a major section. A section that started in verse 9 of chapter 1. James began his letter by encouraging his audience to count as pure joy all the trials they are facing currently. The reason for this is because God is using all of it to perfect their faith to be an enduring faith that will eventually leave them lacking nothing. God is polishing us and perfecting us – getting us ready for His Kingdom. And the primary way He does this… is through our trials and temptations. Still, James’ audience may wonder what exactly God has to perfect in them? What isn’t ready for that Kingdom? It is my opinion that James goes into a 9-point list of items that God is working to perfect in them. 9 reasons they are experiencing trials at this very moment. He began with wisdom. They do know God’s desires for them therefore they are not living as God would have them live. This is very basic and thus James’ instruction is very basic – ask God for wisdom. The second thing they lack is a Godly perspective on various matters. Whether it is earthly wealth and status, God’s character in their trials and temptations, God’s unchanging sovereignty over their lives, or even most recently their view of self and consequently their view of others. It is the view of others influenced by an improper view of self that we have been keying in on for the last couple weeks. Today James will conclude this section, although these themes will resurface. But James will also use this closing section to introduce the next area of lack. I am in James chapter 2 and I’ll begin reading in verse 1. I am reading from the Legacy Standard Bible but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1361, or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:Alas, not a short sermon like last week. Primarily because there are teachings and doctrines ahead that require explanation if we are to understand where James is going. So, buckle up and let’s begin. I.) All men must keep the whole law without failing in one point, so we must live as those judged under the Christ-fulfilled law. (8-12)a. [Slide 2] 8 – If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” i. It is at this point that James seems to change subjects. ii. He brings, seemingly out of nowhere, the idea of keeping or obeying the royal law and then quotes a passage from the Old Testament.1. This is a direct quote from several places. First occurring in Leviticus 19:18.2. But the reason James calls this the “royal law” and perhaps the reason that we remember it quoted much more recently than Leviticus is because Jesus was asked by the scribes which is the greatest commandment in the law.3. This is recorded for us in Matthew 22; Mark 12; and Luke 10.4. Jesus replied that to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength was the greatest command.5. Jesus was quoting Deuteronomy 6:5.6. He continues and says that the second is like it which is to love your neighbor as yourself.7. He quotes Leviticus 19:18.8. Then He says, “on these two commands hang all the law and the prophets.”9. Essentially Christ summarizes the entire law of God in the commands to love God with all we are and to love others to the same degree that we already love ourselves. iii. Unfortunately, understanding the backdrop for this “royal law” does not explain to us why James is citing it here. iv. What we can reasonably conclude is that James is anticipating a possible rebuttal to his statements about showing favoritism or prejudice. But what excuse or reason does he think they will raise by citing this royal law? v. Most likely, James anticipates that his audience will respond to their correction of showing favor to the rich by excusing their actions as loving their neighbors as they love themselves. vi. Perhaps they will feel that James has misjudged them. Perhaps they will say that their preferential treatment of the rich is simply an expression of Christ’s teaching in esteeming others more highly than themselves. It is simply an expression of sacrificial love. vii. To this argument, James does not respond initially how we might think he would.b. [Slide 3] You are doing well. i. Here we see the difference between showing favoritism vs. showing prejudice. ii. Showing prejudice is always wrong. It is always sin. You are lowering others below yourself. This can never be defended as something Christlike. iii. However, showing favor toward others is not always a sin. iv. Telling someone to come in and sit in the best seat in your house. Inviting someone to enjoy one of your best meals or to be treated as if they are royalty is actually in keeping with the royal law to love others as you love yourself. v. We save the best for ourselves naturally. We want the best cut of steak, the best fork, the best plate, the best shirt. So, to offer your best to others – is certainly a good thing. You are doing well. vi. So, what makes showing favor to someone sinful? When does it cross the line?c. [Slide 4] 9 – But if you show partiality, you are committing sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. i. To show favor to some and not others based on irrelevant external characteristics is when favor becomes sinful. ii. To mix loving some with not loving others in the same way – is to pollute the well. It is to poison the water. iii. As James says, you are convicted or proven guilty by the law as one who has broken it. One who has deviated from the law’s path. iv. The same law you say you are keeping, is what proves you are not keeping it fully. v. Why? Why is this the case? Why can’t you keep the royal law to some but not others?d. [Slide 5] 10 – For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. i. James broadens here to give us a major doctrinal axiom. ii. It is impossible to keep the law, to the fullest extent, in every single point, except one… iii. For to violate the law in one point – is to fail it all. iv. Then James gives us an example.e. [Slide 6] 11 – For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” i. James gives two laws within the law to love your neighbor as yourself. ii. The first is to not be sexually immoral or unfaithful. This command, according to our Lord Jesus, includes not only the act of infidelity within marriage, but also any act of sexual activity with any person who is not your spouse. Which includes lusting after ANY person that isn’t your spouse. iii. The second is to not take the life of a person who has not forfeited their life by their own actions. This command does not prohibit the taking of human life in war, nor does it prohibit judges from taking punitive action against someone who has violated the law of God. We know this because God Himself commanded His people to take life in both of these situations. The command is not to not kill – it is to not murder. However, Jesus expands this command to include hatred and even physically harming others. iv. So admittedly, these two laws are broader than they appear to be on the surface. v. I’d wager that all of us have violated both of these laws at some point in our lives. Perhaps not in their specific command but certainly in their true Christ expanded meaning. vi. But James’ point isn’t quite done. He has set up these two commands as expressions of the greater command to love your neighbor as yourself. vii. Now back to his point…f. [Slide 7] Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. i. How silly would it be to stand before the judge who is handing down your sentence for murdering someone, and in your defense, you say – “yes, but your honor – I never slept with a woman that wasn’t my wife!” ii. Pretty silly right? iii. The penalty in the Mosaic law for violating either of these commands was death. So, no matter whether you violated one of them, the other, or both – the outcome is the same. iv. From this teaching, we see the doctrine of God’s holiness and man’s sin come into crystal clear focus. v. Why cannot God simply overlook our sin? Why cannot God simply wipe away what we’ve done? vi. Why can God not simply wink at the sin of men? vii. The law of God is not several laws… it is one. God demands perfect and perpetual obedience to His law. As Jesus said, you must be holy as God is holy. viii. God is not dealing with a bunch of humans who are only slightly flawed, only sort of sick, only moderately estranged from Him. No. God is dealing with all mankind being wicked and lawless. ix. I was having a discussion about this with a fellow Pastor just this week. And a thought occurred to me as we were discussing this doctrine. x. There are many who claim that the scriptures only teach that man is ill, impaired, and spiritually inhibited by sin. And their critique of the position that mankind is spiritually dead and children of wrath is that they see people do good things who are not believers. They observe that their unbelieving neighbor came over and shoveled their driveway, or doesn’t get drunk, or gives to charity and they think – mankind surely cannot be wicked. To call them lawless is a bit of an exaggeration isn’t it? They follow some laws, right? xi. But James says, to obey one law but to fail in another is to fail the whole law. xii. This doctrine of the depth of man’s sin, is not teaching that man can do no good. Instead, it says first, that the best man can offer to God is imperfect and infrequent obedience of God’s moral law- which is… incidentally… never done for God’s glory. xiii. Doing something good to primarily benefit a person, place, or thing that is not God is called idolatry. xiv. So, the best natural man can offer to God is good deeds not done for Him. The best natural man can offer is idolatry. xv. That is the ceiling of the room natural man is in. But what is the floor? Here’s the harsh reality. xvi. There is no floor. The depths to which natural man can sink in their sin has no limit. Neither in magnitude of abuse nor in duration of violation. Every despicable thing we can think of has been done to the fullest and longest degree from men to men. xvii. This is what God shows us. This is what James tells us. If you fail the law in one point – you are wicked and lawless. xviii. We are not sick; we are not spiritually inhibited or asleep. We are as the scriptures teach us – dead in sin. Children of wrath. Like our father the devil. xix. God could not wink at such sin. In order to save us – He needed to crush His Son in our place. In order to save us, we needed someone else to represent us perfectly before God. xx. That is the gospel. Jesus takes our place.g. [Slide 8] 12 – So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. i. James issues a command. I do say command and not commands. Because these two imperatives are linked by the “and” and the repeated word “so.” From this we can conclude that there is no part of either that can be separated from the other. ii. So then, James’ one command in light of all he has said, is to speak and act in a specific way. iii. What is that way? iv. As those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. v. What does it mean that we will be judged by the law of freedom? vi. First, what is the law of freedom?1. The law of freedom is exactly the same as the law of Moses. In every minute detail.2. The entire moral law of God and even the civil and ritualistic law of God. It is the whole expectation of God to be holy as He is holy.3. And before you think that this kind of law doesn’t sound very free – there is one important addition this law has beyond the law of Moses. It has been fulfilled by Christ.4. Have you ever wondered what Jesus meant when he said he did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it?5. It means he kept it perfectly for us. What does that mean?6. Does it mean we don’t have to keep it anymore? – Well, some of it. The Ritualistic laws are no longer to be kept. We see that in the book of Hebrews. Why? They pointed to the coming Messiah and His keeping of purity for His people – which is now fulfilled. The civil law was not exported to non-Jewish governments so we can reasonably assume that that law will be in place when Christ sets up His earthly Kingdom.7. But the moral law of God has obviously not been set aside! James is teaching just that.8. So, for us, with regard to the moral law, what does it mean that Christ fulfilled it, if it does not mean we don’t have to keep it?9. It means that Christ has paid the price for every single past, present, and future violation of that law. We do not die when we fail… He died. There is now no condemnation in Christ.10. It is much like the difference between walking a balance beam that is sitting on the ground vs. walking a balance beam that is 1500 feet in the air. If you make a mistake on the first, you need only get back on and try again. If you make a mistake on the second – you are dead.11. Those who speak and act as though they will be judged by the gospel of Christ will be shown great mercy. Not only in this life, in the forgiveness of God and ability to repent and be restored – but also in the next since Christ has taken their place.12. Does this motivate us to sin more since Christ has fulfilled the law? No. Why?13. Because we will be judged by the law of freedom. We will be judged by the gospel!14. Those who are truly in Christ see Christ’s fulfilling of the law not as a license to sin more – but instead as liberty to obey more.15. We have been declared to be righteous in Him – meaning we have, in Christ, perfectly kept the whole law without violating even one point.16. But if we are in Christ, we are not just saved from the penalty of sin…but its power and eventually ITS VERY PRESENECE!17. So, if we are being judged by the gospel – we are being judged based on Christ’s work in us and through us. 18. We will be judged by the standard of Christ. Are we in Him? Are we being made to be like Him by the Spirit who dwells in us? vii. Therefore, we all must live in accordance with this law with no fear of eternal punishment for failure, but with great zeal to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.h. [Slide 9] Passage Truth: James’ main point of teaching, the doctrinal truth he points to in all of this, is that God requires perfect and perpetual obedience to His entire law. They cannot fail it in any point without failing it all.i. Passage Application: Therefore, they must speak and act as those under the whole law, expanded and fulfilled in Christ.j. [Slide 10] Broader Biblical Truth: But does the bible teach this also? Does God really require all of His law to be kept perpetually? And if we don’t – are we guilty of all of it? This point is difficult to see in the Old Testament. The closest the Old Testament comes to saying it is in Deuteronomy 27:26, it says that anyone who refuses to keep the words of the law is cursed. So – Is James making up his own teaching? This is a wonderful lesson in God’s providence and the importance of systematic theology. God was silent for 400 years between Malachi and Matthew. But that doesn’t mean God was inactive. Rabbis and scholars were VERY active during this time. What were they doing? They were studying the words of God that they did have. In so doing, they were thinking wholistically and thematically about what God had revealed in the whole of the Old Testament. What we find in these Rabbinical writings is the understanding that God gave a law, God is holy, God punishes every violation of His law, or demands payment for every violation. The only natural conclusion to all of that – is to conclude that you must obey the whole law or you have violated it all. That is why in 4 Maccabees 5, it overtly teaches that to transgress the law in small or great matters is equally serious. That is why Paul later uses the text of Deuteronomy 27 in Galatians 3 to Imply that if you are relying on your ability to keep God’s law to please Him – you must always keep everything. Perfectly. And that is why Jesus when correcting the Pharisees comments on how they kept the offerings of mint, dill, and cumin but neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. And Jesus says – you should have kept all these without neglecting the others. God did not overtly say in the Old Testament that it was all or nothing. But He clearly meant it. And through providence, even Jewish Rabbis were not able to ignore what the scriptures said without saying. James canonizes it clearly in what is the first New Covenant book of scripture.k. Broader Biblical Application: So what must we do CBC? To know that to fail the law in one point is to fail it all? My friends we must speak and act – we must live as those who will be judged by the whole law that has been fulfilled in our Savior Jesus Christ. This means that we rejoice in our Savior bearing our punishment for transgressing the law and judicially rendering us perfect in every point – but we also live in the reality of now being free to keep the law without death hanging over us. We have been freed in Christ to obey the Lord Joyfully – even if it is not perfectly and perpetually. We are sinners who have been declared righteous and who God has set apart for good works to walk in them. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Transition:[Slide 11(blank)] So, we must keep the whole law and not fail in one point. This, as we know is impossible. Yet we are called to strive toward that mark, that perfection – and as those whom the Lord has redeemed, the law is a law of freedom in Christ since He has fulfilled it. So, we are now free to live it. But what else motivates us to live the law? II.) How we live proves by what standard we will be judged, so we must live as those judged under the Christ-fulfilled law. (13)a. [Slide 12] 13 – For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy. i. The hopscotch James plays here serves to prepare his readers for the rest of chapter 2 and, indeed, the entire point of his letter. ii. This may not be abundantly clear now, but as we progress through to the next section it will become easier to see that this is exactly where James is going. iii. James is comparing two judgments based on one law. The difference between the judgments is that one is according to an unfulfilled law that demands perfect obedience from a person who has expressed some measure of personal belief. The other is a fulfilled law in which every violation has been paid for, which is received by a faith God gives that produces not only a desire to obey the law, but success in obeying it. iv. That is why James says that if someone is merciless they will be judged mercilessly by the law. James flips Jesus’ statement. Jesus said, Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. James says cursed are the merciless for they will be judged mercilessly. v. Why? vi. Because such a person has faith with no evidence of it. They have a faith that is dead. vii. They may think and say that they believe – even displaying some law adherence here or there. But if they are truly merciless, they cannot be in Christ. Therefore, they will not be judged by the law of freedom. For they are not under that law. That law is only found when we are placed into Christ, our new representative. viii. Instead, they are still under God’s unfulfilled law, the one under Adam’s representation, which requires perfect and perpetual obedience. ix. But lest James conclude this thought with a negative – he says…b. [Slide 13] Mercy triumphs over judgment. i. To the one who is merciful– their judgment will be swallowed up by mercy. ii. The great and merciful God will give mercy to those who prove they are now under the law of freedom - by living it. iii. This new law, which is the same old law but fulfilled by Christ, now not only frees them of the penalty of transgressing the law, but also makes it possible- truly possible to keep the law. iv. And so God’s true people show mercy and are given mercy. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.c. [Slide 14] Passage Truth: James’ second point of teaching, in addition to the fact that they must keep the whole law without exception, is that keeping the law proves by which standard they will be judged.d. Passage Application: Therefore, they must live out the Christ-fulfilled law, not to avoid penalty - for that has been paid. But because they now desire to live a life of obedience to God because they love Him. Those who love Him keep His commands. And those who love Him become heirs of His Kingdom.e. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Truth: Does the rest of the bible teach this? Does the bible teach that our works prove whether or not we have been justified? Again, this is a theme that is not overtly taught in the Old Testament – yet it is abundantly necessary when we look at the teaching of the Old Testament as a whole. God makes it clear that He desires obedience to the whole law in perpetuity – so much so that every single sin – small or great – must be atoned for. It must be substituted by (in many cases) the life of another creature. Yet the Old Testament also commands them to keep the whole law or they will be cursed. How can God’s law demand perfect and perpetual keeping of it yet afford provision for its failure? It all points to a future Messiah. A representative that will keep the whole law and die in the places of those who did not. f. [Slide 16] The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law – but thanks be to God! He gives victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Victory to keep the law imperfectly since the power of sin is broken in a fulfilled law and the sting of death is gone as He became sin who knew no sin.g. [Slide 17] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, what does this mean for us? James is certainly in transition. We know he is still talking about favoritism and prejudice but you can’t help but feel that something bigger is looming. We’ll get there next week. So despite the discussion ramping up to bigger things – we must keep our heads where James wants us for now. And what does he want us to see? We must speak and act as those who will be judged by the Christ-fulfilled law. We must be merciful, just, and love one another. Conclusion:[Slide 18] There are some sermons that are heavy on doctrine and teaching and there are others that are heavy on application. The sermons heavy on application tend to hit hard and force us to feel the weight of the Spirit’s conviction on our choices. The ones heavy on doctrine, if we are stay awake and listen, cause us to rise up and rejoice in thanksgiving for all that God is and all He has done through Christ. Today’s sermon is heavy on doctrine. There is a clear application and it should not be ignored – for it is a warning. But for those who are truly believing the doctrine of this text – the application is not some toe crunching, heart blistering work. Instead, it is what we might naturally anticipate to flow from what James teaches. [Slide 19] James shows us that all men will be judged by every point of the law. Not one person will escape the judgment of God. All who have violated the law, even in one point, will be guilty of the whole law and punished accordingly. But James also teaches that any who obey the law, who speak and act in accordance with the law of freedom, who love their neighbor as themselves, who love God with their heart, mind, soul, and strength – all who do this – their judgment will be swallowed up in mercy. The only logical question that flows from this is… how? If the first point is true, then there are none who have the hope of the second. Ah… but there is One. A new representative. Just as Adam violated the 1 law he was given and plunged us all into sin, so Jesus did not violate any tiny law of the 1 law of God. His reward for obedience is shared with those who are in Him – those who are His bride – those who have been made His brothers and sisters by adoption. And our punishment for all past, present and future failures of the law of God… Well… He drank that cup of wrath for us on the cross. We who are in Christ – we who are under His representation – we must speak and act as though we will be judged by the same law He has fulfilled. We must live out that law- not out of fear that we will experience the sting of death – but out of love and thanksgiving for our King. We obey because He has opened our eyes to see that He is good and His mercies are new every day. [Slide 20 (end)] Next to this great teaching… next to this great doctrine… how petty does showing favor or prejudice to people seem? If God has sent His Son to represent filthy, dirty, lawless sinners, if God can call a people who were not a people to be His people – if we who were a far way off were grafted into Abraham – if we who were godless and without promise without covenant from the Only True God – could be brought in and given those promises… can we not in turn see every believer as equally blessed and equally made valuable as restored image bearers? Does wealth, ethnicity, personality, masculinity, femininity, or any other external characteristic matter… if this is the truth of all God’s people? Judge not, lest you be judged by the standard you have judged others. To those who show no mercy, no mercy will be shown. To those who show no love, no love will be given. Live as those who know they deserve hell but were given grace that God didn’t have to give anyone. CBC, if that was on our minds at all times – we deserve hell but God has given us grace – we wouldn’t dream of prejudice or favoritism. We’d live in the constant state of thanksgiving – knowing – that we were once lost but now we are found. Blind but now we see. Dead – yet now we live… and so shall we be…forevermore.

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Title: The Rich and The PoorText: James 2:5-7FCF: We often struggle favoring or dishonoring people within the body based on irrelevant factors.Prop: Because earthly wealth and status do not indicate God’s favor or disfavor, we must hear this truth and not show prejudice. Scripture Intro: CSB[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 2. Chapter 2 begins a 13 verse application of all that James has been discussing since verse 9 of chapter 1. He knows that his audience is lacking a godly worldview on wealth and status and what receiving the word of God actually means when applied to how they treat one another in the body of Christ and how they perceive themselves. Last week, James commanded his audience to hold their faith in Christ without showing partiality or prejudice. His reasons for them to obey this command were that it sowed unnecessary division among the body of Christ and made them into judges with evil motives. Today, James will start to unpack some of those motives. And it is all in how the wealthy and the poor are viewed in this world. What James makes clear – is that the way the wealthy and the poor are viewed by this world, is not the way that we ought to view them in the church. I am in James 2, I’ll begin reading in verse 1 again, just to remind ourselves of the context. I am reading from the CSB this week, but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1361 or whatever version you prefer. Transition:I am finally starting to keep my promise of short sermons in the book of James. Today will be quite short and could have probably been listed as a part 2 sermon from last week. Nevertheless, there are unique thoughts here that we need to see and unique applications we need to get to. So, let’s dive in and get all that we can from these 3 little verses. I.) God exalts the poor of this world, so we must hear this truth and not show prejudice. (5-6a)a. [Slide 2] 5 – Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: i. This is the only command in this passage. ii. It is the command to listen. It is the command to hear with intention. To learn. To accept. To receive. And to obey. It is not just to take in the information that is being given, but to live differently because of it. To hear and heed – we might say. iii. As such it is both dependent on what we saw last week and on what James will tell them this week. iv. Last week, James forbid judgments of favor or prejudice based on external characteristics in the body of Christ. Meaning that for those who claim Christ, things like wealth, status, nationality, ethnicity, whether you are one gender or another – and any other God given external characteristic that has no moral connotation – are not a class that can be distinguished or disenfranchised. There is no loftier group within the church given more freedoms, perks or liberties because they are wealthy, men, black, white, or popular. Nor is there a lower group kept from activities, roles, plans or privileges because they are poor, women, black, white, nerdy or weird. v. I am going to go on a tangent. It is not one that is in this text. I am admitting that... UP FRONT. You can feel free to tune me out because I am admitting that James isn’t saying what I am about to say. But I feel I must make something abundantly clear here, since this passage is frequently abused by our culture to say something God didn’t say.1. Just to be clear, sexual orientation and gender identity are NOT classes that would be included in this discussion of not showing favoritism or prejudice. Why?a. Because God reveals that He has made mankind in two genders only and that He weaves us together and assigns our gender from conception.b. And God reveals that He has made mankind for 1 sexual orientation and purpose and that is 1 biological male married to 1 biological female for the duration of their natural life.2. This teaching is found not only in the “archaic and outdated” Old Testament – but in the New Testament as well. Despite what all the Progressive “Scholars” of New Testament Greek say – the words for homosexuality do not mean rape victim. They mean homosexual.3. This of course doesn’t turn those who would identify as a gender that is not their divinely assigned gender or those of a sexual orientation outside of God’s moral will into some class that we are free to treat poorly or unkindly. Because that isn’t James’ point.4. James’ attention is on the church itself. Believing ones. Visitors who are unbelievers and still slaves to their sin ought to be treated with the respect and dignity of someone who was made in the image of God but whose image is now broken by their sin. Which includes even the sin of gender denial and sexual immorality. Christ died for these sins too.5. But when a professing believer claims these identities and classes – we have left the context of James and the body is free to make judgments concerning them with a heart of love and toward the goal of restoration and purity of the gospel witness.6. It is not a violation of this command to not show favor or prejudice, when God’s people come together to rebuke the sin of an unrepentant member of their body. And it is not an act of prejudice to put them out of that body when they remain unrepentant.7. Ok – Tangent officially over. vi. James commands them to listen. They have heard this message about not showing favor or prejudice, but there is more to say. More that they need to hear. vii. But before He tells them… he once again calls them his dear or beloved brothers and sisters. viii. James is correcting. James is commanding. But James loves these folks. ix. Because He loves them, he wants them to hear and heed his questions.b. [Slide 3] Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him? i. Regarding their prejudice toward the poor – they didn’t learn it from God. ii. Now we might interpret this as James saying that only the poor can be rich in faith. That God only chooses those who are poor. iii. Not only is this untrue experientially but even biblically there are many examples of those who have wealth which is stated either obviously or easily surmised… and they are still believers. iv. However, even a cursory understanding of the scriptures show that God’s heart is near to those who are poor and desperate. We’ve already seen this with the command in chapter 1 to care for widows and orphans. We’ve seen this as we’ve discussed how God uses weak vessels to maximize His glory. v. The fact of the matter is that the universal body of Christ is made up of, and always has been made up of, primarily…poor people. vi. That doesn’t mean we ought to take a vow of poverty so that God will choose us. That doesn’t mean that we ought to not help the poor believer to escape their poverty. That doesn’t mean that we cannot be wealthy and still be a believer. vii. All it means, and all James intends to show us, is that God’s heart, his compassion, favors those who the world sees as least. viii. To understand what James is saying I believe it would help us to see “the poor” and “the rich” as categories or classes of people rather than individuals. ix. In other words, James is saying, “Of those whom God chose, were not some (or even many) of them poor in this world?” x. The implied answer would be… well yes of course. So, a follow up question. xi. Did God tell his chosen poor to sit at His footstool or to stand far off from Him or did He make them rich in faith just like every other believer? xii. Well… he made them rich in the faith just like every other believer. Follow up question… xiii. Were only the wealthy believers made heirs to the Kingdom or was the Kingdom given to all who love Him? Even the poor? xiv. All who love Him. xv. I feel like James is confronting his children. Forcing them to see their wrong by admitting things he knows they know. xvi. And here comes the correction. You ready to hear the crunch of their toes?c. [Slide 4] 6a – Yet you have dishonored the poor. i. Ouch. ii. God the righteous judge, in His sovereign plan, has saw fit to draw all kinds of men to Himself for salvation. He has not excluded any kind of man based on their ethnicity, gender, status, or wealth. iii. Indeed, God has favored the poor. iv. Yet James’ audience considers themselves better judges than Yahweh, the Most High God. v. To heirs of the Kingdom of God, to lovers of God, to those rich in faith – they are saying, you are not worthy of the better seat in the worship of our God – simply because their clothes are dirty? vi. They have dishonored the poor. They have spat upon fellow heirs to the Kingdom. vii. They have dishonored God’s beloved. viii. What an egregious sin.d. [Slide 5] Passage Truth: James teaches something extremely important here. And it is about the God we serve. God has chosen the poor of this world to populate His Kingdom. But not as peasants. No… as royalty. God loves the poor and has enabled them to love Him. But his audience has dishonored the poor. What does that mean for them? What must they do?e. Passage Application: Get back on the right side. Stop living counter to the character of God. Listen to how God loves the poor and heed that truth. Stop dishonoring the poor.f. [Slide 6] Broader Biblical Truth: Does the bible teach this- I think it is quite obvious. From start to finish God’s track record is choosing the weakest to accomplish great things. God doesn’t ALWAYS choose the weakest. There are wealthy, strong, powerful people that God chose to be in His family. But God’s heart is near to the downtrodden. He is compassionate to those who are broken and needy. And that isn’t just a spiritual neediness but even a physical neediness. That doesn’t mean that all the poor will be saved. It doesn’t mean that no rich person will be saved. But it does mean that the population of the Kingdom’s royal court is made up of many who were considered NOTHING in this world.g. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, we must be so careful to be sure that the poor are not put in a position of inferiority at our church. We must listen to how our God sees the poor of this world. We must recognize that our God is a defender of the weak. That means we should at least show no prejudice toward them and probably that we ought to be caring for and ministering to the weakest among us. We don’t need to pendulum swing and give them a place of honor over and above others. But we certainly cannot treat them as inferior. Transition:[Slide 7(blank)] Since the application remains the same as we press on, we’ll go into greater detail when we reach the end of the sermon. But before we do that, there is one other point of teaching that James wants his audience to… HEAR and to HEED. II.) Wealthy and powerful people are often the oppressor of God’s people, so we must hear this truth and not show prejudice. (6b-7)a. [Slide 8] 6b – Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? i. As James turns to the second truth they must listen to, we must be reminded that we are seeing poor and rich as categories of people. Not the sum total of the category but representatives of them. ii. This is important because the rich that James is talking about now are very obviously NOT believers. They are not Christians. iii. Because of this, many interpreters go back to verse 2-3 and determine that the persons visiting their assembly with fine robes and a gold ring are also not believers. And that the rich in chapter 1 who ought to boast in their humiliation are boasting in their judgment of wrath from God. iv. But along with several other interpreters I disagree. Where James indicates clear unbelief associated with the rich he intends just the category of rich people. But he does not mean that all rich are unbelievers. v. What he is asking is, “Aren’t those who oppress you and drag you into court wealthy?” vi. What is happening here is the same challenge that Job’s friends had when assessing his plight. vii. If you are wealthy and have much on the earth, God is obviously pleased with you. viii. If you are poor and have little on the earth or experience great tribulation, God is obviously displeased with you. ix. But God has chosen some and I think we could even say, many of the poor for His Kingdom. x. Simultaneously we could say that many rich, do not love the Lord nor are they full of faith. As Jesus said, it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. xi. But that is not because he is rich, so much as it is that in riches there is greater temptation for idolatry, self-sufficiency, and various vices. xii. In fact, to James’ audience, the rich are the ones who are actively fighting against God’s people. xiii. They should know this better than any. xiv. The wealthy and powerful are the ones who are trying to squash them and are taking them to court over their strange religious practices. xv. Indeed, taking them to court, they could use their wealth and status to squash them even more. The court systems in the Roman empire were notoriously corrupt and it was often who you knew that mattered rather than the truth.b. [Slide 9] 7 – Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you? i. All God’s people, all who were chosen, who were called, were called by God’s name. ii. Being that James writes this to Jews, this phrase is not obscure or unfamiliar to them. iii. God calls them or places them under His name. He invokes His own name to take them as His own possession. iv. But it is the wealthy and powerful who are actively blaspheming that very name. v. They are mocking the odd practices of the church and scoffing at the Jesus they serve who died at the hands of the Romans, with nothing to his name. vi. And even though the rich are doing this to them – James’ audience is giving preferred treatment to the wealthy Christian as if wealth is some kind of sign that God is more pleased with them than their poor brothers. vii. But if that were true – does that mean the actions of the wealthy outside the faith are pleasing to the Lord also? viii. James then conclusively proves that both the poor and the wealthy have been granted rich faith, they have been made heirs to the kingdom of God, and they have been given love from God so that they can love Him. ix. Whether poor or rich, A Christian must be chosen of God, given rich faith, made an heir of the kingdom, and love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. x. All those whom God has claimed as His own… are the same. c. [Slide 10] Passage Truth: James’ second point of teaching to his audience has to do with the nature of man. Men who are wealthy in the eyes of this world are typically the greatest offenders, oppressors, crooks, and blasphemers. In short, their wealth does not indicate that God is pleased with them. And they are not worthy of being favored over others simply because they are wealthy. God’s economy doesn’t work that way.d. Passage Application: So, his audience must take heed and listen to the harsh reality that wealth often divides loyalty to God rather than unites it. And that favoring wealthy believers over poor believers is favoring those who had to be given just as much by God as the poor.e. [Slide 11] Broader Biblical Truth: But do the scriptures attest to this truth as well? I think it is fairly obvious that from Genesis to Revelation those who are the greatest persecutors and sinners are often the wealthy and powerful. As we’ve seen, this does not mean that a godly person cannot be wealthy. Certainly Job, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, Philemon, Gaius, and several more prove that God can bless with wealth those who serve Him. And it certainly doesn’t mean that a poor man can’t be a vile wicked man desiring the death of believers. But when people have much in this world they can do much more. And the ungodly wealthy can do much against God’s people. And they have done much against God’s people. And they ARE doing much against God’s people.f. Broader Biblical Application: So for us to idealize or favor those with wealth who gather with us – is a bit like playing with fire. They have been given a lot of wealth by the Lord but that wealth can just as easily be a danger as it can be an aid. We ought to strive for unity in Christ. To stop favoring, dividing, or grouping one another by outside appearances or external characteristics like our wealth and status- and start emphasizing that we are ALL wretched beggars whom God has given bread. After we see that - everything else is just trappings. Conclusion:[Slide 12] So, what have we learned today and how then shall we live? James wants us to hear and heed two teachings. He wants us to understand something about man and something about God. Having an understanding on these two items will help us to be careful not to divide ourselves or make evil judgments about one another. First, God has chosen from the foundation of the world to include many who were poor, weak, powerless, and least in this world to be rich in faith, to be made into heirs of His Kingdom and to love Him forever. Second, wealthy, powerful, great, mighty, intelligent, and popular men and women down through the ages have held hands with the forces of darkness as it is aligned against the church of Christ. In almost every persecution, in almost every oppression of the people of God – the rich and powerful lead the way. Although we cannot conclude from these two truths that to be poor is to be one of God’s chosen, nor can we say that to be wealthy is to be far from God… but what we certainly can say is that wealth, status, power, popularity, intelligence, personality profile, prestige, job title, ethnicity, gender, or any other external indicator has absolutely no bearing on the place of a person in God’s Kingdom. Remember back when the disciples were actually arguing over which one of them was going to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? We have this recorded for us in all four gospels. And because Luke’s record is unique from the others, it is possible that they argued over this… twice. And once was at the Lord’s Supper. Wow. Well – hold on there. Let’s not be too judgmental just yet – lest we have a prophet pointing his finger in our face saying – you are the man! Jesus tells them how to be great in the kingdom. Which is kinda counter to what James is teaching us – or at least it appears to be. James’ message seems to indicate that we are all the same in the body. Which is true. But Jesus’ words don’t contradict James – or perhaps more properly we can say that Jesus’ words don’t contradict what James learned from Jesus. Jesus taught his disciples that those who were servants, those who were humble, those who esteemed others more highly than themselves, those who loved other believers as Christ loved them – they would be called great in the kingdom of God. And the message that external indicators like wealth and power are meaningless among God’s people is essentially confirmed here too. For the economy of God’s Kingdom – the currency of true and genuine wealth in His glorious eternal Kingdom- is in Christlikeness. The more like Christ you are – the wealthier you will be in the Kingdom of God. Do you see how foolish it is to favor here on earth, the wealthy among us, the brilliant, the successful, the extroverted, the young, the energetic, the talented? Do you see how foolish it is to dishonor the poor, the uneducated, the introvert, the old, the weak? Jesus taught a parable of the talents. A man with 1 talent buried it in the earth for fear of losing it and others who were given more invested the talent and produced a return. The master was displeased with the one who had not done anything with his one talent. Taking what Jesus says about those who are the greatest in the kingdom and what James says about favoritism and prejudice we see the parable of the talents as the great bridge between them. How many talents each person started with was irrelevant. The only thing that mattered to the master was that the talent was used to gain an increase. So, whether we are rich or poor, strong or weak, educated or uneducated, extroverted or introverted, male or female, white, black, red, yellow or purple – these things are irrelevant. What matters is that we use what God HAS given us to serve one another and proclaim His Kingdom until He comes. My friends let us not honor or dishonor those among us for things that are irrelevant. Instead, let us as one body grow up into a full and complete stature of Christ. So that we may be held together in Him and grow in His love. This is the goal of the church.

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Title: Faith + Prejudice = No FaithText: James 2:1-4FCF: We often struggle judging people by their external characteristics.Prop: Because judging and dividing ourselves by external standards is incompatible with the gospel, we must not show personal favoritism. Scripture Intro: NASB 95[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 2. Although chapter divisions help us to find the scriptures we are looking at much faster and although they typically do a good job at separating thoughts and ideas… they are not part of the original text of scripture. They were added in the 1200s. That being said, just because it is James 2, does not mean that James has left behind what he’s been talking about. James is still pointing out areas that their faith is deficient and thus areas that God is using trials to perfect them. One particular point of faith deficiency in these Jewish Christians, scattered throughout the Roman empire, is their socio-economic persecution. Most of those James writes to will be relatively poor. They left their possessions in Israel as they fled persecution from their countrymen who opposed this new Jewish heresy called - Christianity. So they arrive in these places, dominated by pagan worship, and are treated like outsiders because of their ethnicity and religion. How should they respond to such treatment? Well – it seems that they have not responded well. Their perspective on themselves, on wealth and status, and on the church itself – is not great. And James is going to correct it. I am in James 2. I’ll be reading from the New American Standard Bible – the 1995 edition. You can follow me in the pew bible on page 1361 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:There are some very important and culturally relevant teachings in this passage that we must see and hear. Come with me as we dissect these things. I.) Making divisions in the body of Christ is incompatible with the gospel, so we must not show personal favoritism. (1-4a)a. [Slide 2] 1 – My brethren, i. This phrase when attached to a command is how James begins a new thought or moves the thought forward from where he has been. ii. He did this in verse 2 of chapter 1 and verse 16 of chapter 1. And now again here in verse 1 of chapter 2. iii. Up to this point he has been talking about the improper view of self and how that is a deficiency in our faith that God through trials can help to prune. iv. Now, still with an improper view of self, he will start combining much of what he has covered in this whole discussion of lacking an improper perspective on this world. v. Verses 1-13 of chapter 2 serve then as a wonderful application and summary of all that he has been talking about since verse 9 in chapter 1. vi. So what command does he issue this time?b. [Slide 3] Do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. i. Some translations say “do not to show favoritism.” Although this doesn’t change the meaning of the text in big ways – it does change the meaning slightly. ii. The command here from James is to not grasp, have, or hold onto a faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ and also grasp, have or hold favoritism or prejudice. iii. Certainly, this still means not to show favoritism – but the way James has structured the sentence seems to emphasize the incompatibility of prejudice and a faith in Christ. iv. We are drawn to similar compatibility issues that Christ pointed out like – “you cannot serve God and money.” And calling Him Lord while living lawlessly. Or believing on him but also doubting or denying Him. v. James points out that a faith in Christ that includes favoritism, is a contradictory faith. vi. But what kind of favoritism is James pointing to? Interestingly enough, it is an issue he has already addressed in chapter 1.c. [Slide 4] 2 – For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes 3 – and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” i. I don’t want to spend a lot of time unpacking this but it is core to the interpretation and application of this text, so we must do a little unpacking. ii. First, is this an actual situation or is this a hypothetical? iii. Well, keeping with James’ pattern at the end of chapter 1 this seems to be a hypothetical situation. As we continue past our text this morning we’ll see that the exact situation may be hypothetical but the truth behind it is, unfortunately, not hypothetical. iv. The second item we need to discuss is the word for “assembly.’ The word for assembly used here is the word “synagogue.” Because of this, many interpreters struggle in two specific ways.1. Is James speaking to Jewish Christians who are gathering at a Jewish worship center with other Jews who are not Christians. In that case, the rich would be characterized as those who are unbelievers and the poor would be believers.2. Perhaps this is not talking about a building at all but more a gathering? If so, what kind of gathering? Is it for Christian worship or could be it a meeting similar to a church disciplinary meeting? I realize that second option may seem out of left field to you, but there are significant parallels to what James describes here and a 1st century Jewish court of law. v. Although it would certainly be true that most of James’ audience were probably poor – and although there is great similarity between the language of James and Jewish courts of law, it seems best to interpret this as a normal Christian gathering for worship. Meaning that all those who enter into this meeting are believers. vi. Several early church fathers use the word “synagogue” to describe a normal Christian gathering for worship. Meaning that this usage did not fade after Christianity and Judaism officially diverged. vii. James’ illustration as a whole, points once again to his audience’s lack of godly perspective on earthly wealth and status. viii. However, the last time he spoke of this, it was very personal. ix. What I mean by that is James’ words were addressed directly to the poor man and the rich man. In chapter 1 verses 9=11. What did he say?1. They should not view their earthly wealth and status as some indication of God’s perspective of them.2. Rather they should glory in their wealth in heaven and in coming to know and see their spiritual poverty on earth. x. But here James addresses others’ perspective of the rich man and the poor man. xi. Clearly James is connecting this to what he said was an expression of blameless holiness, in the care of those who could not care for themselves. The truly helpless. xii. So, what might impede someone’s care of the poor and helpless? xiii. James offers two impediments. xiv. The first, being a prejudice of favor given to the wealthy and the second being a prejudice of disfavor toward the poor. xv. Notice that both are condemned. It is neither right to show favor to a class of people based on their earthly wealth or status nor is it right to show disfavor to a class of people based on their earthly wealth or status. xvi. It is impossible to show favoritism or prejudice in the assembly and still hold a faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. xvii. Why do you suppose that is? What is the harm? xviii. James tells us the first of two repercussions for holding such contradictory positions.d. [Slide 5] 4 – have you not made distinctions among yourselves i. James words this as a question but it is surely rhetorical. ii. He intends exactly what he asks. iii. They have indeed made distinctions among themselves. iv. Why is this so egregious? v. The bible as whole goes to great lengths to lump all of natural man into one group. vi. And when someone is placed into Christ, when they are adopted into God’s family – they disappear again into a communal identity. vii. Just as all men in Adam inherit the status of sinners who are unable and unwilling to seek and obey God – so all men in Christ inherit the identical status with one another. viii. Paul points out that there is neither Jew, nor Greek, nor slave, nor free, nor male, nor female. For we are all one in Christ. (Gal 3:28) ix. Based on James’ teaching here – we could add to that list – rich or poor. x. When we are united to Christ by faith – all external status indicators that are so important in this world are neutralized in Him. xi. So, to show favor or prejudice based on these external markers that no longer matter in Christ – is to drive a wedge of disunity and division in the body of Christ. A wedge that does not actually exist according to the Founder of the church – which is Christ. xii. Therefore, to make distinctions in this way – to favor the poor or the rich, to be prejudice against one ethnicity or favor another, to shame or glorify one gender over the other one – is to deny something fundamental to the gospel. xiii. Just as Noah and his family were saved because they were in the Ark – we are saved because we are in Christ. xiv. Imagine the foolishness if you will if Noah considered himself more important in the ark because he had more sheep on earth than Shem. Imagine Japheth considering himself more important than Ham because he had a wife that was of a certain ethnicity and Ham did not. All while they tottered on the waves of the apocalyptic flood. xv. So too for us it makes no sense to assign favor or prejudice to someone within the body of Christ. xvi. We are all wretched sinners to whom God has freely given grace. xvii. It is important to balance this on the other side though. Because in our culture and in some brands of Christianity this concept is applied too far the other way. xviii. These distinctions don’t become meaningless. Gentiles in Acts 15 were told very specifically that they could not perform certain practices within the church – for the sake of their Jewish brothers. Women are not permitted to teach or exercise authority over men within the church. A slave was still told to submit to and obey his master regardless of whether they were both believers or not. xix. AND ALSO, internal faith distinctions still matter. As with the distinction of qualification for the offices and responsibilities of Elder and Deacon. xx. But there ought not be any external characteristic of ours that causes the assembly to treat someone better or worse than another. This holds true across the board.1. Even though women cannot teach and exercise authority over a man, it doesn’t mean they are separated from the worship of God or put in an inferior category as though they are somehow less than men and not able to handle or understand the finer details of doctrine.2. Just because the Gentiles had to submit to ceasing from certain pagan practices associated with worship, did not mean that they were not permitted to sing songs of praise with everyone else or hold the office of Elder or Deacon, or be forced to serve in a lesser function.3. Though Elders are to be submitted to and followed – even Elders are not above the Scriptures, therefore they are not free to teach something that the scriptures do not teach. If they sin, they are not to be shown partiality, either by being overly hard on them or by being easy on them. And in their selection, no consideration should be given to the color of their skin, their ethnicity or their wealth, the quality of their English, or any other external factor that the bible does not specify. xxi. Showing favor or prejudice over external characteristics to the point of dividing the body is a despicable attitude that cannot coincide with a faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. You can’t have both.e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: So, the doctrinal truth that James conveys to his audience is that showing favor or prejudice against another member of the body of Christ causes division.f. Passage Application: So, they must hold their faith in the glorious Jesus Christ without prejudice and favoritism.g. [Slide 7] Broader Biblical Truth: But does the bible as a whole teach this concept? Is it really divisive to show favor toward a group of people because of something external or to show prejudice against a group of people because of something external? Isaac had a favorite son in Esau. Jacob had a favorite parent in Rebecca. He had a favorite wife in Rachel. He had a favorite son in Joseph and later in Benjamin. How did that go for him? Certainly God used Jacob’s family history of favoritism to providentially restore Israel – but can we say it was good for him to show favor? In Romans 1-3 Paul makes the case that all men, Jew or Gentile, are equally lost and unable and unwilling to seek after God or obey Him. And right in the middle of that Paul says that with God there is no partiality. If we are to be restored image bearers, united with Christ, indwelled with the Spirit of God, a Kingdom of Priests – ought we not be like God and show no partiality? Ought we to see the body of Christ as a unified body and not as rich and poor, old and young, strong and weak, men and women, black and white? There is so much attacking the church and trying to divide us. Why invite more division by showing favor or prejudice against external things that don’t matter? h. Broader Biblical Application: And that brings us CBC to our application. We must hold fast to a pure and unadulterated faith. We are trusting, hoping, following, clinging to, disappearing into, and relying fully on Christ and Christ alone. He is our hope. We are His body. You cannot add a deep-seated favoritism or prejudice to your faith in Christ and expect everything to be fine. Faith in Christ plus favor or prejudice does not equal faith in Christ. Transition:[Slide 8 (blank)] We’ll talk more specifics in a moment, but there is a greater repercussion that we must get to. And it is in the second phrase at the end of verse 4. II.) Being judges over one another with evil motives is incompatible with the gospel, so we must not show personal favoritism. (4b)a. [Slide 9] 4b – and become judges with evil motives? i. Although it would certainly make my seminary professors cringe – this point will be a good deal shorter than the last one. ii. But in the way that James has structured his opening statements in chapter 2, the only real separate point he is making is in this short addition to his critique on showing favor or prejudice. iii. Not only does showing favor or prejudice work to divide by making distinctions in ways that there ought not be distinctions… but it also turns those who make distinctions into something they should not be. iv. First it turns them into judges. v. This is wordplay here in the Greek that we wouldn’t see in the English. The word for distinctions has the same root word that the word “judges” has. vi. Because of this word, commentators think that this is some kind of Jewish court – but more likely James means this pejoratively. As an insult. We can see that especially because of the word play. vii. You are making distinctions and have become evil distinguishers. You are judgmental and evil judges. These are poor attempts to capture the “Aha moment” in the Greek. But you get the idea. viii. The scripture does tell us to judge one another. For all the people who quote the bible “judge not” I have rarely found one that quotes it rightly. ix. You see we are to judge others – but only after examining our own life and only to genuinely help them get the speck out of theirs. x. Why does the text tell us to judge not then? Because we are going to be judged the same way we judge others. If someone is trying to get sin out of your life and they are not encumbered by that sin also – wouldn’t you want that kind of judge? xi. But the kind of judgment we are speaking of here is making a determination. xii. They have determined to show favor to one and prejudice to another and begun to carry that out based solely on external characteristics. Like wealth or poverty. Like ethnicity. Like gender. xiii. They have a self-motivated reason for showing favor to the rich and prejudice to the poor. xiv. This makes their judgment evil.b. [Slide 10] Passage Truth: So, James’ point of teaching here is subtly different than his first point. He shows us that not only are they showing distinctions and causing division in the church with their prejudice – but they are also being evil motivated judges trying to get something from those whom they show favor, and not be obligated to those to whom they show prejudice.c. Passage Application: Once again their response must be a hearty dismissal of any favoritism or prejudice but the why of this passage is even more important than the what. Why must they not show favor or prejudice? Because such attitudes are not compatible with a faith in Christ.d. [Slide 11] Broader Biblical Truth: But does the bible truly teach this? Is a person who shows ethnic, socio economic, gender, or any other prejudice based on external characteristics – are their motives truly evil? Are they making judgments about people with evil motives? Who does God choose? Does He not choose the weakest? Abram a man from Ur with nothing to his name. Jacob the second born. Joseph the outcast. Moses the murderer. Samuel the altar boy. David the youngest son of Jesse. Mary a nobody from Galilee. The disciples 12 young men who were fishermen, zealots, tax collectors and no one special. Why? So his power can be made known in their weakness. So He would be given glory not them. What about when people chose who they thought was best. Like Saul the first King of Israel. Chosen because he was tall and handsome. Chosen because he would make a great warrior king. Chosen so Israel would be like every other nation. How well did that go? What about when Lot chose the best land to settle in. Chosen to give his flocks and herds abundant water and food. Chosen because it would benefit him. How well did that go? Does God judge by the outward appearance or does He judge by the heart? Jesus in John 7 tells the crowd to not make judgments based on external appearance. And In Leviticus 19, God told the judges of Israel to not be a respecter of persons according to wealth or status but instead to judge justly. Truly judgments that elevate some or lower others because of external appearance are evil and not in accordance with a faith in Christ.e. Broader Biblical Application: So, my friends we must be very careful not to make distinctions or make evil judgments of those who are among us. We are the body of Christ – together. And we are a diverse group. We come from many backgrounds with many ethnic histories. We are two genders – because that is all there is.

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Title: Pure and UndefiledText: James 1:26-27FCF: We often struggle with the place of works in our salvation.Prop: True religion that is blameless before God lives out the law of liberty, so we must live out the law of liberty. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 1. After a long holiday season with several special messages, special Sundays, Special services – it is nice to get back to a normal worship service. And part of that is settling back into our normal book study. Every book in the bible seems extraordinarily relevant to us though we are several years from them being written. James seems to be especially relevant though. Many are in times of trial right now. They do need encouragement and they do need care. But counseling them to count it as joy must be part of that counsel. It may not be all of it. In fact, it probably shouldn’t be all of it. But if you never edify a believer to count their trial as joy in the midst of it – you are failing them in a big way. Set the word of God loose and see what He will do with it! To a certain degree of design we left James at exactly the time we should have. That may seem odd to say since we stopped before concluding chapter 1. However, what is said in the remaining two verses will serve both to remind us of what we spoke of last, and to push us on toward what James will say in the rest of the letter. Let me briefly summarize all that we’ve seen in chapter 1 thus far. James, the half-brother of Jesus, only converted after his brother was raised from the dead, now leads the church in Jerusalem. Nevertheless, through persecution many Jewish believers have fled to various parts of the Roman empire, where they are looked at with suspicion and even oppressed because they live so much differently than the pagans around them. Then they hear a message that gives them some sense of false peace. Justification is by faith alone without any works. Therefore, we can live however we want as long as we believe. The error of this teaching is borne from those who twisted Paul’s teaching. So, James has his hands full when he writes to these scattered Jews. But what does he say? Where would he even begin to correct AND encourage them? Consider it as pure joy when you encounter trials of all kinds. Because God is using those to perfect your faith. He is making you into someone who lacks nothing. What follows is a list of things they may (and being close to them James probably knew they did) lack. Do you lack wisdom? Wisdom to know God and be what God desires? Then ask God for it. Do you lack God’s perspective? Perspective on what? Well… Do you view wealth and status in this world as something important? Well, this is not how God sees the world. Do you view God’s character in suspicion as though he is the one tempting you? Remember that God is good and never tempts anyone. When you are drawn away, you are drawn away by your own lusts. In the midst of a trial do you see God as a good giver that is unfortunately not always able to help you? Stop! For God is only a giver of good gifts to His people which chief among them is His sovereign plan to give free grace to you and birth you out of death and darkness into light and life. And most recently – James addresses a particularly malicious lack of Godly perspective. And it is the perspective we often have… of ourselves. We often consider ourselves more highly than we should. To this James says – be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. Listening means not only to listen to others, but to God also by hearing and doing the gospel. And that brings us to today. I am in James 1. I’ll begin reading in verse 22 just to pick up some context. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible starting on page 1360 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:There is much to see here today. Let’s dive in! I.) True religion that is blameless before God lives out the law of liberty, so we must control our speech.a. [Slide 2] 26 – If someone thinks he is religious i. James parallels his previous discussion about the person who was a hearer only and not also a doer of the Word. ii. In fact, this is more than a parallel, this is an application. iii. Before he spoke in illustrative and in theoretical senses. He discussed how such a person is like a someone who sees his disheveled appearance in a mirror and walks away forgetting what he sees. But a person who keeps looking into the gospel will never forget and will be blessed in his obedience. iv. Well now James seeks to sharpen the stick as it were. v. You see they might have had a chance to wiggle free of James’ point from the previous section. vi. His audience may have escaped conviction by simply saying – well I know I am a sinner and God is working on me. I am not a hearer only! vii. But now James pounces. He has us right where he wants us, right where the Spirit of God has led him to attack a true deficiency in our faith. viii. And he begins by posing a hypothetical. ix. If someone – anyone - thinks he is religious. x. This doesn’t mean what many mean when they say that person is “religious” or they have “religion.” xi. Typically this is spoken by a non believing non religiously affiliated person to refer to pretty much everyone who is affiliated with a religion in almost any way. xii. What James means by “religious” is a person who is pious. A person who is devout. A person who is holy. xiii. Now it is important to note that James does not say if a person is religious… he says if a person thinks, is convinced, considers, or believes himself to be pious, devout or holy. xiv. He is not speaking of reality but of perception. xv. If this person perceives themselves in this way…b. [Slide 3] Yet does not bridle his tongue i. This person who perceives himself to be and has even convinced himself that he is holy is also one who does not control his tongue. ii. Even in English the idiom is clear – his tongue is like a horse with no bit in its mouth and no reins to guide it. It is used to say all manner of ungodly things. iii. This is not the first and it will not be the last time that James calls attention to the wild nature of our tongue and our need to control it. Indeed, throughout the letter, the control of our tongue remains a sure proof of our genuine faith. iv. And so, we have a person who truly believes himself to be holy but he is unable to control what he says. He speaks flippantly, abusively, deceptively, impatiently, arrogantly, ungratefully and/or unwholesomely – yet still believes himself to be pious, devout, righteous and holy. v. If such a person exists, what is true of that person?c. [Slide 4] And so deceives his heart i. The original language draws a difficult connection between this clause and the rest of the text. ii. But it seems that the NET and other translations point out the obvious conclusion especially as you compare this to verse 22. iii. A person who is a hearer and not a doer deceives themselves. Similarly, a person who thinks he is a holy person but cannot control his tongue is essentially a hearer only and therefore has deceived himself. iv. The significance of James using the term heart here rather than simply saying “himself” as he did before, could be significant. v. If this person truly believes that they are holy and yet cannot control what they say – they have deceived their heart… which is the very essence of their being. vi. Such a person is, perhaps, more lost than before they confessed Christ. They are, perhaps, farther away from true holiness than those who live in blatant sin. vii. Such was the state of the Pharisees who thought they were pious yet ignored justice and mercy. They were incensed when Christ said that prostitutes and thieves were closer to the kingdom than they were. viii. Yet James points out a similar picture here. It is truly a tragic man who is convinced he is holy and cannot bridle his tongue. It is tragic because he is delusional. ix. What is the only assessment we can make of a man who cannot control his tongue but has deceived himself to believe he is truly holy?d. [Slide 5] His religion is futile. i. Notice that James does not say – he has no religion. ii. James says his religion – his piety, his devotion, his holiness – is worthless.e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: Although it is unspoken so far, the lesson in doctrine that James is teaching in these two verses is already obvious. He is defining true religion. What does it mean to be pious? What does it look like to be devout? What is a case study in true holiness? What does it mean to have humbly welcomed the gospel? What does it mean to be a doer and not a hearer only? James begins very simply by stating that they are not pious or devout because they believe they are pious or devout. Perceiving themselves to be a doer of the gospel does not make it so. They must live out the gospel in order to truly have a religion that is not worthless.f. Passage Application: So, his audience must move beyond their simple belief that they are a partaker of the gospel and move to actually living it. Specifically, by controlling their tongue.g. [Slide 7] Broader Biblical Truth: But do the Scriptures as a whole teach this? Do we find this in the rest of the bible? My friends there are countless examples of people who thought they were God’s child and it was not so. The entire Old Testament is full of Israelites who thought they were God’s chosen people and safe from His retribution for their sins. The Apostle Paul – A Jew – says that not all Israel is Israel. But today we’ve replaced the blood of Abraham with a list of truths we’ve decided to believe. And once we decide to believe them we simply need to be assured that we are safe and secure from God’s wrath. Men and women everywhere in this country live life like they always have but because they decided something when they were 5 years old at a VBS – they have convinced themselves they are going to heaven. James says that a character flaw as simple as a potty mouth can prove your decision to believe was worthless. h. Broader Biblical Application: What about the application here? Do we find it in the rest of the scriptures? We could go back to verse 19 where James said to be slow to speak. We could go to Psalm 34:13 where it says to make sure you don’t speak evil words or deceptive speech. Or psalm 39:1 where the psalmist says he will watch what he says and make sure he does not sin with his tongue. Or Psalm 141:3 where the psalmist begs YAHWEH to place a guard on his mouth. Or we could go to the gospels where The Lord Jesus said in His teaching that out of the heart the mouth speaks. My friends, if you are truly devout, truly pious, if you possess true religion that is blameless before God, you will beg like the psalmist for YAHWEH to put a guard on your mouth and protect the opening of your lips. CBC, we sin so much with our tongues. Not just crude words or vulgar jokes either. We disrespect, we cut, we impatiently chide, we grumble, we complain, we gossip, we stir up, we backbite, we brag, presume, and we blaspheme. My friends our tongues are a powder keg. We must keep it under lock and key lest a spark find its fuse and blow us to smithereens. We cannot possibly claim to be pious if our lips can never seem to stop spewing unholy sewage. Transition:[Slide 8] We saw a worthless, useless and fake religion in a person who thinks they are truly pious yet they cannot control their tongue. But this doesn’t answer the question of what a true and blameless religion would be. What would it look like to truly be devout? To be pious? To be holy? James begins that discussion in verse 27. II.) True religion that is blameless before God lives out the law of liberty, so we must help the desperate.a. [Slide 9] 27 – Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: i. James transitions to a contrasting kind of religion. ii. He begins with two adjectives. iii. Not a worthless religion but one that is pure and undefiled. iv. These two adjectives are so similar in their meaning that to try to find some meaningful point of difference would probably be a fool’s errand. v. This is no doubt a poetic or stylistic way of emphasizing and highlighting the difference in the two religions he has brought up. vi. This second religion is pure and undefiled. It is spotless. It is blameless. vii. Some preachers, taking the word “pure” to mean complete, have mistakenly assigned all of piety and holiness to these two specific components listed in verse 27. viii. But interpreting them together as spotless or blameless – we see that what follows in this verse are two specific examples of pure and undefiled religion not the sum total of it. ix. And notice - that this religion is blameless before The Holy God. x. Some translations have “before our God and Father” but the NET nails James’ meaning when it says God THE Father. xi. If God the Father, the Ancient of Days, He who sits on the throne of heaven, He who dwells in inapproachable light, He who is the Great I Am – if He determines this religion is blameless – then my friends, it is truly blameless. xii. So what is this religion that is blameless before Him?b. [Slide 10] To care for orphans and widows in their misfortune i. These two kinds of people are connected with the word “and” meaning we should probably not be focusing on their differences but rather on their similarity. ii. Just as “pure and undefiled” and “God and Father” were emphasizing the sameness rather than the difference – so here we are not looking at widows and orphans for their unique needs but rather for widows and orphans for their shared need. iii. And what is that need? iv. Their misfortune. v. Even if you knew nothing of the cultural context of this book you would know that widows and orphans had a unique need in that they were afflicted. They were oppressed. They were pushed down in their society. vi. In the 1st century Roman world there wasn’t a lot an orphan or widow could do to escape their situation. Widows could be left penniless and unable to earn a living for themselves. Orphans could be left with no benefactor to raise and educate them. vii. James’ point to his audience is simply this – living out the gospel, being a doer of the Word, having a truly blameless holiness, is considering the least, the helpless, the outcast, the oppressed – and doing what with them? viii. Caring. Feeding, clothing, healing, helping. The term here used is to visit or to meet. ix. Blameless holiness meets the needs of those who are unable to help themselves.c. [Slide 11] Passage Truth: James’ truth endures through the passage. And it is all the clearer. True and blameless religion before God lives out the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. It looks into and obeys the law of liberty.d. Passage Application: And for his audience one specific way to live out the law of liberty is to care for those who are unable help themselves.e. [Slide 12] Broader Biblical Truth: Perhaps you were not satisfied that the scriptures speak often about people who think they are God’s people when they aren’t. What of Judas? What of Demas? What of Simon the Sorcerer? What of Alexander and Hymenaeus? What of those Peter spoke about who have known the way of righteousness only to turn back from it? What of Rob Bell, Josh Harris, Rhett and Link, Ravi Zacharias, and countless others without prominent names or followers. They have made a confession, made a decision, believed that Jesus is the Son of God who died for their sins and rose again the third day… but have walked away either by denying the faith or by living unholy lifestyles? Can this kind of faith, religion, piety… can it save them? No. They will join many in the last day who will say – I have done many wonderous things in your name Lord. And the Lord will say depart from me worker of lawlessness. I never knew you. It is important that we know Christ. But it is infinitely more important that He know us.f. Broader Biblical Application: But CBC… my friends. Hear me. All the names I listed before are those who are very obviously in possession of a religion that is worthless. But before we sit so high on our horse. Before we convince ourselves of better things. Do you help those who cannot help themselves? I’m not even talking about money, although that would be one application. Do you personally meet with and care for those who are voiceless, oppressed or afflicted? As we have studied the Old Testament in Foundations and even most recently in our study of Hosea and the Northern Kingdom… one of the main reasons that God is judging them is because… they oppressed widows and orphans. They did not alleviate their misfortune, they added to it. In Psalm 68 the psalmist calls the Lord a Father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows. In Isaiah God tells Israel to give the oppressed a reason to celebrate and to take up the cause of the orphan and defend the rights of the widow. Are we helping those who truly cannot help themselves? Transition:[Slide 13] But this is only one application of blameless holiness. James has one more before he gets to chapter 2. III.) True religion that is blameless before God lives out the law of liberty, so we must guard ourselves against the world.a. [Slide 14] And to keep oneself unstained by the world i. This second point is so very important in this context. ii. For many use this verse to defend some kind of social gospel where God’s people’s only concern is righting the wrongs in society. iii. But righting social wrongs cannot be the end of the discussion when we speak of blameless holiness. Truly it is a noble work and one near to the heart of Yahweh. But it is not the end. It wasn’t the end of what God desired for the Israelites and it is not the end of what God desires of His church. iv. Do you see how humility is emphasized throughout this passage? v. Blameless holiness is caring for the desperate. The ones Scrooge at the beginning of A Christmas Carol, would have said should “hurry up and die to decrease the surplus population.” vi. This is what living out the gospel looks like when pointed at the desperate – those in the humblest of states. vii. But when pointed at ourselves… what does living out the gospel look like? viii. It assumes that we are in constant danger of being defiled by the world in which we live. ix. The arrogant and prideful think they are always right. They defend their actions even when it is clear they are wrong. They justify themselves and find reason to be excused from fulfilling the law of God. And a less obvious expression of pride would be to live as if you could crawl through the soot without staining your pure white robes. x. Living out the gospel is not just caring for the desperate. It is recognizing how desperate we all are in that when we gaze into the wonderful law of liberty, we see that we are highly susceptible to being stained by all that surrounds us. xi. Seeing this through the lens of the gospel, we take great pains to keep, to protect, to guard ourselves from ungodly thoughts, words, philosophies, teachings, and practices. xii. We don’t just want to escape the judgment of the world… we don’t even want to walk into the kingdom smelling like it. xiii. That is what it means to obey the gospel. That is what it is to be a doer and not a hearer only. xiv. This is blameless holiness… to fight to keep ourselves from succumbing to the influence of a world that hates God. Our Father.b. [Slide 15] Passage Truth: Again, James’ point is inescapable. True religion that is blameless is one that lives out the law of liberty.c. Passage Application: And specifically for his audience, that means they must protect themselves from the world’s influence. d. [Slide 16] Broader Biblical Truth: If you do not yet accept and believe that good works must accompany faith if the faith is real – then at this point there is nothing I can say to change your mind. You are arguing with God… not me. I’ll let Him deal with you.e. Broader Biblical Application: But CBC, we must be so very careful with this proof of true holiness that is blameless. We must be so very careful. I don’t want to open up a huge discussion on Christian liberty. Nor do I want to be the arbiter of your family’s personal convictions. But here is what I know… it is very easy to set something in front of our eyes, in our ears, holding our hands, taking our time, taking our energy, taking our money, that is so infused, so saturated by the world and its ways that it drips with the sludge of hell. And we can watch and listen and touch and do and give and pay for all of this without getting stained. But my friends… James says to keep… to protect ourselves from being stained by the world. Do you walk about this life expecting that sludge to grow arms so it can get its filthy fingers on your white pure robes? Or do you sit on your couch and watch your TV passively unaware of – not just the obvious sex, drugs, and ungodly behavior – but are you unaware of the ideologies, philosophies, and values that are bombarding your defenses? Are your shields even up? Or are you so exhausted from a day of work that you have no energy left to protect yourself? If you walk through this life claiming to have blameless religion before God but are not walking circumspectly as if around every corner something from hell is out to get you… then you are a fool. And you are going to fall. Conclusion:[Slide 17] My friends… true religion that is blameless before God is this… You control what you say. You humbly help those who cannot help themselves. You walk circumspectly in the world. If you don’t have these… you have not received the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you do have these… but you realize, and probably have for some time that they have laxed and must be rekindled… then let today be the day you repent of idleness. Guard your words. Be careful what you say. Speak the words of life. Encourage, Edify, rebuke, correct, instruct, give thanks, praise the Lord! But let all manner of wicked speech be removed from you. Let not a single idle word pass through your lips. Certainly, this does not mean we must speak only the scripture or only that which is overtly biblical. But prattling on endlessly about things that won’t be in the Kingdom of God makes just as worthless of a religion as gossip, backbiting, slandering, or lying. Control your tongue. As a teacher I have grown accustomed to talking a lot. I take that teaching heart and wax eloquent often. One of the many lessons Eric Beauman has taught me… is to talk less. Choose my words more carefully. And speak only when necessary. I fail his advice often. But His advice is truly sound for it is found in the pages of James. Control your tongue Christian. And that includes the tongue at your fingertips too. Help those who cannot help themselves. Our nation has made a mockery of poverty. Many who are truly capable of helping themselves are allowed to do nothing and yet eat. The apostle Paul says that if a man does not work, he shall not eat. Yet there are those who truly are oppressed and afflicted. They are unable to claw their way out of whatever situation they are in. They are caught in an endless loop and are doomed to never get ahead. It is those whom we must help. We must be the voice of the voiceless. We must defend the rights of the oppressed. We must help those who are unable to help themselves. If I could be so bold… one class of people that I believe God would certainly have in this category… are the unborn. I can think of no other people group in this nation that are oppressed more with simultaneously less of a voice than the unborn. I would go so far even to say that if you fight to keep this people group oppressed and afflicted, regardless of your reasons… there is no way you can have a true religion that is blameless before God. You have deceived your heart. Let me be clear on this matter in that I do not see it as a political issue. Whether it is legal or illegal in this culture to kill unborn children is not abundantly relevant to what I am saying today. Certainly, defending their cause would include fighting for it to be illegal to kill them – but even if tomorrow it was illegal to kill the unborn, our fight would only just be beginning! Why? Because mothers would still go into alleys and murder their unwanted children. If we fight for the cause of the voiceless our fight doesn’t end when it is illegal to oppress them. It ends when they are no longer oppressed. And friends that only truly ends, when they are released from their spiritual father… Satan. Finally, we must walk circumspectly. My friends the devil prowls this world seeking his next victim. And although we who are truly God’s children have nothing to fear from him… the reason we have nothing to fear is because God’s true children when they read what James says here, to protect themselves from being stained by the world… THEY LISTEN TO HIM! True believers bow to the Word of God. How long can you play with the sludge before you get a black spot on your white robes? Psalm 101:3 says “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.” Perhaps this verse should rest on top of our computers or phones or TVs. True religion that is blameless before God lives out the law of liberty. We love God and the things of God which means we obey God. What kind of religion do you have before God? A worthless one or a blameless one?

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[Slide 1] 2022 in Review1.) [Slide 2] The challenges of 2022a. Sickness i. COVID – still (eyeroll) ii. RSV outbreak iii. Flu outbreak iv. In early January we actually had to do a reset Sunday specifically inviting only 100% healthy members to come to church.b. Physical issues i. Surgeries1. Knees2. ACLs3. Cataracts ii. Injuries1. Burns2. Broken bones3. Torn tendonsc. Long trials i. Kathy LaForest was diagnosed with cancer this year ii. Linda stopped being able to walk this year iii. Eric’s heart started beating out of rhythm iv. Sandy Henig is enduring respiratory problems. v. Some that are not listed here are because the Lord freed them of their trails by taking them home.d. Deaths of church members, family and friends. i. Marilyn Ghekiere after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, was finally allowed to go home. ii. Warren, after a long battle with lung cancer and two strokes, was taken home too. iii. Others of us have lost fathers, mothers, brothers, neighbors and long-time friends. e. Eldership transition i. Although this certainly belongs into the blessings category… ii. There are still, even now, some growing pains as we understand what being Elder Led means practically. And those growing pains are a challenge for both the congregation and the Elders.f. Increasingly antagonistic culture toward the gospel and God’s people i. Not only do we see brothers and sisters cancelled, shouted down, and ostracized for holding biblical viewpoints on various matters ii. But this November the state of Michigan proved itself to be a very deep shade of blue. And while political parties and our affiliation to them is not a biblical matter directly – and even though, red or blue, there are things we as Christians ought to speak up to change – certainly the blue party is the greater of the two evils. iii. Nevertheless, our state has continued to pass some of the most aggressively anti-God measures while maintaining the offices of members of a party that is definitively against biblical ideology. iv. This whole thing also belongs in the blessings category. For in the darkness – the faintest light shines very brightly. And our faith, our hope, our love – is that tiny little light.2.) [Slide 3] The blessings of 2022a. Teaching – LOTS of teaching praise the Lord! i. Love and Respect study completed – perhaps another round on the horizon? ii. We invited Dr. Grady McMurtry from the Creation Worldview Ministries to be with us for 3 nights in April iii. We completed our investigation of the concept of Sacraments and seem to agree with the early Reformers that both the Lord’s Supper and Baptism are Physical signs of spiritual truths that God uses to dispense grace in order to grow our faith as we receive them. iv. We took several weeks to look at what the bible says specifically about Deacons. As a test – what is the difference between Deacon with a Capital D and deacon with a lowercase d? v. Foundations has gone from Amos to Micah, to II Kings and now in Hosea vi. In Sunday worship the Lord has taught us in His word as we finished 1 and 2 Peter and began the book of James this year. vii. Ladies’ bible study studied the first 11 Genesis viii. Senior Saints study through prominent people in church history. ix. Wednesday night prayer group’s expansion on the sermon has been a huge blessing allowing me to keep my sermons a little more approachable to more people. x. Probably more bible studies and gatherings that people don’t tell me about. Which is kinda great actually!b. Teaching being applied and the church growing! i. In Application of the teaching on the Sacraments1. Elliott May was baptized this year, making a public application of the promise of Christ’s blood washing us clean and creating new life in Him.2. We celebrated the Lord’s Supper 4 times this year together and have officially established a spring-time catered meal as a new church tradition. And perhaps a Lord’s Supper Christmas tradition is forming too. ii. As a result of the teaching on Elders and Deacons1. We officially received 6 men as Elders of our church this year. We (The Elders) hit the ground running and have been attempting to Shepherd you for the last 8 months. (Wow – it has only been 8 months. We’ve done so much if feels longer)2. As a direct result of the teaching on Deacons we have seen unprecedented involvement and activity as people from every corner have stepped in various ministries from coffee preparation all the way to visiting the sick and shut in and everything in between. We had a work day that was easily the biggest we’ve seen in many many years. And I give God the glory for showing us that Christ’s people are servants to each other. That is not outsourced to a person with a title. The title Christian is all that is required to serve one another.3. As a direct result of the teaching on Deacons we were able to investigate and receive our first Deacon under the Elder Led model. Doug Bogen took office and has already begun organizing and facilitating ministry primarily toward the buildings and grounds.c. Missionary Moments and Movements from and to Asia Pacific i. We were blessed to have Eric and Cherie Daum with us for the first 5 months of this year. They have since gone back to Asia Pacific and we think are getting close to finding out where God would have them spend the next several years of ministry. Also – Cherie is pregnant with baby number 4. ii. The Behrendts spent the first 7 months of this year living in our parsonage. They too have now gone to the field in Asia Pacific and are doing a lot of language and culture learning. iii. We were blessed to have the Hattons visit us this year in August. They gave us an update on what is going on with the Amdu people and how we can pray for them. Two of their children are back in the states to attend Ethnos school.d. Membership additions i. Although we started the year by losing the Wrights who moved up to Wisconsin ii. We have added 7 new members join our church this year! iii. Because we have added so many, and even though we released a 2022 member directory – it is obvious that we need a 2023 member directory. That is coming soon.e. Praise Team expansion i. We started using a new presenting tool this year. It has worked out very well and we discovered that the free version of it is probably all we really need! ii. We also added 4 new members to the praise team this year! iii. And in November we did a night of praise which was basically an interactive praise team practice. It was actually kinda great and will most likely be repeated before winter’s end.f. Babies – We’ve had several grandchildren born this past year.g. Church finances held strong i. For having to up our budget going into 2023, our finances held strong this year. ii. We brought in more than we budgeted and we spent less than we budgeted. iii. Let that be an example for you and your family.h. Things Change and sometimes even for the better

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Title: Why All Man?Text: Hebrews 2:5-18FCF: We often struggle with Christ’s humanity.Prop: Christ must be human to save us, so we must celebrate the Lord’s supper knowing this about the Lord. Scripture Intro:Turn in your bible to Hebrews chapter 2. One of these days I will get to preaching through the book of Hebrews. It is an amazing book and I keep coming back to it over and over again. But we must remain laser focused today. The scope of today’s sermon is not to provide the same depth and dissection we would normally in a sermon. Instead, we will cover these 14 verses from a very high level as we attempt to answer the question that may plague some during this time of year. Why did Jesus have to be truly human? We hear the expression that Jesus was the God-Man or all God and all man… but why all man? Have you ever stopped to consider that? Why did Jesus need to be truly human? Some might answer that question quickly – “well to understand our situation he had to be man?” To some degree this is true. Christ, in his human nature, grew in wisdom and understanding. But to attempt to apply this to His deity is actually an affront on the omniscience of God. Did He truly have to experience humanity to understand it? I think not. Others may say he experienced humanity in order to give us an example to follow. I do not deny that Christ came to set an example, it is certainly true. But that cannot be the whole of it. And did Jesus really need to be human to do that? Could He not have simply appeared to be a man to guide us into a morally upright life? Indeed, some early church heresies like Docetism (doe- seat- ism) and Marcionism (Mar- see- on- ism) believed exactly this. He was fully God but only appeared to be like a man. The writer of Hebrews will help us to see at least some of the reason that Christ had to be all man if He were to accomplish the mission that the Father gave to Him from before the foundation of the world. I am in Hebrews 2 and I’ll start reading in verse 5. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible starting on page 1348 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:Alright so let’s dive in very briefly into the text, and see why Christ had to be human. I.) Point 1 (5-8a)a. 5 – For He did not put the world to come, about which we are speaking, under the control of angels. i. In chapter 1, the writer compares Christ to angels. ii. The writer of Hebrews is writing to a Jewish Christian audience who were tempted to abandon their belief in Christ to escape persecution. iii. In Jewish theology, angels were revered. In some communities the arch angel Michael is actually elevated to be superior to the still coming Messiah. iv. The writer of Hebrews addresses this head on by emphasizing that Jesus is the same as God the Father. He does so by quoting Old Testament scriptures which used the covenant name of God “Yahweh” as he is speaking of Jesus. v. He begins chapter 2 by expressing the danger of neglecting such a Christ, since He has provided such a great salvation. vi. So we begin in verse 5 with a further point showing Christ as superior to angels because God did not promise that the future Kingdom would be given to angels to rule.b. 6-8a – instead someone testified somewhere : “What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him? You made him lower than the angels for a little while. You crowned him with glory and honor. You put all things under his control.” For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control. i. Here the writer of Hebrews, rather than focusing on David’s writing in Psalm 8, he focuses on the content written by the Spirit of God – where the Lord gave us a peek into his creative order. ii. Mankind for a time was made lower than the angels. iii. Yet, God crowned man with honor and glory making Him in God’s image. God did not create angels in His image. He created man in His image. iv. And also notice the phrase “the son of man” v. What should we say about such a phrase? It is the title that Jesus most preferred to call himself. vi. This phrase is both a description and a title. vii. The description simply applies the attributes of a man onto the object (the son). To call someone a son of man is to call someone man-like. To call someone a son of thunder is to call someone thunder-like. viii. But the title goes far beyond the description. No doubt when Jesus called himself “The Son of Man” many chose or assumed only the description. But the title has roots in the Old Testament as God hints at a new representative of mankind that will be acceptable to God to the extent that God will share His throne with Him. This is spoken of primarily in the prophesies of Daniel. ix. Reading the New Testament we find the connection readily made by Paul and other apostles, in that Christ was the second Adam. He was our second representative. One that will kneel before the Father having completed the task given to Him by the Ancient of Days and in so doing, He will be accepted and given all authority over all creation. x. This is the title “The Son of Man” to which Jesus referred to Himself, to which David wrote about, and to which the writer of Hebrews is now referring. xi. Though Jesus, as the second representative for mankind – as the last representative for mankind – though He for a time was made lower than the angels – He too was crowned with glory and honor and given all authority. Transition:But it doesn’t seem like that is true. Jesus said that His Kingdom is coming and in fact that it is here. And yet – it doesn’t seem very “Kingdom of God and His Christ” out there does it? II.) Point 2 (8b-15)a. 8b – At present we do not yet see all things under his control i. The writer of Hebrews concedes our point. ii. But…b. 9-13 – But we see Jesus who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone. For it was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For indeed he who makes holy and those being made holy all have the same origin, and so he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.” Again he says, “I will be confident in him” and again “Here am I, with the children God has given me. i. Why is it that we say that death is the door to life for those who are depending on Christ alone? ii. It is because Christ has already suffered our death of punishment. Sure, we may suffer physical death – but a physical death that leads to eternal death has already been paid by Him, for us. iii. Indeed, because His death was commanded by God – by obeying He was given glory and honor because of His sacrificial death. His death was the door to His glory. So now we who are united to Christ are now crowned also with glory and honor after death. iv. This is why to die is gain. v. For Christ – to die was gain. So for us also – to die is gain. vi. And so he is the pioneer. He is the forerunner. What He has done, we who are united to Him, will also do. That, my friends, is a great definition of a representative. vii. Just as in Adam we all inherited a sin nature that doesn’t seek God though we did nothing to earn such a dubious characteristic… through Christ we inherit glory and honor through all HE has done and nothing we have done. viii. And this brings us to the reason behind Jesus being human. It isn’t just an example. It isn’t just to understand us. It is more than that.c. 14-15 - Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death, that is the devil and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death. i. The power of death is held by the devil because he successfully caused the first representative to fall. He became then the father of all and secured death as the way to keep his children enslaved. ii. God inverts all of this on its head. He sends His son as a second representative sharing all their humanity. He endures the Devil’s temptations remains the son of God and the Son of Man, dies the death of His people and secures their adoption and redemption to be children of God through Christ rather than children of Satan through Adam. iii. Now death is not a door to more death and eternal slavery to the devil’s fate but rather a door to life and eternal freedom to Christ’s fate in glory.d. 16-18 – For surely his concern is not for angels but he is concerned for Abraham’s descendants. Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since He Himself suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted. i. God’s concern is not for those who are not being represented by Christ but for those whom Christ was sent to represent. Those of the promise. Those of the covenant. Those of His choosing. Not the angels. But the descendants of Abraham. ii. So he had to be made exactly like them. Not just all human – but A Jew. Of Judah. Of Abraham. iii. Being what He was he is now able to be merciful and faithful a high priest both offering atonement and also teaching all things related to God. Guiding in the worship of God. iv. And helping all His people to endure temptation! Conclusion:And so we have the answer to the question “what is the reason that Christ had to be 100% man?”! In order to be our second representative – our last representative – he had to be like us in every way – yet without sin. He had to die in our place. He had to obey in our place. In doing this – as a pioneer he could carve a path for us to God where no path existed before. And such a path was secured by His death! The path to sharing in His sufferings, His sinlessness, and His future glory is through His death and resurrection of His physical, human, body. But has the church always recognized this? Has the church always seen Christ’s humanity as a necessary component of salvation? This is an excerpt from the Athanasian creed, written in the late 200s AD. There are creeds older, but the exact nature of Christ’s humanity was not as defined as this one though they certainly believed what is written here. “Now this is the true faith: That we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, is both God and human, equally. He is God from the essence of the Father, begotten before time; and he is human from the essence of his mother, born in time; completely God, completely human, with a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as regards divinity, less than the Father as regards humanity. Although he is God and human, yet Christ is not two, but one. He is one, however, not by his divinity being turned into flesh, but by God's taking humanity to himself. He is one, certainly not by the blending of his essence, but by the unity of his person. For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh, so too the one Christ is both God and human. He suffered for our salvation; he descended to hell; he arose from the dead; he ascended to heaven; he is seated at the Father's right hand; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. At his coming all people will arise bodily and give an accounting of their own deeds. Those who have done good will enter eternal life, and those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.This is the catholic faith:one cannot be saved without believing it firmly and faithfully.” Notice what is said at the very end. This is the universal church’s faith. And if you do not believe it firmly and faithfully you cannot be saved. Christ being All God AND All human was so important they were willing to declare that you could not possibly be united to Christ unless you believed it firmly and faithfully. Later, at the Council of Chalcedon it became necessary to educate biblical teachers on the precise union of the two natures of Christ. Both His deity and His humanity. So, they wrote, not a creed, but a teaching guide for the topic. The following then, is the Chalcedon Definition. “Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all unite in teaching that we should confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This same one is perfect in deity, and the same one is perfect in humanity; the same one is true God and true man, comprising a rational soul and a body. He is of the same essence (homousios) as the Father according to his deity, and the same one is of the same essence (homousios) with us according to his humanity, like us in all things except sin. He was begotten before the ages from the Father according to his deity, but in the last days for us and our salvation, the same one was born of the Virgin Mary, the bearer of God (Theotokos), according to his humanity. He is one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, and Only Begotten, who is made known in two natures (physeis) united unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably. The distinction between the natures (physeis) is not at all destroyed because of the union, but rather the property of each nature (physis) is preserved and concurs together into one person (prosopon) and subsistence (hypostasis). He is not separated or divided into two persons (prosopa), but he is one and the same Son, the Only Begotten, God the Logos, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the way the prophets spoke of him from the beginning, and Jesus Christ himself instructed us, and the Council of the fathers has handed the faith down to us.” Again, the definition concludes that this is the faith that was handed to them from the fathers. The apostles. And from Christ directly. To believe anything else is to be without hope. And even to modern day we can see this teaching emerge, even in our New City Catechism. Question #22 Why must the Redeemer be truly human? That in human nature he might on our behalf perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and also that he might sympathize with our weaknesses. Christ must be all God AND ALL MAN – or we cannot be saved. At this time I’d like to ask the Elders to come and distribute the bread and the cup to each who are here. For we have a correlation to make between this teaching that Christ came and was incarnated as a man. This thing we celebrate at Christmas time – the humiliation of Christ – His taking on human nature – it is far more significant than God giving us a gift. Oh, my friends – it is everything. Let me pray before we make these connections. Knowing then, that Christ being 100% human was absolutely necessary to our salvation, and approaching the table today to commune with Him – to be united with Him all the more – to grow in our faith and dependance on Him… Of what significance is it that Christ said of the bread – “This is my body”? If His death took our death – if His glory is our glory – If He is the pioneer of our faith, carving the path we walk behind Him by faith – what significance is it that He says “This is my body”? The writer of Hebrews later says that it was His body, which the veil to the holy of holies merely represented, was torn in two so that we might enter into the holy presence of God. Again, I ask you what significance is it that He says “This is my body”? It is of eternal significance. As we chew, break, crush, and consume this bread – as our body takes it in and converts it to energy – so also we are energized and enlivened by God the life-giver. We approach Him now, not as guilty sinners – not as wretches – but as sons and daughters. We walk between the broken body of Christ, we walk through the pierced side and enter as covenant partakers. We are His children. We are in Christ. My friends – the body of Christ – being Human like us and having said body – He has made a way for us to follow Him right into the holy presence of God, from which we can receive mercy and find grace for help in a time of need. Eat and remember! Eat and grow in your faith! Eat and be united to Christ and follow Him there to the presence of God. And knowing the reason that Christ must be truly human, what is the significance of his statement when he says that this cup is the cup of the new covenant in His blood? What does the bible say about blood? Blood is where the life is – which is why the Israelites were not allowed to drink it. Blood is the object of repayment and guilt for taking life. Indeed, death can only be undone by blood – for without the shedding of blood, no one can be forgiven. Strictly speaking then – no one is truly forgiven of their sin. Not unless they die. But as was demonstrated imperfectly, as a sign to those who performed sacrifices, and fulfilled now in Christ – a substitute can be acquired to be pardoned. Someone can take our place. And in the book of Hebrews the writer tells us that Christ’s blood sprinkles us clean. He tells us that His blood is the signature on a will enacted after the death of the person who signed. A will that installed the new covenant whereby God puts his law in the hearts of His people and changes their hearts. He makes them new and gifts them His Spirit to work out His commands and press them into His mold and follow His Messiah. So when we take the cup and we know that this cup is the new covenant in His blood and that it took the actual shedding of the God-Man’s blood to secure not just our forgiveness but our entrance into glory – we partake in communion with His sufferings and His exaltation knowing that one day we will eat this meal again but WITH HIM. So drink and remember! Drink and grow in your faith. Drink and be united to Christ and follow Him sprinkled clean of your sin and washed in His blood. Having supped with Christ in the power of His atonement in which His Humanity and Divinity made a way for us to be free unto Him – and in knowing the eternal significance of Him being truly Human- I can, with more meaning than perhaps I ever have – wish you and all God’s true children – A very… Merry… Christmas! Let us pray.

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[Slide 1] “Incarnation”Spoken word Based on Philippians 2:5-11[Slide 2] 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV)[Slide 3] Form of God can be confusingand has led to much false teaching“Form” means corresponding to realityMeaning Jesus was God without reaching.[Slide 4] And although He was GodHe did not cling to that positionAs if it could be stolenBy His enemy or His mission.[Slide 5] He was eternally GodBut His attitude of submissionLed Him to set aside His divine rightsEternal subtraction through eternal addition[Slide 6] He did not cast off His GodnessAs one would with an old shirtBut instead He hid His gloryTo be as one formed from the dirt[Slide 7] By taking on human natureAnd adding it to His divineHe became all God and all manTwo natures - one of a kind[Slide 8] At Christmas time we focusOn that baby in a stableWe sing our carols loudlyWell, all the verses we’re able[Slide 9] We say Jesus is the reasonFor the season, that’s trueBut what he went throughI don’t think we have a clue[Slide 10] He humbled himself to come hereHe did more than take on skinHe became a slave of His FatherAnd surrounded Himself with sin[Slide 11] We think of His sufferingOn a cross or in a tombBut he placed His holy natureIn a wretched sinner’s womb.[Slide 12] Like a potter becoming a bowlIt’s something we don’t quite getTo become His creationHe would hunger, thirst, and sweat.[Slide 13] He cast out demons with a wordBattles with Satan, He did winUnlike our first representative“The Second Adam” did not sin[Slide 14] But it’s not just human frailtyThat He faithfully chose to bearBut the perfect law of GodWhich He kept without error[Slide 15] Then under submission to His FatherAs the God-Man He must obey“Let this cup pass from meBut Your will Father.” He prayed.[Slide 16] His suffering continuedAs in agony He boreNot just stripes, not just deathBut on Him God’s wrath was poured.[Slide 17] Not a death of a heroNot the death of a KingCursed by GodBut now death has lost its sting[Slide 18] Riches to ragsA Sheep to slaughterPeace with GodGood will to sons and daughters[Slide 19] But He didn’t stay deadNow He’s been given a nameA name all will bow toAuthority no one else can claim[Slide 20] The Father is SpiritThe Son now at His right handTwo natures eternally joinedStill all God and all man[Slide 21] Through the humiliation of ChristThough He suffered great disgraceHis body now bears the scarsThat let us approach the throne of grace[Slide 22] Forever He’s been humbledForever He’s been raised upForever He is the King of KingsBecause He Obeyed the Father and drank our cup.[Slide 23] So at this glorious time of yearWhen we see all the glittering lightsWhen presents and stockings fill our homesAnd the cold wind of winter bites[Slide 24] It may be tempting for us to focusOn shepherds, angels, and a starWe may even brag about knowingThat those wise men were still afar[Slide 25] But our blessed Savior’s birthWas not the greatest event that dayBut the hypostatic unionBy which our God made for us a way[Slide 26] So go home from here in aweThat in humility our Savior cameBecause it was His humiliationThat His angels did proclaim[Slide 27] And all throughout this holiday seasonAnd on into next yearKeep your eyes upon the cloudsBut not for Santa or reindeer[Slide 28] Keep your ears attuned and listening But not for jingle bells to ringBut for the trumpet’s peal and glorious revealThe return of our mighty King [Slide 29] For though He first came in humilityLed to die without a fightHe will next come in powerTo make all things new and right[Slide 30] So, come gather up Your brideFrom every tribe and nationCome and take us home to YouLift us from our lowly station[Slide 31] Adorn us with Your robesSpotless white and forever pure Come and dwell with us, Your peopleSin’s sickness forever cured[Slide 32] Even so come Lord JesusCome almighty KingCome our wonderous SaviorAnd Your perfect Kingdom bring!

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Title: Hear and DoText: James 1:22-25FCF: We often struggle putting our gospel faith into gospel action.Prop: Because it is only those who hear and do the gospel message that are blessed of God, we must believe and live out the gospel. Scripture Intro: ESV[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James 1. When we experience trials and temptations as God’s children, we can expect them to have a redeeming purpose. That God is perfecting our faith in the midst of said trail, is a certainty. But what are some areas of our life that God is targeting? Perhaps our lack of wisdom. Perhaps our view of the world around us is inconsistent with His view? But most dangerously, perhaps it is our lofty view of ourselves. Being self-focused has taken center stage as James exposes areas of lack he sees in his audience. And last week he pointed out that their disputes with each other and with God over their trials, are stemming from their lofty view of themselves. Today, James will continue that theme. He reveals that the gospel of Christ demolishes our pride. It decimates our lofty view of self, so much so that we must humbly submit to obey the Lord when we accurately look into and understand the gospel. It should be no surprise to us that the gospel kills human pride and every temptation to boast. Let’s begin reading in verse 22. I’ll read from the ESV this week but follow along in the pew bible on page 1360 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition:This is such a huge point in James. I cannot overemphasize this point. We must see what James says in this passage today. To miss this is to miss most of the letter. I beg you to pay close attention today. Even commit to listening to this sermon again sometime this week. What is said today… is perhaps the most important message you will hear this Christmas season. Not because I have something you need to hear – but because God has something you cannot afford to ignore. I.) Because hearing the gospel message without change is foolish, we must believe and live out the gospel. (22-24)a. [Slide 2] 22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, i. The first word of verse 22 is a contrasting conjunction. It forces us to see what he says next in contrast to something he just said. ii. The only question is, in contrast to what? iii. Since he goes on to talk about the Word, it makes sense that the contrasting thought would be what he referenced previously about the word in verse 21. iv. Even then we don’t have clarity, because there were two items mentioned about the Word in verse 21.1. They were to humbly receive the implanted Word2. The Word is able to save their souls v. Last week I interpreted the reception of the implanted word to be not simply hearing or believing but even cherishing and obeying the gospel. In many ways that interpretation was influenced by where James goes in today’s passage. vi. Therefore, I believe the contrasting point that James is making is from the second statement; that the Word is able to save our souls. vii. We commented last week that the gospel – ALONE – is able to save us. That we cannot add anything to the work of Christ to complete our salvation. viii. Therefore, from such a statement his readers might be tempted to believe that having received the gospel means that they have nothing left to do with the gospel of Christ. That all they must do is to passively wait for the gospel to complete its work in them. ix. James counters that with a command. x. Be doers of the gospel and not hearers only. xi. But what is the gospel? What is a doer of the gospel? What is a hearer only? We need to define our terms. And James is going to do just that by way of illustration. But he chooses to start with the hearers only first. xii. But before he does, he cautious his readers with what is at stake should they be a hearer only…b. [Slide 3] Deceiving yourselves. i. James does not mince words when describing someone who is a hearer of the gospel without being a doer of the gospel. ii. To be a hearer only would mean that you are self-deceived. It means that you are delusional. iii. It means you live in fairy land, and an existence of your own imagination. iv. It is no small matter to be a hearer of the gospel only. Thus, a huge theme in the book of James begins to open right before our eyes. v. Do not be deluded. Being a hearer of the gospel only – is of no profit to you. It is useless. It is actually a detriment to him. vi. But why is someone deluded if they are a hearer only? The answer to that question relates directly to what a hearer only actually is. Let’s look.c. [Slide 4] 23 – For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. i. James uses a silly illustration to convey the truth about a person who only hears the gospel without doing the gospel. ii. He is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. There are a couple items we need to understand in this short description. iii. First, the word for looking here is translated well in the ESV. The word could actually be translated “consider” or “contemplate.” This is not someone who quickly glances in the mirror. Instead, this is someone who looks intently. He studies what he sees. iv. The second item we need to understand is what the man studies. He is studying his natural face.1. The semantic range for both these words in the Greek is quite broad. The word for face can mean anything from presence to showing partiality. Probably because the term “face” has so many idiomatic uses. Nevertheless, face is probably the best word.2. But the other word means birth, existence, or genealogy. From this many translations say “natural.” Which is a good translation as long as we understand what is intended.a. Some interpreters take this as the original intention of God in creating mankind. In other words that of a pure vessel designed to image God.b. However, there are two really good reasons to reject this interpretation. i. James is clearly in the midst of an illustration here. To interpret this word “natural” to mean created purpose, would prematurely break the metaphor. We would be far better suited to look for a meaning of “natural” that fits inside the metaphor. What kind of face would a person see in a mirror that we could call “natural”? ii. A second reason for rejecting this interpretation is because of context. Contextually James is clearly painting a negative picture of this man. To see in the mirror what God intended humans to be and to ignore that would certainly be tragic. But not as tragic as someone seeing who they actually are and ignoring that. More on this as we go forward.c. In our Tik Tok and Instagram world we live in – using no filter would mean not using technology to augment your face to get rid of wrinkles or blemishes.d. This is a far more likely interpretation of the word “natural” within the bounds of this illustration.e. By natural, I believe James means “unaided” or “raw” or “unfiltered.”f. It is the face that you were born with – not one adorned in any way. v. So then, a man who is a hearer of the word without being also a doer of the word is like a man who studies his blemished, raw, unaided face in a mirror. vi. But the description is not quite done.d. [Slide 5] 24 – For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. i. Although it would be tragic to see what God intended us to be from creation and forget that. There is yet a far more tragic thing to happen to someone who sees their true selves in a mirror. ii. After spending all that time looking at himself and studying every single contour of his natural face; after knowing all that is wrong and all the blemishes that exist; after observing all that hair out of place and all that is not right with his appearance; his natural and unhelped appearance… iii. The man goes away from the mirror forgetting what he was like. iv. He forgets or neglects or overlooks his blemishes. He does nothing about them. v. He lives as if – they are not there. vi. This is why we would call this a silly illustration. Because we could truly say of any individual who does this… What a fool! What an idiot! What a slob! vii. Who would do this? No one! No one looks intently in a mirror and does nothing with their appearance! Friends, how many times in your life have you looked in the mirror after just rolling out of bed and said, “Hey… nothing bad about that!” viii. As if by pretending the blemishes do not exist- we can make them magically go away or worse forget they were there in the first place. ix. A person who hears the gospel of Jesus Christ and is not a doer of it – is a person who has been shown, at least in part, the great sin of their hearts next to the holiness of God and has left that revelation and not only does not change – but they forget what they saw! x. Oh, pity the man, woman, boy or girl who is in such a position!e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: James pivots from his discussion of ridding themselves of wickedness and humbly welcoming the gospel which is able to save their souls. He wants to be sure they understand what he meant by receiving the gospel and what he didn’t mean by the gospel being able to save their souls. So, he tells them in no uncertain terms, that to hear the gospel without doing the gospel is to play the fool.f. Passage Application: So, his audience must not stop at hearing the gospel. Quick to listen yes! But not to stop at hearing – for listening is to hear and do. His audience must hear and do the gospel.g. [Slide 7] Broader Biblical Truth: But is this true in the rest of the scriptures? Does the bible as a whole really teach us that hearing the gospel without living it is foolish? Indeed, this is one of the central themes in all of the scriptures. To hear the word of God and to not listen, to not obey, to not change, to not respond – is to spell certain doom upon yourself. God is longsuffering, and He allows many to continue to ignore His word - but eventually God will justly punish those who do not respond to His Word. And His Son is the Word. Jesus’ work and teachings on earth is the sum total of the fullest expression of God’s revelation to all mankind. So, to hear the teachings of and about Christ, to know the truth of the gospel and to know all that Christ commanded and to not do it – is to be the greatest fool that has ever been. In time past, when God’s full revelation was not revealed, we might have less harsh words for the man far removed from Yahweh and His people. But to us now in a world where all but few have heard of Jesus and what He has done – and to us especially in church every Sunday – to not hear and do – what a fool you’d have to be.h. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, I implore you by the mercies of God, as He yet withholds His great judgment day – that great and Terrible Day of the Lord – I implore you to look long and hard in the mirror of the word of God. Study your natural face. Know who you are and who God is. But do not leave that revelation unchanged. Do not walk away and forget who you are. Remember, repent, believe, and obey. Transition:[Slide 8(blank)] We know what a man who hears only is like. We know he is a fool. We know he will be judged for his foolishness. But what does a gospel hearer and doer look like? What should he expect from a life of doing the gospel? II.) Because hearing the gospel message and living it is the only path to God’s blessing, we must believe and live out the gospel. (25)a. [Slide 9] 25 – But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, i. Here James draws two equals signs for us in the text. ii. First, the perfect law, the law of liberty is the same as the mirror in the opening illustration of the one who is a hearer only. The mirror that the man looked into to behold his natural face is indeed the perfect law of liberty. iii. That leads us to the second equals sign. The Word, the gospel of Christ is the same as the perfect law of liberty. iv. But what do both of these terms mean? What is the gospel and what is the perfect law of liberty and how are they the same? v. [Slide 10] Let’s start with a rather basic question, but one that must be answered if we are to proceed here this morning. What is the gospel? vi. [Slide 11] The gospel is the work of Jesus Christ. And that work is recorded beginning in Genesis 1 and is completed in Revelation 22.1. It is Christ being a second representative for mankind after our first representative (Adam) failed. Christ obeyed God’s law perfectly unlike Adam.2. It is Christ being the sacrificial lamb and scapegoat whereby the sins of His people were expiated or removed to Christ and the wrath of God propitiated or extinguished on Him in the sinner’s place.3. It is Christ promising a future in glory with Him where we will reign with Him forever.4. It is Christ defeating the forces of darkness and freeing us from slavery to and the family of our former father Satan.5. The scriptures tell us that He became sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God.6. It is a transaction of substitution.7. In this transaction, the perfect obedience of Christ is transferred to us while our failure is transferred to Christ where it was consumed by God’s wrath on the cross. Christ died once for all His people’s sin. And one day He will come again to receive the reward for His sufferings – a pure and holy bride.8. The gospel is Christ being the hope for all who would stop trying in human effort to pursue their greatest desires and instead repent of their sin and trust completely on what Christ has already accomplished. vii. [Slide 12] Therefore, the gospel is also a command. This shouldn’t shock us since James says right here that the gospel is a perfect law. viii. It is a command to repent of sin and self-righteousness and believe or trust or depend ONLY on what Christ has done. Not dependance on a confession, profession, creed, set of truths, or even our decision to believe those truths. Instead, it is dependance on Christ alone. That His finished work is the effectual means for you and I to be saved. To the extent that even if God chose not to save you – Christ is still the only thing you can depend on to be saved. There is no other way. ix. This is why John 3:16 is such an amazing verse. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever is believing on Him, will not perish but have everlasting life” You see this verse does not teach us a formula to be saved. Rather it is a promise that those who continue to believe will (in the future) be saved. x. Since the gospel includes the command of repenting of sin and self-reliance and depending on Christ alone – God promising us that those who continue to depend on Christ alone will not perish – is a truly blessed promise. xi. As I John 5:1 tells us, it is only those who continue to believe who are those who have been born of God. xii. And finally, as James is saying here – and included in the perfect law – is that true dependance on Christ includes obedience to all He has commanded. If we love Him – we will keep His commands. And we will obey no matter what the cost. xiii. As Philippians 1:29 tells us, the same people who have been gifted the ability to believe on Christ have also been gifted the privilege of suffering for His name. xiv. And this helps us to transition to the aspect of the gospel being a perfect law of liberty. xv. We are free in Christ. And not just free from sin’s punishment since Christ took our place – but we are also free to do what?b. [Slide 13] And perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, i. Now James completes his illustration, painting for us the picture of the doer of the gospel. ii. Being a doer necessitates being a hearer first. We can see this both by logic and by grammar. We are told to be a doer and not a hearer… only. This would leave us to conclude that we must hear first and then be a doer. iii. But a true hearer and doer of the gospel perseveres in looking into the perfect law of liberty. They do not study and then walk away and forget. Rather they continue to see life through the mirror. And what is the consequence of continually seeing life through the gospel of Jesus Christ? iv. It is someone who lives like their sin truly separates them from God who is the giver of life. It is someone who lives like they have nothing good of their own to offer God. It is someone who lives as if Christ and Christ alone is their only hope for a right relationship with God. v. To live out the gospel … my friends… is to be a radically different person than you were born as. No natural man is this way. Every person is born with a love for sin, a hatred of God’s law, and a natural assumption that their relationship to God is merely strained and can be fixed by their own efforts. vi. It is to live knowing that in Christ, the law remains in place for us. The difference is that we are now free to keep it. We are no longer slaves to sin and slaves to a will that does not desire righteousness and does not seek God. We are no longer slaves to Satan and to our flesh. vii. Instead, we are free to obey. Free to be slaves to righteousness. Remember, He became sin, who knew no sin that we might become what? The righteousness of God! viii. This is the liberty that the gospel gives to us. A liberty that our natural state did not give to us. ix. The one who looks and perseveres in looking into the gospel and its freedom – will be the one who responds in action and does not forget what the gospel has shown him. And what will that produce?c. [Slide 14He will be blessed in his doing. i. Notice that James does not complete this phrase by saying – He will be saved. ii. Ah to say so here would cross the very thin line of the status good works holds in the gospel message. iii. Only the gospel, the implanted word, the work of Christ alone is able to save us. Our response to it does not save. iv. However, to merely hear and not respond is foolishness and a sure path to eternal judgment and death. v. So, if not responding condemns us, but responding does not save us - what place does responding to the gospel message have? vi. We will be blessed, favored, given power and passion by God Himself in doing the gospel. vii. Our efforts to respond to the gospel and live it out will be empowered and set aflame by God Himself. viii. This word blessed means fortune or happy – and we correlate this word with divine grace. Where God gifts to us of His own freedom without impulse by any outside source – His grace. ix. Meaning then, that it is not our response to the gospel that motivates God’s grace. For then it would not be grace. And it would contradict James here who says that we are given grace in the doing of the gospel not after doing it. x. Instead, God’s grace is given for us to do the gospel. xi. Do you not see my friends. Even our response to the gospel – even our doing of the gospel must be empowered by the gift of grace from God Himself. xii. My friends – look in the mirror of the law of liberty – you have nothing to bring to the Lord. You are empty handed. xiii. And yet, by His sovereign plan, he has birthed you through Christ’s work, He has implanted that work in you and He has enabled you to respond in faith and obedience. xiv. My friends – salvation has never been and will never be about you. xv. Respond to the gospel – but respond knowing that if you succeed in responding – it isn’t because of you. But it is because you have been blessed by God. xvi. And if you have been blessed by God to do His gospel – then you will most certainly be blessed by God and received into His Kingdom.d. [Slide 15] Passage Truth: So, James, in contrast to the gospel hearer, describes the doer of the gospel. And the outcome of doing the gospel is to be blessed of God in the doing of the gospel.e. Passage Application: So, his audience must be doers of the gospel and not hearers only.f. [Slide 16] Broader Biblical Truth: But is this true in the rest of scripture? Do we find that those who obey God are blessed in their obedience? The Old Testament serves as one vivid example after another of these exact parallel truths playing out. In fact, God told them that if they kept his law, he would bless them, but if not He would curse them. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, the judges, Samuel, David and many, many more, many who are listed in Hebrews 11, many who believed God and acted in that belief with obedience. They are said to be examples of faith, faith that is counted as righteousness. Faith that is alive and active.g. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, if we are to be blessed in our obedience, if we are truly saved, we must continue to believe and live out the gospel. We must be doers of the gospel and not hearers only. We must not forget our natural face which the word of God reveals to us. We must continue to see life through the perfect law of liberty. We must cling to the work of Christ and obey all that He has commanded us to be – for now we are free to do so. We must hear and do. Conclusion:So then CBC, what have we learned and how does it impact us in our daily lives? We have learned that hearing the gospel only is a miserable and pitiable place to be. Like a foolish person convincing himself that his bed head and crusties in his eyes don’t exist just because he stopped looking in the mirror – to hear the gospel and forget what it showed us about ourselves or God or the world – is foolish. Ultimately it will condemn us to eternal judgment. Hearing the gospel is not enough. Hearing the gospel is not a faith that saves. Hearing the gospel is not an indication that God has implanted it in our hearts, nor that He has given us new birth. Those who are blessed of God – are blessed in their doing of the gospel. In knowing the truth and being set free by it. Not freedom to sin – for the gospel does not afford us freedom to indulge our sinful habits further. Instead, a freedom to be what God has purposed for us to be. His first fruits among His creation. His children. Christ’s Bride dressed in pure white robes which are the righteous deeds of His church. My friends if you do not live out the gospel, then you are not alive. So how then shall we live? We must be slaves to righteousness. We must live as though we have nothing to offer God - but that Christ is all we have and all we need. He is our hope. We must depend on Him and love Him to the extent that we obey all He commands. We need to put to death forever the notion that a person can say a prayer confessing the truths of the gospel and this somehow saves them from eternal punishment, whether their lives are changed or not. We need to once and for all silence the false teaching that is an easy belief which requires no lifestyle change or difference from God’s people. While we may, in a theoretical sense, come to terms with a death bed conversion and even the temporary fruitlessness of a true child of God – we must recognize that the Word speaks seldom of and discourages such expressions of Christian life. It is clear from all of scripture and especially the New Testament, that the normal and predictable pattern of a truly redeemed person is to hear and do the gospel. To believe is validated by obedience. This is so important for us as we come to this holiday season. We will all see family and friends who have prayed a prayer, who have made a confession, who know and perhaps to some degree still believe the truths of the gospel. Nevertheless, they are living in active sin, knowingly disobeying the Lord. Or perhaps they are actively trying to earn their own salvation by adhering to some traditional or ritualistic standard rather than depending on Christ alone. Or perhaps they are depending on something they have already done, a prayer they’ve said, or a confession they’ve made, or baptism, or other various actions they did to save themselves. Now we can continue to pretend that these folks are true believers. We can massage our aching hearts with the hope that their confession is genuine. We can wink at the words of James and hope for better things. But to do so would be an act of hate against your family and friends. To know that their confession is empty – that they are foolish and headed for condemnation and to pretend as though they aren’t? What could we call such an attitude but hate? It would be far better to first admit in our own minds and hearts that the scriptures are true and that those who posses confession without obedience are not God’s children. Only then can we pray and minister to them effectively. Only then can we truly love them enough to tell them the truth about the sorry state of their souls. But to turn all this application to an even sharper point. My friends… how about you? Perhaps you are one of those who has been a hearer but not a doer. You have looked long in the mirror of the Word and found your sin and the holiness of God. Yet you have not acted upon the gospel of Jesus Christ. You have walked away from what you’ve seen and refuse to look again – hoping to forget what horrified your soul. Today, my friends, you have heard the gospel again. That Christ is the only way to peace with God. That He has been prophesied from the beginning to make a wretched person like you and me – into sons and daughters. Into royalty. Into priests. My friends – whether you have never heard the gospel before and have only just heard it today, or whether you have heard the gospel for the thousandth time but have never lived it out – Let today be the day it changes you. Respond to the gospel call. Repent of your sin and self-righteous efforts to please God and depend on Christ and Christ alone for your salvation. Submit to His lordship over your life. And walk in newness. Endure in seeing the world through the lens of the perfect law of liberty! Do not delay – even now under the sound of my voice you can cry out to Him in repentance and faith. You can obey the gospel and depend only on Christ. You can begin a life of obedience today, trusting in Christ alone to save your soul. Do not pretend any longer. Do not forget what you saw in the mirror. Do not pretend that the blemishes aren’t there. No! Know they are there and know that Christ has no blemish. He was the spotless Savior who took your place! Believe on Him and Live for Him.

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Title: Quick and SlowText: James 1:19-21FCF: We often struggle to continue to repent and obey the gospel. Prop: Because human zeal cannot anything to the power of the gospel to change us, we must root out old sin habits and humbly welcome gospel instruction. Scripture Intro:[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James 1. Verses 2-4 have been the filter by which we have seen everything James has written thus far. As I stated from the beginning, I think that this continues throughout the letter. Since that passage, James has been addressing certain areas that his audience still need the Lord’s perfecting. And God is clearly using the trials they are all facing to do just that. First, God is using trials to show them their need to seek Him for wisdom. Second, God is using trails to change their perspective on a couple items. Their view of earthly wealth needs to be conformed to God’s perspective. But also their view of their own relationship to temptation and God’s goodness and sovereignty over all. All this needed to be conformed to how God sees things. So God has sent trial to do just that. But today, we will see a new lack addressed by James. I am in James 1 and I’ll begin reading in verse 19. I am reading from the CSB today but you can follow in the pew bible on page 1360 or in whatever version you have in front of you. Transition:Ever since saying that most of the sermons in James will most likely be short, God has made sure to make me eat those words. So, I officially withdraw my estimate. I have no idea how long these things will be going forward. What I do know is that for today – you won’t want to miss a minute. I.) Great human zeal cannot fulfill the standard of God, so we must root out old sin habits and humbly welcome gospel instruction. (19-20)a. [Slide 2] 19 – My dear brothers and sisters, i. We will see this as the letter continues, but James will use the phrase “my dear brothers” or “my brothers” to transition to a related but separate point. ii. He’s done this already in verse 16 which we looked at last time, and he will do it again at the beginning of chapter 2. iii. And for reasons that I’ll get into in just a moment it is good for us to know that although the CSB begins the sentence with this phrase – the first word in the Greek is actually…b. [Slide 3] understand this: i. James commands them to understand or to know something. ii. There is some debate as to whether this is a command or not, or whether this word goes with the previous verse or comes into this one. iii. Because of a lot of reasons which I won’t get into today – Come Wednesday if you want the behind-the-scenes stuff – I believe first that this is not a command and second that this word is in the wrong verse. iv. I believe James concludes his thought that God is an unchanging giver of good and perfect gifts who gave them life through the work of the gospel in order that they would be His people. v. After this he would say – and this you know. Which is another way we can translate this word. vi. This makes great sense. He knows they know these things – which is why he has commanded them not to be led astray from them. vii. So, since this statement belongs with last week’s sermon James uses his address of his dear brothers and sisters as a way of closing out the previous section. viii. This week’s message actually begins with…c. [Slide 4] Everyone should be i. As is James’ style, he begins a new section with a command. ii. James is commanding every or all men, or all people to be something. iii. Because he is commanding them to be something, we cannot look ahead and think he is commanding three things. They are three aspects, but of one command. iv. They must be a certain kind of person. And what kind of person ought they to be?d. [Slide 5] Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, i. James describes what he wants them to be in adjectives. Two actually. They must be both quick and slow. ii. Within these two adjectives there are 3 specific applications. iii. [Slide 6] They must be quick to listen. They must be A patient, attentive, and humble listener.1. Is this being applied toward God or toward men?2. Based on the context, I think we have to say yes. What follows this text is one that encourages us to be not hearers only but doers of the word. So, to listen to God. However, what is also in the context here and following is how his audience relates to one another. So for all of these aspects of the command – we must assume James means toward God and others.a. [Slide 7] Toward God i. We ought to be ready to hear what God says. We ought even to be anxiously anticipating and ready to receive and obey what God says. ii. One of God’s most repeated critiques of the children of Israel was that they were stiff necked and unwilling to listen and heed the Word of God through His prophets. iii. Indeed, whenever God beckoned to them – they went the other way. iv. As God’s New Covenant people having been given new life through the gospel unto a glorious inheritance – we must be quick to listen. v. We must consume the Word like oxygen and see it as our final authority of faith and practice. What He says, we must believe. What He commands, we must do.b. [Slide 8] Toward others i. The same barriers we put up to God when His will conflicts with ours, exist with people also. ii. We can be proud in our opinions. iii. We can be resolute in our conclusions to the extent that no matter what anyone says – we won’t hear them, for we are not truly listening. iv. It is not enough to hear – but to listen. v. So being quick to listen to others – is to consistently assume that you do not know everything. It is to consistently assume that you can learn from all. It is to consistently assume that you have growing to do. It is to receive with thankfulness and readiness correction from a brother.3. [Slide 9] Regardless of whether it is toward God or toward others – this points to the area of lack which James will hit on in the next several verses. It is a lack of proper priority. They have put themselves first. This manifests itself in a lack of love and respect toward God and others.4. Until the middle of chapter 2 we will see this theme on repeat in various ways. iv. [Slide 10] They must be slow to speak. They must be a careful and deliberate speaker.1. Toward Goda. Because of God’s holiness, His otherness, His majesty, grandure, glory, might and power – we must be calculated in our speech to Him.b. How quickly we rattle off prayers, how brazenly we approach His throne, a little too familiar I think we burst into His holy court where angels fear to tread, where the Seraph cover their faces and feet, and we stride up and toss our desires or complaints at the foot of His glory. And rather than waiting, weeping, petitioning, we just as abruptly as we came, turn on our toe and depart, and sometimes even grabbing up again our complaints and desires – not truly leaving them to Him.c. Again, we are speaking of arrogance.d. My friends to be quick to speak to God is something even Job could not do. Oh, he thought by and by that he might be able to demand answers of the Holy One. He considered that he was due such and such an explanation as to why he suffered so much.e. But after two speeches of God demanding that he answer – he gathered what was left of his courage to essentially say he was nothing and to repent.f. Oh, my friends, would that we would fear the Lord in this way. That we would be so very slow to question, to complain, to scoff, to dismiss.g. We’d be much better to listen. And it is impossible to listen – when our mouths won’t stop their flippant flapping.2. [Slide 11] Toward othersa. The same arrogance that compels us to see ourselves as worthy of an audience with God, or worthy to say what we will to God, can lead us to seeing ourselves as a god to others.b. They must listen and hear what we have to say.c. What we have to teach, to command, to inform is far more important than they would ever have for us.d. Our hubris knows no bounds.e. James’ command is to carefully speak with deliberate intention. Probably after having been a quick and considerate listener.f. We ought to allow others to speak their mind even remaining in silence for a time. Job’s friends began by sitting with him for 7 days, consoling him without words. Then they spoke and went awry.g. Our tongue is the topic of much of James’ epistle, so we won’t spoil it – but should the Lord prevent us from getting there – perhaps we should know that our tongue is a fire that can burn down a forest. h. As Proverbs 17:28 says “Even a fool who keeps silent shall be considered wise; he who closes his lips is intelligent.”i. Be silent and speak only when you have wisdom to offer. Don’t hastily answer back an accuser. Don’t quickly accuse or confront. Be careful and be deliberate.3. Again, we see the pride of a person who is quick to speak. Talking over others, or worse, talking over God. v. [Slide 12] They must be slow to anger. They must be patient, content, gentle, and forgiving. 1. Toward Goda. This would be reflected in a patient trust that He is good and in control of all things.b. This would be demonstrated by not issuing complaint or bitterness over circumstances but rather expressing hopeful prayers for mercy and relief from difficulty.c. It would also mean counting tests as joy because we know that God has a growing purpose for us in them.d. Being slow to anger toward God is being content with what God has given and where God has you. It is expressed in humble patience and hope, and approached with humility and meekness.e. To be slow to anger with God, would be to see Him as James has described Him thus far in this epistle.2. [Slide 13] Toward othersa. We certainly should not be angry at someone who belongs to God.b. And we must forgive them if they have wronged us in some way. For God has forgiven us of so much more. c. And even if the object of our ire is an unbeliever – what anger could we possess toward them that would be holy? Certainly, we might be angry at their sin against a holy God. But should this be anger? Or should it be pity?d. Does God need us to defend Him or His law? Does He need us to be angry on His behalf? Does our anger accomplish anything toward those who are steeped in wonton sin?e. Certainly, Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple – but He was not just man, but God also.f. God being angry at someone sinning against Him – makes sense.g. But, as mere humans, we must be very cautious about being angry with anyone for any reason.h. We have seen in each of these expressions of James that the core is our own arrogance. Pride opposes us in following this command.i. And with our righteous indignation, is pride truly unable to weasel its way in? vi. James now broadens to focus specifically on anger. vii. Why must we be slow to anger? Why must we be patient, forgiving, content, and gentle?e. [Slide 14] 20 – For human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. i. James doesn’t say rarely, infrequently, or seldom. ii. He says human anger DOES NOT accomplish God’s righteousness. iii. This is probably talking about God’s holy standard. The standard that has been set by Christ is not accomplished in human anger. iv. Brothers in Christ ought never to squabble and fight over secondary doctrines. v. But even doctrines that must be defended ought to be defended with holy and peaceable zeal. To the extent that while we may walk away declaring another to be a heretic - to burn them on a stake would be the furthest thing from our mind. Rather we pity them and move to protect the flock from their lies. vi. Though we may hate the sin in a brother’s heart, we fear our own failure greater. We pursue them with love and pity imploring them to repent. And if they do not, we do not raise a mob with pitch forks and chase them out the door, nor do we throw a celebration. But we grieve for their plight. We treat them as an unbeliever though we admonish them as a brother. vii. Though we disagree strongly with the ungodly in our nation pulling us further and further into the quagmire of wickedness and debauchery – If we think that rising up in anger, spouting insults and ridicule will somehow win a holy victory against them – we are sorely mistaken. viii. And though we be tested, tried, tempted, and stretched thin by the providential will of our Good Father – what benefit would it serve us to gripe and complain and demand God’s attention or accuse Him of things His nature would not allow Him to be or do? It is of no benefit but only detriment to us. ix. Man’s anger… truly… is never a path to right living before God. x. Are there times when holy anger can happen? xi. I suppose theoretically we may find one – for Paul says to be angry but without sin. xii. But anger that does not breach the line of sin is still not close to accomplishing the Righteous standard of God. xiii. Human anger cannot transport us to God’s pleasure. Ever. f. [Slide 15] Passage Truth: James moves on to pointing out the lack of his readers in their priority of self and the effect it has on loving God and one another. He sees a good deal of frustration, backbiting, griping and complaining. At the center of this is the selfish anger that we humans produce so well. James tells his readers that such anger does not reach the standard of righteousness that God has set for them.g. Passage Application: So then, his audience must be quick to listen to God and others, and slow to allow selfishness and pride to control their tongues and their tempers.h. [Slide 16] Broader Biblical Truth: But does the rest of scripture teach this? Does the rest of the bible show us that mankind is not able in their anger to ascend to the standard of God? Moses, in a moment of sheer frustration at the sin of Israel, struck the rock that God had commanded him to speak to. For this – he was excluded from entering into the promised land before he died. Why? Because human anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God. In being angry – perhaps he did not sin – but in his anger he lost control and disobeyed the Lord. Such is the case in human anger. Even if the anger itself is not a sin, the lack of control can lead us to sin quite easily. And many times, human anger is rooted in selfishness and pride.i. Broader Biblical Application: So, what should we then do CBC? We must be a patient listener to God’s word and our brother’s advice and critique. We should be a cautious and deliberate speaker in addressing our God and in teaching, reproof, rebuke, instruction, and correcting our brothers and sisters. We ought also to be patient and content with what the Lord has given us, not complaining or grumbling but always thankful. And we ought to be gentle and forgiving with our brothers and sisters, never responding with evil but returning good for evil and seeking restoration rather than revenge. We must hold our harsh words and speak life and peace. Especially to other believers but even to our enemies. We must be righteous as God demands that we be. Transition:[Slide 17 (blank)] If the anger of men does not accomplish the righteousness of God… what does? II.) Only the gospel is the power of God to save us, so we must root out old sin habits and humbly welcome gospel instruction. (21)a. [Slide 18] 21 – Therefore, i. It is difficult to know what James is using this word to say. ii. It is clear that anger was his last point – but what James has to say next more easily ties in with what he said in verse 18. iii. But perhaps the command for his readers to be patient, humble listening people who speak kindly and cautiously and seldom if ever are angry – perhaps this command uses anger as but one example of the greater topic of wickedness. iv. That principally, if human anger cannot accomplish the righteousness of God (being often stronger than all other emotions) perhaps James’ audience would be looking for what can propel them – what is powerful enough to get them to the righteousness that God requires. v. If a human being’s strongest reaction, emotion, impulse, is not able to achieve that holy standard of God – even when it is flared against things that God is also most displeased with - then what is powerful enough to get us to God’s Righteous standard? vi. James continues…b. [Slide 19] Ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, i. James describes the steps to achieving the standard that God has set for us. ii. First, we see repentance. iii. Beginning with a participle suggests that James is saying while you are ridding yourselves you are to do something else, which we will get to in a moment. iv. But first we must see what we are ridding ourselves of. v. Because you see, it is not just human anger that cannot accomplish the righteousness of God. It is all things human. The human condition itself. And what is included in that human condition? vi. All moral filth. The core of all sin is idolatry and pride. All expressions of sin can be boiled down to these. We are worshipping something and that thing is oftentimes ourselves. vii. The anger of man tends to reveal much of what we worship. Do you want to know what someone worships? Start taking things away from him and whatever he gets angry about – that is what he is worshipping. viii. And all the evil that is so prevalent in our hearts as sinners who are simultaneously justified – all that bubbles to the surface as the Lord keeps chip, chip, chipping away at all the dead flesh still hanging on to us. ix. So, we as sinners declared righteous are constantly and consistently to be ridding ourselves of all the dead that still clings to us. x. But while we are doing that – what else must we do?c. [Slide 20] Humbly receive the implanted Word, i. Before we saw that by God’s sovereign plan for us, He has willed that we would be made alive with Christ through His death and resurrection. We are united to Him and in that, His Spirit regenerates our soul. ii. This work of Christ has been sown in our hearts. Our soil was prepared for it by God and He planted Christ’s work in us. iii. And now that we are in this state of new birth – now that we have been made alive – we respond by turning from all that we were before and by receiving the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. iv. We receive, accept or welcome what God has already put there. v. Notice we do not welcome or receive it in order to have it implanted. But rather we respond humbly and warmly to its having been implanted. vi. We wrestle with the tension of God’s sovereignty in salvation and our responsibility in salvation. vii. This is where human responsibility comes in. viii. Now that God has opened our eyes, freed our enslaved wills, breathed spiritual life into dead creatures, and given us spiritual eyes to discern that this gospel message is truth, and implanted that truth within us… what must we do? ix. We must turn from all that has condemned us and like a beggar who has been given a great sum of money, like a great debtor who has been forgiven his debt, like a good little child at Christmas – we receive with humble and thankful hearts what the Lord has given to us. x. And so, we welcome the word of God the truth of His gospel in our hearts by faithful obedience to all He has said. xi. Why would be so receptive and honoring? Why would we bend over backward to obey such a word?d. [Slide 21] Which is able to save your souls. i. That word is able to save our souls. ii. When we say something is able to do something, at times we mean that it is able but something is lacking. When we say that a medicine is able to cure us, or that the bus is able to take us downtown – we mean it subjunctively. Where it could happen but requires something more. Like we must take medicine or we must buy a ticket for the bus. It leaves a level of uncertainty. iii. This is 100% NOT the case here. iv. By saying that the word is able to save our souls, James is not saying that it is able but there are other things necessary to complete the task. v. Instead, James compares the implanted word to human anger. vi. Human anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God. vii. But the implanted Gospel of Christ is powerful enough, strong enough, to accomplish our salvation. To meet God’s holy standard. viii. This is exactly what Paul says when he says that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation. It is the only power able to save us. It alone with nothing else added. ix. His gospel can and will transform us – through and through. x. And in that transformation, we will be saved. James does not speak of salvation here in the “conversion” aspect but rather in the ultimate aspect. That we will be fully and finally glorified and freed from this life of sin. xi. And that begins the moment that word is implanted. Because it is powerful to save. xii. So, we must welcome it and nurture it by obeying it. xiii. And that is exactly where he is going next. More on that next time.e. [Slide 22] Passage Truth: In direct contrast to his point before about man’s anger and by extension man’s most passionate efforts coming up short, the word of truth, the gospel, is powerful and will save us if it has been implanted in us. What man’s zeal could not do, the gospel does.f. Passage Application: At first, his readers might think that James issues another command here. To rid themselves of sinfulness and to welcome the implanted word. But in essence, this is the broader version of what he has already said. To listen carefully to the gospel’s instruction and to choke off their sinful and wicked reactions. And so, in essence the command is the same. Root out old sin habits and welcome gospel instruction. Be quick to listen and slow to allow sin to control our tongues or tempers.g. [Slide 23] Broader Biblical Truth: But is this true? Does the bible as a whole teach that the gospel is all we need to save us? Does the word actually teach us that our human effort and our human zeal add nothing to the saving power of Jesus Christ? My friends – it most certainly does. Not only does the bible flatly deny that works have any part in our salvation, but as we have seen repeatedly in foundations and throughout our investigation of New Testament books on Sunday morning – mankind is fundamentally broken in our natural state. When we are born we are born as sinners. We do not become sinners by sinning – but rather we sin because we are already sinners. As the scriptures teach us none are righteous and none seek after God. This is why God must regenerate us first because if it were left up to us and our zeal and effort we would fail miserably. Do we think this changes after we are born of God? Oh no. Certainly we must receive and welcome the word (this is our human responsibility) – but the word alone does all the saving. It is not our anger or our zeal, but the power of the gospel alone that brings us safely home.h. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, what must we do? If the gospel saves us and no zeal of ours can help – then we may as well rid ourselves of every fleshly, earthly, natural, sinful bent of our hearts. We must get rid of our impulse to defend ourselves, to think ourselves correct, to have others hear us, and instead we must become humble students. We must sit and learn in the school of Christ. May His gospel teach and transform us into little mimics. May we think, talk, act, and be like Him in all our ways. For what He has already done, and who He has made us to be, is able to save us to the uttermost. And receiving that and resting in that – well that my friends is called faith. We walk by faith. We live by faith. Conclusion:[Slide 24 (end)] It may seem a little confusing of a message today. What I mean by that is it seems like the text today has a very specific application that hits us in our everyday walk. But in another way the text’s application is quite broad to open up the whole concept of what the Christian life looks like. If you picked up on that, you are absolutely right. James is entering into a section of his letter where he is going to talk about both of these concepts. He is going to open up a mega theme next time, showing us that it is not enough to simply hear the gospel but we must do it also. But James is also reaching back to this concept of testings and how God is good and how God has birthed us into His family to be His people. So, what can we take home today as we find ourselves in a transitional passage between two major points? First, we must not be duped to think that since we are in a transition that nothing James says here is of much consequence. In fact, the opposite is true. There isn’t much else that James will talk about in the rest of the letter that he has not mentioned in these 3 verses. Let that sink in for a second. I’ll say it again. There isn’t much else that James will talk about in the rest of the letter that he has not mentioned in these 3 verses! Secondly, we must recognize the lesser to greater argument that pastor James uses to impact his audience. He starts with their infighting, their selfishness, their anger and their complaining. He recognizes that they are in tests and trials of God… and tempers are flaring. So, he commands them, since they are God’s first fruits, to be different. To be patient and attentive listeners to God and one another. To be cautious and deliberate speakers to God and one another. And to be patient and content with the Lord’s tests and gentle and forgiving to each other. But this is only 1 example of the greater principle that he is getting to. That principle is that they have been implanted with the only thing able to save them. The gospel of Christ. They are His and they have His gospel. So then, they must get rid of their natural tendencies to sin and instead welcome God’s standard of righteousness which His Son perfectly exemplifies. So for us today – we must recognize how true sanctification happens. It happens by the power of the gospel as we obey the Lord and in ridding ourselves of our former sins. But more specifically – we must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. Because it was a holiday week, I knew that I would lose all of Thursday which would give me a bit of a time crunch on getting everything done that I needed to for this sermon. The irony isn’t lost on me today – since I didn’t end up giving it until this week anyway. Nevertheless, with this perceived time crunch, Tuesday the 22nd, I went out to make sure the girls were doing their chores and to help fill the Duck water before I headed out to the office. As we were heading to the milk house to fill buckets, the chickens suddenly started pouring out of the barn flying over their fence enclosure. As my attention rested on the kerfuffle, I noticed a cat coming out of the barn which was the cause of the stir. Followed by my youngest daughter trying desperately to get the cat out of the chicken run. The cat, being the nervier of the two did not welcome her assistance in getting him back into the barn. Thinking only of my schedule and the time it would take for me to wrangle the chickens back together – I got very angry. I went into that barn and I chewed her up one side and down the other. I told her how foolish she was for keeping the coop door open so the cats could get in in the first place and how foolish it was for her to chase the cat into their run and not out. I yelled her out of my sight to go and put the chickens away with her sister. She left weeping. I called my wife from the barn hoping to gain an ally for my bash Moira party. But my wife immediately recognized the mistakes she had made and the ease in correcting them. Suddenly I felt like the fool. And indeed, I was. Before I left, I apologized to Moira but it was only half an apology. I made sure to get in another shot of why she needs to think about her actions. As I was praying in the car on the way, God drew my mind to the passage that I’d be studying for today’s sermon. The words of James, the implanted word of God in my heart, like a knife, cut me to my core. “The anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.” I confessed my sin and later sought Moira’s forgiveness. But even then, it didn’t go as I wanted it to. I wanted her to say she forgave me and loved me. Because she is Moira – she barely remembered it happened. Still, she hugged me and when I asked if she would forgive me she said, “Uh huh.” And that was enough. My friends – This is but a small example that proves the rule. We all are sinners declared righteous. God is still killing off what we were born as, and raising up what He new birthed us to be. Let us be quick to rid ourselves of our old life and welcome the gospel’s instruction in this new life He has given us.

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Title: “I’ve Got This!” - God

Text: James 1:16-18

FCF: We often struggle holding fast the tension that God is both good and Sovereign when we are tested.

Prop: Because God is absolutely good and absolutely sovereign, we must not deny this when tested.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 1.

Last week we continued a topic that James opened up in verse 9. As a response to God using trials to perfect us, James has begun addressing areas that we might be lacking. Areas of our life that God might be working to perfect us. Or even areas in our life that are keeping us from considering our tests pure joy.

He began with wisdom, and stated there that God gives good gifts to His children and they need only to ask and they will receive it.

Then he moved to perspective. He taught that if we don’t seek the kingdom first and instead focus on what we have or don’t have in this life – then we might miss the joy in financial trial.

Then he moved to last week where even in testings that have us grappling with temptation, we ought not think God is tempting us but rather that we are being tempted by our own desires. It is our fault, not God’s, when we are led away and enticed. If we get this wrong, then it will be impossible to count testings that include temptation as pure joy.

Today we will look at what is a sister point of last week’s message. There is just a LOT for us to cover here – mainly because I will have to defend a doctrine and teaching that may be a bit difficult for some of you to swallow.

So let’s turn to James 1. I’ll begin reading in verse 16 from the NASB. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1360 or in whatever version you have in front of you.

Transition:

This sermon is on the longer side. But if we are intently listening, I know it will be a blessing to your hearts. It will allow us all to conclude that even temptation can be used by our God to grow us into what He would have us to be. And in the midst of trial where we are tempted – that is truly a comforting thought. But to get there – we have to get what James says right. So let’s endeavor to do just that.

I.) God is the only unchanging source of good giving and perfect gifts, so we must not deny this when tested.

a. [Slide 2] 16 – Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

i. James again begins with a negative command.

ii. It is possible that this command connects with the previous thought. That we ought not be deceived about how temptation comes to us.

iii. In fact, I think the command does exactly that.

iv. But it also reaches forward to what he will say.

v. This command is regarding the nature of God and the nature of man.

vi. Both man and God are compared to each other in this text. And God is very clearly one way while all His creation is quite another.

vii. This passage speaks to the “otherness” or “uniqueness” of God. Or as we call it in theology – His Holiness.

viii. As we are comparing God to His creation, James’ desire is that we are not deceived.

ix. This is the essence of all heresy, false teaching, and even heterodoxy.

x. From where do these come if not from being led astray by a false view of the nature of God.

xi. And if we cannot understand, at least what God has revealed about Himself, then we will form a deceived misunderstanding of who we are as humans.

xii. If we are led astray on who God is and who we are, we cannot possibly form right understandings or conclusions about anything – much less about our trials, the future kingdom, or even salvation.

xiii. Although this is a negative command, to put it positively James commands his audience to give heed to sound doctrine. To hold fast to what they have been taught. To not be lazy in your pursuit of doctrine.

xiv. For we must possess a childlike faith – this is true… but not a childish faith.

xv. Meaning we must receive what God says with humble belief, but we must also not remain purposefully shallow in our understanding, lest we be swept away with every wind of doctrine.

b. [Slide 3] 17 – Every good thing given and every perfect gift

i. Now James wishes to give his audience some proper teaching on the nature of God.

ii. The opening item is actually focusing on the giving itself. Every giving of good things.

iii. James has been discussing how God is not evil. And we spoke last week about how God is good. It is an attribute of His. Meaning of course, that He defines what the word good actually means.

iv. But not just in every instance of giving but even the gifts themselves.

v. Every perfect or complete gift. The last time we saw this word “perfect” was in verse 4 when James said that the endurance of our faith when it has its “perfect” work, will “perfect” us.

vi. So, every gift that comes to us that is perfect and every giving of godly good gifts comes from where?

c. [Slide 4] Is from above,

i. This is metonymy. Metonymy is a figure of speech whereby we use something that is related in name or concept to what we mean.

ii. When we say the white house gave a statement today – we don’t mean that the building gave a statement.

iii. And here, when James says that every giving of godly good things and every perfect gift comes from above… he very obviously doesn’t mean the sky, or space, or the universe, or heaven, or angels.

iv. He means from God. Only God can give perfect gifts. Only God is the one who gives godly good things.

v. And just in case that wasn’t clear, James continues…

d. [Slide 5] Coming down from the Father of lights

i. We’ve talked a bit about cosmology. In ancient cosmology the throne of heaven is above the firmament. And under the firmament is where God hung the sun, moon, and stars. Which would include the other planets in our solar system.

ii. Now we know that these are actually beyond our atmosphere – but they didn’t know what an atmosphere was back then. All they knew is they looked up and saw lights suspended in the heavens.

iii. Those are the lights that James is speaking of here.

iv. Where do perfect gifts come from? Who gives godly good things?

v. The wonders that we can behold with our eyes yet cannot reach – He made them.

e. [Slide 6] With whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

i. Unlike the hanging lights though – there is no shifting shadow with Him.

ii. Unlike us, there is no variation or hint of change with God.

iii. If God is the only giver of godly good things and no other source ever gives perfect gifts…

iv. But God was like the sun whose light could be covered by a passing cloud. If God was like the moon that hides its full glory during most nights of the month.

v. if God was like us… like fickle humans who are hot one minute and cold the next. Full one minute and hungry the next. Asleep one minute and awake the next. Refreshed then tired. Strong then weak. Happy then sad. Satisfied then unsatisfied. Kind then mean. Comfortable then uncomfortable.

vi. Can you imagine… if God was the only giver of godly good things and perfect gifts… but he was like us?

vii. If God was the only source for gifts like grace, hope, love, faith, repentance, regeneration, adoption, justification, glorification, propitiation, expiation…

viii. But the next day he would take them away. When we sin He would remove them. What hell we would live in.

ix. But my friends… God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

x. Not only is He the only source for giving good things and perfect gifts, but He is the CONSTANT source for giving good things and perfect gifts.

f. [Slide 7] Passage Truth: James teaches us here that our God, our Father, is the unchanging source of all blessings and goodness and every perfect gift that comes down to His dear children.

g. Passage Application: Therefore, they must not be deceived to believe that He is guilty of doing any evil to them or sending any test to them with malicious intent.

h. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: But is this true? Does the bible teach this concept, that God is the unchanging source for all good giving and perfect gifts? Psalm 85:12 says that the Lord will give what is good. Romans 8:28 says that for those who love God and are called according to His purpose, all things are for our good. The Old Testament is a long story of God’s lovingkindness and covenant faithfulness to Israel despite their continued spiritual adultery. From cover to cover, the Word of God reveals that God is the giver of good and perfect gifts. He is the only source for all these gifts. And He is unchanging. He is constant.

i. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, no matter what you face. No matter what trial. No matter what test. Even in the gravest of temptations. Even in the greatest of hardships. Do not be led astray. Do not think for one instant that God is toying with you. That God is playing with you. That God is giving evil to you. Oh my friends. God gives good gifts to those He loves. But they are good by His definitions – which may differ sharply from ours… nevertheless, they are good, and intended to prove, progress and perfect our faith. Do not be deceived. God is Good.

Transition:

[Slide 9(blank)] But what good is it to have a good God who gives good things when He is powerless to stop the bad things? Is God truly able to plan all things for our good?

II.) God is Absolutely Sovereign over our eternal destiny, so we must not deny this when tested.

a. [Slide 10] 18 – In the exercise of His will

i. This next verse opens with a passive participle and it is not easy to translate.

ii. The evidence for this is in the various translations that we trust.

1. 2 say – He chose

2. 4 others say – Of His own will

3. 1 says – By His own choice

4. NET – By His sovereign plan

iii. God is a God who wills these godly good things and perfect gifts to be.

iv. And James is going to give an example of those good gifts, and how God gives them.

v. This is an exercise of His will. He is choosing. He is planning this out. And since He is the only one who can do this and does it without changing – the NET’s translation is actually spot on if we are going for meaning. It isn’t very “word for word” but if we want to drive to the heart of what James actually means…

vi. It is “By His Sovereign plan”

vii. It is something God wishes or wants – and He is the only being capable of doing it. For He is the only source for Godly good things and perfect gifts – of which what follows is one… and perhaps is the chief among them.

viii. So, what is the greatest perfect gift? What is the best godly good thing we can be given?

b. [Slide 11] He brought us forth

i. There is a comparison happening here that we may not see if we don’t pause to consider something.

ii. This word “to bring forth” is used in the NASB at the end of verse 15 when it says that sin brings forth death.

iii. Last week we looked at that in the CSB which translated the word “gives birth.” Which it does again here in verse 18.

iv. But what I didn’t show you last week is that this word used for giving birth to sin is not the same word for giving birth to death.

v. You see our evil lusts give birth to sin – which is a Greek word putting emphasis on the actual action of giving birth. Labor we could say.

vi. But when sin is fully grown it gives birth to death. The Greek word for “gives birth” here puts emphasis on the completion of pregnancy – ie having the baby.

vii. These are subtle differences in meaning but the NASB actually reflects those differences by translating this bring forth. Which emphasizes the end.

viii. However, we might miss the obvious reference to our spiritual new birth here if we neglect the birth analogy.

ix. Our sin ends in our spiritual death… but only the will of the never changing Father who is the only giver of godly good and perfect gifts can bring us new birth.

x. And not just the process of that birth – but all the way to completion. He brings us life.

xi. And how does He bring us to life?

c. [Slide 12] By the word of truth

i. Literally by the true message.

ii. By the gospel of Jesus Christ.

iii. I don’t want to go too deep into theology, but I do want to point out places where the bible speaks about certain deep subjects.

iv. For the last 400 years there has been a question that has plagued Christianity.

v. How does the sovereignty of God and His command to believe on Christ for salvation fit together?

vi. If God is truly in control of all things but commands us to do something and we will be saved – then how do these fit together?

vii. We could take the answer – well I don’t understand but I just believe it. That’s ok.

viii. We could say – this is just a paradox that we need to accept both sides. Which is also fine.

ix. But I don’t want to pass up the opportunity that it is here to try to harmonize these two teachings.

x. Every couple years we post a survey that tests our knowledge of key doctrinal beliefs. And every year there is one question that our answers turn up very mixed. The question is “The Holy Spirit gives a spiritual new birth or new life before a person has faith in Jesus Christ.” The questions are true/false and we are given 5 options between strongly agree and strongly disagree.

xi. Several state that they strongly disagree to this. Implying that they think belief precedes or comes before new birth. Several others strongly affirm the statement. And some brave souls said they were not sure

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Title: Who Did This to Me?

Text: James 1:12-15

FCF: We often struggle wanting to blame shift when we experience temptation.

Prop: Because God isn’t the problem, we are, we must not say when we are tempted that God tempted us.

Scripture Intro: CSB

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 1.

James is in the midst of sharing with his audience some ways their faith may be lacking. Ways that they still need to be perfected through trial.

First, he suggested that perhaps they lacked wisdom. Since wisdom from God is integral to being able to grow in faith, perhaps that is one area in which they lack. If they do – and their faith is genuine – they must simply ask believing that God is a good Father and He will give it to them.

Second, he begins a larger discussion about perspective. Perhaps they are lacking in that their perspective has shifted to a view of the world that is out of step with the way God sees the world. The first of these perspective problems might be in how they view earthly wealth and status. Last week James pointed out that earthly wealth and status is nothing in the Kingdom of God. To the extent that when that great Kingdom arrives, all the earthly wealth and status that you have – or do not have – will be completely irrelevant. The solution then, is to turn your eyes toward the Kingdom of God. As a poor person on earth – they must glory in their wealth in Christ. And as a rich person on earth they must glory in their spiritual poverty without Christ.

Today, James is still dealing with their lack of the proper perspective. But with verse 12 he makes a distinct break from the last point to introduce two more points that I would call sister points. Both perspectives that may need adjusting deal with both the nature of God and the nature of man. The first that we will cover today will deal with temptation and sin and the second that we will deal with next week will have to do with the human condition and God’s sovereign generosity. We’ll see next week how some of what we discuss this week will bleed over into that topic -but let’s not go down that road just yet.

So, let’s look at the text this morning. I am in James 1 and I’ll begin reading in verse 12. I’ll be reading from the CSB again this week but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1360 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Ok. Lot’s to get to today, so let’s dive in.

I.) God never tempts us to sin for he is untouched by evil, so we must not say when we are tempted that God tempted us. (12-13)

a. [Slide 2] 12 – Blessed

i. To be blessed is to be given fortune, happiness, or favor.

ii. In a very real way we could say that to be blessed is the aftermath of receiving God’s grace.

iii. In our current culture to be blessed is to be fortunate because of some financial or materialistic benefit we have inherited.

iv. This is not a wrong way to use the word, especially if someone is using it of God’s common grace to give good things, even physical things, to all people.

v. However, when Jesus uses the word blessed, as when James uses the word blessed, it takes on a particularly spiritual meaning.

vi. Such a person has been given special grace of God receiving power, passion, or help from the Lord in order to do something.

vii. The result of that is the fortunate or happy state the person finds themselves in – having been propelled by the Lord beyond the point that their human effort could take them or even would want to take them.

viii. We see this most clearly in the sermon on the mount where Jesus begins several statements with the word “blessed” but finishes the statement with paradoxical endings of people who clearly should not be happy but because of some spiritual reality the paradox stands.

ix. We should read this passage in a similar light. There is a redemptive tone here, much like in the sermon on the mount. And also, there is a paradox that follows this word. Blessed…

b. [Slide 3] Is the one who endures trials

i. And there it is.

ii. Happiness and fortune would not be first on the list of responses when we are called to endure trials.

iii. The word “trials” is again the broadest possible application of the word.

iv. What I mean by that is that this includes not only sickness, heartache, persecution, and ridicule but also temptation and battles with our flesh and with other people.

v. Enduring through to the other side of these things means we are blessed.

vi. But why?

c. [Slide 4] Because when he has stood the test

i. This statement sharpens the concept of those who endure testings.

ii. The word for “test” here is the same word from verse 3. This is not the word for trials, temptations, but the word we translated last time as proving. This is a word of authentication and purification.

iii. In other words, it is those who endure testings to the end of the authentication and purification process. It is those who have had their faith proven to the point that they arrive at verse 4 having been completed and lacking nothing.

iv. Well, what is the promise for the one who endures his proving to the end.

d. [Slide 5] He will receive the crown of life

i. Pastors have been guilty in the past of venturing off into a grand discussion of all the crowns the bible lists for us and what we must do to earn them.

ii. But two questions need to be asked here.

iii. First, is this crown an actual crown or is this metaphorical language?

iv. Second, are we really earning it?

v. As to the first question, since James is writing to Jews and not Gentiles, the Pauline use of the word to refer to the Olympic games and the wreath that would go to the victor would, perhaps, be a bit of a stretch. Such an image would not connect readily with Jewish believers.

vi. However, the crown of a person’s head for a Jew would still convey honor and glory.

vii. And so, to be crowned with life would be a life of honor and glory.

viii. More likely then, this is not referring to a literal crown but rather a crowing with life at the end of all life’s tests.

ix. As for the second question – the fact that they receive their crowning of life after their gifted faith is proven to be genuine, indicates that this is not given BECAUSE they stood the test but simply AFTER they stood the test.

x. Standing the test is the finish line. And those who do not stand the test, do not finish and do not receive the crown.

e. [Slide 6] That God has promised to those who love Him.

i. Our findings are confirmed when read these words.

ii. The origin of the crown of life is in the promise of God.

iii. God has promised – to all those who love Him – a crowning with life eternal.

iv. Again, it is not in the loving that we are awarded life eternal. Rather it is the evidence of loving Him that confirms our inheritance in the promise.

v. Why?

vi. Because we only love Him because He first loved us. If God did not love us first, we would not love Him. If God did not give us faith, we would not believe. If God did not bring us to life we could never receive faith from Him.

vii. And so, James communicates a similar concept to verse 4 here in verse 12 – that testings when endured proves we have genuine faith and that faith completes us unto life and life eternal.

viii. But why does James repeat this concept? Is this a bookend?

ix. I don’t think so. Instead, I think he is purposefully bringing his audience back to the subject at hand.

x. Not that he ever left – but he wants to be sure that where they go next is linked to what he said in verses 2-4.

xi. So where does he go next?

f. [Slide 7] 13 – No one undergoing a trial

i. Although the CSB does translate this “trial”, it does not translate this word as “tempted.” And that is exactly what we need to avoid.

ii. It is difficult to know exactly how broad to use this word. Up to this point in the text, there has been no need to confine testings to either of its extreme meanings which are trials of hardship or temptations to sin.

iii. The very next time this word is used it has an obvious intended meaning. But contextually it seems like we should leave this broad for now.

iv. Another point to understand which is not clear in the CSB is that this testing is coming from an outside source.

v. Other translations say “let no one say when he is tempted” or “when you are being tempted”

vi. This passive voice indicates at very least that the action is being emphasized over the subject doing the action. But in Jewish writing especially, when the passive voice is used it is often suggesting a outside agent doing the action and that agent is usually God. It is a concept called “The Divine Passive.”

vii. We’ve seen this in the context going all the way back to verse 4. God is the one who providentially brings testings on His people.

viii. I think that is James’ exact meaning based on where he goes next.

ix. James suggests caution.

x. No one who has been providentially brought into a test by God…

g. [Slide 8] Should say, “I am being tempted by God,”

i. Here is the only command in this text.

ii. No one should say and if they should not say it, they should not think it, and if they should not think it they should not believe it, and if they should not believe it then it most certainly is NOT true that…

iii. God is tempting him.

iv. The word here is the same broad word for testings – but given the context that follows we must translate this a tempt and not simply test. James is making a context-clear use of this word.

v. In other words, if in the midst of a test which God arranged for us, we experience temptation to violate God’s laws – NO ONE should say that such a temptation’s origin was with God.

vi. Just because He leads them into a test, even if that test is specifically for them to be tempted, it does not mean he is the one actually doing the tempting.

vii. But why must we not say that God tempted us?

h. [Slide 9] Since God is not tempted by evil,

i. To tempt another to go against the moral will of God is an act of evil.

ii. To encourage others to sin is itself an act of sin.

iii. God has never experienced the slightest inclination to draw away or entice any creature to violate His own will.

iv. Why?

v. Because He has never been and never will be tempted by evil at all.

vi. Evil and God are diametrically opposed. Not as two equal forces in the world, but because God is Good, meaning He defines what is good– He also, by default, defines what is evil.

vii. Good being defined by God’s character means that God could never be tempted with Evil for Evil is, quite simply, what God is NOT.

viii. Oil could never be tempted to be mixed with water. It is impossible down to the chemical components of the two substances that oil could ever be water or vice versa.

ix. Magnets of the same polarity will never be attracted to each other. No matter how close you shove them, they will never gravitate to one another. And the more powerful the magnet the more force required to even try to get them close.

x. These two, crude examples paint a picture for us with things we can understand to help us as we attempt to grasp God which we cannot understand. God’s goodness is magnetically, chemically, it is ultimately and wholly opposed to evil.

xi. To the extent that Evil could never get close enough to God to tempt Him.

xii. The closest this came was in the wilderness when a tired, hungry, sleep deprived Jesus, whose human nature was at its weakest, was tempted by the master deceiver. Satan gave three of his best shots across the bow of the God-Man, and JESUS DID NOT FLINCH.

xiii. After the last temptation He commanded the devil to BE GONE!

xiv. We dare not suggest that God is the tempter of any of us. For God to even consider a thing like that – would mean He was not God.

xv. The conclusion then, is inevitable.

i. [Slide 10] And He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone.

i. There is no other conclusion that we could reach.

ii. If God is not tempted to do evil, and tempting others to do evil is in itself evil, then logically – God CAN not and further DOES not tempt anyone.

iii. God never tempts us. His very nature and character could never allow this to occur.

iv. He certainly may lead us into times of testings where we will be tempted. He may even lead us into times of testings so that we will be tempted.

v. But in our testings one thing we must NEVER do, is to say He has tempted us. Such a statement is blasphemy.

j. [Slide 11] Passage Truth: James insists that God, although being the providential author of every test we face in this life, although in those tests we may be tempted to sin, although those tests may be intended for us to grapple with temptation, He is NEVER the one who tempts us because Evil is not able to touch Him and therefore He tempts no one.

k. Passage Application: With all this truth of God’s character and works, James’ audience is given a strong negative command. They are commanded to NOT say God has tempted them. Such an act would be pure blasphemy.

l. [Slide 12] Broader Biblical Truth: But is all this true? Does the bible as a whole teach us that although God is the providential author of every test we face including temptations to sin, that He is still not tempted by evil or the tempter of any of us? Well, next week we will focus on God’s providence in arranging all our tests, even the ones in which we are tempted to sin. Such a conclusion is inescapable in this text. It is the very reason we are tempted to call God our tempter because we recognize that He put us in a spot where we are being tempted. But focusing on the latter half of all this – the bible clearly teaches that God and evil are absolutely separate. We see it as early as the 3rd chapter of Genesis where the first two beings created in God’s image are cast out of His Garden and told never to return. We see it in the threat of God to bring death upon Adam for sinning. We see it in the spiritual death that comes upon all men at their conception. And because spiritual death reigns over men, physical death becomes the pit to fall into eternal death. But we see God’s hatred of evil most at the cross. Where God the Father forsook the Son, pouring His wrath upon Him for the sins of His people. And we will see it one day when He casts sin, death, hell, and all the wicked into the lake that burns forever which is the second death. God cannot tempt us… For evil cannot touch God. He is beyond its reach.

m. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must be very careful when we experience testings of all kinds, that we do not do as Adam and Eve did in the garden. This woman that you made for me convinced me to eat. This serpent that you created deceived me so I ate. Although true that God providentially allowed the serpent to go into the garden and tempt Adam and Eve – although He could have stopped this from happening altogether – He did not – but He was not the tempter. Indeed, He was the Savior. He killed an animal in their place and clothed them with its skin, and gave them a promise of His Son.

Transition:

[Slide 13(blank)] If not God, then who? Who is responsible for our temptings? Who do we have to blame for the pull of our hearts to sin? Whoever they be, let them be crucified yes?

II.) We are tempted by our own evil lusts, so we must not say when we are tempted that God tempted us. (14-15)

a. [Slide 14] 14 – But each person

i. Certainly, in the context of James’ writing we could limit this “every” to Jewish Christians.

ii. But when we look across the context here and even to the New Testament as a whole it becomes obvious that this is the human condition to which James is referring.

iii. This is not unique to Jewish Christians and it isn’t even unique to Christians.

iv. This is the plight of all mankind.

v. EVERYONE…

b. [Slide 15] Is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed

i. Here James again deemphasizes the subject by using passive voice in these participles.

ii. Meaning that the agent who is responsible for us being drawn away and enticed is not yet readily apparent.

iii. To be drawn away has the idea of being dragged or led by force

iv. And enticed has the idea of luring or bait.

v. Thus, the temptation that comes upon us seems to make us the prey. We are the victim.

vi. We are being hunted.

vii. But by what?

c. [Slide 16] By his own evil desire.

i. How is that for a reversal?

ii. We are being hunted by our own evil desires? We are being lured or baited by our own lusts? We are being dragged off by our own evil passions?

iii. Yes.

iv. Not only can we not blame God when we are tempted in a trial, we can also not blame any person or outside entity for our temptation either.

v. But systematic thinkers will immediately take issue with James here.

vi. Don’t we have an outside tempter? Do we not have an outside agent that draws us away? Are we not shot at with fiery darts from the wicked one?

vii. James isn’t denying that at all. In fact, James will later call on his readers to resist the Devil after submitting themselves to God.

viii. James’ point is, however, that we have no one to blame but ourselves. Certainly, Satan tempts us – but since the fall there has never been a human being tempted by Satan that is not predisposed to come along easily and merrily.

ix. And if a victim is willing – well, they are no longer victims are they?

x. We must then strike the balance between both extremes.

xi. We cannot be so foolish as to dismiss Satan’s part in pursuing and roaring after us, attempting to take us down or severely wound us.

xii. But on the other side, we cannot say with the comedian, “The devil made me do it.” For such would be a lie… and a flimsy one at that.

xiii. The Devil’s power over us would be all but defeated if he didn’t have so much to work with when weaving together temptations. He knows just what buttons to press. They are well worn and oftentimes we make sure they are easily accessible.

xiv. But even now, James has not left the realm of temptation.

xv. Temptation to sin is not sin itself.

xvi. So how do we go from temptation to actually sinning?

d. [Slide 17] 15 – Then after desire has conceived,

i. So, our own lusts bait, lure, and offer to lead us away from righteousness.

ii. That baiting or luring is the source of our temptation – whether or not there is an outside contributor.

iii. But when those baits begin to actually draw us away, when that lure captures our attention like a fish watching closely the bobber going up and down. When we do not resist and when we do not reject its pull, then our desires have conceived.

iv. James uses birth language to speak of a particularly terrible family.

v. Our evil desires within us are a mother. And when we are drawn away by our evil desires, those desires conceive. They become pregnant.

vi. But what is the offspring? What if our unresisted evil desires remain unresisted…

e. [Slide 18] It gives birth to sin,

i. The mother of our evil desires, when not kept in check, conceives. And when she conceives and goes to term – she gives birth to sin.

ii. It is in this time after we have not resisted our evil desires and continue to entertain them and pursue them that temptation finally gives birth to sin.

iii. Even failing to resist our temptations at first does not necessarily lead to sin.

iv. Being tempted to steal a candy bar to the point that you reach out your hand to pick it up, has sin been born? I think not. But certainly, sin would be born when you eat it having not paid for it… yes? But there are small movements, small steps that still may not yet be sin.

v. This isn’t true of every sin. Some sins a single step is too many. As Christ tells us hatred is murder and lust is adultery. Such sins we need not carry all the way to their ending to have completed them in our minds.

vi. But one thing is true of all sin. If we do not resist and reject these evil desires quickly, they only become more and more difficult to deny.

vii. Eventually we will succumb to sin.

viii. So, our evil desires are the mother and its child is sin. But our evil desires are a grandmother as well. Not only producing sin if we allow it – but…

f. [Slide 19] And when sin is fully grown,

i. Here we see another failed attempt to reject and to repent.

ii. When sin is allowed to fester and continue in our lives, without repentance, without turning back, without confession and forsaking… when a professing believer is comfortable allowing sin to continue in their lives without correction…

iii. What is the outcome?

iv. What does sin give birth to?

g. [Slide 20] It gives birth to death.

i. It doesn’t matter what prayer you’ve prayed.

ii. It doesn’t matter what decision you’ve made.

iii. It doesn’t matter if you believe Jesus is the Son of God and died on the cross for your sins and was raised again the third day and is coming again.

iv. It doesn’t matter whether you attend church, partake in the sacraments, read your bible, never drink, smoke, chew or run with those who do…

v. If you go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin for you. All you have is a terrifying expectation of judgment and death.

vi. And if you are arguing with me on that last statement – I am quoting from Hebrews 10:26-27. You are arguing with God – not me.

vii. Sin gives birth to death. If you allow sin to go unchecked in your life. If you go on sinning thinking, “well I said a prayer. God saved me. He will forgive me.” You are woefully and pitifully deceived.

viii. Raw belief… raw confession… devoid of a repulsion of sin… is not belief that saves you. The Christ you are confessing as a Savior only… if He is not also Lord – He is not Savior either.

ix. And so, we see the second reason it is blasphemy to say that God is the one who tempts us.

x. Why is it so great a blasphemy to accuse God of tempting us? Not only is it not in His character and nature… but friend… as you point your finger accusing God, there are three fingers, three little witnesses pointing back to identify the true mother of your sin.

h. [Slide 21] Passage Truth: James asserts that God although the providential author of each of our tests is never the author of our temptations. He says this with confidence because the true author of our temptations are our own evil lusts within us.

i. Passage Application: So, James’ audience must not say that God is the one tempting them.

j. [Slide 22] Broader Biblical Truth: But is this true in the rest of scripture? Does the bible as a whole teach us that we are the culprits of our own temptation? From the garden we see the commentary by Moses on the temptation of Eve. Certainly, she had an outside tempter. But what is said after the temptation was done? She looked at the fruit and saw that it was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and able to make her wise. My friends this is her lusts in the process of being drawn away. I am reminded of the historical account of Nathan the prophet where he crafted a story about a rich man with many sheep who stole a sheep from a man who only had one. David was so incensed by this that he demanded to know who the man was so he could give him the full weight of the law. Nathan, pointing to David said, “You are the man.” My friends, in our attempt to find fault with God for leading us into a situation whereby we are tempted, as we accuse Him of tempting us… He points His finger back and says YOU are the man. YOU are the woman. YOU have tempted yourself. And Jesus said that defilement does not come from without but from within. A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit or a bad tree good fruit. What is within us already defiles us. We produce what we are.

k. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, no matter what trial or test we find ourselves in – we will be tempted to forsake what God has said. But in the midst of that temptation, while enduring the test of our faith and striving for the finish line so that we may be given the crown of life, may we not for one moment blaspheme our God. May we not accuse Him of tempting us. For our temptation is from within. I am the man. You are the man. You are the woman.

Conclusion:

[Slide 23] So, CBC, what have we been taught today by James? Well James, through a negative command, has corrected our perspective on God and on ourselves.

We have learned that although God providentially authors every test we face, even those designed to tempt us, God is never the one who tempts us because He is never tempted by evil.

In fact, in attempting to identify the culprit of our temptations we must look no further to our own lusts and passions that lure us and draw us away from God’s will and ways. We are the ones to blame.

With all this as the backdrop – what must we never do?

We must never accuse God of tempting us.

In what situations may we find ourselves where we may desire to blaspheme God in such a way?

In times of sorrow, deep despair and loss – we may be tempted to spiral into deep depression, refusing to consider even such a trial as joy. We may be tempted to doubt that God is working in this particular situation to grow us. And in the midst of that we may cry out to God and say something like “You brought me here to toy with me! You are taking everything I hold dear out of spite! If you had left my family alone, I wouldn’t be here! “ And so we have gone too far. We have accused God of sinful motives and simultaneously have assumed that we have none of the blame.

In times of persecution, we could be tempted to retaliate and to return evil for evil. We might be tempted to steal, harm, or even kill to get even or to simply survive. And in the midst of that we cry out to God “You did this to me! How can you expect me to follow your law when you have put me in this place! You want me to fail You don’t you!” And we have blasphemed… for God never tempts us.

And certainly, and more obviously in times of temptation. When that very attractive woman starts working at your job. And for some reason you can’t quite get her out of your head. You might say to God “Why did you bring this seductress to me. You know my wife and I are doing great! Do you want me to lust all the time!” We were not drawn to these thoughts by God but by our own desires.

We are coming up on tax season. Many of us will be tempted to fudge the numbers just a little so we can stay ahead. And we might say “If you hadn’t put your judgment on this nation and raised inflation, I wouldn’t be in this mess. You are the one who allowed that thought to come into my head to cheat on my taxes! Why haven’t you given me a better job yet!”

Many times our perspective of God and of ourselves is consistently wrong. We see God a lot like a human. And we see ourselves a lot like God. And when we are put in various tests that put us through the wringer, we may be tempted with a great many ungodly reactions. And in the midst of those temptations we may forget that those temptations have arisen from within us. We may even forget that God is Good.

My friends we are going to be tested. I think we are keenly aware of this even more after the events of this week. We need to make sure that our perspectives are correct. Our flesh is weak… but we serve a Good God who loves us and desires for us to be perfected so that He may crown us with eternal life when we have finally reached the end of our tests. May we keep these things straight in our hearts so we will not be guilty of blaspheming the Lord.

View Details

Title: Status Quo

Text: James 1:9-11

FCF: We often struggle living as if treasures in heaven are more valuable than here on earth.

Prop: Because all God’s people are spiritually bankrupt but will inherit God’s Kingdom, we must boast only in Christ.

Scripture Intro: CSB

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 1.

As we’ve stated a few times at this point, the structure of James is fairly enigmatic. Scholars have debated since the beginning of the church how this book moves from topic to topic and how things are related to one another which is, of course, assuming that they are related to one another at all.

The outline I gave you on the first week no doubt looks very dissimilar from your study bible. But given the fact that each study bible differs from one another so sharply, I have more confidence in stepping out on my own to structure the book as I see it. That being said, and as I mentioned last week, I see verses 2-4 as the governing principle behind the entire book.

It establishes the occasion of the book – which seems to be various tests coming upon Jewish Christians James is writing to who are scattered across the Roman Empire. It establishes the command of the apostle to them in the midst of those tests, which is to treat them as pure joy. And it corrects the wrong way of dealing with various tests, which was to live life in conformity to the world in order to lessen their trials and succumb to their temptations. James corrects this by telling them that God desires to grow their faith and ultimately perfect them in Christ through these tests.

In total, this serves as an excellent summary of the entire book of James. Therefore, all that follows are categories of their life that are not yet perfect.

Last week we addressed the small but important category of wisdom. Wisdom as we said is a gift of God whereby we are given spiritual knowledge and understanding so that we may live as God would have us to live.

We concluded that wisdom is absolutely essential for God to prove, progress and eventually perfect our faith. And to get wisdom from God, we need only to ask believing that God is a good Father desiring to give all that His children need to be what He desires them to be.

This week we will begin a larger category of lack. As I am prone to do, I have changed this category a little bit from the outline that I gave you initially. This category of lack is primarily of perspective. It is of perception. It is our imperfect view of the world. Within this category our perspective on wealth and status, temptation and sin, and human faculty and God’s gracious sovereignty will all be adjusted. James will set out to correct and enforce God’s perspective on all these things. But because it is James and His book is supremely applicational – he won’t teach beginning with doctrine but with command.

Today we begin with a corrected perspective on wealth and status. And in the wealthiest country in the world and perhaps human history, I’d have to imagine that whatever James needs to say to correct our understanding of wealth and status – it probably will hit us harder than most.

I am in James 1 and I’ll start in verse 9. I am reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week, but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1360 or in whatever version you prefer

Transition:

After promising mostly short messages from James, it makes perfect sense that the very next sermon is going to not be one of the short ones. Still – there is much to see here. We dare not miss any of it by falling asleep or getting distracted. Do what you must.

I.) Believers who lack earthly status are still exalted in Christ, so they must boast in Christ. (9)

a. [Slide 2] 9 – Let the brother of humble circumstances

i. It is quickly becoming the pattern of James that we must ask two questions of each text we come to.

ii. First, we must ask what the text means, but related to that in a rather dependent way is, how does this text connect to the previous thought and more importantly, how does it connect with considering testings of various kinds as pure joy.

iii. This makes it difficult to answer each question.

iv. We can arrive at some meaning but then we must be prepared to adjust that meaning as we consider the context. Nevertheless, we cannot understand the meaning without context. Hence our conundrum.

v. Let us first, understand what is said in verse 9 and then we will attempt to correlate it back to the rest of chapter 1 and our topic of considering tests as pure joy since they grow our faith.

vi. The subject of the next section will be two classes of people in a particular category.

vii. First, in verse 9, you have a person of humble circumstances.

viii. The word here is simply humble but it becomes obvious that James has in mind his status and wealth.

ix. Secondly, in verse 9, with regard to this humble person, James specifies them as brothers or brothers and sisters.

x. What should James command such people within the church?

1. Perhaps he will command them to beg God for riches?

2. Perhaps he will command them to have faith so God will bless them?

3. OH, OH – Perhaps he will command them to give to the church so that God will give them more money!

4. Or perhaps he will command them to repent of their sin since their poverty is obviously a punishment for something they have done wrong!

5. Or Perhaps James will command them to get a better job to care for their family?

xi. No. James commands none of those things. Instead, he commands them to…

b. [Slide 3] Boast

i. What?

ii. Ok so a couple questions.

iii. First, isn’t boasting a sin?

iv. Second, why are they supposed to boast in their poverty?

v. As for the first question – no, not all boasting is a sin.

vi. This word has both negative and positive connotations in the New Testament.

vii. So, when is boasting used in the scripture as a good thing? Boasting in the scripture when used in a positive sense is exclusively in relation to the magnifying of God and the minimizing of us.

1. Paul uses it of boasting, glorying or rejoicing in the Lord, in Christ.

2. Paul uses it of boasting in our own weakness.

3. Paul uses it of boasting in the hope of glory

4. Paul even uses it as the pride he takes in the spiritual fruit of the Corinthian church

viii. So, James is commanding his audience to glory, to rejoice (hmm we’ve heard that before), to boast in God.

ix. Our second question then seems to be answered or at least dismissed. James isn’t commanding a poor Christian to boast in his poverty.

x. Instead, he must boast…

c. [Slide 4] In his exaltation

i. What does this mean?

ii. What else could it mean but the exalting of the humble that the Lord does when He gives the riches of His grace to a believer.

iii. After departing from lacking wisdom and searching for the second item that his audience lacks or are still imperfect in, we might be tempted for a short time to think that the second item they lack is wealth.

iv. But no. That is not the case.

v. They do not lack wealth. For wealth has no bearing on growing into complete and perfect followers of Christ.

vi. Instead, what they lack is a proper perspective on earthly wealth and status.

vii. A Christian of humble means must rejoice. He must glory. He must boast. Why?

viii. Because he has been given innumerable spiritual riches in Christ.

ix. We readily see the connection to verse 2-4 in that the boasting of a poor believer in their exaltation sounds much like regarding the test of poverty as pure joy because they know that God has given them an infinite inheritance in Christ.

d. [Slide 5] Passage Truth: James connects the various tests we face here on earth to the plight of a believer who is in poverty. He reminds poverty-stricken believers that they have been exalted in Christ, having been united to Him by faith. That though they are poor in earthly wealth, they are rich in Christ.

e. Passage Application: So, what are they to do with this understanding? They are to boast. They are to glory. They are to rejoice.

f. [Slide 6] Broader Biblical Truth: But does this truth come from all of the scriptures? Does the bible as a whole teach this concept, that God exalts those He saves? Does it teach that He gives great spiritual wealth to those who are His people? My friends it is everywhere. From the Old Testament promises to Israel as a nation – to have a land they possess forever and a Kingdom they possess forever – all the way to the promises in the New Covenant where Jesus says that the meek shall inherit the earth. My friends the bible tells us that God will glorify us. Do you know what that means? We talk about this reformation concept “Soli Deo Gloria” which means that we live for God’s glory alone. Do you not realize that God is glorified by glorifying us? That God shares the richness of His glory, uniting us to Christ, restoring us to a better than Eden condition. In Eden Adam was only a creation of God. In the New Kingdom we are sons and daughters. In Eden Adam was only a friend of God. In the New Kingdom we are the bride of His own Son. My friends – what God has done is taken wretches, broken jars of clay, and put His treasure in us. From cover to cover this book tells us that what awaits His people is exaltation. Peace. Glory.

g. Broader Biblical Application: What is our response to this CBC? It is a full-fledged, 100% no holds barred rejection of our status being based on anything in this life. Whether that is wealth, power, influence, intelligence, happiness, possessions, land, or any other metric we use to try to determine where we rank in society. We as believers no matter how much or little we have outright reject those metrics as accurate measures of our true status. Instead, we boast in the true measure of our status… That we are in Christ. And in Christ we are afforded all He has. All He has is ours. My friends… ALL HE HAS IS OURS! Boast in Him and what He has given us… by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Transition:

[Slide 7(blank)] But not all believers are poor. Do the wealthy just naturally see status and wealth as God does?

II.) Believers who possess earthly status are still saved by grace, so they must boast in Christ. (10-11)

a. [Slide 8] 10 – But let the rich

i. Here we are met with an interpretational problem.

ii. Before, the one who was of humble circumstances was called a brother.

iii. Here, the sentiment is not repeated.

iv. What does that mean?

v. [Slide 9] Well, there are really only three options.

1. James could be abandoning the status of their souls entirely and is just now speaking about the broad category of the rich. This seems unlikely because of what James says later in verse 10 and in verse 11 about the eventual end of the rich person.

2. James is no longer talking about believers but is instead speaking about the rich. This sets a believer of humble circumstances in contrast to the rich. Given how James continues to speak of the rich we could assume that James sees the rich as a whole as unbelievers. This is consistent with some teachings of Christ found in Luke. Verses 10 and 11 here speak then of the judgment of the ungodly rich. And the command to boast takes on a ironic twist since it is to boast in their judgment.

3. James could be carrying over the concept of “brothers” into this verse. The adjectives of humble circumstances and rich share the subject “brothers.” Therefore, James is talking about wealthy believers. This then, modifies how we would see the humiliation and the term passing away in verse 10-11.

vi. Making a decision is quite difficult. Mainly because it seems that no matter what point you raise in favor of one view – there is always a counter point from the immediate context or the rest of scripture.

vii. For instance - on the one hand, many of those whom James is writing were no doubt poor Jewish Christians living in various places. They were clearly being persecuted by wealthier people (which we’ll see later in chapter 2.) So, there is a good argument for James to be saying rich people in general are not believers.

viii. However, also in chapter 2 he entertains the possibility of wealthy people coming in among their assembly. Indicating that they are at least sympathetic to Jewish Christians, if not Christians themselves.

ix. [Slide 10] All in all, I believe that it makes more sense to conclude that James is talking to Jewish Christians who happen to be wealthy.

x. There is no obvious shift in subject here. And since the verb to boast is also not repeated in the text, it seems likely that the verb and subject would be carried over into verse 10 as well.

b. [Slide 11] Boast in his humiliation

i. Again, although not apparent in the English translation, the word boast does not reoccur here. Literally this would read “now the humble brother must boast in his exaltation but the rich in his humiliation”

ii. As I stated before, just like it makes sense to carry over the verb, it also makes sense to carry over the subject since both humble and rich are adjectives. Therefore, we could read it this way…

iii. “now the poor brother must boast in his exaltation but the rich brother must boast in his humiliation.”

iv. Now, what does it mean to boast in their humiliation?

v. What humiliation does a wealthy believer receive from the Lord?

vi. Before, James did not qualify or define exaltation for the poverty-stricken Christian who must boast in his exaltation. He does not really clarify what he means by that since the meaning is right on the surface.

vii. But the humiliation of the rich believer, that they must boast in, is further explained by James.

viii. He goes on.

c. [Slide 12] Because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

i. James first states that the rich believer will pass away. This immediately puts in our heads the idea of mortality. Indeed, of unpredictability of our own mortal lives.

ii. In this world money, fame, power, and title have set some apart from others.

iii. Whether we like it or not, the size of our 401ks, the title we wear, the number of followers we have, or the power we wield has a direct effect on our status in society.

iv. But in God’s kingdom, this is not the case. In the Kingdom of God, in the family of God – those wealthy in earthly goods are no wealthier in heavenly riches than the beggar who knows Christ.

v. In Christ we are all equally beggars. We are all the same.

vi. Certainly, we maintain our differences and those differences are not meaningless

vii. But the flashiest parts about us on this earth will fade away. Why?

viii. Because this earth is passing away. Indeed, we are all passing away.

ix. And that is exactly where James goes next with his illustration.

x. Why is a flower in the field so delicate?

d. [Slide 13] 11 – For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes.

i. Flowers typically only bloom for a short time. After this they fall off the bud.

ii. The heat and scorching wind of the desert and other arid areas can cause this to happen even quicker.

iii. Since the flower is not vital to the survival of the plant itself, it is often the last to receive the nutrients of the roots in a drought situation.

iv. The plant then becomes mostly stem as it tries to conserve as much moisture for its own survival.

v. By the time the grass dies from lack of water, the flower has long been gone.

vi. So how is this like the wealthy believer?

e. [Slide 14] In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities.

i. No matter how much wealth a man has, when he dies, he cannot carry it with him.

ii. Indeed, when he dies it is divided up among the living.

iii. As Ecclesiastes points out often and vividly - death is the great equalizer.

iv. The rich may even die while on a business trip or while making a deal to increase his profits.

v. What a humbling thing for a wealthy believer to recognize. No matter what they have in this life – it all stays on this earth when life is over. And life can end at any moment.

vi. And so, if earthly wealth is separated from us in death – the only wealth that matters in the kingdom that is coming is a wealth that is not of this world. And this is where the command to boast comes in.

vii. Because you see, as far as spiritual wealth is concerned… there are none righteous – no, not one. There are none who are spiritually wealthy in and of themselves. There are none who will enter the Kingdom of God with a bank account that has any spiritual money in it that they earned of their own strength.

viii. James’ command is to boast in being humbled. To glory, to rejoice in the Lord’s revealing to the wealthy that they are spiritually bankrupt – which is a condition of men that death reveals to be certain.

ix. But why would we boast in the realization that we are all spiritually bankrupt? Why indeed. I’ll save that for later.

f. [Slide 15] Passage Truth: James connects the various tests we face here on earth to the unique temptations of a believer who has wealth. He reminds wealthy believers that they are a Sovereign God’s decision away from losing all they have on this earth. That they are spiritually bankrupt. In short, they are reminded how little their earthly wealth actually matters in the Eternal Kingdom of God.

g. Passage Application: So, what are they to do with this understanding? They are to boast. They are to glory. They are to rejoice.

h. [Slide 16] Broader Biblical Truth: But is such a teaching true? Do the treasures of this world matter so little when compared to the Eternal Kingdom of God? The bible is clear. When the New Kingdom comes the old will be wiped away. We just saw this in II Peter when he spoke of the baptism of fire the world will experience as it is purified and destroyed to be replaced with a new earth and new heavens. The entire cosmos will be remade. That is why Jesus taught in the sermon on the mount to lay up treasures in heaven. Lay them up in that coming kingdom. Because in that kingdom nothing will be destroyed. All will endure. And while the scriptures stop short of telling us to avoid wealth or to avoid riches… they do warn us not to treat them as if they will last forever. For they are vanishing. Like our lives, they will wither away. But the great conundrum is, of course, how can someone who is spiritually bankrupt lay up any spiritual treasures in heaven. More on that in a moment.

i. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, we should boast in our humiliation. Because to be shown that the treasures of this world will burn and only the treasures laid up in the Kingdom of God will endure is to lead us through some of the temptations that come with earthly wealth. We can boast in knowing that we are spiritually bankrupt because knowing this is a key to those spiritual riches.

Conclusion:

[Slide 17 (end)] So, CBC, what is the next thing we may lack?

James addresses the real lack of believers to have the proper perspective on status and wealth.

And how does that connect to the various tests we may face and considering them joy?

Without God’s perspective on earthly wealth, it is impossible to regard any test related to earthly wealth as pure joy. Not having God’s perspective on earthly wealth rather than leading to joy will lead to despair for the poor and misplaced boasting for the wealthy.

Despairing because you have no wealth or boasting in your wealth are two sides of the same sin. Why? Because both have a faulty view of earthly wealth. Indeed, both have the same exact faulty view of earthly wealth. Both see earthly wealth as a comfort, a hope, and a noble pursuit. In order to despair in poverty or to gloat in wealth you must have a worldly, fleshly, and demonic view of wealth.

James calls both the poverty stricken Christian and the wealthy Christian to see wealth in the same way. Earthly wealth is to be regarded as fleeting, temporal, and of no value in the Kingdom of God. Why? Because this is God’s view. And God’s view is reality. When we disagree with God’s view, we are the ones who are living in a fantasy world. The true status quo of earthly wealth and status is that it is fleeting, temporal, and of no value in the Kingdom of God.

In a sense, James’ teaching here embodies the teaching of Christ in the sermon on the mount. God’s perspective on status and wealth is purely spiritual and not earthly. So much so that Jesus calls those who see themselves as spiritually bankrupt as blessed.

And here is where the boasting of the wealthy in their own humiliation comes in. Why would someone be blessed to recognize that they have a bankrupt account of spiritual wealth? Would this not lead to despair knowing that at death your account is empty? Why are they blessed?

They are blessed or favored of God in that they will inherit the Kingdom of God. Meaning that only those who recognize their humiliation of being spiritually bankrupt –will be granted spiritual wealth beyond what they could hope for. Only those who cry out in desperate spiritual need will be answered. And the answer will be the transfer of Christ’s account of spiritual wealth to them. They will inherit His righteousness (which is the unit of currency in the Kingdom of God.) And all the debt of sin they owed, has been paid in full at the cross of Christ. This is why the wealthy should boast in their humiliation. And why the poor should boast in their exaltation. The lack of earthly wealth reminds them of their spiritual future, and the possession of earthly wealth ought to remind them of the reality of their spiritual poverty without Christ.

This perspective on status and wealth is what is needed by all believers if they are to handle any test that may come in this life with regard to earthly status and wealth.

You see my friends, all men are like the grass of the field. Some grasses flower with beautiful colors. Others are plainer.

But the scorching wind and drought effects them all the same.

Just as the poor Christians are tested by trial, so the wealthy are also.

One can readily see how the absence of wealth could amount to a trial.

Certainly, lacking the basics of life and wondering where your next meal is coming from, these amount to great strain on our faith. The human condition as a whole has difficulty seeing over our own problems and believing the promises of God. And to face something as critical to life as not being able to afford to eat or clothe yourselves certainly would strain the faith of God’s people. But having God’s perspective on status and wealth enables a poor believer to boast in the royal title that he has been given in Christ. They can boast in the wealthy future they have – not as some pie in the sky or get rich quick scheme but rather an assured promise of an infinite inheritance through adoption.

But how could the possession of wealth amount to trial for a believer? How could having wealth amount to a test that a believer would have to consider joy? How could having wealth prove, progress and even perfect a believer’s faith?

Such a question affects us greater than the previous one. As we said at the beginning of this sermon, The USA is the wealthiest nation in the world and perhaps even in the history of the world. People at the poverty line in our nation are still well above those who are considered wealthy by the majority of the world. This is certainly not to minimize or ignore those who are poor in this nation. Certainly, the cost of living is higher making raw income not the only standard to determine wealth. But by and large, if you have a vehicle and a home, and eat at least 2 meals a day, you are wealthier than most people in the world. And I’d wager that that would be all of us.

So how does having earthly wealth and status test us?

Well, first, we might be tempted to boast in our earthly treasures and comforts. This is why James’ command to boast in humiliation is so jarring. It is 180 degrees in the opposite direction of where our flesh will pull us. We will be tempted to measure ourselves next to others by what car we drive, how many possessions we own, and how big our houses are. But we should not boast in our wealth but rather in our lowly position as a humble beggar in the kingdom of God. A beggar whose life is so volatile it hangs by a thread in the hands of a Holy God. To boast then, is to boast in a God who has revealed such things to us, so that we may use our wealth wisely as a tool rather than as a status indicator. If we are all spiritually bankrupt but by the grace of God we are remade in Christ as His bride and heirs to His Kingdom – then all wealth that remains here ought to be used here for His glory and His purposes. When we are tempted to boast in our wealth, we can count this temptation as joy because when we pass this test, we consider all our earthly wealth to be God’s and not ours. In this, our faith grows.

A second test we may experience as wealthy believers is to have faith in our wealth over Christ. While a wealthy believer may never say it out loud for it sounds truly ridiculous to do so, oftentimes wealthy Christians depend on their wealth rather than Christ. Certainly, they pray and seek the Lord for deliverance or for relief. But oftentimes a hastily written check is the easiest path to that relief. But if our trials are proving grounds for faith leading to endurance and completion… we can effectively stunt our growth by buying our way out of what the Lord is doing in our lives. What a ridiculous notion to refuse to spend money to buy our way out of a trial? Could it be that we should wait on the Lord and trust Him EVEN IF we have the money? What a wonderful tool wealth can be in the hands of those who are trusting the Lord… but like the northern Kingdom toward the end of its existence, who sought out the aid of alliances with foreign powers and relied on their strength instead of the Lord – wealth can quickly become an earthly ally against the tests that God has arranged for us. So rather than trusting in our wealth we must recognize and boast in knowing that we are spiritually bankrupt without Christ, and that all we have in earthly possessions are gifts from Him to be used for His glory – for we cannot take anything with us to glory – nor would we need to. We must trust the Lord alone rather than the Lord plus wealth.

The third test that wealthy believers may face is to think we are somehow living lives more pleasing to God or rich in faith and that is why we are rewarded with wealth. This is the spark that fuels the fire of the prosperity gospel teaching. That the quality of our faith is rewarded by earthly goods. Such correlations are no more absolutely true today than they were in Job’s lifetime. Indeed, we are promised trouble in this world. And James just referenced poor Christians who still inherit the wealth of God’s Kingdom. There is therefore no correlation between our earthly wealth and the quality of our faith. If we are facing this temptation, we must immediately recall the barrenness of our spiritual condition. When we recognize that we are naturally spiritually bankrupt then we must conclude that all we have, spiritual or earthly, is a gift from a Holy God who should have snuffed us out of existence before we were even born. Nevertheless, he allows rain to fall on the just and the unjust. And He allows wealth to come to the godly and the ungodly. Therefore, as Christians our wealth ought to be held loosely, knowing that God is the true owner of all we have. And we must boast in our poor condition knowing that He has given greater gifts that we could never earn.

I’ll only offer one more test that wealthy believers may face. Not because we have come to the end of them, but because I hope that the Spirit may improve upon my crude examples to meet your particular tests head on.

Being a wealthy Christian will most likely lead to the loss of great wealth and possessions – typically very quickly. While certainly the ungodly rich are often the oppressors of the godly poor, that doesn’t eliminate the godly wealthy from the ire of the ungodly. In fact, there are a myriad of stories throughout the church age of wealthy Christians losing land, title, possessions, and wealth of great amounts, not to squander, not to acts of compassion, but to thievery by the powerful taking it from them by force, simply because they were believers. From those who have much, much can be taken away. We may face this test someday my friends. Do you think our government is incapable of such malice and depravity? You might think, never in a free society would our government confiscate property, possessions or bank accounts simply because they disagree with them ideologically! My friends… our country has a long history of doing just that. Since before we were a nation, those who supported Great Britain during the late 1700s had their homes burned, their livestock slaughtered, and were tarred and feathered for their allegiance to the crown. If you do not believe me you should look into it. The very freedoms the patriots desired from King George they were denying to those who supported him. And even more recently, why don’t you do some digging into the Red scare in the 30s and 40s. Find out some of the atrocities our country committed against Japanese Americans during World War II. And today, do you not see actors and performers being blacklisted from roles because they hold conservative values. My friends. As our culture descends into wickedness. We, being wealthy, will lose every penny.

The question is not, is our government capable of such atrocities? The question is how do we count it as pure joy?

We boast in knowing that all we have is a temporary gift given for the good pleasure of a generous God who gives and takes away… and that though all may be taken from us, including our mortal lives – nothing can separate us from the love of Christ!

And in all this we hear echoes from Jeremiah 9 on James’ lips.

Jer 9:23 Thus says Yahweh, "The wise pman must not boast in his wisdom, and the warrior must not boast in his might, the wealthy man must not boast in his wealth.

Jer 9:24 But only in this must the one who boasts boast, that he has insight, and that he knows me, that I am Yahweh, showing loyal love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight," declares Yahweh.

The wealthy are commanded to boast in their humiliation. That we have been humbled to know the true God and to know that our life is fleeting and thus our wealth matters very little.

We should glory in this. For this humbling is our salvation. A freedom from the love of this world and the things in it - is a GREAT grace to God’s people. Wealthy believers should glory, rejoice and boast in having received such grace.

May we pass the test of earthly wealth. Whether we have it or not – may we boast in nothing save Christ and Him crucified for us.

View Details

Title: Do You Lack Wisdom?

Text: James 1:5-8

FCF: We often struggle to be what God wants us to be.

Prop: Because God generously gives to those who ask for wisdom in pure faith, we must ask God in faith without doubting.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 1.

Last week we were only just able to begin the book of James. But what we saw last week serves as the grand introduction to all that James will say. In many ways, everything he says from here to the end of the letter reaches back to connect to verses 2-4 of chapter 1.

That being said, it would be invaluable for you to go back and reference that message occasionally as we go through this book. And to help us for today, let me quickly review.

James addresses Jewish Christians scattered throughout the Roman empire who are experiencing tests of various kinds. To escape some of the pain and discomfort of these tests they have accepted a perversion of Paul’s teaching where they have determined they can live as they wish, not heeding the law of God, since they are justified by faith alone. It is much easier to fit into the culture around them when they don’t have that pesky law of God on their backs to make them look different from everyone else.

James blows up that entire paradigm when he tells them that they should treat their tests as pure joy. They shouldn’t be doing all they can to get out of them. Instead, they should be regarding them as pure joy. He tells them why. And by telling them why he begins to dismantle this perverted teaching of faith alone. He explains that tests should be seen as pure joy because God works through these tests to prove, progress, and perfect their faith. Tests are the gas that powers their vehicle of faith so that they can reach the purpose of God for them. Which is what? That they would be complete, perfect and lacking nothing.

What follows then, in my estimation, is 10 specific ways that James has seen that they may lack. 10 items that God needs to still complete in them. 10 ways that he has seen… that they are not perfect.

I’m not a betting man – but I’d be willing to wager any amount on two things. 1.) This isn’t all these Jewish Christians were lacking, but it is what James saw they were lacking. 2.) All 10 of these things are lacking in our little church in Columbus Michigan.

So, let’s read about item number 1 on the “Yep, I’m definitely not perfect yet” list.

I am in James 1. I’ll begin reading in verse 5. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1360 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Maybe a bit shorter of a message today. But I think that will probably be the norm for James. Shorter messages… but listen… shorter messages mean you have no excuse. If you are used to 50-minute messages, I’d expect you to be extra attentive and responsive to 40-minute messages. So let’s dive right in.

I.) Because God is generous and will give us what we need without reservation, we must ask God in faith without doubting. (5-6a)

a. [Slide 2] 5 – But if anyone is deficient in wisdom,

i. After revealing the purpose and plan of God to carry His dear children through trials in order to grow their faith to the extent that they will be perfect and complete, lacking nothing – James seems to pivot to bring up what might be lacking from his audience.

ii. But how connected is the lack here to the various tests they will face and the faith that will be proved?

iii. Is wisdom necessary to endure trial or for faith to be proven and endure?

iv. Well last week we noted and it was further expanded on at Wednesday Night Bible Study, that James commands his audience to treat as joy all these tests. To do that he points to what they know. What they know is that God uses trials to prove, progress, and eventually perfect their faith.

v. In a sense what James does in verses 2-4 is an expression of or an exercise in Spiritual Wisdom.

vi. [Slide 3] In order to see what I mean, it would benefit us greatly to define what wisdom is.

vii. What is wisdom?

1. [Slide 4] Wisdom is typically seen as the pinnacle of learning.

a. First, we gain knowledge which consists of gathering and memorizing raw information.

b. Then we have understanding which takes raw information and uses that information to gain familiarity with all its surrounding components.

c. Finally, wisdom moves beyond understanding in that now with all the information known and understood a person can then use what they know to create, improve, and otherwise act on the information.

d. [Slide 5] We could take plumbing for instance.

i. Knowledge of plumbing consists of knowing what each part and tool would be called.

ii. Understanding of plumbing would include not just knowing what everything is called but knowing how plumbing works. Understanding the general concepts of water flow and being able to troubleshoot what might cause blockages and things to not work properly. And of course, how to fix it.

iii. But wisdom in plumbing allows a person to creatively find solutions to problems that persist or even to improve upon current plumbing solutions to introduce new methods or technology to make plumbing easier or to increase efficiency or durability.

1. [Slide 6] Nevertheless, this is a fairly secular view of wisdom. What does wisdom mean in the Scriptures? How is this word used?

a. Wisdom is an attribute of God.

b. Jesus is said to have possessed great wisdom

c. Wisdom is called a gift of God.

d. Wisdom can be a spiritual gift.

e. Paul specifically links spiritual wisdom to one’s ability to walk in a manner worthy of Christ.

viii. To pull all this together, it becomes clear that wisdom is the knowledge and understanding of God’s ways, laws, purposes and plans to the extent that one lives by them.

ix. [Slide 7] To say it differently, Wisdom is a gift of God whereby we are given spiritual knowledge and understanding so that we may live as God would have us to live.

x. There is our connection to the previous thought. James insisted that the only way to consider tests of all kinds as pure joy was to rely on the knowledge of God’s plan and purpose of testings.

xi. In short, to consider tests as joy – you need the Wisdom of God.

xii. With all that said, I think it is fairly obvious, and perhaps I am being a bit presumptuous, but it seems to me that everyone in this room would be forced to conclude that they lack God’s Wisdom.

xiii. Part of James’ statement then requires us to humbly admit that we are in this state of lack. The one who thinks he is wise will never see his lack nor pursue the remedy that James gives.

xiv. But as for those who do recognize their lack of wisdom, what must they do to gain it?

xv. Well, if it is God’s Wisdom it stands to reason that they must get it from God?

xvi. Well, what must they do to get it from Him?

xvii. Surely, they must have to have been His faithful disciple for many years. Certainly, they must have a doctorate of theology or be a biblical scholar! Without a doubt they must be a professional Christian having been trained at the finest universities, or mentored by the most godly men and women?

b. [Slide 8] He should ask God,

i. With preposterous simplicity James gives a single command to receive Godly Wisdom.

ii. Ask.

iii. Ask God for Wisdom from Him.

iv. We’ve already seen how it is a gift given by God. We’ve seen that wisdom is spiritual. We’ve seen that Wisdom flows from and to God. Is it really that shocking?

v. If you lack wisdom – where else would you go?

vi. But that isn’t the shocking part is it?

vii. No the shocking part is that God doesn’t want something from us. God doesn’t expect a quid pro quo here. That is what is shocking.

viii. But if Godly Wisdom is knowing what God’s purposes and plans are and living by them, shouldn’t I be ashamed when I come to God lacking this ability?

ix. If I lack wisdom, shouldn’t I fear the Lord’s wrath against me?

c. [Slide 9] Who gives to all generously and without reprimand,

i. The word here for generous is hotly debated. I take the middle road and follow one translation that says “who gives to all without reservation…”

ii. This word can mean generous or it can mean simple or undivided or sincere.

iii. The translation of “without reservation” accomplishes both these thoughts.

iv. God gives wisdom generously to the extent that when we need it, He will always give it when we ask. And God gives wisdom sincerely in that there is no part of Him that gives grudgingly or half heartedly to His people. There is no part of God that expects a favor or some kind of string attached to this gift of wisdom. In other words God has no ulterior motive behind granting our request for Wisdom.

v. God is a generous and sincere giver to those who seek Him. He gives without reservation.

vi. To those who have humbled themselves before Him – He will lift them up.

vii. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness because they will be… what?

viii. Filled.

ix. And He does so also without reprimand.

x. This is part of His sincerity to us. This is part of His generosity. In fact, it is probably explaining from the negative what James means by God giving generously.

xi. He doesn’t give us Wisdom when we ask as if it is some kind of concession that He begrudgingly gives with chastisement.

xii. Instead, with generosity and without reservation. God sincerely gives.

d. [Slide 10] And it will be given to him.

i. My friends, there is no excuse for us.

ii. Do you lack wisdom? Do you lack the knowledge of God, Understanding in His ways, and the ability to apply yourself to grow in Him. To being pressed into the mold of Christ? Do you lack this?

iii. Then ask God for it.

iv. Hebrews says that we are to boldly approach the throne of grace where we will receive mercy and find grace for help in a time of need.

v. My friends – grace is there at the throne. Ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened.

vi. Do you truly believe that God will turn you away from wisdom?

vii. He will not cast out His people. He will not reject His Son’s bride.

viii. Did He not say suffer the little children to come to me?

ix. When you come asking for the very thing you need to see the world as He does and live the way He wants you to – is this not childlike faith?

x. Would a loving father turn away his son’s request for paint, whom he commanded to paint the fence? Would a loving father deny his daughter a warm coat while sending her to do chores in the snow?

xi. So also, our Heavenly Father, who loves us because He loves Christ, will in no way deny us who come to Him for what we need to obey Him.

xii. But is there a wrong way to ask?

xiii. Yes… there is.

e. [Slide 11] 6a – But he must ask in faith without doubting,

i. A person asking for wisdom from the Lord must do so in faith.

ii. Certainly, it means a faith that believes that God is real. But it is far beyond that.

iii. [Slide 12] Given what the rest of this passage says, we must come to some other conclusions about faith.

1. First, that God alone can and does answer requests of His people so far as they are in His will.

2. Second, that God hears the cries of His people when they humble themselves before Him.

3. Third, that God will not give a serpent or stone when His children ask for good things.

4. Finally, that God’s gifting of Wisdom may not occur on the same time table or in the same manner that the one requesting may think it should be.

iv. [Slide 13] What then might it mean to doubt?

1. Perhaps to doubt the ability of God to give wisdom out of His abundance.

2. Perhaps to doubt the willingness of God to give generously to His people.

3. Perhaps to doubt that God would hear a humble cry and not need other enticements to be heard.

4. Perhaps the doubt that God will give wisdom without strings or that God may trick them and offer wisdom but give something inferior.

5. Perhaps the doubt that God will be able to give you a wisdom that is better than you could find on your own.

v. [Slide 14] In short, to doubt here is not our own trepidations of unworthiness or unbelief. It is not referencing our faith’s weakness at times as if we must come with faith that is perfect in order to receive wisdom from God.

vi. Such would be self-defeating- for none come in perfect faith.

vii. Instead, the doubt that must not be present when we ask God in faith for Wisdom from Him… is doubting the nature and character of God.

viii. To ask, doubting that God is good, generous, sincere, able to answer, and abundantly gracious to His people – is to immediately negate faith. To doubt is faith’s opposite not its imperfection.

ix. In this way, just as God is sincere in His giving, without hidden or reserved intentions – so we must ask with sincere and believing hearts without hidden or reserved unbelief.

f. [Slide 15] Passage Truth: So, James relays a truth in these verses that is the crux of the whole discussion of acquiring wisdom. Should we lack all we need to be what God wants us to be, we must know that God is a generous, sincere, and abundantly gracious God who stands ready to give out of His abundance to those who seek Him.

g. Passage Application: So, these Jewish Christians must remember their own wisdom literature, realize their need – but the command they are issued is simply to ask in faith without doubting.

h. [Slide 16] Broader Biblical Truth: Does the bible truly teach this about God? Is James inventing something new here? Of course not. How many times have we seen in Foundations those who are humble and needy coming to the Lord? Have we seen God… EVER respond to such a person with anger and reprimand? Have we ever seen God deny anyone wisdom? Have we not seen the sincerity, generosity and abundant kindness of God throughout the ages of the Kings? When kings seek Him, do they receive wisdom? And Jesus in the Sermon on the mount challenges all who lack holiness, to ask, seek and knock and whoever asks, the Lord will not give to those who ask for bread a rock. Nor will he give to those who ask for a fish a serpent. No, God gives abundantly good gifts to those who ask, seek, and knock.

i. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, as children of God, possessing true faith given to us by our creator to receive and be united to Jesus Christ, all we must do is to ask in faith for what we need to be what God has called us to be. We can simply ask. Because we know who God is and we know what He will do.

i. If we lack Spiritual Wisdom, Wisdom from God that informs and conforms us to His will and ways – HE WILL GIVE IT TO US!

ii. And we won’t have to barter with Him for it. We won’t have to do penance to receive it. We won’t need to exchange duties or even be a certain caliber of man or woman before the showers of wisdom flow to us. NO!

iii. He gives to us Singlemindedly. Without reservation. Sincerely. As long as we ask with undivided, undiluted faith.

iv. Jesus once said to His disciples - ask in faith without doubt and you can move mountains. So we too must ask in faith – believing with all we are that He is this God to His people.

Transition:

[Slide 17(blank)] But God’s generous, sincere, and abundantly gracious character is not the only reason we must ask in faith without doubting. There is a negative reason that we cannot doubt. It is the remainder of this section.

II.) Because God will not give to those with false faith, we must ask God in faith without doubting. (6b-8)

a. [Slide 18] 6b – For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind.

i. James elevates doubt to a measure that may seem somewhat harsh to us.

ii. After all we experience doubt at times. We doubt our salvation, we doubt the Lord’s promises, we doubt His warnings too.

iii. But for James, in this particular context, He outlaws doubt entirely.

iv. Why are his words so extreme?

v. Well, we have mentioned this once already, but as we delve deeper into the doubter it is important for us to recognize what kind of doubt James is talking about.

vi. He is not talking about general doubt or imperfect faith.

vii. Instead, he is talking about doubting God’s generosity to His people, doubting God’s benevolence to His people, or doubting God’s power to help His people. If you were to doubt any or all of these, you so fundamentally misunderstand God that the only explanation James can offer is that you must be like a wave of the sea. He must be tossed by the wind. He cannot be grounded or stable.

viii. You are vacillating. You are consistently… inconsistent.

ix. His conclusion is…

b. [Slide 19] 7 – For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,

i. A person who doubts God’s goodness, generosity, or ability can’t receive anything from the Lord.

ii. Forget wisdom – such a man cannot get mercy. He cannot get grace. He cannot get help. Such a man receives nothing from God.

iii. Why?

iv. James’ conclusion is inescapable.

c. [Slide 20] 8 – since he is a double-minded individual unstable in all his ways.

i. He is double minded.

ii. This word is, perhaps, a word that James has coined himself. We don’t find it in any secular writings prior to James.

iii. The word is di (two) psuche (souls). This person is a two souled person.

iv. What does that mean?

v. He is a hypocrite.

vi. What do the scriptures say about a man who has two masters? Can he serve them both? Can he love them both? What about the fellowship between light and darkness?

vii. Can someone have a soul in heaven and a soul in hell?

viii. The only conclusion we can come to – is that this person says they have faith, but their doubt invalidates their profession. Which is why we defined doubt earlier not as imperfect faith, but rather as faith’s opposite.

ix. There is really no other way to interpret this other than that this man is not a believer.

x. He receives not from God because He asks amiss. He asks without faith. He asks as one who is not a child of God.

xi. And here we have the first of many times where James will call into question those who have faith but no works. You see one work that follows faith is a lack of doubt. An acceptance and genuine undivided and sincere belief that God is good, generous, sincere and gracious.

xii. Just as God is sincere and gracious in His giving of wisdom, He only gives His wisdom to those who are sincere and unmixed in their faith.

d. [Slide 21] Passage Truth: So, James’ second truth for the command to ask is that those who doubt will not be given anything by God. God does not grant the wishes of those who vacillate on whether or not they believe He is good, sincere, and gracious.

e. Passage Application: So, James’ audience must ask in faith without doubting.

f. [Slide 22] Broader Biblical Truth: Is this true though? Does God not hear the prayer of those who are wicked, unbelieving, or doubting He is who He has revealed Himself to be? John 9 says that God doesn’t listen to sinners. Proverbs 28 says that the one who turns away his ear from hearing the law – even his prayer is an abomination to God. Is doubting God’s nature as revealed in scripture a sin? Well, is unbelief a sin? It most certainly is. Therefore, to come in prayer to God while actively not believing He is who He has revealed Himself to be – certainly God will not hear such a prayer. And the reason is, that such a person is unstable, they are not firmly rooted in the truth, they are not planted on the solid Rock. God will not answer their prayer for wisdom to understand His will and ways and live thereby – why? Because what He has revealed to them they are, even now, uncertain is true? No, my friends, God does not hear the prayer of such a person.

g. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must truly and completely believe that God is who He says He is and then in that faith we must ask Him for Wisdom to understand and obey Him. We must ask Him in faith and He will grant to us what we need to see the world as He does and live in it as He would have us live in it.

Conclusion:

[Slide 23 (end)]Because our God is a good Father who dearly loves His children; because He gives generously and without reservation to those who come in faith asking for wisdom from Him; because God will not answer the requests of those who have divided loyalties or faith mixed with lack of faith; Because of all this, CBC we must ask the Lord for wisdom in true faith.

Wisdom is the spiritual knowledge and understanding of God’s ways and the ability to live by them. And faith free of doubt is a faith that trusts all that God has said about Himself without exception.

My friends we must seek the Lord to provide all we need to be what He wants us to be, because we all lack wisdom.

If you desire to make it through your trials more complete and lacking nothing – you cannot rest on your own wisdom and understanding. You cannot rely on the wisdom of this world. You must seek wisdom from God.

But in seeking that wisdom from God, you cannot come to God with a diluted faith. You cannot ask of God for wisdom when you are uncertain He is even able to give it to you. You cannot ask God for wisdom if you are unsure about His motives in giving it to you. You cannot ask God for wisdom prepared to sacrifice something to Him in order to get it. You cannot come to God for wisdom even though you think you can still do it on your own, or that you can find a way without Him.

Such unbelief will not be answered. Someone who does not believe that God is who He says He is, will never receive anything from the Lord.

But believer… you who know God as a generous giver, who gives to His people without reservation, who abundantly supplies all we need to be and do all that He has called us to. What a glorious promise we have.

That if we ask in this true faith… in this abiding faith… in this genuine faith… What will He do?

He will give it.

But Oh, Christian the sting of this promise! Do you see the sting of it?

You are without excuse. Are you not growing to be what God wants you to be? Are you floundering through your trial? Are you unable to count it joy? Are you not enduring? Are you becoming undone? Are you less complete? Are you taking two steps back and 1 forward?

You are without excuse! You cannot claim woe is me. You cannot blame your trial. You cannot blame your temptation. You cannot blame your circumstances. Why?

Because all that stands between you and wisdom is your humble asking!

Believer! ASK IN FAITH! He stands ready to give you what you need!

Don’t whimper silently in the corner. Don’t shake with pain hidden in your closet. Don’t battle your flesh with teeth and nails. NO!

Ask the Lord for Wisdom! Ask, knowing that He stands ready to pour it out on you freely! Ask believing that He is a good God who loves His people! Ask, knowing He would never turn away the bride of His Son! All that He has is ours. Ask. And it will be given to you.

How many believers flounder in tests, delaying their growth and suspending their grief without the wisdom of God to guide them through it. All because they do not ask. All because they are too proud, too doubtful, too distracted to ask.

Do not delay any longer my friends. Do you lack wisdom? Ask in faith.

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Title: Consider It Pure Joy

Text: James 1:2-4

FCF: We often struggle rejoicing in trials.

Prop: Because God providentially uses trials to sanctify us to glory, we must consider testing pure joy.

Scripture Intro: NIV (1984)

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to the book of James chapter 1.

Well, if you missed last week, we introduced the book of James as the next portion of scripture that we will dissect on Sunday mornings. Although I suspected it would be this way, it wasn’t until after digging into the first few verses here that my thoughts were confirmed. James is going to be a very difficult book for us.

Why do I say that? Well, I can think of three big reasons.

1.) James does not spend a whole lot of time talking doctrine. You might think that that would make it easier for us to study the book. It really doesn’t. Because as complex as doctrine can be, the test of doctrine is always when it is put into practice. And the time that James doesn’t spend talking about doctrine, he takes to tell his audience, and by extension us, how to live. Just like the book of Proverbs, James is all application. Which means we will move probably a good deal slower through the book than we normally would with an epistle.

2.) Secondly, also like the book of proverbs, we get a lot of bang for our buck. Although we are only covering 3 verses today… there is so much in these three verses. We are basically going to have to analyze every single word.

3.) The final reason James is going to be difficult is also related to its proverbial style, but not because of brevity or richness. Instead, because of its sharpness. James’ letter hits hard and it hits fast. His statements are like razors slicing at this hidden idol and that forgotten sin. I’ll not sugar coat it. I wept in my office this week over the love and mercy of God and my own failure to do the one simple command James gives.

James is going to hurt us my friends.

I hope you are ready – because he wastes no time.

Many letters in the New Testament begin with an expression of thanksgiving for the audience. James instead, begins by issuing orders.

I am in James 1. I’ll begin reading in verse 1. I am reading from the NIV(1984) but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1360 or in whatever version you have in front of you.

Transition:

Today James is going to issue one command. It is simple enough. But my oh my… Well… let’s just dive in.

I.) Because testing of faith develops perseverance, we must consider testing pure joy. (2-3)

a. [Slide 2] 2 – Consider it pure joy, my brothers,

i. After saying his greetings the very first word, given highest priority in the Greek sentence is pure.

1. The NIV translates this word pure, and other translations use words like “great” or “all.”

2. “All” is perhaps the most literal translation of the Greek word, but it doesn’t drive to the dynamic meaning of what James is saying.

3. In fact, some preachers have confused James’ meaning to require that this “all” be applied to every circumstance or in every effect. As we expand on the meaning here, this would require fairly unattainable results with an already difficult command to keep.

4. Instead, as the NIV has translated it – is the proper understanding of the word “all” in this case.

5. The kind of joy that James wants from his audience is a joy that is undiluted, in its fullest and most complete expression.

ii. [Slide 3] But what is joy?

1. Is joy an emotion? Is it a synonym for happiness or gladness?

2. It may surprise some for me to answer... yes. Joy certainly includes emotion. Joy certainly is a condition of happiness and gladness.

3. But I would also say that joy is not a synonym for happiness. Joy includes happiness, but they are not the same things.

4. Oftentimes, natural or worldly happiness comes from circumstances meeting our expectations. It comes from pleasure and the meeting of desires.

5. In short, natural human happiness is extremely volatile. It ebbs and flows, it waxes and wanes, it comes and goes. It depends on a wide variety of variables.

6. Perhaps you’ve felt the flakiness of happiness before?

a. Your day begins in the arms of your loving spouse but at noon on your mid-day call, a disagreement sullies the mood and just like that, in one conversation, your happiness has left you.

b. Or maybe you arrive to work and the threat of layoffs has been hanging over your head for the last 2 weeks. You can barely sleep, your stomach is in knots, but the boss calls you in and tells you that you are essential and would be kept. The relief. The happiness! Right!

1. But are these joy? No friend. These are not joy.

2. How can I know that?

3. [Slide 4] Because joy is a gift of God. It is a fruit of the Spirit. And every time a New Testament writer speaks of joy, it is ALWAYS in relation to Christ and His saving of sinners like you and me.

4. Happiness and joy may look the same on the outside… but their primary difference is that joy is rooted in an ongoing, thriving, and personal relationship with Jesus Christ made possible and secured by His finished work on the cross.

5. [Slide 5] Happiness has everything to do with us and our circumstances. Joy has nothing to do with us and our circumstances.

6. Thus joy can co-exist with sorrow. Joy can walk hand in hand with grief. Joy can give its shoulder during bitter weeping and heartache. Joy can even be our crutch during the most pernicious temptations.

7. Joy is the happiness of our soul though our flesh faints. Joy is the gladness of our spirit gushing forth sweet waters from the fountain of Christ, while we weep bitter tears from our natural eyes.

8. And PURE joy. Oh, pure joy is a soul at its peak- drinking full the sweet waters of our Lord’s sustaining draught. Pure joy is complete and perfect comfort, contentment, and gladness in the Lord and His Word and Work.

iii. [Slide 6] The last piece of the puzzle, to understand what James is commanding his audience here, is to investigate this word “consider.”

1. First, this is a command from James.

2. Second, this word means to consider or regard. But, perplexingly, the word to regard or consider can also mean to lead or to rule. Meaning that in this regarding there is a rulership or authority present.

3. How it is used in the New Testament, can only be described as declarative reality.

4. And so, what James is commanding his audience to do, is to declare with certainty and utmost belief, to the extent that for all intents and purposes, the thing you are regarding as something… is that thing.

5. So, if Paul were to say to consider others as better than yourself – he means to declare and believe that others are truly better than you are and act as if that were true without exception.

6. In the negative, if Paul were to say that Christ did NOT regard equality with God as something to be grasped – he means that not for one second did Christ ever think, believe, or act as though He were not equal to God.

7. And when Paul says that he considers all his past accomplishments as loss, or dung or garbage… he believes this to the fullest extent and treats those accomplishments as such.

8. And so, putting all this together, James commands his audience to treat with utmost belief without exception as undiluted, full, and complete soul happiness rooted in Christ… what?

iv. What are we to treat as joy?

b. [Slide 7] Whenever you face trials of many kinds,

i. Ouch.

ii. If you didn’t say ouch just now its because you didn’t understand the first part of the verse.

iii. Hey maybe you got lost – I get it.

iv. Let me try it again.

v. Regard to the extent that you are fully convinced that the purest expression of God given happiness in Christ is found… whenever you face trials of many kinds.

vi. Ouch.

vii. Friends that is NOT how I see trials of ANY kind, let alone MANY kinds.

viii. I want to get out of that trial as quickly as I got into it or… quicker.

ix. I want it to be over and be back to normal. Don’t you?

x. Tell me – if something is a pure joy to you, to the extent that you find the fullest expression of God given happiness in Christ… do you want it to be over? NO!

xi. That is how we should see tests of many kinds.

xii. Ouch.

xiii. The word trials here along with the word many indicates that this is not limited to merely sickness, poverty, or persecution. My friends this encompasses every single assault we ever face on this earth. Temptation, trial, spiritual oppression, hatred, strained relationships… the whole of human existence and all that could be classified as a “trial” is bound up in this word.

xiv. Ouch.

xv. Why do I say it again? Friends do you realize what that means?

xvi. Some of us may be able to count it joy when persecuted. Some of us may be able to count it joy when we have a headache or toothache.

xvii. But can you count it joy when you are in a long battle against your flesh? Can you count it joy when you don’t get to go to the movies with your friends because you are obeying your parents? Can you count it joy when you’ve lost loved ones? Can you count it joy when the sickness you are facing has no end in sight?

xviii. From the tiniest temptation to being burned alive, and every test in between.

xix. Treat every test as the purest and fullest happiness in Christ.

xx. Ouch.

xxi. The NIV gives us the word “face” but the word would probably be better translated as “fall into.” You see those preachers who say to consider it all joy might venture into the impossible by requiring that every aspect of every trial we face ought to be considered joy.

xxii. But friends this is not the case. We do not seek these tests. We do not hunt down these trials. Instead, they are arranged for us. By whom? Well, we will get to that in a moment.

xxiii. But we are not masochists enjoying pain and suffering. No. Instead, we are to regard as purest happiness in Christ, every single test we ever face, though we weep with heartache… though we shake with pain. Though we never sought it out but it found us. It is joy. Pure… joy.

xxiv. Why… Why would we EVER do this? How can James command such a ridiculous thing!

c. [Slide 8] 3 – because you know

i. There is a popular personality in conservative circles who has this saying. “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”

ii. James said it first.

iii. Although James would probably put it a little different.

iv. Something like… “faith corrects your feelings”

v. As is often the case when our flesh bucks against something the Lord commands in scripture – something we’ve been given to believe is the antidote to our fleshly reaction to the command.

vi. The secret to treating every test as the purest and fullest happiness in Christ is because we have been given truth.

vii. We have received from the Lord, that which we cannot forget.

viii. We have been shown a great light to the extent that we will never know true darkness again.

ix. What could we know that would be so powerful to enable us to treat the most bitter tests against our spiritual and physical beings as if they are the fullest happiness found in Christ?

x. What knowledge is capable of doing this?

d. [Slide 9] That the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

i. Testing here is not the same word as trial earlier. This word means criterion, test, or proof.

ii. Just as time proves whether the yeast is alive in a lump of dough, so the proof of our faith – that is our received faith in Christ alone for our salvation and continued obedience.

iii. The proof of this faith develops or produces, or brings out the result of perseverance.

iv. In other words, we know that our faith is proven to be true through trails when it brings the outcome of perseverance. Enduring. Holding Fast.

v. In II Peter, he continued with the tension of God providing what we need to endure but then our responsibility to endure.

vi. Here James stays on the other side of that tension.

vii. The gift of Faith that is being proven to be true brings out the result of continued belief and obedience.

viii. Knowing that true faith in the process of its proving brings out the result of continued belief and obedience, helps us to treat every kind of test we face as pure happiness in Christ. Why?

ix. Because the faith He gave us, the faith in Him, will be stronger through that trial.

x. The only way to build a muscle’s capacity to handle more strenuous tasks is to continually damage the muscle through repeated tests of exertion.

xi. Our faith’s repeated tests of exertion enables it to endure all the more.

e. [Slide 10] Passage Truth: James tells his audience what they already know. That genuine faith when tested will result in endurance. So, if they are truly God’s children, they will not crumble under the weight of the test. Instead, their faith will only grow stronger.

f. Passage Application: How should they respond to what they know? They should regard it as the fullest expression of God given happiness in Christ when they fall into any test they ever face.

g. [Slide 11] Broader Biblical Truth: But can we find such teaching throughout the scriptures? Could such a ridiculous notion be present since creation? Certainly, it cannot be true that God uses testings and trials to grow the faith of His people! My friends, there are too many scriptures to list. To mark off every example or outright teaching where this is found to be true would take us ages. It would leave us here until next year. We’d be studying still the heartache of Adam and Eve, the loneliness of Seth, the righteousness of Noah, the trials of Job, the faith of Abraham – And we’d be no closer to James’ context by then. My friends this concept is prolific throughout the scripture. It is saturated in every teaching. The way God dealt with rebellious Israel, the way he taught us our need for Him by giving a law no one can keep. By requiring of us commands we cannot fulfil. By demanding worship we could never offer. My friends! God always works through test to grow the faith of His people. And that is NOT because of His limitations… but ours! That we are so stubborn, arrogant, and comfort obsessed that we cannot abide the growth of our faith unless it is poked with a hot coal.

h. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, when trials come. When we face heartache, persecution, dogged temptation, spiritual oppression, suffering of every kind – even now as we think about the possibility of it coming or for some of us the reality of it already being here… WHAT SHALL WE DO?! We must rejoice with every fiber of our soul as the fullest expression of God given happiness in Christ! To the extent that we rejoice though we weep in agony. To the extent that we praise the Lord though we shake with pain. To the extent that we sing songs of deliverance though we are mocked by our tempter. To the extent that we cry out with hope though we are abused by the wicked. My friends… OUCH.

Transition:

[Slide 12 (blank)] Is the growth of our faith the only reason that we should consider these tests as pure joy? Is there more that we know to be true that could help us fulfill this command?

II.) Because perseverance’s perfect work makes us complete, we must consider testing pure joy. (4)

a. [Slide 13] 4 – Perseverance must finish its work

i. This is the second command in this passage. And it threw me for a loop.

ii. Without going too deeply into homiletics; as I analyze a text to craft a sermon, one of the first things I look for is the commands of the passage.

iii. If there are two commands, then you have a two-point sermon. If there are 3 commands, you have a 3-point sermon. If there is one command… well that means that instead of looking for commands I need to start looking for foundational truth. So far, every text of scripture either has a plurality of truth concepts attached to one command, or a plurality of commands attached to one truth.

iv. So, in this text, I noticed this command and assumed I had two commands. But I also had a couple truths as well. Hence my confusion.

v. Until I noticed what the NIV so accurately communicates. This command is not for his audience. It is for perseverance.

vi. How do you command perseverance? You can command people to persevere but you can’t command perseverance to do anything can you?

vii. This is a third person command. We don’t really do this much in English. It would be like “He throw his ball!” We end up sounding like a child.

viii. This is why several translations add the word “let” into the text. This is intended to make the audience part of the conversation without it doing the work. The intention is for it to read as if the audience are assenting parties in perseverance’s work though they are not doing it. But these translations muddy the waters by making it seem like we are allowing perseverance to do its work which isn’t what the text says.

ix. The NIV 1984 nails this. And the reason I say 1984 is because I bought a thinner preaching NIV for this week, only to find that the newest update of this version changes this! Ugh.

x. Anyway, nearest I can decide the best translation is…

xi. Perseverance must finish its work. IT must. Not us. Perseverance.

xii. Think about it, we are given the faith, which is proven by tests we are given by God, and in that proving it results in perseverance. In other words, in this whole process nothing has been required of us except what?

xiii. Regard it as joy.

xiv. James’ message is not to stick it out, hold on a little longer, keep fighting.

xv. His message is to rejoice! Because trial that proves faith results in perseverance.

xvi. And perseverance MUST finish its work.

xvii. In other words, your faith is going to continue to be proven through trials so that perseverance can finish its work.

xviii. Well, what is perseverance’s work? Us. Look at the next part of the verse.

b. [Slide 14] So that YOU may be mature and complete

i. Do you not know? Have you not heard?

ii. The Lord Jesus did not die for you to grant you liberty from hell only.

iii. He did not die to free you from sin’s penalty only.

iv. My friends when we say that Jesus died for sinners, that he became sin who knew no sin, that He set us free- this is what we mean.

v. He died so that we might walk in new life and be completed.

vi. He who began a good work in us will continue it until we are perfected.

vii. My friends, in this life you MUST treat it as the greatest happiness in Christ when you find yourself in any testing – WHY? Because you are being saved! Not only is it assurance that you have true faith but it is the very process of your salvation itself. You are being perfected!

viii. The way that our Father has chosen to bring His dear children to Him, the way He has elected to grow them into the full stature of Christ… is by pain.

ix. He must cut and kill every clinging sin from us. And at our conversion He installed in us the faith that would, from the inside out, prove itself through every test. And as many hits as it takes it would only get stronger.

x. Until one day we shall be mature and complete.

xi. To the extent that we are…

c. [Slide 15] Lacking nothing.

i. The rich young ruler approached our Savior and asked him, good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life.

ii. The Lord knew his question was faulty and broken from the start. First, he had no idea what goodness was, and because he had no idea what goodness was, he assumed that there was something HE could do to inherit eternal life.

iii. So, the Lord moved to instruct him on the matter and bring light to his darkness. Christ told him to keep the 10 commandments. A feat that no man could ever hope to truly achieve if they understood what was meant.

iv. Nevertheless, the young man stated hastily that he had kept them all since his youth. And what did the young man ask? What more do I… lack?

v. True faith, when tested, produces endurance which forms the complete and mature picture of Christ in us. If such were true of each of us…

vi. We would lack nothing.

vii. This entire opening suddenly takes on an eschatological tone. For we will only be mature, complete, and lacking nothing when we stand in His presence.

viii. But how so very few of us get there in a day, a week, a month or a year after our conversion. For most of us, the Lord has a long path to slowly but surely kill off and chip away all that is dead in us.

ix. He does this through various trials. So, when you are in a trial…

x. Rejoice. Why?

xi. Because the very process of your perfection… is happening right before your eyes.

xii. And again, I say… ouch.

d. [Slide 16] Passage Truth: James adds a second truth to motivate his audience to rejoice. Not only does tested faith result in growing faith, but also it is that growing and enduring faith that MUST finish its work which is us. The faith we have received, a faith that endures, must finish us by completing us and perfecting us. To the extent that we lack nothing.

e. Passage Application: His audience then, their only command in this passage, is to perceive their many testings as pure, God-given happiness in Christ. They must look at tests as opportunities for great rejoicing.

f. [Slide 17] Broader Biblical Truth: So, we saw that everywhere the scripture teaches that God grows our faith through trial. But do the scriptures also teach us that growing faith must perfect us? Do the scriptures give us an indication that enduring faith is what will ultimately transport us to glorification? My friends, the scriptures make plain that this is the ONLY kind of faith that transports us to glory. God’s righteous decree was continued faithfulness and worship from the children of Israel. God’s expectation for Abraham was continued trust despite the circumstances. And the Apostles teach us that the hopeful promise that we will not perish but have everlasting life is offered to those who are believing ones. Enduring faith IS saving faith.

g. Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, since genuine faith when tested brings endurance and endurance brings us to what God desires us to be, mature, complete and perfect… what should our response be when we fall into various tests? As James says… it should be joy. Pure, joy. Why? Because God is saving us through trials. He is perfecting us through trial. He is completing us through trial.

Conclusion:

So, James points to the process of God’s progressive salvation of our souls. He points to the providence of God to carry His dear children from their conversion and to slowly press them into the mold of Christ who will present them faultless before the throne of God. James highlights God’s work through all of life to work all things for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. To the extent that God uses all manner of tests, be they temptation or trial, to prove the genuine faith in His people resulting in their faith’s endurance. But endurance is not the end, for as endurance continues and steadfastness works – it produces a person who is complete and lacking nothing at all.

Therefore, God gets all the praise for in every test He graciously continues to save His dear children, not from their trials or tests, but from sin, Satan, this world and to His Son.

And what is the Christian’s only command in all of this? Certainly, we can go to other passages of scripture, II Peter included to find the human responsibility of all this. Even later in James we will see him put human responsibility at the forefront. But for now – James presents a faith that was given being tested by trials that were given, with a result that is unearned producing a product that is God engineered. God’s work through trials takes center stage in verses 2-4. And for this – what is the ONLY command in this passage for us?

Rejoice!

We are to perceive every threat of suffering, every promise of pain, every whiff of temptation, every hint of persecution as the highest and purest happiness given by God through Christ.

Do we still grieve? Of course. Do we still sorrow? Yes. Do we still weep? Most assuredly. Do we still fight tooth and nail every temptation that comes our way? You bet! B1ut we also hope in the promise of God. We also rejoice in the salvation of God. We are gladdened when we see our faith in Christ and His promises solidify and endure. That though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we fear no evil because He is with us. His rod and staff comfort us.

Every test. Every trial is a cause for rejoicing.

My friends – this is not how we perceive things is it? When someone has a successful surgery or gets a new job – how quickly we are to praise the Lord. But when we first learn we need the surgery, when we were first let go from our previous job. When we struggle under ongoing assault from the evil one. When we are fresh off the loss of family of friends… do we praise the Lord then? Do we rejoice in what He is going to do with our faith through this new test?

James calls us to absolute trust and faith in the sovereign providence of God. That though He is able to deliver us from every trial – He uses these trials to make us more like Christ.

Only when we understand this can we truly regard our testings as pure joy.

Lift up your eyes oh Christian. Look to the hills you downcast. From where does your help come? He has sent this test to you. Why? To prove and perfect your faith. So… rejoice.

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Title: Introduction to the book of James

Text: James 1:1

FCF: We often struggle balancing works with faith

Prop: Because living and saving faith produces good works, we must hear and live the Word.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 1. Let’s go ahead and read the first verse of this letter. I am reading from the NET which you can follow on page 1360 of the pew bible or in whatever version you have in front of you. And before we read verse 1, I do plan to read the entire book at the end of the introduction, so be thinking about whether you’d like to read aloud a chapter of James in a few minutes.

As I looked back over each introduction to an epistle that I have done since being your pastor, it became clear to me that although there are some generally consistent items that are included in an introductory sermon, each letter is unique and requires its own approach. Some begin with doctrinal teaching in the first verse, preventing me from including any of the text in the introductory sermon. Some letters are part of a series or a collection. Others are thematically connected.

James then, takes on its own shape as we will actually look at the first verse today. There are two reasons we are able to do that. First, it stands alone in the text. Nothing he says after is inherently connected to anything he says in the first verse. Secondly, the first verse includes some of the introductory material that I would be talking about anyway – so I might as well include it in our look at the letter as a whole.

James is considered to be a general or catholic epistle, meaning it was written to no one person or church specifically and was intended to be given to all the church. Although calling it “general” makes it seem like James doesn’t have anyone in particular in mind - we see from the first verse that that is actually not quite accurate. James does have someone in mind that he is sending this letter to. We’ll get to that in due time.

Canonicity

[Slide 2] The epistle of James has always been a little bit suspect as to whether it should have been included in the canon of scripture. Many early church fathers accepted it but in their disputed books section. It is worth noting that all the disputed books were eventually adopted into the canon of scripture. They included Hebrews, James II and III John, Jude and Revelation. Essentially everything after Philemon in your bible except for I John.

But sometime later, in the 1500s to be exact, another prominent church figure had some seemingly significant problems with the book of James. Martin Luther, the great reformer, who in his study of Romans had come to the conclusion that Justification is by faith alone and not of works. So why did Martin Luther have a problem with the book of James? Well, James says in chapter 2 of his epistle that Justification is by works and not of faith alone. So… like exactly the opposite of what Luther concluded that Paul was teaching in Romans. For those wondering, that is definitely going to be on the “theological challenges” list when we get to that in a few minutes.

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Title: Trust and Obey

Text: II Peter 3:14-18

FCF: We often struggle living in light of God’s promises and warnings.

Prop: Because true Christians continue believing God’s Word, we must trust and obey God.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter 3.

Today we will conclude our year long study on I and II Peter. Although all Scripture is living and active and applies to our lives today – it has seemed especially true of these two books. The apostle Peter speaks to the average Christian encouraging them and warning them of coming dangers. And his conclusion is simple and often repeated. Just because it is simple of course, doesn’t mean it is easy.

It will be difficult to move on from the Petrine Epistles, but to soften the blow, it seems the Lord is leading us right back into the same sort of message but from the beginning of church history. Starting next week we will begin our study of the book of James. I expect it to take us at least through the winter and perhaps even into summer of next year. After that I believe the Lord is leading me away from the epistles and to the Acts of the Apostles. And I have no idea how many decades that will take us to get through.

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Title: Holy Blitzkrieg

Text: II Peter 3:8-13

FCF: We often struggle enduring in faith and obedience due to the long delay of God’s coming.

Prop: Because God’s delay is in patience but His judgment will be devastating, we must live purely and steadfastly until He returns.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter 3.

Last week, we saw how God’s people must remind themselves of the predictions of God and the command of Christ. They must do this while understanding above all, that they will face strong opposition from those questioning what the Lord has made plain. Our takeaway was that we needed to be people of the book, constantly reminding ourselves of what God has promised and what He has commanded us.

Well, that same message carries on throughout the end of the book. Trusting what God has said and obeying what He has commanded becomes the drum that Peter beats 3 times as he ends his letter. But the reasons we must trust what God has said and obey what He has commanded are abounding.

Today He will give us two more reasons which when put together can best be described as Holy Blitzkrieg.

It is fitting that this is Dean’s first Sunday away from us and I am talking about World War 2. Anyway… Blitzkrieg is the Nazi form of assault on an opponent that is a surprise attack dealt with unrelenting force over a short period of time. The basic strategy is to shock and overwhelm the enemy to the extent that they are beaten before the fighting truly begins. This method of warfare was highly effective against troops expecting trench warfare from World War 1. A long and drawn-out battle gaining little to no ground. Ultimately blitzkrieg helped Germany to secure most of the world before the tide turned.

God’s nature and judgment are the focus of Peter’s argument today. God is not like us, and that impacts both when and how He will come in judgment. Explaining all this will naturally lead Peter to share with his audience what sort of people they should be. And we will benefit from his answer.

I am in II Peter 3 and I’ll start reading in verse 8. I am reading from the CSB today but you can follow in the pew bible on page 1371 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

So much to cover today, so let’s get right into it.

I.) Because God is not like us, we must live purely and steadfastly until He returns. (8-9)

a. [Slide 2] 8 – Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact:

i. After assuring his readers that there will be a judgment coming upon the ungodly just like the flood before, only this time in fire, Peter now desires for them to pay attention to a particular truth.

ii. He doesn’t want them to miss an old Jewish axiom that he will give them and then expand on.

b. [Slide 3] With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

i. This comes from Psalm 90:4, where it says “in your eyes 1000 years are like yesterday that quickly passes.”

ii. Peter actually adds a second phrase on the end of this which inverts the idiom.

iii. What does this mean?

iv. Some have suggested that this is actually spelling out a time-table for the events of the judgment.

1. Rabbinical tradition refers to a millennia as a day and a day to a millennia.

2. Indeed, some Rabbis taught that the earth would endure for 6000 years and then the Sabbath rest and judgment from God.

3. [Slide 4] This is echoed in the epistle of Barnabas 15:4 where Barnabas says “in six thousand years the Lord shall bring all things to an end; for the day with Him signifies a thousand years; and this He himself bears witness, saying ; behold, the day of the Lord shall be as a thousand years. Therefore, children, in six days, that is six thousand years, everything shall come to an end.

4. Although early church fathers were fairly agreed that the Epistle of Barnabas was not divinely inspired, they are also agreed that it was actually written by the apostle and contains great truths often quoted by Clement and Origen.

v. So, is this what is happening here? Is Peter setting down a time that the Lord would return?

vi. [Slide 5] Although as mostly premillennial people, we may find this option VERY attractive. It violates the first, second, and third rule of biblical interpretation. Do you know what those rules are?

1. [Slide 6] Context is King

2. [Slide 7] Context is King. Any guesses on the third one?

3. [Slide 8] Context is King. Hey I thought you said you’ve never heard of them.

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Title: Not Peace, A Sword

Text: II Peter 3:1-7

FCF: We often struggle to keep our minds set on and believe what God has said.

Prop: Because the Scriptures are polarizing to the two families, we must remember what we’ve been taught from scripture.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter chapter 3. Realistically speaking we are only 3 sermons away from finishing up II Peter. As we approach the end of the book it will be helpful for us to review only briefly what we have covered thus far.

In Chapter 1, Peter introduces our dependance on our God. That all that we need to live godly lives has been given to us by Him. Including the faith to believe in Christ. This does not promote idleness – but rather spurs us forward to add to our faith other spiritual virtues. Since we have the confidence that God has supplied all we need, we can pursue godly living in faith, knowing that God has and will continue to help us. Peter confesses that they already know all this but he wants to reassure them before he dies that all they have received from the apostles and the holy prophets is true.

In chapter 2, Peter exposes the false teachers for what they are. They have snuck in with destructive heresies, while appearing by all human perception to be genuine confessors of Christ. They had even abandoned the desires of the world for a time. Nevertheless, they went back to those desires to be enslaved again, proving that they were never genuinely changed. And God has always and will always reserve the ungodly for judgment while rescuing His people.

As Peter wraps up his letter, he turns to his audience to encourage them in what to do in light of the presence of these false teachers, and how to keep themselves spiritually safe from them.

I am in II Peter 3. I’ll begin reading in verse 1. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1371 or in whatever version you have in front of you.

Transition:

What is the remedy to avoid false teaching? How can you ensure that you do not fall prey to it? Could it really be as simple as how you perceive the Word of God?

I.) Because Scripture is relevant, we must remember what we have been taught from scripture. (1-2)

a. [Slide 2] 1 – Dear friends, this is already the second letter I have written to you,

i. Although an apostle, an Elder, and a Pastor – Peter addresses his flock as his friends. His beloved. Family. For that is what the body of Christ truly is.

ii. And as a loving father Peter writes to his children for a second time.

iii. Although this is not definitive proof that this letter was written by Peter, nor is it proof that I Peter is the other letter he wrote, it seems safe to conclude based on all the leg work we did in introducing this book, that Peter wrote two letters, I and II Peter, for the same purpose.

iv. What is that purpose?

b. [Slide 3] In which I am trying to stir up your pure mind by way of reminder.

i. Peter wants to stir up or awaken. This word can be used of water that is agitated and choppy. So their minds must be called to action. They must be alive and active.

ii. But not just any minds. It is their pure minds.

iii. With all this talk about apostates and looking like believers but turning out to have a nature that has never changed – Peter is convinced that such is not true of the audience to which he is writing.

iv. He says they have pure minds. Blameless or unspotted minds. They are untainted, unmixed.

v. And how will he activate their holy minds?

vi. By way of reminder.

c. [Slide 4] 2 – I want you to recall

i. Peter’s purpose as he stated in chapter 1 of this book also, is to remind them.

ii. He wants them to bring back to the front of their minds some piece of information.

iii. Not just once – but to keep the reminded truth at the forefront of all their living.

iv. What specifically must they recall?

d. [Slide 5] Both the predictions foretold by the holy prophets

i. Peter wants them to go back to the prophets of the Old Testament.

ii. Is he referring only to the Major and Minor prophets?

iii. Well Moses is called a prophet of God, and he wrote the first 5 books of the bible.

iv. Samuel was a prophet of God.

v. Prophets of God existed through the times of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

vi. Psalms, Proverbs, Job. Song of Solomon all contain prophesy about the coming of the Messiah both the first and second advent.

vii. In other words – even though Peter states the predictions foretold by the holy prophets – there really isn’t a book of the Old Testament we can exclude.

viii. Since we know where Peter is going, and since he states their “predictions” as what we should recall, it is appropriate for us to conclude that he wants us to pay particular attention to those prophesies about the coming judgment.

e. [Slide 6] And the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.

i. But here is a perplexing question… to which command is Peter referring?

ii. Certainly, since he speaks of the coming judgment – that could hone our guesses… but which one?

iii. Is it Christ’s command to repent and believe the gospel?

iv. Is it Christ’s command to make disciples?

v. It is hard to say for certain – but given the subject matter that came before this, and given what he is about to talk about through the end of the book, I would say that verse 14 gives us our best clue.

vi. “Therefore, dear friends, since you are waiting for these things, strive to be found at peace, without spot or blemish, when you come into His presence.”

vii. We are still a couple weeks away from delving into this verse deeply, but might I suggest to you that the command that Peter refers to, the command that has been transmitted from Jesus through the apostles, to now all of us His dear children… is to persevere.

viii. The command is to endure.

ix. The command is to be found by his returning master, a slave with many talents when he was only given one. A bridesmaid with a full oil container when the groom comes. A wedding feast attender that responds to the summons. A sheep that hears the masters call and comes without delay.

x. Certainly, as Peter has said in chapter 1, the Lord keeps His dear children! But there is a human side of this also. We must add to our faith. We must produce fruit of righteousness. We must persevere!

f. [Slide 7] Passage Truth: Peter reminds his audience that they already have what they need to persevere. Namely, the Scriptures and commands of Christ.

g. [Slide 8] Passage Application: So, they must remember the Words of God concerning the coming of the judgment. Namely the predictions of the Old Testament prophets and the warnings of Christ their King and judge.

h. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the whole counsel of God -we know that God’s Word is ultimately what He has provided to His people not only to draw them to Him but also to help them persevere to the end. All that is written within the scriptures are given for faith and practice of His people. And the bible claims this of itself. In fact, the scriptures say that not only are they profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, but that Christ, who is called the Word, is the fullest revelation of God that we have. He says that if you have seen me, you have seen the Father because I and the Father are One. And all that Jesus taught and commanded His apostles has been meticulously preserved in the gospels, Acts, and the epistles of the New Testament. And each Old Testament book is affirmed and treated as scripture in the pages of the New Testament.

i. [Slide 10] Broader Biblical Application: What does that mean for us? Basically, that the bible, the Word of God, is invaluable to God’s people. It is likened unto bread and water in scripture. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. If we are to have life and to have life abundant – we must keep at the forefront of our minds the teachings of the scriptures. Included in these are, of course, the predictions of the coming judgment and the need for God’s people to remain faithful and endure to the end.

Transition:

[Slide 11(blank)] But this is not all that Peter wishes for his audience to remember or to understand concerning God’s Word.

II.) Because Scripture is reviled, we must remember what we have been taught from scripture. (3-7)

a. [Slide 12] 3 – Above all, understand this:

i. Many translations have something to the effect of “knowing this first”

ii. This is not a step of chronology but of priority.

iii. Whatever Peter is about to have them understand – it is not something they must know going into a recalling of the Old Testament prophecies or the command from Christ.

iv. Rather, this is what they must understand chiefly…

b. [Slide 13] In the last days blatant scoffers will come,

i. This seems odd to place this as a higher priority item to understand recalling the Old Testament Prophesies or the command of Christ.

ii. But thinking this through it actually makes perfect sense.

iii. The command of Christ and the predictions of the Old Testament prophets are items that are written, preserved, and will not fade away.

iv. God keeps His Word and preserves it for His people.

v. If there is going to be failure, it is going to be human. And a human failure that we most certainly must be conscious of – is the tendency to complacency and comfort.

vi. It is easy to be lulled into an “everything is fine” mentality and fail to remain vigilant.

vii. Peter wants his audience to, above all, understand that blatant scoffers will come.

viii. Peter actually says “scoffers in their scoffing will come.” This is an idiom to indicate that they are not actually trying to hide their intentions. They may as well wear signs that say they are scoffers.

ix. But what is a scoffer?

x. A scoffer is a mocker or ridiculer.

xi. How does the scriptures as a whole speak of the mocker? Perhaps the most famous is Psalm 1.

xii. “How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers!”

xiii. Traditionally, interpreters see the progression, or rather the digression, of walking, standing, and sitting parallel to the wicked, sinners, and scoffers.

xiv. To sit in the assembly of the scoffers is to join in the immovable opposition to God and all He says.

xv. Therefore, to scoff is much like the apostates of chapter 2. They mock or ridicule the things of God.

xvi. Why would they do this?

c. [Slide 14] Being propelled by their own evil urges

i. They are slaves to their natures.

ii. They may have made that profession and all seemed good for a time – but now they are back to eating their vomit. They are back to rolling in the mud.

iii. The worst part is – they think that everyone else has it wrong.

iv. Come gather in our think tank and we will educate you on the true nature of the judgment of God!

v. Come join us as we dismantle the prophets of old and the apostles!

vi. Come reason together with us – do we need the Old Testament anyway?

vii. Come and hear the true gospel – that God has forgiven you all your sin and has no care for how you live.

viii. So says the scoffer, acting as the teacher. Sit and hear where you have errored. All the while, they are the ones controlled by their evil urges.

ix. But what is their message? What is their prophesy?

d. [Slide 15] 4 – and saying, “Where is His promised return?

i. My friends. Do you not hear the sly hiss of the serpent in these words?

ii. You will not surely die. There is no coming judgment!

iii. Where is it if its true? Hasn’t he been gone for almost a whole generation? Shall we continue to wait? How long? 100 years? 1000? 10,000?

iv. How do we know that He won’t return you ask? How do we know that no judgment is coming?

v. Easy…

e. [Slide 16] For ever since our ancestors died, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation.”

i. It has already been at least 4000 years since Adam and Eve have died.

ii. These prophets have said this was coming for thousands of years!

iii. And yet – life goes on as it always has! Nothing has changed!

iv. The burden of proof is on you! How dare you say that judgment is coming. How dare you suggest that anything is going to change.

v. No. There is no coming judgment. All will continue as it is. So, eat, drink, be merry, for tomorrow will be exactly like today.

vi. Such is the reasoning of the mocker.

vii. Why have they concluded this?

f. [Slide 17] 5 – For they deliberately suppress this fact,

i. They have concluded this because they are deliberately rejecting a key piece of information.

ii. One that would upend their entire argument.

iii. What piece of information are they intentionally forgetting?

g. [Slide 18] that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of the water and by means of water.

i. I am going to try to keep this from getting too technical but we have to understand something about ancient cosmology to understand Peter’s point.

ii. The way the ancient’s understood the world was not exactly scientific.

iii. [Slide 19] Many ancient cultures understood the earth to be a disc floating on top of water, surrounded by water on all sides, and covered by water above with a firmament holding the waters from pouring through.

iv. We could actually demonstrate this by placing a plastic plate on water in a container and allowing it to float. Then, putting a bowl over top of it, and then pouring water on top of the bowl.

v. How did this come about?

vi. Well, the earth was without form and void. It was chaotic. And God’s Spirit moved on the face of the waters and brought order to the chaos.

vii. If we look at this Ancient Near Eastern understanding of cosmology this is how they understood the universe. And the creation account leans into that understanding. That isn’t to say that they are correct. It is simply to meet them where they are.

viii. So, the Spirit of God divides the waters in the sky from the great deep, brings land from the waters and surrounds the land with seas.

ix. But what happened to this world?

x. What happened to a perfect cosmological system set up so all God created would thrive?

xi. Well – in short – sin.

xii. Sin happened. Which resulted in what?

h. [Slide 20] 6- through these things the world existing at that time was destroyed when it was deluged with water.

i. If we assume that what the bible says is true, we see a great number of things that are starkly different after the flood.

ii. The age of men takes quite a nose dive. This occurs immediately in Noah’s grandchildren. There is no gradual descent, but rather a sharp nosedive in the years a person lived. Noah lived over 900 years. His son Shem lived 500. And his son 400. And each following generation lives a little less and a little less. We also see them having children MUCH earlier. Before the flood Noah became a father when he was 500. And most before him gave birth to their children between their 80s and 180s. Shem has his son at 100 years old – but after this the men are in their 30s and 20s when they have children.

iii. Animals were noticeably more trusting of men before the flood.

iv. So much so that the bible actually comments after Noah and his family get off the ark, that animals were no longer tame.

v. Noah steps off the ark and makes a vineyard. He drinks the juice and gets drunk. Perhaps he has sinned here… or perhaps he was completely surprised by the fermentation process of the wine.

vi. God saw all that He had made and called it good. However – our earth today wobbles on its axis, It is not a perfect sphere but is actually fatter around the equator – AND its shape is constantly changing, it spins 1 time in 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds, its orbit around the sun takes 365 days 5 hours 59 minutes and 16 seconds.

vii. Now there are many theories as to what is going on and why all this is the way it is.

viii. But Peter – as a humble fisherman in the first century by the inspiration of the Spirit gives us the long and the short of it.

ix. The world before the flood is gone. The earth that God created – is not the same earth we have now.

x. Now whether something changed cosmologically – or whether there was some kind of water canopy or exactly how all this happened we are not all together sure.

xi. But from Peter’s perspective – the world that God created… was destroyed in the flood of Noah.

xii. When we read that the fountains broke apart in the great deep and the heavens opened up... the cosmology of Genesis indicates that something cosmological happened during the flood.

xiii. To the extent that the earth we now inhabit, although capable of supporting life, is a broken version of the world before the flood.

xiv. Which makes us ask the question… if the flood was so cataclysmic – apocalyptic even – how did the world survive at all?

xv. Well Peter can answer that too…

i. [Slide 21] 7 – But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire,

i. God in His wrath exercised restraint.

ii. Like a demolitions expert he broke the world, but made sure to break it in such a way that life could continue afterward.

iii. Now the heavens and earth are not the same as they were before the flood.

iv. They are a broken shadow of what they were.

v. But Peter makes it plain. All that is present now – has been reserved… but for what?

vi. Fire.

vii. Although God promised never to the judge the world again with water… He did not promise to never judge the world again. And there are many passages in scripture revealing that the next judgment will be in fire – not in water.

viii. We just talked about this last week when we discussed that Jesus would bring a baptism of fire.

ix. And just so we are clear – what is this baptism in fire supposed to accomplish?

j. [Slide 22] By being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

i. The same thing that the waters of the flood did.

ii. Peter focuses on the destruction of the ungodly.

iii. Will the world also burn up too?

iv. The bible speaks of a new heaven and new earth. Is this God renewing or recreating? Or both?

v. This isn’t Peter’s point.

vi. He simply wants to assure his audience that the scoffers are purposefully neglecting a very important detail.

vii. God has already destroyed the world once in judgment.

viii. The earth is not as it has been from Adam.

ix. The heavens are not as they have been from Adam.

x. If God can judge once and purge the world of all the ungodly…

xi. He can certainly do it again.

k. [Slide 23] Passage Truth: So, Peter reminds his audience that scoffers will come in the last days, following their father the devil, and reviling all that has been revealed about the truth of the Word of God.

l. [Slide 24] Passage Application: So they must continue to keep the scriptures at the forefront of their minds. For all the Word of God has an answer to every mocking word and every accusation such people could bring against it.

m. [Slide 25] Broader Biblical Truth: From the whole of scripture we see this theme on repeat. Although Peter says it will occur in the last days – and perhaps he means it will intensify – when have we not seen scoffers question and bring great doubt to the words of God? And since the completion of the first century, has not this question been raised over and over again? Where is His promised coming? Did we miss it? And even today, many mock the promises of God. Peter has more to say on those promises and how God will keep them – but for now it is enough to remind ourselves that scoffers and mockers are normal operating procedure. Noah had his mockers. So will Christ.

n. [Slide 26] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must keep the devotion of our faith alive. We must trust what God has said. Each year, each century, each millennia, that promise gets no less valid and no less true. He is coming again to judge the living and the dead. He is not slow to follow through. For He does not operate on the time table we do. So for now, as His people we must anxiously look for His coming by maintaining our faith and living holy and expectant lives so we are prepared for His coming.

Conclusion:

[Slide 27(end)] So CBC, in a world where scoffers seem to be lying in wait around every corner, where do we run for safety?

Where do we go when false teaching threatens to steal us away and undo us? Where will we set our foundation upon which we can build the spiritual virtues of godly living? How do we escape the lies of the devil and his children?

Believe what God has said.

In this text, Peter’s audience can escape those who he is warning them about, by continually refreshing their minds with the promises and commands of God. In this we must see the divide the Word of God makes between the two families – the family of the serpent and the family of the seed. Christ said, I did not come to bring peace but a sword. His Words… divide. So what must God’s people do?

They must wash their minds with the Word. They must have a heavenly view on the world. And the only way to get a heavenly view on all of life – is to keep the Word of God at the forefront of every word, every deed, every thought, every feeling.

Do we understand what that means?

It means that regardless of whether or not something is legal, fiscally wise, your patriotic duty, or your civil right – it must first pass the test of the Word of God. It must first make it through the filter of how God views the world.

It means that even if everyone else talks that way, thinks that way, or acts that way – the Word of God stops God’s people from it.

It means that rather than being controlled by emotions, rather than following our hearts, rather than letting “love” or “joy” determine what we do – the Word of God corrects what we feel. And it may not change the emotion – but it prevents us acting in that emotion. To choose His law instead of our feelings.

There was a time in Israel’s history where everyone did what was right in their own eyes. It was the time of the judges.

IF you want to succumb to the teaching of false teachers, if you want to follow them straight into hell, then do as the Israelites did. Always do what you think is best. Always do what feels good to you. Follow you heart and it will lead you right into the fire of judgment.

But if you are God’s. If you expect to be rescued from judgment instead of being reserved for it… then you must check every single thing you think – your entire worldview- your values – your rights- and even your most deeply held opinions must be compared to the Word of God and if it is found out of step… it must be killed. Not imprisoned. Not shunned. Not given a slap on the wrist. No my friends, you must bind it and take it to Golgotha and nail it to the tree with Christ.

You must surely be killing your sin… for if you do not… your sin will be surely be killing you.

Do not believe those who revile the word of God. Do not trust those who use the word of God as a weapon against those with whom they disagree. Do not follow those who act in the wisdom of their logic and reason without considering the Word of God. And do not abide the words of a man who questions the plain text of scripture to twist it to his own ends.

Rather cling to what God has revealed in His Word to His people.

And mark and avoid all who dissuade you from its study. Be wary of all who take you to preachers and teachers who they do not personally know, nor have they investigated their lifestyles, but tickle the ears and affirm the conclusions they wish. Ignore those who flippantly question the teachings of church fathers without careful and humble consideration of the truths they espouse.

Be Bereans. Go to the Word of God and see if we find what is being taught. Trust what God says. Ignore the scoffer.

This is how you stay on Christ’s foundation. This is how you insure that you are not led astray.

Be people of the book. For soon, if you aren’t, you will be swept away with all the rest. There is no excuse my friends.

The God of the Universe, who holds all things in His hands, has given you 1 book to know Him and to obey Him. If that is not enough to make you pant for a drink from its pages. If that is not enough to make you hunger for a morsel from its words. Then nothing will.

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Title: The Sacraments

Text: Various

FCF: We often struggle to see use the sacraments as God intended us to.

Prop: Because God has given the sacraments as a sign and seal of our atonement in Christ, we must partake in faith expecting to be assured of our sonship to God.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Philippians chapter 3.

So I am up here a little earlier than I usually am aren’t I? That is because, as was mentioned earlier during announcements, we have quite a different service this morning.

Today is one of those unique opportunities that we have to celebrate both sacraments in our church on the same day. Many churches do the Lord’s Supper every week. The Lord did not give us instruction on how often we are to have the Lord’s Supper, so we, as you know, only do the meal quarterly. And baptism is a sacrament that we cannot actually plan. Baptism occurs only once in the lifetime of a Christian; therefore, it is naturally limited in frequency by that fact.

So, for God to align for us both a baptism and the Lord’s Supper on one day is an opportunity I can’t pass up to teach once more on the concept of a sacrament – and what they mean to the body of Christ.

But the reason I am speaking now in the service, is because I want to focus on each Sacrament separately. First, we will focus on Baptism, and after we have our baptism, we will then come back to the word and focus on the Lord’s Supper. That’s right – I am going to have a two-part message occurring in the same service. Don’t worry – both parts are not 45 minutes each. I saw alarm on many of your faces. It will be ok everyone.

This is a topical sermon of course, which means not only are we are going to see a lot of scripture today, but we will approach scripture differently than we normally do. When we go through textually, we are asking God to show us truth – and He decides what we see in that text. Topical sermons ask questions and then look to the Word for answers.

[Slide 2] The primary questions we will attempt to answer this morning are

1 – What is a Sacrament?

2 – What are the Sacraments?

3 – Is Baptism a Sacrament?

4 – How do the Sacraments differ from one another?

Unfortunately, before we can approach the first question we must answer some preliminary questions.

And that is where we will begin this morning – but before we do, let me pray and ask the Lord to guide us.

Transition:

To begin this morning, I want to remind ourselves of the observations we have made in II Peter thus far. We have seen that God has supplied to His children all they need to become partakers in the divine nature, and to come to the glorious excellence that He has called us to. Yet we see that there are some who make a good showing, who confess truth, who leave the filth of the world through the knowledge of Christ, yet return to be enslaved to their sin. So, the direction I want to start us on this morning… is by asking the question how does God keep us? If saving faith is enduring and working faith – How does God make sure our faith endures and works? Or, to say it more succinctly…

I.) [Slide 3] How does God perfect our faith?

a. Let’s look at Hebrews 12:1-2.

i. [Slide 4] For our faith to endure there are a few things that are necessary in this passage.

ii. First is laying aside every weight. These weights are often looked at as sins, but since he says every weight and sin, we cannot conclude that the weights themselves are sin. Most likely in the context the writer of Hebrews is referring to their insistence to go back to the Levitical system of sacrifices. Meaning that the writer of Hebrews is not just talking about sins, but also about anti-faith objects. Things that you are trusting in for a right standing before God. Namely, your own merit.

iii. The second aspect of the put-off put-on principle is to run with endurance the race that has been set before us. But how are we to do that?

iv. We must keep our eyes on Christ. Why?

v. He is the pioneer, author, originator, or best example our faith.

vi. He is also the finisher, completer, or perfector of our faith.

vii. Why is he the completer of our faith?

viii. Because being united with Him – He has finished His work. He was incarnated, he obeyed the Lord, He died for sinners, He was raised again, and is now sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for us.

ix. We can run the race with confidence because He has already completed it.

x. So, the perfecting of our faith is accomplished in Christ.

b. [Slide 5] Let’s look at II Peter 1:2

i. This is a passage that should be very familiar to us.

ii. Peter asks that grace (God’s divine power to help us to be what we could not be without Him) and peace (God’s divine comfort and assurance of our status with Him) would be multiplied to us in what?

iii. In the knowledge (the deep, personal, intimate understanding) of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord.

iv. It is by our growing in the deep, intimate, personal knowledge of Christ that we can grow in union with Christ. That we make our calling and election sure. That we as Ephesians says will grow up into Christ and be mature in Him. Or as Romans says that we will be pressed into or conformed to Him.

c. So how does God get his children from justification to glorification? How does He keep them growing up into Christ? How does He make sure as Jesus says, He does not lose any of His sheep?

d. By giving His dear children grace to endure and peace to endure confidently.

e. And that grace and peace are multiplied to us, how?

f. Through the deep, personal, growing, intimate knowledge of Christ.

g. [Slide 6] Philippians 3:1-11 brings all this together, but because it is a longer passage – we’ll have to turn there.

i. Paul’s one goal is to know Christ, because He has paved the way to righteousness. His faithfulness has become our faithfulness. His righteousness our righteousness.

ii. And to know Him in His death, the power of his resurrections is then to, as he says, somehow attain to the bodily resurrection.

Transition:

So the next natural question is…

II.) [Slide 7] How can we know Him in this way?

a. Since as Hebrews has said, he has run the race before us, to learn of Him we must follow Him.

b. [Slide 8] And in following Him – what has He said of Himself? Let’s look only to the gospel of John and we will find more than enough.

c. He is called the Word, so we must listen to Him as the fullest revelation of God. (John 1:1-18)

d. He is called the fountain of living waters, so we must drink Him. (John 4:5-26; 7:37-39)

e. He is called the bread of life, so we must eat Him. (John 6:22-59)

f. He is called the light of the world, so we must follow Him out of the darkness. (John 8:12-30)

g. He is called the door so we must enter through Him. (John 10:1-10)

h. He is called the good shepherd so we must listen and obey Him. (John 10:11-18)

i. He is called the way to the Father, so we must pray in His name and by His provision. (John 14:1-14)

j. He is called the truth, so we must hear and believe only Him. (John 14:1-14)

k. He is called the life, so we must live as He lived. (John 14:1-14)

l. He is called the vine so we must be bound to and abide in Him. (John 15:1-17)

m. Through the study of the Word of God, through preaching of the word of God, through prayer, through Christian fellowship and intentional discipleship to teach people to observe all that the Lord has commanded. We know Him more and more through these means.

n. And in knowing Him more and more, God’s grace and peace are multiplied to us. So that we may what?

o. [Slide 9] As it says in Ephesians 4… so that we may grow up into the full stature of Christ. Namely, so we may be like Him. For if we are becoming more like Him now… we will certainly look forward to the blessed hope of being truly like Him in the age to come. And as Paul said in Philippians that we might somehow be raised from the dead as He was.

p. That is why historically, the church has called these practices, the ordinary means of grace. Not grace to justify us, but grace to sanctify us. To grow up into into Christ.

q. We as God’s people, ask for grace when we need help. And God has supplied vehicles or avenues whereby He communicates grace to us. Namely in knowing and following Christ.

Transition:

[Slide 10(blank)] So, God grows His people into Christlikeness by giving them grace as they know Jesus Christ more and more. And the Word of God, prayer, and Christian fellowship are avenues that He has provided for us to know Him more. But where do the sacraments come in here? Well… now we are ready to ask our first question.

III.) [Slide 11] What is a Sacrament?

a. Where does the word Sacrament appear in the bible?

i. It doesn’t. Just like the word trinity.

ii. It is a combination of the Latin word for sacred and the Greek word for mystery – but often we think of a mystery as a secret that no one knows. More likely it means mystery in the sense that Paul does, in that it is a divine and spiritual thing, not fully revealed in totality to us. It is mysterious. It is mystical.

iii. Sacrament means – holy spiritual mystery.

iv. Yet the teaching of the sacraments, both their command and the symbolism behind them are virtually everywhere in the New Testament and are shadows of other ordinances God had in the Old Covenant.

b. A good definition of sacrament is as follows

i. [Slide 12] A Sacrament is a sign set apart and commanded by Christ that declares to His people the promise of the gospel, namely that He grants us freely the remission of sin and life eternal – not for our sake – but because of the work of Christ on the cross. These symbols do teach and assure us that the whole of our salvation depends upon that one sacrifice of Christ and they also, by the Spirit’s work, more fully unite us to the One sacrificed.

ii. I tried to underline the important parts on the slide. I stopped. Because the only words not underlined were conjunctions. So… it is all important.

iii. But if I had to put it more succinctly…

iv. [Slide 13] A sacrament signifies the inward spiritual reality of Christ’s atonement for us and seals that reality on our consciences, building our faith in Him alone, and thus further uniting us to Him.

v. This brings us to our next primary question...

c. [Slide 14] What are the Sacraments?

i. Different branches of Christendom have varied numbers of Sacraments.

ii. Based on the definition above – many items that are viewed as Sacraments were never actually ordained by Christ Himself. Some are not actually signs of the new covenant or of Christ’s atonement.

iii. As we whittle away at all that is viewed a Sacrament, we come really to 2 Sacraments that remain.

iv. [Slide 15] Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

d. [Slide 16] How do the Sacraments differ from the ordinary means of Grace?

i. What makes these unique or special?

ii. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper differ from the ordinary means of grace in that they were specially instituted by Christ to represent and apply to believers the benefits of the new covenant by visible and outward signs.

iii. The ministry of the Word, prayer, and Christian fellowship may be avenues that God gives grace through – but the sacrament is symbolic, pertaining to the atonement, and ordained of Christ to communicate and apply the benefits of that atonement to His people.

iv. In the ministry of the Word, prayer, and fellowship with believers we can see a natural connection between our participation in these means and God’s growing us through them. Not saying that we earn God’s grace in any way… But there does seem to be a more obvious connection between reading God’s word and God equipping us for His will and work. The same goes with prayer and Christian fellowship.

v. But in the Sacraments, there is truly nothing special about the water, the bread, or the juice. And by simply washing, eating, or drinking – we cannot begin to explain how God grows us in it. Yet God uses common things as symbols of deep spiritual truths to declare to His people what He has done for them in Christ and to assure them that they are His by binding them to Christ all the more.

Transition:

[Slide 17(blank)] Now, over the last few years, we’ve talked at length about how the Lord’s Supper is a Sacrament. But what are the symbols of baptism? What do they mean? How do we know that God grows us in baptism? In short…

IV.) [Slide 18] How do we know that Baptism is a Sacrament?

a. When we looked into the Lord’s Supper as a Sacrament, we encountered the unique challenge that there is actually not a lot written about the Lord’s Supper in the scriptures. So, while we were able to piece together the spiritual reality behind the symbols and how the sacrament declares and assures these truths with us as believers, we had to scour almost every passage we could.

b. Baptism gives us the opposite problem. There is a plethora of information about baptism in the New Testament. So, our challenge becomes organizing and utilizing the information we need to establish whether or not baptism is a Sacrament.

c. [Slide 19] Revisiting our definition of a sacrament the first thing we must prove from scripture is that Christ has set apart this sign. So, our question is, does Christ command all believers to be baptized?

i. [Slide 20] Before Jesus began his earthly ministry, He was baptized by John the Baptist in Matthew 3. When John protested, saying he had no need to do this since it was a baptism unto repentance, Jesus said to baptize Him to fulfill all righteousness.

ii. Early in Christ’s ministry, recorded for us in John 3, Jesus’s disciples were baptizing those who were repenting of sin. This is a key concept to understand. John’s baptism was for the repentance of sin. Jesus’ disciples were continuing and expanding John the Baptist’s work.

iii. In Matthew 28, before His ascension, Jesus commands his disciples to go and make disciples. In that process they are to baptize them in the name of the triune God and teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded. So baptism and teaching them obedience are part of the discipleship process.

iv. In Mark 16 Jesus says that the one who believes and is baptized will be saved: but those who do not believe will be condemned.

v. So, it seems that Jesus really did institute this practice both by affirming John’s use of it, and by commanding his disciples to continue using it.

vi. And we see in several examples in Acts that His disciples obeyed His command.

d. Let’s take the second part of the definition of sacrament.

i. [Slide 21] “declares to His people the promise of the gospel, namely that He grants us freely the remission of sin and life eternal – not for our sake – but because of the work of Christ on the cross.”

ii. Do we see that this is true of Baptism?

iii. [Slide 22] Look at Acts 2:38 – Peter declares to the people in Jerusalem, at the start of the church, to repent of their sin. Further, he says that every one of them must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. What does that mean? In the name of? It means on account of, or for the sake of, because of.

iv. And then he says for the remission or forgiveness of sins. We balk at this statement because it seems like, as it did in Mark 16, that Peter is saying baptism is necessary for sins to be forgiven… and in a way it is. But not because of the water of the baptism or their submission to it.

v. Rather it is because of the faith they now have in what the symbol signifies. That for Christ’s sake, we are made new. We are changed. They are being baptized on his account or for His sake. Meaning – they believe. This is where forgiveness of sins comes in. Not the sign, but the thing signified.

vi. And then he says that you will receive the Holy Spirit. And we have to ask… so do we receive the Spirit after we are baptized or before? Again – Peter is not focusing on the act of water baptism but rather the thing signified in that baptism. Meaning the Spirit of God indwells upon a believer receiving faith from God in the atonement of Jesus Christ.

e. [Slide 23] And that leads us to the next part of the definition of a sacrament… “These symbols do teach and assure us that the whole of our salvation depends upon that one sacrifice of Christ”

f. What are the symbols of baptism and how do they teach and assure us that all our salvation depends on Christ? And this my friends, is really where the plethora of information on baptism comes in.

g. Did you know that in the New Testament there are at least 9 baptisms?

i. There is the baptism of Moses. I Corinthians 10 tells us that the Israelites were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

ii. There is the baptism of Noah where 8 people were baptized into the flood waters, mentioned in I Peter.

iii. There is the baptism of John – As we noted it was for the purpose of repentance of sins Mentioned in Matthew 3.

iv. There was Jesus’ baptism which was to fulfill all righteousness also in Matthew 3.

v. There is the baptism of the Holy Spirit which is predicted by John the Baptist to be a baptism that Jesus brings – first mentioned in Matthew 3 but also in other places in the New Testament.

1. Acts 2:38

2. Ephesians 1:13-14

3. I Corinthians 12:13

vi. There is baptism into the sufferings of Christ, mostly in Mark 10 where two disciples came asking for a place of honor in the kingdom. Jesus asks them if they can endure the baptism he is will be baptized with? They said they could probably not knowing what he meant. Then Jesus said, that indeed they would follow Him in His sufferings. As all God’s true children do.

vii. There is baptism into fire or judgment. In Matthew 3, John predicts that this is another baptism that Christ will bring. He will secure his wheat into the barn but burn the rest. In II Thessalonians 1 Christ will return with a flaming fire inflicting vengeance. But in this He will spare His own.

viii. There is the baptism into Christ that believers are said to experience. In Romans 6 we are baptized into his death. Buried with him. And raised with Him to walk in new life. We are baptized into one body – namely the body of Christ in I Cor 12:12. Through faith in Jesus we are baptized into Christ and have put on Christ in Galatians 3:26-27 so that now all who are in Christ are one. And in Colossians 2, a new circumcision has occurred where our sinful flesh is cut off as Christ’s body was cut off from life. We are buried with Him and raised with Him.

ix. Lastly, there is baptism into water for believers

x. And there are other baptisms mentioned that probably refer to ritual washings so I have excluded them.

h. Perplexingly, even though there are 9 baptisms – Paul says that there is only 1 baptism in Ephesians 4. So to which baptism does he refer? Looking at the context, it is fairly obvious that he means the baptism into Christ. What does that mean?

i. After careful consideration, being baptized into Christ actually accomplishes all of these baptisms.

i. Noah and Moses were types of Christ, who led their people to safety by their obedience to God.

ii. John’s baptism not only pointed forward to Christ’s work, but Christ Himself was baptized by John.

iii. Jesus entered the waters of baptism not to repent but to receive the Spirit of God, obey the Lord, and yet become sin for us and die our death so that we could receive His life.

iv. Being baptized into Christ means we will suffer for His name, but escape His judgment.

v. Since Christ sends the Spirit to His people, when we are baptized into Christ we are baptized with the Spirit of Christ.

vi. So, all these baptisms are accomplished by us being immersed into, covered with, or united to Christ by faith.

vii. Therefore, water baptism of believers is the symbol of this baptism. That we are baptized into Christ. Into His baptism, into His life, into His death, into His burial, into His resurrection, into His glory.

viii. Water baptism is the symbol of our being declared righteous. Because in justification we are clothed with Christ, treated as if we have the same standing before God as He does – though we are still sinners. Our sins are washed away and remitted, placed on Christ instead. Our accounts are switched.

ix. So, water baptism is both commanded and symbolizing the work of Christ’s atonement.

j. And the symbols do not end there. We know that the Spirit washes us with regeneration and that we are birthed into a new birth by Spirit and by water. These images also convey a sign and thing signified kind of relationship between baptism and our justification.

k. All we have left is to prove that baptism is a Sacrament is to show that baptism “by the Spirit’s work, more fully unite(s) us to the One sacrificed.”

i. For this we go to I Peter 3:20b-22

ii. In this passage we see that Peter assures us that just like the 8 people who were aboard the ark were saved by or through their baptism, so we are also saved through our baptism.

iii. Not by the washing of dirt by water… but the pledge, or answer of a good conscience to God.

iv. Just as water washes dirt away, we know that baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection washes our sins away.

v. And because of this pledge we have a good or clear conscience toward God. We walk away from our water baptism which is a symbol of our baptism into Christ, knowing that our conscience is clear – not because of our own righteousness, but because of the righteousness of Christ which we have received by being baptized into Him.

vi. Secondly, in Matthew 28, as the mark of a true disciple being made by other disciples, water baptism is one part of that process, the other part is obedience to all that Christ commanded.

vii. Thirdly, since Christ did precede us in baptism both in the symbol and in the thing signified, we unite to Him by faith and follow Him also in both the thing signified and the symbol itself.

viii. Finally, our baptism into Christ achieves our baptism into a family, a community, a body of believers that began with Adam and Eve and who God is still drawing from all nations. A body that is invisible, but will one day be gathered again. And so, as the sign of that truth – in water baptism when the baptized comes up out of the water, they experience the welcome and joy of a family of people who are also baptized into Christ. And we with the Spirit declare and assure all present that Christ alone has made us new.

l. Therefore, I conclude, that water baptism of believers is indeed a sacrament of holy significance. A gift of God’s whereby we all can build our faith in Christ, know and be united to Him more, and be given grace by God.

m. [Slide 29 (end of first part)] And so, let us do just that. As Elliott and I prepare, we’ll have Jerry come forward to lead us in prayer this morning before the offering.

[SERMON BREAK = PART 2 FOLLOWS]

Transition:

[Slide 1] So this morning as we turn our attention away from baptism to the other sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, we must answer the last of our primary questions…

V.) [Slide 2] How do the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper differ from one another?

a. If both sacraments by definition are signs and symbols of the atonement of Christ meant to declare and assure us of our standing with God and to multiply grace to us through a deeper unity with Christ… why do we need two? How do they differ? What do each declare to us that the other does not?

b. [Slide 3] As we’ve seen, Baptism correlates to our justification. That once for all Christ was slain for us, transmitting us from death to life and creating in us a new nature.

c. From that definitive point in our lives we are forever changed and made new.

d. Therefore, in the sacrament of baptism, so long as it is believer’s baptism, it is to be undergone once until we are delivered safely into the Kingdom of God.

e. [Slide 4] But the Lord’s Supper is a sign of the atonement of Christ in relationship to our sanctification.

f. This sign communicates to us the ongoing nature of the saving work of Christ, in that we are sustained by and kept for glory in the continued feeding of our souls on the intimate relationship we now have with God the Father as a direct result of the atonement of Christ. That in His body we are brought close, and that in His blood we are made pure. That through His body we can approach the Holy God, Yahweh His name, and by the blood of the lamb we do not enter as a criminal but as a Son or daughter.

g. The sign of baptism communicates to us the deliverance from who we were and promise of who we are now. The sign of the Lord’s Supper communicates to us the assurance of who are now and promise of who we will be.

h. Both Sacraments teach and declare to us by physical signs how the atonement justifies and sanctifies us… so that we may hope in the promise that the same God who justified us and is now sanctifying us, will one day glorify us… in Christ.

Transition:

And now knowing the emphasis of the Lord’s Supper on our present walk with the Lord, I feel I must clarify and even warn all here this morning

VI.) [Slide 5] Who is worthy to partake of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper?

a. With Baptism, we saw that those who have made a convincing profession of faith are to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

b. Are the conditions for who is worthy the same for the Lord’s Supper?

c. The answer is both yes and no.

d. [Slide 6] The reason we can answer yes is because beyond justification, there is no additional requirements of any who would partake of the meal.

e. All who are God’s children are encouraged and even commanded to take part in the feast.

f. [Slide 7] However, the reason we can also answer no, is due to the correlation the Lord’s Supper has with our sanctification.

g. As we have noticed in our recent study of II Peter, God is the one who preserves and continues to grow us in Him. But if we are enslaved again to sin, then we prove that our natures have not actually changed.

h. And so it is not by mere convincing profession that we may partake of the Lord’s Supper. For Peter suggests that the false teachers of his time had this convincing profession. Yet were abusing the Lord’s Supper and using it for opportunities to spread sin.

i. Instead, it is the ongoing nature of that profession of faith – the ongoing result of justification that must be present to be worthy to partake.

j. So who is NOT worthy to partake of the Lord’s Supper?

i. [Slide 8] If you are not a believer, you must not partake. This is a holy and symbolic meal of something that God has done in His people. Not only does it profit you nothing to partake, but it also risks your own health and even life to partake in an unworthy way. You blaspheme the body and blood of Christ by partaking when you have not yet partaken of the spiritual truth signified in the meal. So if you are an unbeliever here today, in all shapes and forms, I would caution you, do not partake.

ii. [Slide 9] If you are a professed believer here today, but are currently overcome by a sin in your life that you have no intention of leaving. If you are actively pursuing a sin for which you do not wish to forsake. Then you also should not partake. Not because you must be perfect to feast with us – but because God’s true children hate sin and love God’s law. And to deliberately keep on sinning after receiving knowledge of the truth only gives you a fearful expectation of judgement that will consume the enemies of God. To you I say, not just not to partake… but to repent! Forsake your sin and cry out to the Lord for His mercy. And if in hearing this call to repent, the Spirit has moved you to do just that… even today you may join us in the feast. But I caution you – do not flippantly repent so you may partake. The Lord who sees all things knows your heart.

iii. [Slide 10] Lastly, if you believe that eating this meal will in some way wipe away your sins or absolve you of God’s punishments, or contribute in any way to either earning your justification before God, or getting on God’s good side, I’d encourage you to not partake with us today. For you are in error and you do not know the truth. Christ alone saves and nothing we do contributes to that. Nor can it.

k. [Slide 11] So who IS worthy to partake of the Lord’s Supper?

i. You are a believer struggling to get victory over a sin.

ii. You are a believer feeling disconnected from Christ

iii. You are a believer feeling disconnected from other believers

iv. You are a believer who desires to live a life more like Christ

v. You are a believer who wishes to obey Christ

vi. You are a believer who desires to proclaim Christ’s atonement with your life.

vii. You are a believer who wants to celebrate the mercy and grace of God as He gives it.

viii. [Slide 12 (end)] Why is it only those who are broken and needy that qualify for this meal?

ix. Because that is what the Lord’s Supper is for. Meals in general are for the hungry. For the weak. For the thirsty. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be, what? FILLED!

x. Jesus Himself said that He did not come to seek the healthy but to help the sick.

xi. And the scriptures tell us that God’s true people agree with God about their own sin. They see themselves as wholly deficient and unable to make restitution for their sin or to please God.

xii. What does that mean? If you are weak, broken, needy, struggling, hurting, failing, desperate for Him… this meal is for you! Come and Feast!

xiii. Jesus said His body is for you. He said this cup is for you. Come and Feast!

xiv. The Lord’s Supper is a gift to us… His people. So that we may remember our Lord, commune with Him and with one another, grow in grace and victory over sin, and hope in the day when we will eat the marriage supper with Christ. So, Come and Feast!

So, l will pray. After that, we will remain here for a short time as we have not only welcomed Elliott as a member of the invisible church today – but will also receive him into membership of our visible church today as he makes a covenant with us and we with him. After that time, we’ll gather upstairs and go to the Lord’s Supper. those who are worthy to partake please join us upstairs. Grab the elements for yourself and have a seat. There is a song we will sing and that is printed out on the back of your bulletin – so make sure to grab one on your way up if you haven’t.

If you are not planning to join us – for any reason – please quietly slip out when we transition upstairs.

Let me pray.

View Details

Title: Characteristics of the Cursed - Part 2

Text: II Peter 2:17-22

FCF: We often struggle knowing who to listen to and when to follow.

Prop: Because false teachers promise what they do not have because they are slaves to their nature, we must remember what we’ve been taught and obey the command we have been given.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter 2.

Last week Peter began a character sketch of the false teachers that will soon be or have already targeted the congregations throughout Asia Minor. He describes them as men who in their arrogance and insolence, irreverently spurn authority. Even authority that is created higher in order. Like fallen angels. But they are also brazen. They flaunt their sin practices and even try to entice others to participate.

It is interesting to note that for Peter discussing these people as false prophets or teachers – he has focused up to this point on their lifestyles and not their actual doctrinal beliefs.

Today he will continue to flesh out who these people are, and we’ll see where he goes.

I am in II Peter 2 starting in verse 17. I’ll be reading from the NET today which is on page 1370 in the pew bible. But you can follow in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

We have the longer of the 2 part sermons this week. There is much to cover. So buckle up and lets dive in.

I.) False teachers look good on the outside but are empty within, so we must remember what we have been taught and obey the command we have been given. (17-19)

a. [Slide 2] 17 – These men are waterless springs

i. Peter continues his characterization of the cursed by adding two metaphors to describe the third characteristic of these false teachers.

ii. Imagine a dessert place, dry and weary. A land empty of moisture and life.

iii. But you are accustomed to the heat. You are from this area. So, you plan a journey according to where you can get water.

iv. In your planning there is no way to arrive at your destination without stopping at a natural spring. You know it will be crowded but such a spring will sustain you long enough to get to the next city.

v. So, you set out and make your journey. You use your resources you brought without any hesitation, knowing that you will arrive soon at the oasis where you can fill your bottles with the water from the spring.

vi. But when you arrive you find it barren. Empty. Waterless. And has been for some time.

vii. The natural spring – has dried up.

viii. Not only are you unable to fill your bottles, but you don’t have the supplies to get to the next city.

ix. In a word – you are trapped.

x. These men, are springs promising abundant life and providing none.

b. [Slide 3] And mists driven by a storm,

i. This image is less clear.

ii. Either this is reaffirming that they promise something they cannot deliver (like clouds without rain), or it illustrates how they are driven away (by a storm) from the truth because they have forsaken the way of righteousness.

c. [Slide 4] For whom utter depths of darkness have been reserved.

i. Because they have abandoned the way of truth and because they are waterless springs, they have been reserved for utter darkness.

ii. Their judgment will come. Just as the angels who left their place, just as the world in Noah’s day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah. God knows how to reserve the wicked for judgment.

d. [Slide 5] 18 – For by speaking high-sounding but empty words they are able to entice, with fleshly desires and with debauchery, people who have just escaped from those who reside in error.

i. Going back to waterless springs and clouds that promise rain but never deliver, Peter breaks through the metaphor to spell out exactly what he means by that.

ii. The false teachers are charismatic. They are energetic. They have a message that is well articulated and seemingly well thought out. They can “prove” it from the scriptures.

iii. Yet these are empty words. They have no substance.

iv. But if it really is empty and if it is antithetical to what the apostles taught, why are these words, no matter how well spoken, how are they able to entice people?

v. How was the snake able to entice Eve? Pleasing to the eyes, good for the body, and able to make us wise.

vi. What they are offering feeds the basic sin nature we are all born with. It offers something that looks good. Something that is natural and normal. Something that is a great benefit to us individually. But we must reach out and take it ourselves. And to reach out and take it for ourselves, we must violate a command of God.

vii. But the final component here that completes this transaction, is that the people they are able to entice are those who have just escaped from those who reside in error. What does that mean?

viii. Quite simply these are very new believers. Those who have made a profession of faith and have separated themselves from the world.

ix. Enter the snakes to tempt them with a half step version of Christianity.

x. “You’ve gone too far!” They might say. “You’ve isolated yourself. Don’t worry about these things that the apostles are calling sins. It isn’t like Jesus is going to judge you for them. Remember your sins are forgiven. There is no judgment to come! So, live like you want. Jesus loves you.”

xi. As seasoned Christians we smell the stink of death and the smoke of hell all over such statements. But when you have a young believer, easily influenced, these words could entice them to follow their desires into sin.

e. [Slide 6] 19 – Although these false teachers promise such people freedom, they themselves are enslaved to immorality.

i. Seasoned Christians have no doubt heard this argument countless times.

ii. “God just wants to keep you from all the best stuff.”

iii. “Why does your God want you to be such Puritans!”

iv. “I couldn’t be a Christian, I’d feel too trapped.”

v. Or even today – “Christianity is a religious tool used by white oppressors to keep minorities and women suppressed. We need to break free from Christianity’s chains. Only then will we have a truly free society.”

vi. Yeah – false teachers promise freedom.

vii. But these false teachers offer a freedom that that they do not have themselves. They offer freedom from the law, but in reality, they are slaves to immorality or more likely – depravity.

viii. Enslaved by A sin – sure – but more likely enslaved by a sin NATURE is what Peter is saying.

f. [Slide 7] For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved.

i. Whatever overcomes you…

ii. Whatever overpowers you…

iii. Whatever undoes you…

iv. Whatever dominates you…

v. That is your master.

vi. There is no such thing as spiritual freedom.

vii. You are either a slave to your flesh, Satan, sin, and death, inheriting the whirlwind of the wrath of God.

viii. Or you are a slave to Christ and His righteousness, inheriting life and life everlasting.

ix. Either way you are a slave. But as the apostles found… slavery to Christ… redefines the word freedom. Can you call it slavery when it is the best thing that could ever happen to us? Can you call it slavery when it was exactly what you were made for?

x. Is the Phillips head screw a slave to the turning of the Phillips head screw driver? Maybe… but this was the reason that screw was created. To turn with the screw driver and be anchored into the wall.

xi. True freedom only exists in slavery to Christ.

g. [Slide 8] Passage Truth: So, Peter teaches his audience the third characteristic of the cursed. They offer great promises of freedom and comfort, but are themselves enslaved to their own sin nature.

h. [Slide 9] Passage Application: So, Peter’s audience must mark these men, refusing to follow them in their sin, and protecting new believers from their influence.

i. [Slide 10] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to all of scripture we find that false prophets in the Old Testament would frequently tell the King of Israel what they wanted to hear. It made them very popular. In fact, Jonah’s first prophesy was that the northern Kingdom would expand its land. When we studied Jonah in Foundations, we wondered if that was one reason Jonah did not want to preach a message that would lead to the conversion of one of Israel’s greatest enemies. And in the New Testament Paul warns that people in the last days will have itching ears and accumulate for themselves teachers who will tell them what they want to hear. But the warning here is sobering. There is only freedom in knowing and obeying Christ. All other freedoms are false. So when a prophet, preacher, apostle, or seer tells you what you want to hear, what feeds your flesh, what gratifies your natural desires… he is false.

j. [Slide 11] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must be careful to preach Christ and His commands. We must not be too light on sin, for even though we know that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, we have been predestined to be conformed to Christ and to grow into His full stature. Our goal is perfect submission and flawless obedience. We know we will never achieve it in this life, that is why we must be merciful to one another when we fail. But we also bear each other’s burden in this and help each other to stand and obey again. We also must mark those who encourage us to sin in ways the scripture expressly forbids. Whether through a “new interpretation” of scripture or not using the scripture at all, we must be wary of someone who is light on sin, or who indicates in any way that God is not all that offended by our transgressions. And finally, we must pay particular attention to those who are new believers, young in the faith. They are particularly vulnerable to the lies of apostatizing teachers. Let us grow them in the faith so they may stand firm against the fiery darts of the evil one.

Transition:

[Slide 12 (blank)] Peter has almost concluded his character sketch of the cursed. He has only one more characteristic he wishes to make plain. But in here we find some fairly chilling words.

II.) False teachers are slaves to their sin nature, so we must remember what we have been taught and obey the command we have been given. (20-22)

a. [Slide 13] 20 – For if after they have escaped the filthy things of the world through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again get entangled in them and succumb to them, their last state has become worse for them than their first.

i. This is a notoriously difficult verse to consider.

ii. Why is that?

iii. Well in the doctrinal landscape of this country there are very few… remarkably few who would ever say that a person can actually lose or reject their own salvation.

iv. Even some of the most hard-core advocates for human free will would really balk at the idea that once a person is saved, their own will could deconvert or unsave them.

v. So most American or Western Christians would come to this verse and be very uncomfortable with what Peter is saying.

vi. But before we rush to any judgments, let’s dig in.

vii. [Slide 14] If they have escaped the filthy things of this world

1. What could this phrase mean?

2. So first, Peter puts this in an if…then construction. This could set up a hypothetical on Peter’s end, however, the verbs in the sentence do not use the Greek mood that is normally used to set up a hypothetical.

3. So Peter is probably not considering an if…then construction that is improbable or impossible. In fact, he is speaking of a real condition. Something that is fairly axiomatic. It is almost proverbial.

4. Then Peter describes the protasis, that if they after having escaped the filthy things of the world… we’ll pause here. Turn back to verse 4 of chapter 1 with me. Let’s read that together

5. “Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire.”

6. That sounds pretty similar to what he says here of these apostates doesn’t it?

7. Well, just wait, it only gets more difficult…

viii. [Slide 15] Through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

1. So, Peter has actually talked about the knowledge of Christ quite a bit so far.

a. In 1:2, Peter wishes for God’s grace and peace to be lavished on his audience as they grow in the rich knowledge of God and Jesus.

b. In 1: 3, Peter says that it is through the rich knowledge of God that God’s power gives all that we need for a godly life.

c. And in 1:8, we are assured that if we can be described with increasing spiritual virtues, we will be kept or protected against being lazy in pursuing the knowledge of Christ and from being unprofitable in our knowledge of Christ.

1. So, what does he say here? That they were able to escape the filthy things of this world through a knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2. My friends, Peter is using Christian jargon to describe these people. All indicators in this passage point to a person who was genuinely converted to Christ.

3. Peter describes a person who left the filthy things of this world as a direct result of the saving knowledge of Christ.

4. But after doing this…

ix. [Slide 16] They again get entangled and succumb to them.

1. Those same filthy things of the world…

2. That same corruption they escaped by knowing Christ…

3. They once again entangle themselves in them and are defeated or give in.

4. So, Peter’s if…then… presents a person who by the knowledge of Christ has escaped the corruption of sin, only to find themselves in it once again, but not just in it… defeated by it. Succumbing to it. Loving it.

5. If all this is true… what is the REAL conclusion?

x. [Slide 17] their last state has become worse for them than their first.

1. Peter does not elaborate on this statement at all.

2. He simply suggests that as an entrapped and defeated person in the filthy things of this world, they are in a worse predicament now than they were prior to receiving the knowledge of Christ and escaping the filthy things.

3. Peter goes on…

b. [Slide 18] 21 – For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them.

i. What do we make of this statement?

ii. How is it better to be a sinner who never hears the gospel, the holy command to repent and believe on Christ, to be holy, to love God and to love others… how is it better to never hear such things than to hear them, receive them, begin in them, and then turn back?

iii. Peter does not explain. He doesn’t actually give us the answer.

iv. But before we move on, let me just say this.

v. According to what we just saw, Peter is most assuredly teaching, not only that it is possible to be truly saved and reject your salvation… but that to do so, means you will never return from it.

vi. “Ok Chris… where’s the but…”

vii. No buts.

viii. Peter is warning the false teachers, the new believers, and everyone in the churches in Asia Minor about this real truth. There is no forgiveness for someone who receives Christ and is washed from his sin only to return to and be dominated by it.

ix. Like Lot’s wife, who escaped the city but was destroyed because she turned back… so are apostates.

x. Peter stops short of calling these men the elect or children of God… but the description of them before they went back to be dominated by their sin again… is the same description he uses earlier to talk about Christians.

xi. “So… are you saying that the bible doesn’t teach eternal security?”

xii. No. “Whew!”

xiii. What I am saying is, that these two verses do not teach eternal security.

xiv. “Oh boy. So, what does that mean for us? The bible has contradictions? How can the bible both teach that those who are Christians are eternally secure and that those who are Christians can reject their own salvation by going back to and being defeated by their previous sins?”

xv. I am tempted to conclude the sermon here.

xvi. The force of Peter’s words on the original audience would have been like jumping into icy water.

xvii. It would be difficult to achieve that today with our desire to quickly microwave all our problems away.

xviii. To end the sermon here would leave you as uncomfortable as his original audience probably felt.

xix. But Peter concludes his thought in verse 22… and as it is, verse 22 gives us the harmonization we seek.

c. [Slide 19] 22 – They are illustrations of this true proverb:

i. Peter is going to give us a proverb.

ii. He says it is one proverb which means that both statements are actually the same truth encapsulated in parallel illustrations.

d. [Slide 20] “A dog returns to its own vomit,” And “A sow, after washing herself, wallows in the mire.”

i. I have, just, so much to say on this little proverb, that it is a little overwhelming to try to figure out how best to construct my thoughts.

ii. First, this is the 3rd and 4th time in the characteristics of the cursed that Peter has mentioned the animal Kingdom in reference to these men. This is beyond a pattern… this is a thread of Peter’s thought. So, what has he said so far about animals?

1. These men are like animals when they irreverently rebuke fallen angelic beings. Why?

a. They prove themselves to be foolish, unreasoning, and unthinking – acting by nature- on instinct.

b. They submit themselves to the capture and destruction of these fallen angelic beings as they become tools to be used by them and taken in their destruction with them.

1. These men are like Balaam who though claiming to be a seer was more foolish than his donkey who rebuked him for his greed.

2. And now here they are compared to dogs and pigs.

iii. Before we analyze the proverbs themselves, we must make an observation. Throughout the 1st century world, both pagan and Jewish culture considered dogs and pigs to be filthy and appalling beasts. Throughout the scriptures, including in Matthew 7 – dogs and pigs are viewed as wicked or unholy creatures. Creatures that eat garbage and generally are shunned.

iv. So, when we read this proverb don’t think “man’s best friend” and teacup pig ok? Think rats and cockroaches.

v. But what is said specifically?

1. A dog returns to his own vomit.

a. Not being a “dog person” – and I just alienated like half of you. Look I don’t mind dogs… at your house. Anyway – not being a dog person, I wondered… is this true? Is it true that dogs eat their own vomit – often enough to conclude it as an axiom?

b. After a quick google search it was fairly unanimous. Yes. Dogs eat their own vomit. Many sites (that were not Christian sites) mentioned first and foremost that it is actually natural instinct. It is a response to the stimuli. The vomit smells like food so they eat it.

c. Indeed, a veterinarian site, responding to the question “should I stop my dog from eating his own vomit?” stated… no. There is no harm in them doing it. It’s natural.

d. And you wonder why I’m NOT a dog person? I think y’all have more explaining to do

View Details

Title: “Characteristics of the Cursed” Part 1

Text: II Peter 2:10b-22

FCF: We often struggle holding our ground in the truth

Prop: Because false teachers share similar characteristics, we must remember what we have been taught and obey the command we have been given.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter chapter 2.

It is good to be back behind the pulpit. It is my turn to teach in foundations as well, so I am coming back from vacation with a full teaching schedule. The Lord is good though and allowed me to complete all my work this week.

It is also good to be back to II Peter. I am anxious to get back to the text, but the last time we were in II Peter was July 3rd. Perhaps July seems like a lifetime ago for you. I know it does for me. So it is reasonable to expect you to have forgotten most of what we have been talking about in II Peter – so let me try to do a little bit of review with you.

[Slide 2] Peter began his second letter with a beautiful description of all that God has done to insure that all we need to be what He wants us to be, is provided by Him.

Starting with faith to even be united to Christ. How do we have that faith? Peter answers. It is by the gift of God through Christ’s righteousness. Without God’s gift of Christ’s righteousness, none would believe.

Then Peter tells us that all things we need to be godly come from Him, through knowing Him. In fact, all God’s children have been called to His glorious excellence. And what God calls His children to, they will receive. In fact, it is through all His gifts to us that He has given us great promises , and since He never lies, His promising guarantees that we will receive it. He promises that we will be partakers in the divine nature.

But if we think we can bank on that promise and sit and do nothing. Peter continues by commanding his audience to make every effort to build upon what they have been given. To grow in Christ. To take the gifts of God and use them like the men in the parable of the talents who pleased their master.

In fact, Peter continues, if you have this growth upon the gifts given by God, not only will they prevent you from being useless and unfruitful for God, but they also verify or confirm that you are called and elected by God.

But Peter warns, that if these gifts are not built upon and you see no growth, then you are blind and lost. You are still in your sin and are not a true believer.

And just to make sure he is clear, Peter then bounces back again to the other side of this whole discussion to say – that if these spiritual characteristics of Christ are found in you and increasing… then they will prevent you from stumbling into apostasy and will gain for you a rich entry into the Kingdom of Christ.

After this, Peter admits that he knows they have heard all this before. But he wants to remind them because it is so desperately important that they hold fast to these truths. And because he is about to be martyred.

But how do we know all this is true? Because God has prophesied this from the beginning. And the apostles who gave this message to them did not invent this teaching or follow fables. Instead, they were eyewitnesses of Christ’s glory, and receivers of His prophetic Word.

His audience would be wise if they continued to listen to the apostles teaching and not be tempted to turn to others who disagree with them.

In fact, Peter says that they need to hold fast to all the apostles taught (much of which he has written in this very letter). Why? Well that is where chapter 2 comes in.

[Slide 3] Chapter 2 opens with the assurance that false teachers have always been around, and unfortunately, they will continue to be around.

And as they have always done, they will continue to sneak into the assembly of God’s people and sow their destructive teachings that are contrary to what has been received as the truth. If we peek ahead to chapter 3, we see that this teaching was that Christ was not going to return to judge, and that there would be no future Kingdom.

We find then, in chapter 2, the consequences of that belief in that they deny the authority of Christ and live debauched lifestyles. Doctrine has consequences y’all. If you believe something that only slightly twists the scriptures it is going to altar everything eventually.

Peter warns that these false teachers will try to exploit them and lead them astray. Which is why he wrote all he did in chapter 1. They need to trust the apostles and what they taught. The doctrine of chapter 1 is the antidote for the venom of the false teachers of chapter 2.

[Slide 4] But Peter assures his readers that God will not allow these false teachers to get away with it. In fact, based on 3 examples from Jewish history and mythology, he proves that God always has and always will rescue His people and reserve the ungodly for judgment. And He will especially reserve those who despise authority and who indulge their fleshly desires.

[Slide 5] Today, Peter is going to get specific. He is going to do a little character sketch for us. He is going to list the sinful character flaws of false teachers.

His purpose in that is twofold. First, so that we might mark them among us and be wary of them. Second, so that we might hold fast to the truth we have been taught and walk in the way of righteousness as we have been commanded.

Unfortunately, there is no way I would be able to do all of this in one sermon, so next week, we’ll come back for the rest of the description of these false teachers.

For now, I am in II Peter chapter 2. Let’s begin reading in verse 1 just to get the context we most recently spoke of, and we’ll read to the end of the chapter so we know where we are going.

Transition:

Ok, so lots to get to today, but we are well on our way. Let’s look at the second half of verse 10.

I.) False Teachers despise all authority but their own, so we must remember what we have been taught and obey the command we have been given. (10b – 13a)

a. [Slide 6] 10b – Brazen and insolent, they are not afraid to insult the glorious ones,

i. For those who despise authority and follow after their flesh – Peter does not beat around the bush. He doesn’t sugar coat it.

ii. Brazen means bold in a bad way or audacious. The kind of people we might say – how dare you – to.

iii. And insolent which means to be self-willed or self-satisfied. It is a combination of arrogance and lacking any need or want of others. It communicates not only pride but also disrespect to others. I like insolent as a translation.

iv. They are audacious because they follow their flesh. They are insolent because they despise authority. And both of these threads will permeate the rest of the chapter.

v. Peter begins with their insolence.

vi. He cites one particularly alarming and unfortunately applicable accusation against these false teachers.

vii. What is it?

viii. They are not afraid to insult the glorious ones.

ix. So, to insult means to demean or to slander. It is actually the word from which we get blasphemy. All in all, it means to speak irreverently against someone who is an authority or is in some way higher ranking than you.

x. Glorious ones could also be translated dignitaries or glories.

xi. Some view this as the false teachers speaking irreverently against the apostles or perhaps human civil magistrates. Although I disagree with that interpretation, to speak irreverently against either the apostles or human civil magistrates would fall into the same category of sin.

xii. But for several reasons I do not believe that is what these brazen insolent people were doing.

xiii. Let’s continue on and then I’ll explain what I think Peter is saying and why.

b. [Slide 7] 11 – yet even angels, who are much more powerful, do not bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord.

i. So, we have the picture that these men who have snuck in quietly with destructive heresies, are now irreverently rebuking the glorious ones.

ii. Whoever the glorious ones are, Peter reveals that not even angels, who are either much more powerful than these men, or possibly the glorious ones, not even angels bring an irreverent rebuke about them to God.

iii. Because II Peter and Jude have so much similar content, if we go to Jude, he says something similar in verse 8

1. “yet these men, as a result of their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and insult the glorious ones.”

2. Then verse 9 “But even when Michael the archangel was arguing with the devil and debating with him concerning Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”

iv. In Jude it is obvious that the glorious ones, dignitaries, or glories to which he is referring are angelic beings. Specifically angelic beings of a high rank. And more specifically, a named Angelic being of a high rank refusing to rebuke a fallen angelic being of a high rank.

v. So, coming back into the text of II Peter, I’d say that his reference is the same.

vi. So, what is the crime of these men?

vii. They are speaking irreverently against high ranking angels… specifically angels that have left their place and turned against their creator.

viii. As one commentator writes

1. [Slide 8] “When they were rebuked for their immoral behavior and warned of the danger of falling into the power of the devil and sharing his condemnation, they laughed at the idea, denying that the devil could have any power over them and speaking of the powers of evil in skeptical, mocking terms.” Bauckham, Richard. Jude and II Peter. Edited by David Hubbard and Glen Barker, Zondervan, 1983. Word Biblical Commentary Series.

2. Perhaps they would go so far as to deny the very existence of such beings altogether.

3. Or knowing that they deny the future coming judgment of Christ and an eventual Kingdom of righteousness – perhaps they thought that the coming judgment was only on these beings and not for them.

4. Perhaps they thought that being united to Christ meant that they could live however they wanted and still escape the punishment reserved for the devil and his angels.

5. They have forgotten the words of Christ – “depart from me you lawbreakers, for I never knew you.”

ix. What does their flippancy toward these fallen angelic powers mean?

c. [Slide 9] 12 – But these men, like irrational animals

i. In our culture to call someone an animal can actually be a good thing.

ii. But that is not at all how Peter intends this.

iii. In fact, this is a SHARP rebuke.

iv. As far as the Angelic race is from the human race, that pales in comparison from the distance between the human race and the animal kingdom.

v. Angel kind and mankind alike have spiritual futures, spiritual realities, and spiritual destinies.

vi. Angel kind and mankind are rational and make choices, generally acting out of well-thought-out reason.

vii. Animals, although perhaps being included in the new Kingdom, have no soul or spirit which will transcend to that time or place.

viii. And instead of acting out of rationality or reason… animals are…

d. [Slide 10] - Creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed –

i. What does this mean?

ii. It means that animals act according to their nature.

iii. If we followed the dictionary definition of instinct it says. “An innate, fixed pattern of behavior in response to certain stimuli.”

iv. They have been programed by God to act within a hierarchy of needs for their own personal body and for their species.

v. Birds do not fly south for the winter because they have thought long and hard about it and have concluded that this is what they must do this year. They fly south because that is what they have in their nature to do. When they feel the earth tilt and the winds change, they gather and make the trip.

vi. This is one way that animal kind and human kind differ sharply.

vii. Although we can debate the freedom of the will and how free natural man’s will actually is – one thing we can agree on I think, is that mankind has more freedom of his will than the animal kingdom does.

viii. Another stark difference between human kind and animal kind is that God made it clear in Genesis that the world, including the animals, were given under the dominion of man.

ix. Animals serve the purpose of mankind.

x. Animals are born or created so that they can be captured, tamed, used, or consumed by mankind.

xi. Their entire purpose is to serve the needs of men.

xii. Quick caveat, this does not give mankind the freedom to abuse the animal kingdom.

xiii. But why does Peter word this as captured and destroyed? We know what he means about animals? Their capture is related to their taming and their destruction is related to the killing of the animal for various needs a man would have. But why does Peter choose these words?

xiv. He is comparing an animal to these men and the relationship of an animal to men and the relationship of these men to these angelic and wicked beings.

xv. So, these men when they irreverently rebuke fallen angelic beings, they are like animals sharing two things in common with them

1. They are irrational and unthinking

2. Their purpose is to be captured and destroyed.

xvi. As animals were created to be tamed and used by men, so the wicked were made to be captured and destroyed by fallen angelic creatures.

xvii. These two commonalities with animals are explained as Peter goes forward.

xviii. Why are they irrational and unthinking? Because they…

e. [Slide 11] Do not understand whom they are insulting

i. As animals act on instinct and respond to stimuli without thinking or reasoning… they did not actually sit down and consider the beings they were irreverently rebuking.

ii. If they had – they would have known that such beings are far beyond their power.

iii. And why are these men showing that their purpose is to be captured and destroyed?

f. [Slide 12] And consequently, in their destruction they will be destroyed, 13a – suffering harm as the wages for their harmful ways.

i. The consequences of their irreverent disdain for authority and power results in their own destruction.

ii. The destruction of the reputation or the irreverent rebuke of these fallen angelic creatures will result in those very creatures dragging them into the same judgment that they will endure.

iii. They will then, suffer harm as a direct result or as the direct payment for attempting to inflict harm.

g. [Slide 13] Passage Truth: So, Peter is in the midst of a character study of these false teachers. He has already told us that they come in with destructive heresies. He has already told us that they will deny the authority of Christ. He has already told us that they will live debauched lifestyles. He told all of this to us in verse 1 and 2. He assured his audience in verse 10 that God knows how to reserve the wicked for judgment especially those who despise authority and who indulge in their fleshly desires. So now he fleshes out what it means to despise authority. They don’t even respect beings who angels refuse to rebuke. At its core, it is a misunderstanding of their role. Human beings will judge angels someday – but only because we are united to Christ. Until then, let the Lord rebuke them. And that is the problem. These false teachers are too arrogant for that.

h. [Slide 14] Passage Application: For his readers, they must not fall prey to the destructive heresies being taught, nor are they to follow the lifestyles of these men. Instead, they must mark them for what they are, and hold fast to what they’ve been taught.

i. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the whole of scripture we see that oftentimes false teachers and false prophets share a common character flaw. They are notoriously arrogant. Oftentimes they never entertain the possibility of being wrong, nor do they feel any can judge them or hold them accountable for their actions. They are above the law. They sit in the seat of the judge. They are the only righteous accuser. There isn’t anyone quite like them. In this they follow the pattern of their father the devil, as He declared with confidence – you will surely not die. God is lying to you. In fact, he is just trying to keep you from what you could become. He is holding you back.

j. [Slide 16] Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, what do we do with this first characteristic of a false teacher? What do we do when we see someone within our church despising authority? What do we do when we see someone arrogantly thinking that they are above scrutiny? What do we do when we see someone who has elevated themselves as the judge of all, as the one with all the answers? What do we do when someone among us flippantly underestimates the power of the forces of darkness? We rebuke. We warn them that they are headed down this path. We also safeguard one another from this by holding fast to what we have been taught. This will help us keep our proper place. This is where the antidote of chapter 1 comes in. God has equipped us to be godly. He has given all we need. To hold fast to such truth keep us from assuming we are able to irreverently rebuke… well… anyone.

Transition:

[Slide 17 (blank)] But certainly arrogance and irreverence is not the only characteristic of a false teacher. Peter continues with the second character flaw, one he’s already alluded to.

II.) False teachers are slaves to the passions of their flesh, so we must remember what we have been taught and obey the command we have been given. (13b – 16)

a. [Slide 18] 13b – By considering it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight,

i. These false teachers considered it for themselves a great pleasure to indulge, to spend on themselves, to revel. They are wholly turned inward – self-willed and self-gratifying.

ii. They do this in broad daylight. The NET interprets this as part of their brazenness. That they would do what most of the ungodly save for the night when the sun is down – they do in the daylight.

iii. Even the gentiles would consider drunkenness, carousing, and reveling during the day to be particularly appalling.

iv. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 10, woe to you land when your king acts like a child and your princes party in the morning.

v. By doing this…

b. [Slide 19] they are stains and blemishes,

i. In this they prove themselves to be stains on the fine white clothing of the church.

ii. They are defects or blemishes on the perfect pattern of Christ.

iii. They are not like all of God’s other children… why? Because God’s people hate sin and love God’s law. And these men are not so.

c. [Slide 20] indulging in their deceitful pleasures when they feast with you.

i. What Peter means by this specifically we may never know, but what we can surmise is that during the Lord’s Supper, where God’s people are to grow in communion with one another and with their Lord. Where God feeds His people through faith on the atoning work of Christ. Where the hatred of sin and love for God should be at its pinnacle…

ii. These men have snuck in with their lies and are indulging in their sins during such events.

iii. Not only this, but they are (as we’ll see next week) trying to get others to join them.

iv. Can you imagine someone coming into our next Lord’s Supper, just two weeks from today, and in the line to head upstairs, they begin to directly refute the teaching of the sermon they just heard?

v. Can you imagine someone standing in line gossiping about the spiritual failures of others?

vi. Can you imagine someone, while listening to how the broken body of Christ grants us access to God, right then thinking to themselves and whispering to others – how worthy they are to be in God’s presence. To say, when I finally see the most high God – He’s gonna owe me some answers!

vii. Can you imagine while we spoke of the blood of Christ cleansing us from all our sin, a person conspiring to indulge in fornication later that day?

viii. This is the height of blasphemy. The pinnacle of sacrilege.

ix. It is no wonder Peter is not holding back.

d. [Slide 21] 14 – Their eyes, full of adultery, never stop sinning;

i. Rather than their eyes being full of adultery, really this should be rendered, their eyes are full of the adulterous woman.

ii. This means that every woman they see with their eyes is a potential candidate to engage in adultery with.

iii. Adultery can be a blanket term for all sexual sin. And in this we see that their fleshly appetites are not satiated, even while the Lord’s Supper is happening all around them.

iv. Indeed, their eyes are always looking for opportunities to sin.

e. [Slide 22] They entice unstable people.

i. Of course, as we noted at the beginning of this chapter – their sin is not limited to themselves.

ii. Their sinful practices and idolatrous hearts are not content to be alone. They instead seek to have others join them.

iii. Proverbs 4:14-16 says “Do not enter the path of the wicked or walk in the way of those who are evil. 15 Avoid it, do not go on it; turn away from it, and go on. 16 For they cannot sleep unless they cause harm; they are robbed of sleep until they make someone stumble.”

iv. Specifically, they target those who are unstable. Those who do not pay attention to this proverb. Those who are not rooted in truth. Those who are young in the faith or have only made a profession of faith.

v. They are the weakest among us, which is why the church was commanded to make disciples not converts. God saves men’s souls – but He entrusts a portion of their nurture to His church.

f. [Slide 23] They have trained their hearts for greed,

i. Another common aspect of false teachers throughout the scriptures is that they combine their new and novel teaching with financial support.

ii. The provision of great wealth is neither a proof of someone teaching the truth, nor is it something sought by those who truly preach the truth.

iii. If you find a teacher consistently talking about money, wealth, and earthly prosperity of all kinds, and they are well off themselves, before even investigating what they say – you can bet that they are a false teacher.

g. [Slide 24] These cursed children!

i. My friends this is strong language. The strongest statement Peter has made yet.

ii. What is he saying?

iii. These men are under the curse of God.

iv. As the writer of Hebrews says “For if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us, but only the fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume God’s enemies.”

v. Such willful rejection of God’s teachings and law means these false teachers have no hope.

vi. In fact…

h. [Slide 25] 15 – By forsaking the right path they have gone astray,

i. Jesus says that the road to destruction is broad and many take it to their own doom. And He also says that narrow is the way to life, and few find it.

ii. My friends, these false teachers have found the gate. They have found the path to life.

iii. But after finding it… they sprinted through the gate making great progress but they were easily distracted by all the pleasures of this world. And before they knew it, they found themselves back on the broad road.

iv. Now they stand on the broad road, and once again they see an exit for the narrow way. But they scoff and jeer. They shout at those walking it – begging them to come to the easier way. Begging them to come to a life of pleasure and luxury.

v. In fact, they are very much like a character from the Old Testament.

i. [Slide 26] because they followed the way of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, 16 – yet was rebuked for his own transgression (a dumb donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the prophet’s madness).

i. Turn with me to Numbers 22. We will read verses 1-35

ii. So Balaam seemed committed to only doing and saying what Yahweh instructed Him to do and say.

iii. Yet even as he set out to do as the Lord instructed, the Lord, who knows the hearts of men, saw corruption in Balaam’s heart.

iv. Most likely, Balaam on the way to Balak considered the possibility of cursing the people of Israel for the great gain Balak offered.

v. In this God sent the Angel of the Lord to stop him from pursuing the wages of unrighteousness.

vi. His donkey, which is an irrational animal, seen even during this time as an animal slow and unintelligent even for a beast of the field, His donkey saw the angel.

vii. First it turned aside, then it tried to avoid, then it finally simply sat down and refused to go on.

viii. In this somewhat comical story, the seer cannot see and is irrational and foolish, but the irrational animal can see and points out the foolishness of the seer.

ix. The Lord opened the donkey’s mouth to complain against his master.

x. Balaam listened to God and blessed the nation of Israel three times instead of cursing them.

xi. However, in chapter 25 of Numbers, right after these events, the children of Israel commit acts of prostitution and worship of Baal.

xii. In chapter 31 of Numbers we discover that this was instigated by… guess… yep… Balaam.

xiii. So immediately after he blessed Israel 3 times, he sets out to corrupting their worship. In a sense although he doesn’t pronounce a curse with his lips, he engineers a curse with his influence.

xiv. And that is the essence of these false teachers. They on the surface, on the outside, they appear to be faithful but they despise authority and they want to fulfill the lusts of their flesh including carousing, sex, and greed.

j. [Slide 27] Passage Truth: So Peter shows the second sinful characteristic of these false teachers. They are slaves to the passions of their flesh. They flaunt it openly, pursue it always, and seek to gain from all they teach.

k. [Slide 28] Passage Application: His audience must mark these men, refuse to follow them into their sin, and remain steadfast in the way of righteousness.

l. [Slide 29] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the whole of scripture we’ve seen and continue to see that false teachers and false prophets, almost regardless of what they say or teach, can be found out by their lifestyles. Jesus says in Matthew 7 that you will know them by their fruit. They follow the passions of their flesh. If you stay for foundations today, you’ll see and hear how God’s true prophets not only didn’t do this – but many of them obeyed God when He commanded them to do some pretty crazy things. They didn’t do what they wanted to, but what God wanted them to.

m. [Slide 30] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, what must we learn from this? It is important for us to be grounded in the Word. We must hold fast to what we have been taught. To believe the gospel of Christ and live it out in our lives. We must protect those who are unstable among us by training them to obey all that Christ has commanded. And we must remain humble as we, by faith, follow our savior and trust His grace. By this, we will not be easily swayed by these cursed children who come to sweep us away with them.

Conclusion:

[Slide 31(end)] Although our description of the characteristics of the cursed is not yet complete, we can identify even today people who have demonstrated both of these sinful flaws to their own demise.

Prominent men and women in the last decade have shown disdain for authority, irreverence for received doctrine, and indulgence in their own fleshly lusts. Though they once seemed to be among us. Brothers. They are now deconverted. They are cursed.

My friends, don’t let that be you.

My friends, don’t let that be me.

We must hold fast to the truth that we have received and walk in it. And we must hold one another accountable to do so.

That is one of the primary purposes of the church. To teach one another. To protect one another. Let us do just that. So that we are not swept away by every wind of doctrine.

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Deacons 5

[Slide 1] Well, here we are again back for week 5 of our teaching on Deacons. This will be our final week learning about Deacons in this setting, but to really change the culture of our church to adopt a biblical model of what Deacons with a capital D and deacons with a lowercase d really are, it will take more and more learning and relearning as we slowly put into practice what God gave the Church. I hope that all these lessons will be the start of a conversation and a revolution in our church. And my hope for that has grown more and more over the last few weeks.

As we have done each week since week 1, it would behoove us to review the concepts we have learned so that we may stack the final rock on top of our cairn of understanding regarding D(d)eacons.

[Slide 2] So in week 1… what did we learn?

We took the word deacon in the New Testament and came to understand that it is a word that simply means ministry or service.

We learned that most of the time, the word is not used for those holding the office of a Deacon.

We learned that it is the responsibility of all saints, all of God’s people, all Christians to do the work of the ministry… to deacon.

We learned that all the spiritual ministry and physical service that needs to be done in the church… is done by the church as a whole and not by a single office, group, or person.

Week 1 was a huge culture shifter for our church. Not because we were extremely negligent in our duties – but because it finally voiced what I think a lot of us were thinking already. Ministry is done by the church as a whole. So when we appoint anyone to office, it is never to do all the work of ministry in the church.

What about week 2… what did we learn in week 2?

Right. We learned about the office of a Deacon. And for that, we went to the only 2 passages of scripture that deal with that office.

The first was?

Philippians 1:1

And what did we find there?

It is a unique office from the Elders. It is in Leadership of some kind. It is Subordinate to the Elders.

What was the second passage?

I Timothy 3:8-13

And what did we find there?

Yes. The qualifications of a Deacon… which are?

Worthy of respect, not double tongued or hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, tested first and found blameless, godly wives, husbands of one wife, managing their own houses competently.

What was the key takeaway from these qualifications? What kind of person qualifies to be a Deacon with a capital D?

Exactly – only those who are spiritually mature people. The moral and spiritual character of a person are the only characteristics that we are looking at to see if they are qualified to be Deacons the office. Not their understanding of plumbing, electrical, construction, or even a spiritual gift assessment. It is their personal spiritual character.

But that left a big unanswered question for us didn’t it? So, we had to go to week 3 looking for more answers about what exactly a Deacon the office does. We went to what passage of scripture?

Acts 6:1-8

And how many times is the office of a Deacon mentioned there?

Zero… right.

So why can we feel comfortable in gleaning information about the office of a Deacon from this passage?

Exactly. This is early in the church’s history. The function of these men who were selected for this necessary task does not really conform to the office of an Elder. That lines up better with the Apostles in this passage. And since the bible only lists two offices in the church (Elder and Deacon) it seems that these are what we might call proto-Deacons.

So, what did we learn about the role of a Deacon from this passage?

Yes. A Deacon’s role is to supply resources to and eliminate obstacles from those who are attempting to minister or serve other members of the body of Christ. We saw how the widows of the church were being given food daily – but not all of them. Some of them were forgotten. 7 men were appointed to this role, to make sure the task was done, and it got done. The saints ministered more effectively under their management and the widows were no longer neglected.

In this we saw that the office of a Deacon is a servant to the servants. A minister to the ministers. A deacon to those who are deaconing.

But in week 4 we addressed an issue regarding the two offices in the church. What did we talk about in week 4?

We attempted to compare the offices of Elders and Deacons. In so doing, we looked at both the qualifications and roles that God has given each office as listed in scripture.

When we compared the qualifications of Elders and Deacons, what did we find?

Morally, Spiritually, they were VERY similar. What were some key differences?

1) Elders must be apt to teach.

2) Elders must be gentle, not violent, hospitable, controlled in their mind, having a good reputation with those outside the faith, not prone to anger, and not contentious. Meaning that Elders especially need to be spiritually mature enough to diffuse potentially explosive situations with people.

3) Women have some role in the execution of the office of a Deacon, whereas they do not in the execution of the office of an Elder.

To seek clarity on these differences, we compared the roles of the Elders and the Deacons.

In doing so we noticed that the stewardship of God’s church does not fall on both offices of Elder and Deacon, but only on the Elders. And when we went to Acts 6, we noticed the subtle clue given by the Apostles. They recognized that it was THEIR responsibility, ultimately, to make sure that these widows were cared for… but they were unwilling to actually do the work of this and sacrifice their primary duties of prayer and the ministry of the world.

In short, every corner of the church is under the oversight of the office of the Elder. They are responsible to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.

We’ve stated that the Deacons give resources to and remove obstacles from God’s people so they can do ministry. Doesn’t that sound an awful lot like Ephesians 4 where Elders are to equip the saints for the work of the ministry?

What does that mean?

A Deacons role must be created when two conditions are met.

1.) There is a need for saints to be equipped to do the work of the ministry. But if this alone is true, then the Elders must equip the saint to do the work of the ministry.

2.) But if that task of equipping them would force the Elders to abandon their primary duties of teaching the word and prayer, then a Deacon must be appointed.

Meaning what? If the need could have been met by the Apostles in Acts 6 – it would have been.

Deacons then, toward the Elders, serve them by removing tasks that inherently prevent them from exercising their primary duties of prayer and teaching the Word.

What this means practically is that the Elders and Deacons are not two branches of government. Rather the Elders under Christ, lead the church. The Deacons are the Elders’ support who take tasks from the them so they can focus on their primary responsibilities.

Elders Lead ministry, Deacons facilitate ministry.

In this, Deacons do exercise authority, but authority limited in two big ways.

1.) It is under the Elders authority

2.) It is confined to the task that they have been given charge over.

These limitations on a Deacons authority re-emphasize that although the Deacon is an office of the church, it is not a governing body. Oversight and stewardship of the church belongs exclusively to the Elders. Why? Because that is what the bible says.

[Slide 3] Whew! We’ve learned a lot haven’t we? What could we possibly still learn today? Well, there is one unresolved issue that I’d like to point out to you that actually contributes to our understanding of what a Deacon does. We know they are a servant and support to both the Elders and the rest of the congregation to help them do their various ministries and services. But what is the impact of such a role in the church? What can come of it, and what do they become?

Does anyone remember the unresolved item from Acts 6? There are actually 2 of them.

1.) [Slide 4] Was the neglect of these widows intentional?

2.) What does it mean that Jewish priests were converting to Christ?

Let’s go back to Acts 6 and we’ll read verses 1-7 one more time.

[Slide 5] After reading this, let’s endeavor to answer whether or not the Greek Speaking Jewish widows were being neglected on purpose or not.

Here is what we know – we know that there had been tension between these two groups. The Hebraic Jews would see the Hellenistic Jews as less than them – as not really real Jews.

But that was before they had come to Christ.

It would not be surprising to come to Acts 6 and find several Jews going back to their old ways. However, I highly doubt that this was an intentional neglect of the Greek Speaking Jewish Widows. If I wanted to prove that to you – what evidence could I give from this passage and the book of Acts?

1.) The record of the church up to this point. In Acts 2, they held all things in common. In Acts 2 they shared all they had with each other. In Acts 4 they continued to share all things in common. In Acts 5 the people were gripped with fear and the warning against false piety and lying to the Spirit, and against sin in general. In Acts 5 they also saw rigorous obedience by the apostles, even at great personal risk, and seeing God bless their obedience.

2.) The apostles virtually ignore prejudice here. It seems like that would be something that should be addressed. If prejudice and racism is sin – why would the apostles ignore the sin and move to solve the symptom instead?

3.) The people grumbled or murmured. This seems to indicate that they were suspicious that it was intentional. Sometimes suspicion of something being done is just as powerful as if it was being done. So for these Greek-Speaking Jews to suspect that this was intentional, first doesn’t mean it was, but second must be dealt with seriously because it could be just as damaging as if it was being done intentionally.

4.) After calling the entire group of disciples together (Meaning both the Greek Speaking and Hebrew Speaking Jews) and asking them to carefully select 7 men with godly character… who do they select? Stephen, Phillip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas a Gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch. What is interesting about these men’s names?

a. All of them are Greek names.

b. And because Nicolas is called out as a Gentile who converted to Judaism, it is reasonable to conclude of the others mentioned that they were…

i. Jewish in race (except for Nicolas)

ii. Jewish in religion before Christ (along with Nicolas)

c. Meaning that the whole assembly gathered and selected 7 Hellenistic Jews to lead the effort in distributing the food to all the widows in the church.

Based on all these reasons, I do not believe the neglect of these widows was deliberate. But I do think that the church as a whole wanted to insure everyone that it wasn’t deliberate by taking every necessary action. They wanted the problem solved. They wanted to get back to ministry happening and having everything in common.

So they selected 7 Hellenistic leaders to solve the problem, while simultaneously putting down even the whiff of prejudice among them.

[Slide 6] Now what about the Jewish Priests converting to Christianity?

There are a few of these “to sum up” statements in the book of Acts. Luke uses them to transition from one section to another and therefore we should see threads of the previous section connecting with the threads of the one that follows.

Stephen’s ministry, arrest, preaching, and murder will happen in the following several verses. Stephen’s primary critique of the Judaism of his time was that the temple sacrifices were no longer necessary since they were but a picture of what Christ had accomplished. So, to see a comment from Luke about Jewish priests converting helps us to see that this message was being received, even by those within the temple system. More than likely these Jewish priests converted and stopped ministering in the temple.

But another aspect of this connects with what we just saw, in how the early church dealt with each other. A ministry to care for the poor, suspected of prejudice, is now stronger than ever. Cultural and racial divides remain non-existent in the church. And the poorest among them are being cared for. A priest would know the law and what God spoke in His law about foreigners, proselytes, widows and orphans. God declared that the one who perverts justice on any of these groups is cursed.

So, for this group of priests, who were probably not well off themselves because they were not part of the chief priests who were regularly critiqued for oppressing the people. For them to see God’s law actually being fulfilled and racial prejudices subsiding, for them to see the poor actually cared for as an equal in the community of Christ, how could they not believe that God was doing something special in the lives of this group called Christians. In its short history of existence the church was solving racial and economical issues that had long plagued Israel. Even in our study in Foundations we’ve seen how some of the reason God judged the Northern and Southern Kingdom was because of their mistreatment of the poor and voiceless. Suddenly, this people group under a man from Nazareth, is solving these age-old problems? How? Can it be? Was He truly the Messiah?

So based on all this – what can we learn about the office of a Deacon?

[Slide 7] Deacons are shock-absorbers!

They took what could have been a potentially explosive situation, risking the unity of the fledgling church, and absorbed all of the issues, softening and deadening its impact and thus solidifying the unity of the church.

Now they didn’t do it alone. The Apostles provided oversight, direction, wisdom and instruction. The congregation provided concern and uniquely suited men to solve such an issue.

But these 7 men absorbed that shock in the church and from it, the church was more unified then when it began.

Rather than speaking to their role I think this speaks to the effect of their role when done rightly.

Deacons serve the Elders by taking tasks away from them that would distract them from prayer and the ministry of the word. In doing this, Deacons also serve the congregation by providing resources to and removing obstacles from them so that they can do ministry. The result of that great work – is unity. Peace. Love. And Patience.

Deacons turn a situation that could have led to division, a situation that could have led to revolt, a situation that could have led to infighting, and they turn it to back to a vibrant godly ministry.

Deacons absorb friction and keep the engine cool. And they are uniquely suited for this task, because they are spiritually mature people who love God’s people, are submitted to their Elders, and desire to serve both.

[Slide 8] So, what is a Deacon?

A Deacon is a spiritually mature problem solver. A Deacon is a patient peacemaker. A Deacon is a Servant to those who serve.

What isn’t a Deacon?

A Deacon is not involved in church government.

A Deacon is not a mister fix it

A Deacon doesn’t do all the work

A Deacon doesn’t have authority over people so much as they do over tasks

A Deacon doesn’t contribute to gossip, backbiting, slander. Nor does a Deacon fan the flames of division, infighting, or army raising.

What is a Deacon?

[Slide 9] A Deacon is an office that this church desperately needs.

So how do we go forward from here?

First, can I say that although the Rummage sale brought in less money than it has in several years… our people stepped up and stepped in to get the work done, more than we have in the last several years. In the last couple months, I’ve seen people in this church pounce on ministry opportunities within the same hour it was posted on CBC scoop. I’ve seen people caring for, praying for, calling on, and helping each other. I’ve seen members and non-members alike step up to swing hammers and fix things.

In short, many of you are understanding that to be a member of the body of Christ is to be a servant and minister to each other. This delights my heart. I think I can confidently say that we have a large group of people who are ready, willing, and able to serve each other.

But we lack those who are able to get them together. We lack those who are able to organize the task and see to it that nothing and no one is forgotten. We lack those who are able to swoop in with support and not only make sure that people know where ministry is needed, but also meeting any needs those doing the ministry may have in order to complete it.

And that is what the Elders are looking for. We certainly need people who are willing to serve and minister. But those folks aren’t Deacons. Not necessarily anyway. Those folks are all of us. But we really need those who are spiritually mature and able to organize and facilitate ministry. Your Elders feel the weight of all that we are to oversee and much of it has nothing to do with praying or the ministry of the Word. There are many tasks that we would be happy to see managed and absorbed by another spiritually mature person in the church which we can trust to do it well.

Maybe after having heard all the teaching on Deacons, you think you know of someone in our church who could do this. Maybe you think, after looking at the spiritual qualifications, that you are this kind of person. Submit the name to an Elder.

But I thought Elders appoint Deacons? Of course they do. But that doesn’t mean you can’t submit a name. Even if it is your own.

[Slide 10] But before you do that – there are two books I want you to read. Much of what they have in it is going to be repeats to what you have heard already – but maybe that is ok.

1.) Deacons by Matt Smethurst. It is 133 pages and gives a great overview of the office.

2.) What do Deacons Do? By Juan Sanchez – 44 pages

Both of these books/booklets are put out by 9marks ministry. I highly recommend them before you submit any names – just to be sure that you understand the office for which you are recommending them.

A third book you can read for extra credit would be “Paul’s Vision for the Deacons “By Alexander Strauch – 192 pages – I have not read it yet but plan to read soon.

You can also be praying for your Elders as we continue to investigate what role women have in the execution of the office of a Deacon. You can be praying for us as we determine what tasks specifically we are doing that keep us from praying and the ministry of the Word. And you can pray as we assess our folks for the spiritually mature, that it would be clear who God is giving to us as Deacons.

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Part 4 Who is a D(d)eacon

[Slide 1] Ok so here we are again. Back for week 4 of this study on D(d)eacons.

If you have been with us the whole time – I hope you have seen how each lesson adds a layer on top of the previous one. This is another reason that we review each week. Certainly, the teaching is important – but I must show you how each teaching from scripture builds on top of the last teaching. All that we’ve learned helps to inform us of what more we must learn.

So, let’s continue to build those layers.

[Slide 2] In the first week - Well y’all ought to be pros at describing what we learned in week 1. So why doesn’t someone do that. Who can re-teach succinctly what we learned in week 1?

Right! We learned about the word “deacon” by seeing how it was used in the New Testament – particularly how it was used in passages where it was not talking about the office of a Deacon. What we discovered is that all Christians – all saints – are responsible for the work of the ministry. Service and ministry are two words that often define what the word dia;konoV means in the Greek language.

With this understanding we noted that all Christians are to be serving, caring, helping, teaching, correcting, encouraging, and generally deaconing one another. When it comes down to role and function, the group that does all the spiritual and physical service in the church is… the church.

Therefore, whoever the officers of the church are, they are first servants and ministers. That is the ground floor for all Christians. From that the duties of their office are added.

That leads us into week 2. If all the church is the ground floor serving and ministering to one another, the question is, who qualifies to hold the office of a Deacon? The qualification to serve and minister is simply being a child of God. But what about the offices of the church – in particular the office of a Deacon?

Who can name off some of the qualifications of a Deacon (uppercase D)?

Worthy of Respect, Not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, tested first and found blameless, godly wives, husbands of one wife, managing their households competently.

I think that is all of them. Good job.

Now what passage of scripture would I go to find that list of qualifications?

I Timothy 3:8-13.

Now let’s remind ourselves some of the key takeaways from this list of qualifications. What are they?

Exactly! The office of a Deacon is to be inhabited by those who are spiritually mature. They are generally those who other church members honor, respect, and wish to emulate.

These characteristics set these folks apart for service that is somewhat more specialized than simply spiritual and physical care. There is some specific role they must fill that requires such precise and mature characteristics.

That leads us to what we saw last week. Although out of passages in the New Testament that specifically call out the office of a Deacon, we still needed to answer the enduring question of what a Deacon actually does. We went to a passage of scripture to which you can return for today’s teaching.

Acts 6:1-8.

Although this passage does not specifically call out Deacons the office – we noted that this is very early in the church. And it seems that since the Apostles were the only office of the church, the creation of this new office fits best with the definition of the word Deacon. Although there is some ambiguity there which we will seek to explore later.

Who can tell me generally what events are transpiring in the church in this passage of scripture?

Right. The church was growing fast and the apostles were faced with a problem where some widows –Greek speaking Jewish widows – were being neglected by the daily distribution of food. The apostles were not willing to sacrifice the priority of prayer and the ministry of the word to serve in this way, so they commanded the congregation to carefully select 7 men from among them with character qualities that resemble the list we found in I Timothy 3, though admittedly they are more general qualifications. Once they did this the apostles say that they will put them in charge of this necessary task.

The congregation joyfully obeyed and gave the apostles 7 men which the apostles ordained into this specific ministry.

Because of this the gospel kept spreading and even Jewish Priests began converting to Christ.

So last week we identified what is the role of Deacons. Who can summarize their role well?

Right. It is to facilitate ministry. It is to make ministry easier. Easier for who? The body of Christ. How do they do that? Well in this particular situation they brought order to what was going on and made sure that no one was neglected in the distribution of food.

The ministry was happening after all… it just wasn’t happening well. The Deacons stepped in and made sure that ministry happened effectively. The apostles maintained their duty to pray and preach the Word and no more widows were forgotten.

We noted that the Deacons role is simply that. They are the ones who make sure those who are serving or ministering can do so to those whom they are serving or ministering to, without any hang-ups. In that sense, a Deacon (with a capital D) ministers and serves those who minister and serve. They are deacons to those deaconing.

They are the support, they are the back up, they are the scaffolding holding up the painters. Their job is to get the most ministry and service out of every single believer in the church. And they do this by managing necessary tasks.

[Slide 3] But one question was asked last week that is an incredibly astute question. One that will drive us forward in what we will learn today.

“How do we know that the office being spoken of in Acts 6 is not Elders?”

Now right off the bat, we have to recognize again that this is the early church. As such everything is in its infancy. But from what we know about the office of an Elder – what can you pick out that would be their responsibility?

Well, it is a difficult question, isn’t it?

The oversight, prayer, and preaching roles of the apostles clearly conform more to Elders.

But when we read in verse 8, that Stephen was full of grace and power and doing signs and wonders for Christ, and when we read about Phillip later being an evangelist… we start to really wonder if these men were Deacons or a Elders. Do we have a case of Stephen not staying in his lane? Can deacons teach?

Perhaps it would be beneficial for us to compare the qualifications and responsibilities of Elders and Deacons. And let me tell you, when I did this, I found some surprises this week.

[Slide 4] So go with me to I Timothy 3:1. Let’s read 1-7 and orient ourselves again with the qualifications of an Elder.

READ

[Slide 5] Now let’s compare them. The Elder qualifications are pulled from both I Timothy and Titus. Repeats are put in parenthesis. The Deacons qualifications are pulled from I Timothy 3. What do you see that is similar?

Right. So, there are quite a few items that have direct correlations and some that are saying essentially the same thing but not word for word.

[Slide 6] I have drawn attention to that in this next slide by crossing out those that I thought either said the same thing, or essentially said the same thing.

Now I have often heard it said and even probably said so myself, that the only real qualification difference between a Deacon and an Elder is that an Elder must be apt to teach. However, when I look at this list – I don’t really find that to be true.

If we add the concepts from Acts 6 – Full of the Spirit, Full of Wisdom, Full of Faith – into the listed qualifications of Deacons then you could, potentially eliminate a couple more from the Elder’s qualifications side and perhaps this is what those who say that being apt to teach is the only difference have done. But because there are no Elder qualifications of the same era I hesitate to put these lists together.

So, in keeping just the qualifications from the two pastoral epistles about these two offices… what do you see that is different?

And what might we make of these differences of qualification?

It seems to me, that according to qualifications alone, The Elders have the same spiritual maturity standards of a Deacon with some additions. There seems to be the added emphasis on speaking, teaching, discipling, and relating gently and humbly to others.

And for Deacons, no matter what we conclude about Women Deacons, we must conclude that women are inherently involved in the function of their office. Especially since they are called out in the middle of the list. Either the Deacon’s wives, women of the church in general, or women Deacons must be involved in the ministry of the office of the Deacon. Whereas Elders wives, according to I Timothy 2, could not be involved in the office of their husband.

In short, before we even get to comparing the Deacons and Elders roles in the church, there seems to be a heavier emphasis on how Elders relate with people under difficult circumstances, than the Office of a Deacon.

[Slide 7] So, let’s compare their roles.

What do you notice… right off the bat?

Right. There is A LOT of specificity to the role of an Elder. In fact, the role of the Elder is probably the most robust, far-reaching. Holistic office of the church.

Perhaps the one aspect that really describes an Elder’s role is the last one on this list from Titus 1. And Elder is the Steward of God’s church. Just like a steward watches over the throne of the King while he is away, just like a house steward watches over the estate of the master while he is away, the Elder watches over Christ’s church while He is away.

How far does the authority of a steward extend? What are the limitations of a steward’s authority? As far as the King or the master of the house. Applied to the church – it means that insofaras the Word of God has said it – the Elders have authority to say it. Insofaras the Word of God teaches it – the Elders can do it or expect it from themselves and the congregation. What this means is that although clearly under Christ, the Elders occupy the role Christ would have if He were among us in the flesh. Just as the husband occupies the same role toward his wife as Christ has to the church, so also the Elders occupy the same role to the congregation that Christ has to the church.

Now, looking at this list – what do you notice about the role of the Elders in relation to their qualifications emphasizing relating to people in difficult or potentially controversial scenarios?

Yes – it seems like those qualifications would be supremely needed if the role was to oversee the entire church and be responsible to lead them in example, teaching, and authority.

Comparing all of this with the Deacon, whose only role description is in a passage that doesn’t even name the office, we see that the Deacon is less fleshed out. Why is that do you think?

[Slide 8] Well, let’s go back to Acts 6 for a moment. Remember in that passage the two offices? Apostles and this unnamed office that we have seen as Proto-Deacons.

Highlighting both, in light of the qualifications and roles of Deacons and Elders respectively, which group more closely aligns with each?

Certainly, the apostles in function look much like the Elders. And the Apostles were the ones who put these 7 men in charge of this necessary task. But not before saying “It is not right that we should give up preaching the Word to serve tables.” Meaning – the responsibility of the tables being served fell on who?

The Apostles. EXCACTLY!

Much like the King was responsible for the choices of the nation of Israel, and the Husband is the head of the home, the apostles and now that that office has expired, the Elders are responsible as stewards over all of the church.

That is why the Apostles needed to put these 7 men “in charge.” Because it was The Apostles responsibility to make sure the task was done well. So, they assigned men – not to do the work – but to make sure the work got done well.

What am I getting at here?

Perhaps the reason we see so much crossover between Elder and Deacon and in these proto-deacons is because the Elder is responsible to equip all the saints for the work of the ministry. The Elders have charge over the whole assembly. They are under shepherds. And the Deacons are an office used to facilitate ministry where the Elders are unable to do so due to the potential for sacrificing their primary duties of the ministry of the Word, prayer, oversight, pastoral care, and correction.

[Slide 9] The office of the Deacon then, takes full shape. Not only is the office of a Deacon a deacon to those deaconing. But they are also a deacon to the Elders. They not only organize and remove obstacles from the church – serving those who are serving others. But they also remove obstacles from the Elders so they can continue to Teach and Lead effectively without getting bogged down in tasks not related to those responsibilities. And the Deacons do this under the direct oversight of and in submission to the Elders.

So, if we are to compare the offices of Elder and Deacon – what could we succinctly say?

[Slide 10] Elders Lead Ministry. They provide vision, guidance, teaching, an example to follow, and authority from the Word of God.

[Slide 11] Deacons Facilitate Ministry. Under the vision, guidance, teaching, example, and authority of the Elders, the Deacons serve the Elders by being appointed to take from the Elders necessary tasks to make ministry easier for the church.

So, as we close out this 4th week of teaching on Deacons, let me do as I have done and make some application for us.

The question of whether or not Deacons ought to be leaders in the church is a question rife with confusion.

Some models of church government have two boards, Elders and Deacons which act as two legislative branches for the church. Thus, both sides must agree in order to move forward.

Some models of church government simply dichotomize the responsibilities of these offices in that all things spiritual belong to the Elders and all things physical belong to the Deacons.

Still other models have Deacons making all the decisions of the church while the Elders simply teach.

According to all we have seen from the Scriptures in the first 4 weeks of this study, each of these models of church government do not fit the biblical model of Elders or Deacons.

Why? Is it because the Deacons are not to be leaders?

No. Actually – I think that everything we’ve seen of the office of the Deacon up to this point has proven conclusively, without shadow of doubt, that Deacons are leaders.

So, what is the problem with the aforementioned government styles?

[Slide 12] Leadership does not equal authority. In fact, I would say, that Leadership has absolutely nothing to do with having authority. And that is the problem that we have with a couple teachings in scripture.

Wives think that since they must be submissive to their husbands that that means that they cannot lead. Nothing could be further from the truth. They can lead by example, by godliness, by holiness. They can be a wonderful asset and influence to their husband, trusted in all points for advice and for guidance. Such qualities of a woman would be highly prized by any man who has the authority but wisdom and humility to seek help and advice.

Similarly, the Elder while having the authority to exercise oversight over all the church, needs leadership from within the church to rise up. They need people who are trustworthy. And they need those people be submissive to their authority.

The reason each of the three government models I just mentioned fail, is because they give authority and leadership the same definition and practically apply that to their governing system of the church.

Can the Deacons gather? Can they create ministries? Can they create plans and devise changes? Of course. That is leadership. But can they execute any of this outside of the oversight of the Elders? No.

Well, the bible says they were put in charge of that task. Doesn’t being put in charge of something require some authority?

[Slide 13] Deacons in their role will inevitably deal with people and even exercise authority over people – BUT it is always limited in two big ways

1.) The Deacons authority is limited by the authority of the Elders. Since the Elders are called the stewards of God’s house, the Deacon cannot be equal to that authority. The Deacon’s authority is inherently under the Elders’.

2.) The Deacon is put in charge of a task. This limits the authority of the Deacon with reference to the servants he is serving in two ways.

a. He cannot exercise authority over a person who is NOT serving under the task for which he has charge.

b. He cannot exercise authority over a person who IS serving under the task for which he has charge, BUT is telling them to do something OUTSIDE the scope of that task.

As a Christian, who happens to be a Deacon with an uppercase D, they could give biblical counsel to a person struggling with their marriage. This is simply spiritually serving that person. But they do not have the authority to set up regular counseling sessions or to assign actions that must be performed, or even to limit their ministry involvement. Indeed, if the biblical counsel is not fairly straightforward, doesn’t seem to help, or they ignore biblical counsel, at that point, rather than a Deacon executing some kind of quasi-discipline and keeping that couple from ministry - they should refer the whole matter to the Elders.

But I thought Deacons had authority over necessary duties or tasks? Of course they do. But they do not have the authority to make any decision unless that authority has been given by the Elders. And any decision that is outside the task they have been appointed to manage – is beyond their authority.

So in comparing Elders to Deacons what have we learned about Deacons? Who is a Deacon?

Deacons must be leaders. But leaders with very limited authority. In some ways – this is a test of whether someone is a true leader or not. Can they lead without authority? Then truly they are a leader indeed.

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Part 3 Who is a D(d)eacon

[Slide 1] Well, we have arrived now at Part 3 of this study. I think I can say with confidence that this study will finish on August 14. We will have a 1 week interruption on the 7th of August for the Hattons coming in. And then on the 14th we will finish up with this Deacons Study.

This morning, right off the bat we need to do some review. This teaching is so important for us as a church, given the fact that we do not have Deacons in office at this moment! Therefore, we cannot afford for ANYONE to be left behind here. Keep in mind that you can also listen to the sermons on Youtube, Facebook, and even our website, columbusbc.com. You can even download an audio copy of the sermon and/or the manuscript of my notes on our website. But it is best to be here for the teaching… WHY?

Well because this is a discussion! You can ask questions and speak answers here. Also, the place for all God’s people on the Lord’s Day – is here. So be here!

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Deacons 2 “Who is a D(d)eacon?”

[Slide 1] Well, if you weren’t here last week, that is ok, we’ll do a little bit of review to start out this morning.

We are trying to answer this question, “Who is a D(d)eacon?”

Of those who were with us last week – can someone explain to me why there is a parenthesis around a lowercase d in the middle of the word Deacon?

That is exactly right. Well done. This question is actually asking several questions all at once. Thus, it becomes the springboard for all the lessons in this series.

First, the lowercase d in this question represents the understanding that we arrived at last week. And for that, we’ll review a little.

REMEMBER TO POSE THESE IN QUESTIONS

[Slide 2] Last week we saw that the noun for deacon is dia;konV (diakonos- DIA-koh-nos) which is used 29 times in the New Testament and translated the vast majority of times as servant or minister.

We also looked at the verb form of the word, to deacon, which is diakone;w (diakoneo – dia-koh-NEH-oh) which is used 37 times in the new Testament and is mostly translated to minister or to serve.

We noticed that not only are the uses mostly translated as minister or servant, but actually very rarely is the word used to speak of the office of a Deacon. Which would be Deacon with a capital D. In fact, I let slip as a spoiler that there is only 1 passage in the entire New Testament that actually offers us any teaching on the office of a Deacon.

Therefore, since there is so little in the New Testament on Deacons the office, it made sense that we start with the non-office lowercase d deacon, and see if we could surmise something by how this word is used in normal sentences not talking about the office of a Deacon.

We read through the noun occurrences only, realizing that we had a fairly good understanding of the word at that point and we defined the semitic range of the word to the extent that to deacon or to be a deacon (lowercase d) was to be a humble, loving, caring, compassionate, servant and minister to all God’s people, building up the body of Christ in the unity of the faith and knowledge of Christ.

In this, we looked at what it means to do the work of the ministry and realized that the Elders of a church are to equip all of God’s people to do the work of the diakoni;a (diakonia – dia-koh-NI-a) which is the participle form of the verb diakone;w.

What does that mean? It means that all God’s people are to be deacons… lowercase d. All God’s people are to do the work of deaconing.

We must be a servant to all. To care for all. Every Christian ought to be deaconing. Waiting to be given an office in order that you can deacon – shows that you have misunderstood this basic concept. All Christians deacon. All Christians serve. One another first and even the ungodly.

We read through our membership covenant which highlights exactly what this means. That all of us are to serve one another’s spiritual and physical needs – fulfilling the law of Christ.

Finally, I gave a real example of a person in our church who deaconed well.

For this reason and reasons like it the Elders of CBC cannot appoint any Deacons to office yet, for we have realized that we must first understand and apply this basic concept to the culture of our church. We must have a culture of service here if we are to ever receive from the Lord those whom He has prepared to take the office of Deacon.

We concluded with a call for us all to re-examine our hearts as believers. Are we devoted to serving one another as we ought? With our time, our money, our energy, and our families. Do we serve one another?

So that was all… review.

[Slide 3] So, what about the other Deacon? Who is a Deacon with a capital D?

But even this question could go in various directions. But let’s let our previous method dictate where we go with this question today.

Last time we looked at every occurrence of the word for deacon in noun and verb form, in order to derive meaning for the word group itself. So, let’s do the same thing today, except let’s focus on the times that the word is used in reference to the office.

It won’t take us near as long as last time…

[Slide 4] As you can see on the screen we have 3 instances where the noun is used and two where the verb is used.

And as you’ll notice from the screen we really only have 2 passages of scripture here to deal with. And as soon as we read Philippians 1:1 – we’ll see that we really only have 1 passage.

Who wants to read Philippians 1:1?

Now as much as we don’t learn much from this passage about a Deacon (with a capital D). What do we learn?

They are officers in the church

They received instruction before the people

They are distinct from Elders.

They are subordinate to Elders.

But, that is about it. A lot for a little verse, but not much to go on if we are to answer the question Who is a Deacon?

[Slide 5] So, let’s go to I Timothy 3 and we’ll try to wrap our heads around, what is the only passage in the New Testament to talk in detail about Deacons, the office.

READ

Ok. So, in the only passage of the New Testament that talks about Deacons the office, what is its primary teaching?

Yes – it speaks of the qualifications required in order for someone to serve as a Deacon.

Who is qualified to hold the office of a Deacon? That is the question it answers. Just like we were shocked to learn that the work of deaconing falls to all Christians, I wonder if we will be equally shocked to learn how rigid the qualifications for being a Deacon (capital D) truly are.

[Slide 6] So let’s try to define each quality of a person qualified to be an officer known as Deacon.

First, what might the word “likewise” mean after Paul introduces Deacons?

This doesn’t put them on equal footing of Elders, but it does put their qualifications as equally important. Their offices are distinct. The office of a Deacon, while lacking the role of oversight and the priority of teaching, still MUST be qualified for their office. Lest certain catastrophe ensue.

What does it mean to be worthy of respect or dignified? - This qualification serves as the governing description with each other description shuffling under it. Over all this is a person who is an example for all to follow. One that each person sees as a godly person and would generally wish to be like. They are humble, compassionate, servants.

What does it mean to not be hypocritical or double tongued? – It is difficult to determine if this means to say one thing and do another or that they are different people to whomever they are with. In either case, the person who is qualified to be a Deacon would not gossip, slander, be a yes man, or play sides. They guard their tongues and ears.

What does it mean that they should not be drinking a lot of wine? – It is appropriate to apply this to any practice, experience, or substance. Wine is not the only life-dominating vice that occurs in our world today. If a person is qualified to be a Deacon, they will not be controlled by anything save the Spirit of God.

What does it mean that they should not be greedy for money? – So, their tongues are under control, their appetites are under control, and their wallets too. A person qualified to be a Deacon ought not to think that money solves all problems nor should he be desirous to hoard or unwisely spend money.

What does it mean that they should hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience? – They must know, hold to, and live the faith. As we noticed about the “ministry” it is to build up the body of Christ in unity of the faith and knowledge of Christ. The unity part is where the Deacon comes in. They know the truth and they serve the physical aspects of God’s people in reference to it. Not independent of it. If a person is to be a Deacon, whether they can do carpentry or are a good plumber is irrelevant. Do they hold to the faith? Are they mature believers? That is far, FAR more important. Why? Because it is not God’s building for which they are caring… it is God’s people.

What does it mean that they must be tested first? – no person is qualified to be a Deacon unless they are first a deacon (lowercase d). Furthermore, they must be found blameless in their deaconing. There is no credible charge raised against their deaconing.

Verse 11 could be focused on the wife of a potential deacon. There is not consensus on this. Through church history this has been used to speak of Deacon’s wives, women in the church, or Deaconesses. We will not venture into this topic at all in this study. That is a matter your Elders will need to sort out in the days ahead. But if it is talking about the wife – it means a person who is qualified to serve the church as a Deacon must have a wife that is also worthy of respect, that is not a slanderer or gossip, and is self-controlled and faithful.

What does it mean to be the husband of one wife? - Furthermore, a person is qualified to be a Deacon when they are faithful to their wife and not in polygamous relationships, not adulterous, not addicted to pornography, or lusting.

What does it mean to manage their children and households competently? - And a person who is qualified to be a Deacon has children and households that are managed well. Their children are generally obedient and respectful. Their wives are generally submissive and supportive. And they are leaders not lords over their home. They do not rule by fear but by love and respect. They lead by example. They are excellent Elders of their home.

Based on this list of qualifications… I put the question to you and it isn’t rhetorical.

[Slide 7] Who can be a Deacon? But know that I am not looking for any names. What my question is asking is- generally speaking – where ought we to be looking for those who are Deacon material?

We have reached the end of the passages in scripture which speak of the office of a Deacon. But we lack a huge piece of information, don’t we? What are we missing?

If all Christians are to deacon (lowercase d) than what, exactly, does a Deacon (the office) do?

We’ll get to that next week, but before we close, let me challenge you like I did last week.

One of the reasons that we are so confused and befuddled by the concept of Deacons stems from what we have just seen. There is so little in scripture actually speaking to their office and their role. In that information vacuum, or perceived vacuum as we’ll see next week, in that perceived vacuum we tend to allow many other ideas to float into our understanding.

Today there are many different ideas of what a Deacon is to be. We recently had the office of Deacon working alongside the spiritual gifting of Pastor. This formed a quasi-Delder role where Deacons and Elders were blended together. Thankfully the Lord has allowed us to shift away from that. But that hasn’t exactly solved all our problems. Why? Because we still have various conceptions about what a Deacon is and what a Deacon does.

As we move forward in this study, we will both expound on what a Deacon is and does positively, but we will also blow up false concepts and misconceptions of what a Deacon is and what a Deacon does. And today, by only looking at the qualifications of a Deacon, we can close the coffin and perform a quick funeral for one false view of a Deacon.

A Deacon is not someone who is good at construction, great with odd jobs, a wonderful electrician, an HVAC guy, an IT professional, a great plumber, an outdoorsman, a man’s man, or a landscaping expert.

Now don’t get me wrong, a person who is qualified to be a Deacon could be any or all of these, but these attributes do not describe a person who is qualified to be a Deacon. In fact, they don’t say anything at all about a person’s qualification to be a Deacon.

As we’ve studied, in order to deacon (lowercase d) these skills would be extremely helpful. But to be qualified for the office of a Deacon they are irrelevant. This is actually one of our first clues to understand what a Deacon does… but we’ll save that for next week.

Above all, what we must understand, is that the qualifications set down by God through His servant Paul, emphasize the godly character of the person who is to hold the office of a Deacon.

This tells us, what we’ve already been able to piece together. The primary object of deaconing (lowercase d) seems to be the primary focus of the Deacon office of a church. That is… people. Not property. Not organization. Not money. People.

Why do you think that is true in the early church?

There was no such thing as a church building, or a 501c3 status.

Now that doesn’t eliminate property, organization, or money from possibly being a Deacon’s responsibility… but we MUST understand that if a Deacon’s role includes caring for church property… it is not a realm to which the Deacon claims ownership, nor a job to which they have exclusive power to change or operate, nor a kingdom of which they rule without exception, nor a job for which they are particularly equipped, nor a post they can occupy regardless of their spiritual immaturity or lack of submission to the Elders. If a Deacon cares for property it is because they are godly, humble, submissive individuals who love God’s people. They want to care for what God has given, through His people, and to give the Elders the ability to focus on other priorities.

In short, Deacons of property almost need to know nothing about property to do their duties. They simply must be godly examples who are respected by the church membership. And they must love the church membership and give themselves in service to it.

If you aspire to one day be a Deacon… you must first be godly. Being a great builder, or being a handy man, or knowing how to set up a website, will do little to nothing to prepare you for the work of a Deacon. You must be godly. You must hold fast to the mystery of your faith with a clear conscience. You must have your tongue, your appetites, and your wallet under control. You must have the respect and love of your wife and your kids. You must be respected and followed by the community of God, and you must be deaconing blamelessly already. You’ll never make it as a Deacon, if you are not these. I don’t care how fast you can fix a furnace.

So perhaps you need to adjust your thoughts and expectations about the nature of the office of a Deacon. Perhaps you need to repent of not seeking out the Lord’s Word on the topic and only relying on man’s tradition and established habits that are only a century or two old. Perhaps you need to refocus on deaconing before ever even thinking about being a Deacon.

But perhaps you have come to the other side of this encouraged. Because you aren’t a handy person and just always figured that meant that you could never be a Deacon… perhaps being godly as a requirement is a part of your character already. In this you find some measure of comfort – that you could serve as a Deacon someday. That perhaps God would gift you and call you to such an office.

May we all do some introspection and see what the Lord would have from us as a result of this study. Let’s pray.

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Who is a D(d)eacon?

[Slide 1] Well today will be a little bit different.

As you’ve noticed, I am not standing behind a pulpit today, but rather here on the floor among you. The reason for this is to communicate very clearly that we are not preaching. The difference between preaching and teaching is that preaching must call all people to respond, since it is the declaration of the gospel and its ongoing effect on God’s people and the world as a whole. Unlike preaching, teaching does not need to call people to respond, although I will call you to respond at the end of this lesson. Teaching also differs from preaching in that we will not necessarily be basing all our thoughts on the gospel of Jesus Christ but rather on the logical conclusions we must come to about the subject matter of Deacons when we look at the word of God.

We’ve done teaching series before where we have looked at matter that relates to the gospel and is drawn from scripture but is not wholly relying on what God has said alone but is meant to teach, inform, and possibly illicit change.

As I’ve said before, the Elders consider this teaching to be of the utmost importance to our church, and I will elaborate on that a little later. For now, let’s jump right in.

On the screen behind me, you see the question, “What is a D(d)eacon?” Ignore the parenthesis for now – it is there for a reason but we will get to it momentarily.

If we are going to study what a “Deacon” is, it would do us well to try to define our terms.

So, I have a white board up here and we will spend some time defining this together. First, I need a volunteer to come up and be my scribe.

[Slide 2] So, what do you think a deacon is? I should say, that if you participated in this study back in June, I’d ask that you refrain from giving answers – at least at first. Give everyone else a chance.

Ok. Thank you scribe for your help.

So, we have quite a list up here. So far, this is what we in our “group mind” have come up with for a definition of Deacon.

[Slide 3] But what if we wanted a more definitive answer? Where could we go to find the exact definition of the word?

[Slide 4] How do we use the bible to get a good definition for the word deacon? Well, we could do a word search for the noun and verb forms of the word. Since it is an office of the church – the word is probably used about 1000 times in the New Testament right?

[Slide 5] The Greek noun is dia;konoV. Say it with me. Diakonos. And as you can see, the noun form of this word is used 30 or fewer times in the New Testament.

What you see on the screen is how different translations when finding that Greek word – go about translating it. This will help us to understand the semitic range or the fullest expression of this word.

So, even though this is only a small sampling of 4 English translations, we start to see a pattern emerge, don’t we?

Although there are some random glosses, or definitions of the Greek word – it pretty much comes down to 2 definitions.

The overwhelming majority say that the noun dia;konoV means servant or minister.

We also notice that in every version only 3 times is the noun used to refer to the office of a deacon. So 3 times in 30. That is only 10% of the usage of the noun actually referring to the office of a Deacon. That is… surprising.

[Slide 6] What about the verb form of the word. That’s right. There is a Greek word – to deacon. It is diakone;w. Say it with me. Diakonehoh.

Again, this verb is only used 37 times in the New Testament.

Let’s look at the same translations and how they translate the verb.

So again, although it is a small sampling of versions – the pattern emerges fairly quickly. To deacon, means to serve or minister.

We also see that the VAST majority of uses of this verb, deaconing, is not in reference to the office of a Deacon. In fact, only 5% of the time is the verb used to talk about the office of the Deacon, deaconing. That is… shocking.

Although it would be far simpler for us to go to those 3 verses for the noun and 2 verses for the verb. Especially since 2 of the verses from the noun are in the same passage of scripture and the verbs are there too.

In case you didn’t catch what I just said – in the entire New Testament, the office of a Deacon is only mentioned in verb or noun form… in two, yes, two passages. And one of those passages teaches us virtually nothing about the office of a Deacon. As we’ll see next week.

Because there is so little to go on regarding what a deacon is, it makes much more sense for us to look at the non-office uses of this word first.

What we’ll find, is that the word deacon is older than the office of a Deacon.

In fact, the office was created and named because of people who were… deaconing. Or being deacons (lowercase d).

What is clear, is that if we can understand the word “deacon” it will greatly help us understand the office? So, let’s see how the noun is used, specifically when it is NOT talking about the office of a Deacon.

[Slide 7] Before you is all 26 times in 24 passages where the noun is used but DOES NOT refer to the office of a Deacon. Let’s read each of these and see how it is translated and what is the context.

I’d like to read each one back to back with little to no break. I may make a comment or two but if you are next to read, just go right in to it. To expedite that process let’s assign each number quickly –

So who wants 1-24

Now that all have been assigned let’s listen to each being read. Readers, feel free to get a bit of context before or after if you think it will help us understand what is being said.

[Slide 8] So, we have seen the noun form of deacon used 26 times in 24 verses. What can we determine about the word – deacon? What does the word deacon mean?

Yeah. So, it means servant, minister, someone who physically and spiritually aids someone.

Now rather than going to every verb -and reading all 37 of those occurances, I think we can reasonably assume that they essentially communicate the same meaning.

[Slide 9] Unless you want to turn to all 30 verses? I thought not.

[Slide 10] So… who is (or ought to be) a deacon?

Notice the lower case! We are not talking about the office just yet.

Who ought to be described as a servant or minister? When we speak of ministry what are we speaking of?

And what is the ministry of Christians? What does it mean to do the work of the ministry?

Let’s go to Ephesians 4:11-16

What is the work of the ministry? Who does the work of the ministry?

This is a very important passage for us to consider as we understand what the church is and how it is to function.

READ

All Christians should be deacons (lower case d). All Christians should be loving and caring for one another. All Christians should be visiting the sick, helping the poor, showing compassion on the downtrodden, giving mercy to those who need mercy and compassion to those who need compassion.

All Christians should be doing what has traditionally been assigned to “Pastors” or “Deacons” – as such Pastors and Deacons have become outsourced hirelings to do the work of the ministry that the rest of the body is supposed to do. It effectively flips what the scriptures say. Instead of the pastors equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, the saints are hiring the Pastor or electing the Deacons for the work of the ministry. While the rest of the body does what? Well, that is the question, isn’t it?

If you are not a producer, what are you? A consumer. The rest of the body exists to be served rather than to serve.

It is very important for us – before we go ANY further in this study to realize this. Neither the Elders nor the Deacons of a church have exclusive responsibility to perform these functions within the church. In fact, the Elders have been called to equip you to deacon.

Christians serve. Christians minister. Christians love and help each other. Christians care for each other spiritually and physically.

[Slide 11] So before we can go anywhere, before we can move on from here. We have some things to address.

You might have expected to learn about the office of a Deacon today… but perhaps you are starting to see that unless we understand what it means to deacon… we cannot possibly hope to understand the office of a Deacon.

In this you must realize that one of the reasons that the Elders could not simply select Deacons for office from among us, is because there is a need for all our church membership to all be deacons (lowercase d).

When we set out to solve this issue about Deacons – we discovered that for various reasons, our church has a little bit of a crisis of culture.

Such a culture reveals that we have a faulty understanding of who the church is, and how they are to deacon one another.

But those who wrote our constitution before I was your pastor understood this – at least to some degree. For they called upon every single member to serve one another.

Let’s read the church membership covenant.

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God and angels, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.

We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love:

To strive for the advancement of this Church in knowledge, holiness and encouragement; To promote its prosperity and spirituality; To sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; To give it a sacred pre-eminence over all institutions of human origin; To contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the Church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations;

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions;

To be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior; To train up fathers to be the spiritual head of their families. To religiously educate our children; To seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; To walk circumspectly in the world; To be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our character; To avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; And to be controlled by the Spirit alone, and not be controlled by any practice, substance, or experience.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love;

To remember each other in prayer; To aid each other in sickness and distress, bearing one another’s physical burdens and so fulfilling the law of love; To bear one another’s sin burdens also; to reprove, rebuke, correct, and instruct in righteousness, so that others may be able to stand once again in the Spirit against temptation and grow into the full stature of Christ; To cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; To be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay. To esteem others better than ourselves by forgoing liberties when others will follow our example and sin against their own conscience; And to esteem others better than ourselves by loving and fellowshipping with those that do not share our personal convictions.

Are we fulfilling this? To each other? To our families? Are we serving each other?

I will close with an example. It is a real example but I have changed the names and situation so as not to embarrass the individual if they should recognize the story.

Some time ago, a couple in our church – Bobby and Betty – showed up early for church just like every greeter does. Their name was next on the list, they knew the schedule, and they came early to greet people at the door. Little did Bobby and Betty know, because that Sunday was not a normal Sunday, there would be no greeters at the door. I apologized profusely, letting them know it was my fault. I should have contacted them that week to let them know that we didn’t need greeters this week. But as I told them, I rarely even look at the schedule and didn’t even think about the conflict. They were very gracious and kind – they didn’t mind being early, and it was no problem for them. In good Christian love forgiveness was extended without hesitation.

A few minutes before the church service began, Betty came up to me and said, “Pastor, I’d really like to volunteer to contact each person on the greeter list the week they are going to be greeters. I may not know all the numbers, so I may have to reach out to you to get them – but I’d like to take that off your plate.”

Rather than becoming offended or irritated by an Elder’s failure – in service and love for both the Elder and for their fellow church members – Betty stepped forward to ensure that the problem would not happen again.

CBC – THAT is deaconing!

And it is not the responsibility of an office holder here. It is our responsibility. To serve one another. To see needs and meet them. Whether they are physical, spiritual, to help the church body at large, a specific family or group, or even to peel things away from the Elders – THAT IS DEACONING.

Perhaps today, you need to confess some sin. Perhaps you need to cut something out of your life to enable you to serve this body. Not as an officer. Not to earn an office. But just because that is what God’s people do. We serve each other. The qualifications for this kind of deacon (lowercase d) is simply being a Christian.

If you are a Christian, how are you serving? And if you are a member here… how are you serving this particular body? And if you aren’t a member here, wouldn’t you like to be a member of a church where we are all deaconing? I hope that is true of CBC very soon.

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Title: The Rescued And The Reserved

Text: II Peter 2:4-10a

FCF: We often struggle believing that God will judge the wicked or fulfil his promise to save us or both.

Prop: Because God has always rescued His own and punished the ungodly, we must live pure lives in submission to God, believing He will fulfill His promises.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter chapter 2.

Next week, as we said already, I plan to put a pause on our study of II Peter. After looking through what Peter writes today, we will come to a natural breath before he descends to specifically rebuking the sins of the false teachers.

But to the text this morning, Peter last time introduced the main reason that he is writing this letter to his audience. He wants to warn them that false teachers have always been and will always be an enemy of God’s true people. They arise from within leading many astray. But Peter stated that their judgement is not idle – but is surely coming.

Today he will expand on why he is so sure that this is true.

I’m in II Peter 2, I’ll begin reading in verse 1. I am reading from the NET and you can follow that in the pew bible on page 1370 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Because we are essentially covering 3 different passages of scripture today, 2 from Genesis and of course II Peter, we have a lot to cover. Added to that, Peter’s two points are dispersed equally throughout the text. Meaning that we’ll have to cover portions of each verse for each point. We have a lot of work to do. So let’s get to it.

I.) God has always reserved the ungodly for judgment, so we must live godly lives trusting God to bring us through. (4,5a, 5c, 6, 9a, 9c, 10a)

a. [Slide 2] 4 – For if God

i. What follows is a GIANT if then statement.

ii. In this if/then statement, Peter has a very long IF and a very short then. And I think we’ll find that Peter is using the logical connection form of the If/then statement.

iii. Peter’s goal is to prove that false teachers will be punished as he said in verse 1 and 3 of this text already.

iv. To do this, Peter turns to God’s record. That if God has done thusly 3 times in human history, then he certainly can do it again.

b. [Slide 3] Did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment,

i. At what point in biblical history is this referencing?

ii. Going back into the Scriptures, we’d be hard pressed to find any reference to angels who sinned and were thrown into hell and are still there awaiting judgment.

iii. We find references to angels being cast out of heaven in Revelation. We find references to Satan being cast to the earth in Genesis and possibly other OT prophets. In I Peter we find references to spirits bound in prison for disobedience. And in Jude we have angles who have left their proper domain and are now chained… but that doesn’t actually help us since it basically says the same thing Peter says here.

iv. So, what are we to make of this?

v. First, before we go anywhere else or do anything else – we must assume that what Peter writes is true.

vi. Second, before we go anywhere else or do anything else – we must be careful to leave only what the Scripture as a whole teaches us to be certain truth.

vii. With that there is really only one “when” interpretation supported by the vast majority of bible interpreters through the church age and even in Rabbinic tradition.

viii. This refers to the “Sons of God” who saw the daughters of men as beautiful and took them as wives in Genesis 6:1-8. Let’s turn there and read this passage. And you can keep your place in Genesis because we will reference it throughout.

ix. Now within this there are many interlocking interpretations. I fear that if we dive too deeply, we are bound to lose the forest for the trees.

x. Let me simply say what I think is happening here, and if you want to discuss all the options, we can do that this Wednesday at bible study.

xi. I believe that Peter is referring to a group of angels who gave up their spiritual domain, took wives of human women, and procreated with them. How that may be possible is up for debate.

xii. In this transaction human women gained something too. God was clearly angry with them for consenting to be married to these beings. But the Genesis passage never goes into any punishment for the angelic entities.

xiii. Peter then, leans heavily on Jewish myth in which God punished these angels by binding them in chains and darkness. In so far as what Peter specifically says, he affirms the teaching of that myth. Now that doesn’t mean that all Jewish myth is true. Nor does it mean that the entire account from which Peter quotes is true.

xiv. But it must mean that all that Peter quotes from the myth, is in fact true.

xv. So, what is this saying then?

xvi. That God removed a group of angels who did not keep their place, defected for their own desires, and he put them in a place called Tartarus, a place they cannot escape, so that they can be punished on the day of judgment.

xvii. Beyond this there are, as you would imagine, many uncertain things.

xviii. For our purposes it is enough to know this – that God did not treat these angelic beings any differently than He does humans. When they violated what was a clear command to pursue their own lusts – they were imprisoned and await the day of judgment.

c. [Slide 4] 5a…c – and if He did not spare the ancient world…when God brought a flood on an ungodly world,

i. In Genesis 6:13, God specifically calls out the violence of the world during Noah’s time.

ii. Going along with the interpretation of the Sons of God, it seems that during this time men began to fight wars and vie for power and prominence.

iii. In doing this, and possibly part of this, the offspring of these angels and women became mighty giant men of renown and established great empires.

iv. So, God saw that every single thought of man was evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)

v. His determination was to blot out every living thing, for He was sorry He had made them. (Gen 6:13)

vi. During this time, no doubt, man had stopped living in deference to God and instead lived for their passions. Much like the sons of god did.

vii. Indeed, as Jewish commentary notes, they spurned Noah’s preaching of righteousness – mocking him for being so foolish as to believe that God should be their judge. They jested that if God brought a flood they could not be touched since many of them were giants and built great cities they could climb to the top of to avoid the water.

viii. But God destroyed them with a flood. And not just any flood. As our Creation Scientist depicted – it was an earth shattering cataclysmic apocalyptic eruption from the core of the earth. Waters from the deep and waters from the sky poured out on all of them.

ix. So, though they mocked God and His messenger, though they pursued every wickedness and lusting of their flesh – God reserved them for judgment.

d. [Slide 5] 6 – and if he turned to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah when he condemned them to destruction, having appointed them to serve as an example to future generations of the ungodly,

i. Flip over to Genesis 18 to follow this context.

ii. We accelerate the context of Jewish history a tad when Peter brings a third example of God’s dealings with the ungodly.

iii. We fast forward beyond Noah, Babel, all the way to a man from Ur. Abram. A man chosen by God to be the beginning of His portion.

iv. Abram’s nephew, a man named Lot, settled in a city called Sodom.

v. The cry of the people in the land over the atrocities being committed in the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah and 3 other cities in the plain, had reached the ear of God. (Gen 18:20)

vi. What were these cities known for?

vii. It may surprise us to know that although the act highlighted in scripture was a homosexual sex act, which is abhorrent to God, this may not be the core of their sin. (Gen 19:5)

viii. Understand, I am in no way excusing their homosexual deeds. Some who have discovered the truth of these cities use this information to excuse homosexual lifestyles. That is simply not the case, as I will show you. But I’d like to underscore that their true wickedness was far worse than people realize.

ix. If Jewish history on the subject is to be believed, the land of Sodom and Gomorrah were known as the cities of the plain. They were well watered, green, and affluent. The cities were wealthy, teeming with opulence. But at their core they were selfish, greedy, stepping on the poor and enslaving the weak.

x. [Slide 6] The prophet Ezekiel confirms Jewish history when he says in 16:49-50, that they were arrogant, overfed, unconcerned, they did not help the poor and needy, they were haughty and did detestable things before God. Ezekiel stated this from God, because Judah had done the same thing and worse, which is why they were in exile.

xi. In my research I found some stories that could be legends – but they help to illustrate the true depravity of the cities of the plain.

1. One story depicted two women giving help to those in need. For this, they were burned alive since they violated the law of the land “what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours.”

2. Another story depicted the hospitality standard of the cities of the plain. Unlike other nations who demanded treating travelers as family – the cities of the plain gave 1 single bed of a standard size to a traveler. Should the traveler be too short for the bed and need a shorter accommodation, instead, he would be stretched on the rack to fit. Should the traveler be too tall for the bed and desire a longer bed, his feet would chopped off instead.

3. Another story depicted a beggar going house to house asking for money. Each house gave him a single coin, but when he went to use the money to buy food, the shop keepers examined the coin and would not take it. After the man died of hunger, the people came to pick their coin from his corpse. Their coin which they had marked with their name and in which the shop keepers were instructed not to accept.

4. Finally, the residents of the city built a bridge so that travelers could cross the river to come to their city. But in order to cross they would be required to pay a great sum. One man, not wanting to pay the high price, decided the swim the river instead. When he reached the other side, the guards beat him within an inch of his life. He dragged himself into the city and went before an elder of the city. The elder not only demanded that he pay double the bridge price, but also extra for the guards who gave him the beating, saying “a good blood letting is good for your health- they ought to be thanked.”

xii. This was justice in Sodom. This was mercy in Gomorrah.

xiii. So here are the layers of atrocity that is recorded in the biblical account that we might miss if we focus just on the homosexuality of the act.

1. We see two angels coming into the city and Lot heads them off immediately. He, like Abraham before him, immediately recognized that they were messengers from God and supernatural creatures. Logic dictates that there is a good possibility that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah would have recognized them as such also.

2. Abraham took these two into his home and fed them abundantly just a chapter previous. Lot attempted to do the same.

3. All the men of Sodom – the text goes into a lot of detail here. All the men young and old from every corner of the city. Now that could just mean a lot, or just the leaders – but it seems like it is all of them. All the men of Sodom came to meet these supernatural creatures.

4. The laws of common hospitality were so disregarded in Sodom that these dignitaries from the MOST HIGH GOD, were not only not given a warm welcome. Not only were they desired sexually, but they were desired for homosexual gang rape.

5. The ultimate way to spit in the face of Yahweh, would be to turn nature and dignity upside down by sexually assaulting His angels with homosexual sin on the doorstep of one who worships Him.

6. In short, their sin was far more than homosexuality. It was a direct assault on God’s law of nature and righteousness.

xiv. What was God’s response?

xv. God reigned down sulfur and fire pulverizing the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and 3 other cities, to ash. And they, to this day, have never been built again. Why? Because they are empty of any resources that could support life. What was once a fruited plain, is now ash. Take note America.

xvi. Peter indicates that this was an example to all future generations of how God deals with the ungodly. Indeed, how he may deal with our nation.

e. [Slide 7] 9a…c – if so, then the Lord knows how to… reserve the unrighteous for punishment at the day of judgment. 10a – especially those who indulge their fleshly desires and who despise authority.

i. In each example Peter cites there are three commonalities.

1. [Slide 8] God allowed the wickedness of angels and men to build to the boiling point.

a. Not even 10 righteous people lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Otherwise, God promised He would not destroy them.

b. Every thought was continually wicked in the time of Noah.

c. And angels left their place to carve out something for themselves apart from God.

d. In the Scriptures, God’s wrath always begins by allowing the ungodly to get what they want.

1. There was both sinful desires and intentional rebellion against authority

a. The acts against God’s angels in Sodom and their disdain for Lot attempting to tell them what to do points to their hatred of authority in general and Yahweh’s authority especially. Their own fleshly desires had their allegiance.

b. The people mocked Noah and considered Yahweh too small to do anything of note against such powerful people. They might have said, “A flood we can see and anticipate. We can climb above any water your God can throw down. We will keep our violence and wickedness. There is nothing He can do to stop us.”

c. The Angels deliberately left the assigned domain which they were given by God so that they could pursue their own passions. Though they knew Him as God, they rejected His commands for their passions.

1. The final judgment for all three of these will terminate at the same time.

a. Though Sodom and Gomorrah experienced sudden and violent death

b. Though the antediluvian world experienced sudden and violent death

c. Though the angels experienced sudden imprisonment

d. The true judgment awaiting all of these, is yet to come.

e. When death and hell are cast into the lake that burns with fire, which is the second death. So shall they remain in eternal torment. Forever.

f. And God has reserved them for that end.

ii. These are not a collection of randomly chosen stories. Instead, these are three examples of many, supporting exactly what Peter says.

iii. Those who reject authority in general – not just God’s authority but authority in general, and those who do so to pursue their own fleshly desires, run this risk of God reserving them for judgment.

iv. The false teachers Peter warns about are the same as these examples. They have defied the authority of the apostles, questioning their interpretation of the Old Testament Scriptures which were given by inspiration of God. They have questioned God’s authority to tell them how to live their lives, and they have pursued their fleshly passions – all while denying the master who bought them.

v. Their end is sure. Why? Because God always reserves the ungodly for judgment. Always has. Always will.

f. [Slide 9] Passage Truth: Peter reminds his audience that God knows how to reserve the ungodly for judgment. He has done this since the beginning. He continues to do so in their time.

g. [Slide 10] Passage Application: So, his audience must continue to obey the Lord and trust His Word.

h. [Slide 11] Broader Biblical Truth: Looking at the whole of scripture is not difficult in passages like this, because that is exactly what Peter does for us. God has always and will always reserve the ungodly for judgment. His wrath, at first, allows the ungodly to live and even prosper for a time. He allowed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to grow wealthy. He allowed the people of the antediluvian world to amass great empires. He allowed the angels to procreate with human women. And so, He will allow the ungodly to get exactly what they want. Do you think the madness of abortion is over? My friends, it isn’t even close. We will see unprecedented revolt, and people who were on the fence before about abortion will do them and support them now out of spite. Why? Because men love their sin and they hate being condemned by God or anyone else for it. Things will get much, much worse my friends. For our world and even for the unborn. And in His wrath, God will allow it. But not forever. God has proven time and time again, that after He allows the wickedness of a people to reach a certain threshold, He is capable of bringing to that group sudden and violent destruction.

i. [Slide 12] Broader Biblical Application: What shall we do then CBC? We are like Noah and Lot. Even though we haven’t quite talked about either of them yet – we must realize that we are like them. We are surrounded by wickedness. We are besieged on all sides by ungodliness. What did Noah do? He believed God and did what was right. What did Lot do? He stood for righteousness though every other voice hated him for it. CBC, are you ready to be alone? Are you ready to have even the conservative voices in America abandon morality? They have already discarded the authority of scripture. Just like these false teachers have. They will soon discard the morality of scripture too. Why? Because it makes no sense if it is not from God the Almighty. The carnal mind doesn’t understand the things of God my friends. If God allows this nation to continue, very soon traditional Christianity that interprets the scriptures as we do, will be out of step even with the conservative political agenda. What will we do when no one stands for our moral values? Will we continue to obey the Lord and trust His Word? My friends, that is what we must do.

Transition:

[Slide 13(blank)] So what about Noah and Lot? If God is reserving the ungodly for judgment – do the godly have any hope? Or will they too be swept away in God’s wrath? Flip back to Genesis 6 as we continue with Peter’s examples.

II.) God has always rescued His own from their trials, so we must live godly lives trusting God to bring us through. (5b, 7-8, 9b)

a. [Slide 14] 5b – but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others.

i. Even amid the rebellion of both men and angels, even amid the wickedness prevailing upon every thought of ever person, even amid the disdain for God’s ways of righteousness and rebellion against His absolute authority

ii. Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of God. (Gen 6:8)

iii. And because Noah found favor in the eyes of God, he was a godly man who was blameless among his contemporaries and walked with God. (Gen 6:9)

iv. God always rescues a remnant.

v. And for the sake of Noah, who preached the righteousness of God, imploring people to repent and join him on the ark, God did also spare his family. The biblical writers do not comment on their allegiance to God or not. They simply affirm that God “considered or counted” Noah godly among that generation. (Gen 7:1)

vi. And Noah and 7 more – his wife, his 3 sons: Shem, Hem, and Japheth, and their wives – were all saved through the waters.

vii. They were baptized into the water that cleansed the world of the mess than men and angels had made. But they came forth through the waters of God’s wrath.

b. [Slide 15] 7 – and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man in anguish over the debauched lifestyle of lawless men 8 – (for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)

i. Go again to Genesis 19.

ii. The next example is very difficult for us to square with. Despite Peter’s assurances, we all know the story of Lot. And because we are familiar with the biblical account, there is a plethora of evidence stacked against Lot being righteous.

1. Lot was living in Sodom. He was part of the problem. (19:1)

2. When the men desired the angels to come out to them to abuse them, Lot offers up his own virgin daughters to them instead. (19:8)

3. While appearing willing to escape, he eventually had to be forced to leave by the angels. A mercy of God given to him as the text says. (19:16)

4. In fleeing, he is instructed to run to the mountain, but he pleads to flee to the city of Zoar instead. By all accounts an equally depraved city. (19:20)

5. His wife looked back upon the destruction of the city and was turned into a pillar of salt. (19:26)

6. And finally, as if that wasn’t enough, through the sin of incest with his daughters, he became the father of two of the most fearsome pagan enemies of the Israelites for several generations… the Moabites and the Ammonites. (19:35-38)

7. How could Lot possibly be righteous?

iii. Peter gives us a clue. Lot, as Peter says, anguished over the deeds of the people. Indeed, his soul was tormented. Is there any hint of this in the text of Genesis?

1. First, there is a very clear comparison to Abraham and Lot in this passage. Abraham and Lot both are hospitable to God’s angels in exactly the same way. Such hospitality standards were considered a grave sin to ignore.

2. Lot meets the angels at the city gates. It is true that many would be at the city gates – but if Lot is there watching, there is a fairly good chance that he was an Elder of the city.

a. Why would he be an Elder of the city? Well, a few chapters before Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed, these cities were raided by other kings. All their possessions and people were taken captive – even Lot. Abram pursued and rescued Lot, the possessions and the people of the cities. This, no doubt, would have given Lot quite a bit of influence and could have potentially led him to be appointed as an Elder to the city.

b. How does Lot being an Elder help us with him being righteous?

c. Well, if you remember, he plead with the men not to act so wickedly (19:7). They told him – why does a sojourner here think he can tell us what to do (19:9). In other words, their disdain for authority was not only against God and His messengers, but it was against Lot too. They did not respect his judgments, even though he was an Elder. And seeing people not respect your judgments as you stand for righteousness… would torment any judge’s soul.

d. This means that Lot was trying, and failing, to stand for righteousness from within the belly of the beast.

e. Remember what God said about Noah? That God “counted Him godly among this generation.”

f. God in His grace counts people righteous by the standard of Christ even though they are simultaneously a sinner still. But how they live subsequently seems to be compared to the wickedness of their time.

g. Lot -surrounded by less than 9 other righteous people (probably only himself) is given much mercy and grace to be counted righteous even though he had many flaws.

h. Before we get out our judgment pitchforks, consider the temptation to do such things as he did when you are the only person to stand for the way of righteousness among thousands in a city who stand against.

1. What about his statement to the men about his daughters. That is pretty icky. Here are a couple thoughts on that.

a. The exact number of daughters that Lot has is uncertain.

i. He offers two daughters who are virgins and are in the house (19:8), but also has two sons in law who are betrothed or married to two of his daughters(19:14).

ii. The angels tell him to get his wife and daughters who are here and get them ready to go (19:15).

iii. So, does he have 4 or 2? If 2 are they both married or virgins?

iv. Another wrinkle on this – remember those women in Jewish stories who gave help to people in Sodom and were burnt alive. Jewish history says that at least one of them was Lot’s daughter.

v. So here is what I think. I think Lot offered these men his two dead, and pure daughters, not as a legitimate exchange, but to try to shock them into leaving the angels alone. To remind them of what they had done to his daughters.

vi. They completely ignore his offer – giving weight to the fact they knew it wasn’t a legitimate one (19:9).

vii. And the daughters who were with him in the house, were married to two men who didn’t want to leave the city.

b. There are other explanations, but this seems to make the most sense to me.

1. If Lot is righteous, why did he linger? Perhaps for his sons in laws or for friends who seemed to be listening to his teaching on righteousness.

2. If Lot is righteous, why does he desire to go to Zoar? Living in a city would be far easier to do than living on a mountain.

3. If Lot was righteous, his wife wasn’t. Possibly – but was Uzzah who died for touching the ark of the covenant while trying to keep it from falling – was he ungodly?

4. If Lot was righteous, why did his daughters behave so detestably?

a. First, even the most righteous people in scripture have had abysmal children. We’ve seen that in foundations.

b. Second, there is a key fact behind his daughters’ decision. Remember that at this point we are only a couple hundred years past the flood. God promised to never again destroy the world by water. But according to Jewish history, God hinted at the world being destroyed by fire. As his daughters watched every city (not just Sodom and Gomorrah but all the cities of the plain) burning – they no doubt concluded that they were the last 3 people on earth. Thus, they desired to continue the line.

iv. So is Lot Jesus? No. Is Lot one of the patriarchs such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or David? No.

v. But Lot stood for righteousness, alone, in the darkest place on earth. And God showed him mercy, despite his unwise and ungodly decisions. Just like every other character in the Old Testament. Remember, there is only 1 hero in the bible and it is God. Why?

vi. Because ultimately everyone’s righteousness is not their own, but is imputed to us by the redemption of Christ.

c. [Slide 16] 9a+b – if so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials.

i. Some through the waters, some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood. Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song, in the night season and all the day long… God leads His dear children along.

ii. If God can rescue a man He counted righteous named Noah though surrounded by the wickedness of all the earth, though all the earth be baptized in water…

iii. If God can rescue a man He counted righteous named Lot though he be baptized in wickedness and surrounded by the firestorm…

iv. Then God knows how to rescue His dear children from their trials.

v. What did Noah and Lot have in common? They were standing for God’s ways – even though they were the only voice dong so.

d. [Slide 17] Passage Truth: So Peter reminds his audience, not only does God know how to reserve the ungodly for judgment – but He also knows how to rescue the godly from their trials.

e. [Slide 18] Passage Application: So his audience must be godly. They must add to their faith every virtue and continue to trust the things that they have received by the scriptures through the apostles. God is faithful both to cleanse and to save.

f. [Slide 19] Broader Biblical Truth: From all of scripture we see the hand of God promising to bring justice. But we are not always guaranteed to receive that rescue in this life. Indeed, as the writer of Ecclesiastes points out, all of life is vanity – like chasing the wind. Why? Because things don’t seem to go as they should. So since this life is unpredictable and full of contradiction – we should fear the Lord. And the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I’ve done a bit of travel recently. Determining whether or not God will judge the wicked and rescue His people based on this life alone is a bit like judging what Montana looks like by the view from the airport. This world is a pit stop on the way to His Kingdom. God has given examples in scripture both of rescuing His people and of reserving the ungodly for punishment. But these examples serve to highlight the future Kingdom where final justice will be dealt. For even in these examples, neither the godly nor the ungodly have come to their final end. So we look to these examples to help us to trust that God knows how to rescue and He knows how to reserve.

g. [Slide 20] Broader Biblical Application: So what must we do CBC? We must trust God that His promises both to judge the wicked and save us to glory are true. But we cannot hope for that ultimately in this life. We have spent so much time asking God to spare our nation. So much effort begging God to bring revival. Seeking God to stave off His judgment. But my friends – perhaps we should be like the people of the plain – and cry out to God for justice and not just for revival. Even if that means that our nations crumbles to ash. God can and does rescue His own, either in this life or the next. We can and should ultimately pray for both – but if God is not willing to pour out grace on our nation, to pray in His will means we must pray for justice. Indeed, as the Lord’s prayer says – Your Kingdom Come. By praying this, we are praying for the destruction of the world, the judgment of the wicked, and the final salvation of His people. Are you praying for and hoping in these promises? Pray for the world’s salvation, but do not hope in it. Indeed, cling loosely to this world. For it is not your home. And whatever is in this world that is not gold – will burn like wood hay and stubble. But hope in the promise of God. That He will rescue His people.

Conclusion:

[Slide 21(blank)] I don’t think I’ll linger long on concluding this sermon. But my friends, let this be a reminder to us also.

Our God knows how to rescue the godly from their trails. And He knows how to reserve the ungodly for judgment.

Pray for the souls of the lost. That God would bring in all His lost sheep from every nation.

Endure thorough the trials of a world against us. It will continue to be more and more that way.

But hope in the grace and justice of God. He will make all things new.

So live godly lives, adding to your faith every virtue of Christ and trust God’s promises. Let nothing prevent you from these things.

Can we sing that hymn? Hymn 80? We don’t need music. Let’s sing it with just our voices.

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Title: Denying Words and Deeds

Text: II Peter 2:1-3

FCF: We often struggle identifying and avoiding false teaching and teachers.

Prop: Because false teachers infiltrate and destroy the name of Christ, we must be vigilant to hold fast to what we have been taught.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter chapter 2.

Last week, Peter explained why his audience should continue to listen to and heed his instruction. He stated that because He and the other apostles were eyewitnesses of Christ’s coming in glory, his teaching that Christ will return in power and judge the world should be received and remembered. But not only because he was an eyewitness, but because the Scriptures testify to the truth of Christ’s coming in power, the new kingdom, and the judgment.

These scriptures as he says, even though they have always been God-breathed, without error, clear, sufficient and authoritative, are even more reliable now because they have been fulfilled.

Therefore, Peter can say – contrary to what the false teachers were saying – what we teach is not cleverly concocted fables or prophesies with made up meanings. Instead, they are the fulfilled words of God.

Peter will now fix his attention on a threat he has perceived from afar. A threat to the doctrinal health and well-being of the church. He has been teaching that a saving faith is a working faith. But because of false teachers, that teaching is being threatened.

We will only see Peter’s introduction to this rogue group of heretics. But even in this introduction we can learn much of the subtlety of destructive heresy. I hope it combats some of the misconceptions we tend to form today.

I am in II Peter 2, and I’ll begin reading in verse 1. I am reading from the NET which you can follow on page 1370 or in whatever version you have.

Transition:

Much to see and several tangents to ignore.

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Title: Altogether Reliable

Text: II Peter 1:16-21

FCF: We often struggle accepting and believing the word given to us.

Prop: Because God’s truth is confirmed by 2 witnesses, we must cling to the Word until Christ appears in power.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter chapter 1.

Last week, Peter began to transition his readers from his introductory words about God’s work in preserving His people to obtain a rich entry into the coming Kingdom, to, as we’ll see today, the surety of that Kingdom and Christ’s coming in power.

This represents the body of the letter. Peter is preparing his readers for attacks on the truth of Christ’s return and wants to ensure them that what he’s revealed to them previously is certain.

He does so forcefully today – providing a powerful and doctrinally RICH close to this first chapter.

I’ll begin reading in verse 16. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1369 or in whatever version you have in front of you.

Transition:

Doctrine of supreme importance awaits us in this text. Let’s not waste any time.

I.) Because we have eyewitness accounts of Christ’s power, we must cling to the Word until He appears in power. (16-18)

a. [Slide 2] 16 – For

i. Why should Peter’s audience listen to him?

ii. He just said that he is reminding them of all they know and are doing. Why should they continue to listen to him?

iii. Why should they listen to him about this glorious excellence that all God’s people are called to?

iv. Why should they listen to him when he speaks of sharing in the divine nature?

v. Why should they listen to him when he talks about God’s power giving all they need for a godly life coming to them through the knowledge of Christ?

b. [Slide 3] We did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and return of our Lord Jesus Christ;

i. It is not difficult to understand what Peter means by this statement.

ii. Our faith is not based on a bunch of myths and legends that deified Christ.

iii. What is more difficult is understanding the backdrop for this statement.

iv. Do the false teachers that Peter predicts later rely on myths and fables? Do they accuse the apostles of doing so?

v. What we do know for certain, is that within Roman paganism and emperor worship, much of the gods that were worshipped including previous Roman rulers were deified by their “miraculous” deeds.

vi. Stories were passed down about individuals doing amazing things, being blessed by the gods, and eventually being accepted into the pantheon for worship.

vii. Interestingly enough, no one really accepted these stories as truth. They were really meant to teach a moral or point someone toward a certain kind of living.

viii. It would have been easy for enemies of the gospel to have done something similar with Jesus, claiming that his death earned some kind of place among the gods.

ix. Was He atoning for sin? Probably not. Will He return to take us away? No. It is just a story.

x. But Peter categorically denies such assumptions without qualification or exception.

xi. The stories and history that the apostles made known to the church, and that Peter made known to His audience, the accounts of Jesus’ coming in power– did not originate in fantastical stories that developed over time to become legends.

xii. They did not sit down at a bonfire and listen to Jesus or someone else tell the great fables of His power and godhood.

c. [Slide 4] No, we were eyewitnesses of His grandeur

i. Peter says – I saw it with my own eyes.

ii. All of us did.

iii. All of us saw His grandeur.

iv. Grandeur here could be translated majesty or magnificence.

v. We saw with our own eyes the evidence that He was more than merely a man.

vi. We saw him eat, we saw him bleed, we saw him sweat – we know he was human. But He was not merely human.

vii. But to what event specifically is Peter referring?

d. [Slide 5] 17 – For He received honor and glory from God the Father, when that voice was conveyed to Him by the Majestic Glory: “This is my dear Son, in whom I am delighted.” 18 – When this voice was conveyed from heaven, we ourselves heard it, for we were with Him on the holy mountain.

i. Although not all the details from Matthew are recorded the same here in II Peter, we have enough in common to conclude that Peter references the Transfiguration on top of Mount Hermon.

ii. In the passage leading up to this, Jesus talks with His disciples about denying self, taking up their cross and following after Him. He says that if they wish to find their life, they must lose it for His sake. He says that if they gain the whole world but lose their soul it is of no profit to them. Because the Son of Man will come in glory and power with his angels and reward everyone for what they have done.

iii. This sounds… a lot like what Peter was just saying doesn’t it?

iv. Make every effort to add these virtues to your faith. Make every effort to confirm your calling and election so that you will never stumble but entry to the kingdom will be richly provided for you?

v. Then Jesus says – Truly I tell you there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.

vi. Then the chapter ends and with it our brains shut off. But the next chapter starts with - “after six days”

vii. Matthew clearly connects the prophesy of Christ’s coming in His Kingdom to the events that follow.

viii. What events follow?

ix. In Matthew 17:1-8 Christ’s inner circle of Peter, James, and John join him on top of Mount Hermon. Mount Hermon was located in a place known for its pagan worship. In fact, at its base was the “gates of hell”, a mythological entrance into the underworld.

x. Pagan deities and demons had been worshiped in this place for millennia.

xi. And on that mountain, Peter, James and John witnessed the Son of Man come in His Kingdom.

xii. Christ in their very presence tears the fabric of this world and the Spiritual world and displays His full glory. He stands with Elijah and Moses as a precursor to the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord – when He shall come again in power and glory.

xiii. He just predicted that this would be, and then he shows Peter James and John the trailer for the movie.

xiv. But why? Why does Jesus do this?

xv. Might I suggest to you that this is first to confirm that He was, at that very moment, able to come in power and glory.

xvi. But after God the Father speaks, his glory is hidden again and Elijah and Moses are gone.

xvii. What does that mean? It means 2 things.

1. He can and will fulfill the promise of His future coming in power. Because He just did. He can do it again. But…

2. It was not yet time to do that. He had a mission to complete that preceded His coming in power.

3. Interestingly enough, when they got down the mountain, Jesus once again told them that he would be put to death and on the third day raised again.

xviii. So, coming back to II Peter – what is Peter using this event for?

xix. Peter now uses this experience as the authority and assurance of Christ’s future coming in power. Why?

xx. Christ came in power on Mount Hermon, on the mythological doorstep of the underworld.

xxi. How did Peter’s eyewitness account differ from fables? Christ came and stood on top of cleverly concocted fables, lies of demons, and brought His true and glorious Kingdom down on top of it.

xxii. And Peter saw it with his own eyes.

xxiii. That is why Peter feels comfortable continuing to remind his audience about God’s power to get them from pre-ordination to glory.

xxiv. Because He has seen the glory of Christ shown brightly in the darkest place on earth.

xxv. And if He could do that BEFORE he was crucified and raised again to life and ascended into glory! Then surely, He can do that again and in a much greater way now that He has been given a name above every name and has put all powers under His feet.

e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: So, in these first few verses Peter reminds his audience that his teaching in general, but specifically his teaching on the future coming of Christ in power, is completely trustworthy since it is based on eyewitness accounts and not on made up fables.

f. [Slide 7] Passage Application: Although he hasn’t quite gotten to the application yet, it is abundantly clear. They need to trust what he has said and will continue to say regarding the coming of Christ. True, this hasn’t been the main topic of discussion through the book thus far, but it certainly wasn’t absent. And now he will turn to proving it in the next two chapters. So, they had better listen intently and trust completely what he is going to teach them.

g. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out for a more systematic look of scripture we see that all of our New Testament books are either directly from eyewitnesses of the events and teachings of Christ or, like in Luke’s case, collected eyewitness accounts. In fact, this was a mark of canonicity for our scriptures. They had to be written by or rely heavily on the eyewitness accounts of those who actually saw the risen Christ and were taught by Him. Every book that has been received in the New Testament canon except for Hebrews has this status. And Hebrews is written in such authority and exquisite interpretation of the Old Testament – that we might assume that one of the apostles wrote it without claiming that they had. The fact that they experienced all that Jesus said, did, and all the miracles, the resurrection, the ascension, and yes even the transfiguration – all of this gives heavy weight to the testimony of the apostles. It is not one man claiming some fantastical thing. Rather it is several men seeing, feeling, hearing, tasting, and smelling the power and glory of God, every day for three years.

h. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Application: So for us CBC, it increases our trust not only that the biblical writers are correct in the future surety of the coming of Christ in Power – but also the assurance that we have the very words of Christ transmitted down through time to us. We can confidently trust those who were eyewitnesses to the glory and power of Jesus.

Transition:

[Slide 10] But it is not just that we have eyewitness accounts. As we know, sometimes our eyes cannot be trusted. Sometimes our senses play tricks on us. Who’s ever been to a house of mirrors right? In fact, magic or slight of hand succeeds basically because our senses are tricked. Is it possible that the apostles suffered from mass hysteria? Were they all duped? No. It is not possible. Why? Their eyewitness accounts are only one testimony of two.

II.) Because the God-given Word has predicted Christ’s return in power, we must cling to the Word until He appears in power. (19-21)

a. [Slide 11] 19 – Moreover, we possess the prophetic word

i. Peter’s eyewitness account and experience is not the only thing that all of Christendom possesses to verify that Jesus is this powerful, magnificent, and returning Lord.

ii. We, meaning all Christianity, possess the prophetic word.

iii. The Scriptures are what Peter is referencing here.

iv. We might be tempted to conclude that since he mentioned Prophesy that he only means the Prophetic books.

v. However, what is clear is that he means every single piece of scripture that speaks forward to the coming of the Messiah of God to save His people from their sin and establish a New Kingdom in glory with them.

vi. Those prophesies are laced to literally every book of the Old Testament. I won’t say every page or every chapter – but certainly every single book has some reference, allusion, or blunt prophesy of the coming Messiah.

vii. Therefore, Peter is using synecdoche here. He is referencing a particular part of the Old Testament to refer to the entirety of it.

viii. New Testament writers do this when they say “The Law” or “The Law and the Prophets” – many times when they say these smaller parts they mean the entire Old Testament.

ix. Peter’s view of the powerful future coming of Christ in glory is not simply based on his own eyewitness account. Although that would be reliable in and of itself.

x. But the whole of scripture speaks to His power and future coming in glory.

xi. Why does that matter that all of scripture speaks to this truth?

b. [Slide 12] As an altogether reliable thing.

i. By Peter’s statement that the prophetic word is altogether reliable, he indicates that the words of the Old Testament are truly and completely reliable words. They are without error, and the reason they are without error, is because they were given by God.

ii. He has already said that they did not receive myths and cleverly concocted fables – but instead they were eyewitnesses to Christ’s glory and possessed the inerrant words of the Old Testament Scriptures.

iii. The phrase “altogether reliable” draws a comparative force here meaning that the Old Testament prophesies, though always without error and given by God, are now proven or vindicated all the more because of the eyewitness accounts of the apostles.

iv. Peter has seen the Scriptures fulfilled. That means that even though they always were God’s inspired and inerrant word, full of authority, they are now all the more reliable in their fulfillment.

v. The one thing we need to highlight here is what Peter says about the Old Testament Scriptures and thus all Scripture.

vi. [Slide 13] In reference to our doctrine of the bible or bibliology there are several key points of teaching that Peter hits on in these last 3 verses.

1. Inspiration

2. Inerrancy

3. Perspicuity

4. Sufficiency

vii. Unfortunately, we do not have the time this morning to unpack each of these to their fullest degree. However, in a few moments as we apply what we’ve learned from this text, we will unpack these teachings briefly and see how they impact our daily lives.

viii. But for now, Peter says something that ought to make us all snap to attention.

c. [Slide 14] You do well if you pay attention to this

i. He wants us to stop and consider the importance of the prophetic word.

ii. But he wants to draw us a word picture to demonstrate how important it should be to us.

iii. We need to pay attention to the prophetic word and the fact that it is altogether reliable …

d. [Slide 15] As you would to a light shining in a murky place,

i. Imagine with me that you are in a place of absolute darkness.

ii. Have you ever been in true darkness; darkness where you cannot see your hand wave in front of your face?

iii. Now imagine that it is not only this dark, but it is also dingy. Smelly. Slimy. Putrid. Dry. Parched. Where the smell of death hangs in the air and you can feel the filth creeping all around you.

iv. This word for murky means darkness but it also means all of these words. It conveys not just darkness but filth and poverty. As if you were sealed up in a crypt.

v. How would you react to a light suddenly appearing in your filthy darkness?

vi. Would you not rush to its rays? Would you not cry out for help to emerge from where you were? Would you not trust whoever bore the light to get you out of where you were? Would you not trust the light bearer to take you from your place of darkness?

vii. Such are the rays of light given by the absolutely reliable word of the Living God.

viii. This is how you should pay attention to the prophetic word … you should receive it with eagerness, gladness, and trust. But how long must you do this?

e. [Slide 16] Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

i. The night is often an Old Testament allusion to the world in which we live.

ii. The dawn is, then, an allusion to the coming day of the Lord where God invades His own creation and puts down forever the forces of darkness and reclaims all that is His.

iii. He then will make all things new.

iv. The expression morning star has clear roots referencing Christ, since he was the star that will rise out of Judah in Numbers 24.

v. Putting these images of dawn and Christ being the rising star in the morning of that dawn, the point Peter is making is that when Christ does return and the day of the Lord does happen, God’s people will no longer have to trust the prophetic word or the apostle’s eyewitness accounts because they will see it for themselves…

vi. In their hearts.

vii. This does not mean that Peter is refuting a literal physical return of Christ. In fact, Peter will talk about that soon enough.

viii. Peter’s point is not to prove the coming of Christ – at least not yet.

ix. His point is the reliability of His words and the words of all other Scripture.

x. Meaning that his emphasis is that their trust will be affirmed when Christ returns. They will see Him in a way that they were only able to perceive by faith before.

xi. And once we see Him clearly, once the day dawns, we no longer need to rely on the lamp light. We have the sun to guide us.

f. [Slide 17] 20 – Above all, you do well if you recognize this:

i. Peter says that his audience would do well if they paid attention to the reliable prophetic words of the Scriptures regarding Christ’s coming in power and glory and they should do this until he fulfills what they have prophesied.

ii. But first, and above all, they would do well to recognize.

iii. Or to know something.

iv. They would do well to receive a truth first, before they even pay attention to that prophetic word.

v. So, what must they know first?

g. [Slide 18] No prophesy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination.

i. The thing that his audience would do well to know first, is WHY the Scriptures are reliable.

ii. Many translations have “interpretation” as the last word in this verse. “No prophesy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own INTERPRETATION” So we need to ask why the NET translates this imagination.

iii. The NET gives us a clue that there is some disagreement over what Peter is saying.

iv. The disagreement comes down to whether or not Peter is talking about the origin of the prophesy or the explanation of the prophesy.

v. I won’t dive too deeply here. We are getting close to the end of the sermon so I don’t want to get too technical. You can come on Wednesday night and ask for all the ins and outs – but for me the meaning that seems best is explanation.

vi. There is probably a comparison happening here between the pagan religions of the day, the false teachers that are coming, and the way God’s prophets received truth from God.

vii. In pagan culture, the oracles would consult a writing, event, dream, or vision. They were always unclear. So, the oracle would then interpret the dream and give a prophesy.

viii. The false teachers in Peter’s time are beginning to question the prophesies of the Old Testament as having been interpreted conveniently by the apostles to force Jesus’s coming in power into a still future event.

ix. Their reasoning is that like the pagans, the oracle is delivering an interpretation of their own making rather than one that conforms to the actual prophesy.

x. But what does Peter say?

xi. No. No prophesy of Scripture has ever come about or came into being because a prophet made his own interpretation of what God gave.

xii. Instead, Peter says here that the interpretation DID NOT COME FROM MEN.

xiii. Now over church history Roman Catholics and even Liberal Christians with Postmodern views, have taken this text to mean that it is not possible to arrive at the one meaning of scripture on your own.

1. From a Roman Catholic perspective, Vatican II says that “the task of interpreting scripture rightly has fallen ONLY to the teaching office of the church.” In other words, not one single Christian can interpret the scriptures accurately. Instead, they must rely on the Church tradition, with creeds and councils and the teaching office (pope, bishop, priests) to understand the scriptures’ meaning.

2. From a postmodern perspective, there IS no one interpretation of scripture and therefore you cannot arrive at that one interpretation because there are many interpretations based on the reader.

xiv. Both of these views, although using this text, actually violate what Peter is saying here.

xv. Scripture’s meaning is not of human origin.

xvi. That is not to say that people cannot err in interpreting the Word of God. They can.

xvii. But the true meaning of Scripture does not come from man’s mind.

xviii. The Roman Catholic perspective is closer to the truth, but still elevates human interpretation to the same authority as the scriptures, even though over the history of the Catholic church that interpretation has changed several times.

xix. In truth, we must confess with the reformers that the FINAL authority for a believer is Scripture, and thus the FINAL interpretive authority of Scripture… is Scripture.

xx. But why can Peter say that the interpretation or meaning of scripture does not come from men?

h. [Slide 19] 21 – For no prophesy was ever borne of human impulse;

i. Scripture’s meaning cannot come from men, because Scripture does not come from men.

ii. No Scripture ever came about by a man sitting down to write it of his own will.

iii. Even the words Peter is writing now, he did not sit down of his own will to write them.

iv. He did not desire to write them and it did not originate from him.

v. So, in this text we have both the origin and the interpretation of scripture being located from a source that is completely OUTSIDE of man.

vi. If man neither creates nor assigns meaning to the Scripture… where does it come from?

i. [Slide 20] Rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

i. The verb to be carried along refers to guidance. It is to bear, to bring, to carry, or to produce.

ii. God’s Spirit, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of Christ, provided the impulse for the biblical author to sit and write and provided the content, breathing out the very words God desired to be said.

iii. To the extent that when a prophet speaks, to ignore would be to ignore God Himself. Regardless of whether a prophet said “Thus says the Lord” they were always saying what the Lord said. For they were carried or guided along by the Spirit of God to say exactly what God desired them to say.

iv. And to that end, the interpretations the apostles have provided of the Old Testament are also the Spirit guided interpretations of the scriptures. Where they interpret them, they rightly ascribe the meaning of the text of the Old Testament.

j. [Slide 21] Passage Truth: So, Peter reminds his audience that his teaching on the future coming of the Lord in power is a trustworthy teaching. It is trustworthy because it is a fulfillment of what the God-breathed, inerrant, clear, sufficient, and authoritative Scriptures have already revealed.

k. [Slide 22] Passage Application: Therefore, as Peter says, they would do well to pay attention to the scriptures that they know are God given, even down to their meaning.

l. [Slide 23] Broader Biblical Truth: We will spend a good chunk of time exploring this more fully in just a moment but it is enough for us to realize that the scripture as a whole reveals about itself that it is From God, without error, Having one clear meaning, Is sufficient for our lives, and is thus our final authority in all matters of faith, life, and practice. We can resoundingly say – Sola Scriptura. For this is what Peter says.

m. [Slide 24] Broader Biblical Application: Therefore, CBC, with the scriptures being our final authority – we must come to them not as if we determine what they mean, not as if they were purely human made, and not as if we can never understand them. Rather we approach as if they are the very words of God, without error, possessing one clear meaning that we can and must labor with the Spirit to uncover, sufficient for all of faith and practice, and thus are authoritative over our lives. We must come to the mirror of the Word and not judge the word, but have the Word of God judge us.

Conclusion:

[Slide 25(blank)] I want to spend some additional time this morning discussing what we believe about the Scriptures.

Don’t worry, I don’t plan to make this into some long theology class with lots of big words. I don’t plan to dive deep into all the false teachings on these things. We’ll talk a little about what we don’t believe to help explain what we do – but we won’t be naming all the various perspectives that exist.

Today I just want to answer, what do we believe about the Scriptures. God’s Word.

[Slide 26]

1.) First, we believe in the verbal, plenary (whole or complete) inspiration of the Scriptures.

This means that we believe the Holy Spirit, through the personality and style of the human author, breathed out upon their minds the exact words that God wished to give to His people. We must state that this applies only to the original autographs. It does not apply to the copies or translations. That is not to say that what we have with our English bibles is NOT the verbally inspired word of God. But we would say that in all these copies and translations God has preserved His original message down to the very words. Which is exactly what we would believe about Preservation.

[Slide 27]

2.) Second, God has graciously and providentially preserved all of His word for us and will continue to do so until all is fulfilled.

God promises this to us in many places in scripture. We must be sure though that we do not err in how we apply this. He has not done this in a single copy or translation. Instead, more miraculously and more securely, he has preserved every single word He ever gave in the various copies and translations of the text.

[Slide 28]

3.) Third, we believe in the inerrancy of scripture.

Because we believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures, this is not only a logical assertion but also one that the bible says about itself. God’s Word is truth. When God says something that seems to be in error, no matter what the topic, be it science, math, history, or doctrine – we must accept that we are the ones who need to shift – since the scriptures are without error. Again, this applies to the original autographs only. Copies can contain errors. Translations too.

This is not to say that the word of God must be precise. When the scriptures speak of science, there is no need for them to be technically scientifically accurate. Rounding numbers up or down is not an error. Neither is using figurative language or not including all the details of a narrative. These are not errors. But, the Scriptures NEVER tell us something is true when it isn’t or false when it is true. Why? Because they are God’s Words. And God is truth.

[Slide 29]

4.) Fourth, we believe in the perspicuity (clarity) of scripture.

We believe that God giving us His Word and being all powerful means that He desires that we understand what He says. This means that God has one meaning that He intends as He writes His Words to us. That doesn’t mean there are not layers or double meanings, but that all meanings are intended by God and clearly given in the total counsel of the Word of God. This doesn’t mean that there are not difficult passages to understand. This doesn’t mean that every single person on earth can understand the Scriptures. Rather, this means that God has intended a meaning and from all of scripture He can and does show that meaning to His people. His Word is not far from us.

[Slide 30] “The Holy Spirit …has generously and advantageously planned Holy Scripture in such a way that in the easer passages He relieves our hunger; in the more obscure He drives away our pride. Practically nothing is dug out from those obscure texts which is not discovered to be said very plainly in another place. “ Augustine of Hippo

The light of the scripture is bright enough to reveal all its truths to us. We are the problem. We have mud on our eyes. If we cannot understand – it is not because the sun isn’t bright enough – it is because our eyes are caked with mud. This is the proper place of church tradition and traditional interpretation. Like I just did quoting Augustine, we can go back and see how the church has interpreted the scriptures. These traditions do not act as another authority, but they do help us to get past our 21st century western eyes to see the scriptures true meaning. This also validates ongoing extra biblical works to help explain scripture. But they are always subservient to scripture. Which leads us to…

[Slide 31]

5.) Fifth and finally, we believe that the Scriptures are sufficient.

We believe that in the scriptures God has given us all we need. That doesn’t mean the bible speaks on every topic. We can’t go to a bible verse to fix a broken leg. We can’t go to the book of Jeremiah to get help for our Physics homework. But it does mean that all we need to be what God has called us to be, to believe, to walk in His ways – all has been given to us. There is no difficulty in life the scriptures do not address. There is no doctrine necessary unto salvation that the Scriptures do not plainly lay before the eyes of those who have been prepared to receive it. And this belief teaches us that as wonderful as church tradition, creeds, councils, catechisms, and confessions are – should they all burn up tomorrow and all that remains is the Word of God – we have lost nothing. It also teaches us that to understand the problems in this life, the difficulty and struggle, the heart of man, or the truth – we have do not need human psychology, philosophy, theory, or discovery. These too may help us understand our world and ourselves – but they are NOT the final authority especially when they contradict the scriptures.

[Slide 32]

And 6th – which is a bonus one – you’re welcome.

Because of all this – we believe that Scripture alone is absolutely, unequivocally, undisputedly, authoritative for all men, let alone for His people. What God says, is. We approach His word humbly expecting to be rebuked, reproved, corrected, and instructed. We expect to leave from His word different than we came. We expect His word not to return to Him void.

Counter to our culture which tells us that we can live our truth expecting us to leave their truth alone. God’s Word burns away such foolishness. God has said, and that is the final word. You can receive it, believe it, cling to it, or you can reject it… but no matter what YOU do with it – it does not change His Word. It stands forever as Truth from the mind of God.

[Slide 33] My friends…

If this is true…

Why are our bibles not ragged? Why have we not memorized whole books? Why have we not read it all?

You say, “You know every year I make it to numbers chapter 1. That’s right I made it through Leviticus only to run right into numbers. I couldn’t go on.”

My friends. Every. Single. Word. In Numbers chapter 1… is from the God who holds the universe in His hands. It is from the God who knows how many hairs are on your head at any given moment. It is from the God who breathed His breathe of life in you so that you might receive faith in Christ.

Every. Single. Word…. He has breathed. So that you might know Him. So that you might believe Him. So that you might live for Him.

We have exactly 3… only 3 services at our church. Sunday morning, Foundations, and Wednesday night prayer group and bible study. They are all focused on the reading and study of the Word of God. We have added Sunday Night tonight in a study of Deacons. Which will be yet another study from… any guesses? The Word.

My friends, it is not that you have no access to the Word. Of God. It is that you have so little time, energy, stamina, willpower, and commitment to pant for the Word. Of. God. Unlike a deer panting after water – our hearts pant after mountain dew, kool-aid, iced tea, and alcohol. But not water. Rarely water. The living water of God’s Word.

Is it any wonder we are oftentimes lost and rudderless with no answers? Is it any wonder we feel blind and unable to know which step is right?

We must keep following the lamp of light… The dawn approaches. Don’t be left in the dark.

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Title: Again?

Text: II Peter 1:12-15

FCF: We often struggle remembering with the same passion that which we have been taught.

Prop: Because of this teaching’s grave importance, we must be continually reminded of God’s ongoing work with us.

Scripture Intro: CSB

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter chapter 1.

Today’s passage serves several functions in this letter for Peter.

First, it serves as a conclusion to all that he has been saying since He wrote his Hebrew name on the page. It is basically a commentary on what he has written thus far.

Second, it serves as a springboard to get to the body of the letter, where he will address topics that he has not yet discussed.

Third, it is only half of that springboard because next week he will go even deeper into his own reliability and even the reliability of the scriptures. I wanted to give that its own sermon, since it is sure to take a good deal of time.

Today’s passage is an odd duck to be sure. Not because it is particularly difficult to understand or because there are theological or interpretational challenges. Rather, it is odd because Peter never overtly commands his readers to do anything. In fact, from verse 12 of chapter 1 through chapter 2 and into chapter 3 – Peter does not give one command to his audience.

What does that mean? It means that Peter is going to spend a good chunk of his letter giving several reasons that a specific command should be kept. And even though he is going to take a while to say it – it isn’t hard to catch what that command is. And this text is our first strong indicator of it.

In other words – this passage of scripture may seem unimportant… but I assure you, it is the very heart of Peter.

I’m in II Peter 1. I’ll start reading in verse 12. I am reading from the CSB but you can follow along in whatever version you prefer, including the pew bible starting on page 1369.

Sermon Intro:

When I am reading a book for theological or devotional purposes and the writer breaks into an anecdote, typically I find myself hoping he ends soon so he can tell me what he thinks in plain English.

Since it is natural for me to preach as I learn, I tend to stay away from stories. That isn’t to say I don’t use illustrations. I do. But most of them are short – like the training wheels illustration from last week.

Today however, I actually want to begin and end the sermon with two illustrations. We have the time – this will be a shorter sermon. And I think these serve to get us to where Peter is in the text.

Not so long ago a little country church much like ours, had just called a new pastor to lead them. The first sermon was fairly good. It had something to do with loving people. The second sermon was pretty good too. It was about loving other Christians. The third sermon was also pretty good. It was about loving other Christians like Christ loved them. The fourth sermon was his best yet, where he spoke about the sacrificial love of Christ to pay off the wrath of God for His enemies and how that is the same love we must love other Christians with.

However, by the end of the 4th week’s sermon, several people were upset. Do you know why?

It was the same sermon – 4 weeks in a row.

When confronted, the pastor’s response was simple. In love he said, “beloved, when you understand, believe, and obey what the scriptures say about loving one another – I will move on to another sermon.”

I read a statistic this week. I must confess that I was pretty discouraged by it.

1 hour after hearing someone orate… 90%... let me make sure you heard me right… 90% of what was spoken has been forgotten.

On average I speak about 4,500 words every week. That means that by the time Foundations is done… you have managed to retain 450 of them.

And we wonder why the bible calls preaching foolishness.

Transition:

Both of these illustrations serve to validate the point that Peter will make today. Let’s look to what he says.

I.) Because the stakes are so high, we must be continually reminded of God’s ongoing work with us. (12)

a. [Slide 2] 12 – Therefore

i. I had a Sunday school teacher growing up who always used to say “when you see ‘therefore’ in the bible, you need to ask yourself what it is ‘there for.’”

ii. That adage holds true here.

iii. What is Peter basing his following statement on?

iv. I believe it makes most sense to take it back to the beginning of the sentence in verse 10.

v. Based on these two paths, one of which leads to disastrous results, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. Why? Because if you do these things, you will never stumble and entry into the kingdom will be richly provided for you.

vi. In other words – the stakes - could not be higher.

vii. Fall away or enter the Kingdom. These are the two ends of these two paths.

viii. That is what pushes Peter to say…

b. [Slide 3] I will always remind you about these things,

i. Peter is never going to stop talking about these things.

ii. He is never going to stop reminding them about these things.

iii. Keen thinkers will notice what he says later and wonder how Peter plans to continue to remind them. We should probably see this letter as the outwork of that reminding. Peter expects this letter to continue to remind the church of these things.

iv. Now we have to ask – what things?

v. The obvious choice would be the increasing spiritual virtues.

vi. Not just reminding them to do them but even reminding them of all that God has supplied for them to be godly, and what is promised to them if they do or do not do them.

vii. In summary, the whole teaching of these increasing spiritual virtues and all that is entailed with them, which begins in verse 3 and extends through verse 11.

viii. Peter – given the stakes – is never going to stop reminding them that God has done all to get them from pre-ordination to glorification, but that all who He secures for glorification He secures WITH these growing spiritual virtues.

ix. He continues…

c. [Slide 4] Even though you know them

i. Peter is going to keep reminding his audience about these things, even though they know it already.

ii. They didn’t forget. In fact…

iii. He is going to keep reminding them even though they’ve heard it a thousand times.

iv. This isn’t some new revelation. This isn’t a novel doctrine.

v. This is established truth that has been taught since Christ came. First to the apostles, then from the apostles to the church. And now a thousandth time to them again.

vi. Even though they know them – Peter will not stop teaching it.

vii. But they not only know it -

d. [Slide 5] And are established in the truth you now have.

i. As he stated before, those who do and are increasing in these spiritual virtues will never stumble. They will be anchored in labor and fruitfulness.

ii. In other words, Peter is going to keep reminding them about these things – even though they know them – and even though they are practicing them.

iii. Even though they are producing these spiritual virtues in an increasing way – He is NOT going to stop from reminding them.

iv. Why?

v. Because the stakes are SOOO high.

vi. This is another log in the fire for a non-assurance only interpretation here.

vii. If he was just trying to assure them, here would be his chance to reference their doubt, or even his doubt based on their lack of these increasing virtues. But they are not doubting. And Peter expresses absolutely no reason to doubt them.

viii. They know the truth about all this and they are living it.

ix. But because knowing and living, faith and works, are required for entrance into heaven to be richly provided to them – Peter must keep on preaching it to them.

e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: Peter reminds his audience that although they know everything that he is teaching them and will teach them, and although they are currently walking in these teachings, they must be reminded continually about them. They must be reminded because the stakes are high for them to remain established in the truth.

f. [Slide 7] Passage Application: So, for his audience, really the application is to humble themselves and submit to being reminded again and again.

g. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to all of scripture we see a theme that is, quite frankly, hard to miss. It is a theme of generational faithfulness and failure. What I mean by that is that when we see Israel remain faithful to God at any point in their history – we need only keep reading for another generation or two and find that they have fallen completely into spiritual ruin. The book of Judges demonstrates this in tight cycles but in reality the history of mankind is defined by God showing favor, people responding, and then forgetting or neglecting Him in subsequent generations, falling to their own destruction. So even though we believe and are obeying – we still need to be continually reminded so that we stay the course and not lose our way.

h. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, if we viewed our salvation exclusively as a past event. That we said a prayer, made a confession, professed a belief or otherwise accomplished something that was done forevermore and that was the only aspect of salvation we believed in – then we might be tempted to be irritated with the constant preaching of the gospel message. We might be tempted to become tired of hearing the same things over and over again. We might get bothered even when we can’t seem to quite get beyond teaching the basic tenants of our faith. Ironically, if this is how you view salvation, it shows that you have truly forgotten what the apostles and Jesus taught about our salvation. For it is not only a past conversion or justification experience. Indeed, aspects of our salvation are not yet fulfilled. We aren’t quite saved yet. And also, aspects of our salvation are ongoing. We are being saved. And viewing our salvation as an ongoing thing that God is working in us, through us, and with us, bringing forth fruit from our faith, helps us to conclude with Peter – that we NEED to be reminded of the rich truth of our faith. Constantly. Even if we are holding fast and living in obedience – we need the gospel always on the forefront of our minds. So let us be humble, let us not grumble, and let us rejoice in hearing the truth again and again.

Transition:

[Slide 10(blank)] But the stakes being high is only the first reason that Peter must continually remind them of the ongoing work of God in their lives. In verses 13 and 14 he moves to another reason.

II.) Because a teacher’s time is short, we must be continually reminded of God’s ongoing work with us. (13-14)

a. [Slide 11] 13 - I think it is right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder,

i. Peter considers it just to wake them with a reminder.

ii. As we saw in verse 12, he needs to remind them, even though they know it, and even though they are practicing these virtues.

iii. Why?

iv. Because the stakes are high.

v. Here in verse 13, he also wants to shock them, to wake them, to stir them up.

vi. Oftentimes when we “know” something and when we are “doing” something is when we become quite complacent.

vii. We tend to be lulled to sleep by maintaining the status quo.

viii. Even though it is exactly where we should be – and even though there is no new information or application coming in – a fresh reminder serves to shock the system. It serves to rouse us, to wake us, to stir us up.

ix. It is right, it is just for Peter to do this for his audience while he is still alive.

x. And this introduces another reason that Peter must remind them of these things.

b. [Slide 12] 14 – since I know that I will soon lay aside my tent,

i. Peter will soon be martyred.

ii. Peter is approaching the day that he will no longer be able to remind them – since he will die for his Lord.

iii. From church tradition we think that this happened right around AD 64-66, when emperor Nero escalated his persecution of the “pernicious” Jewish cult known as “The Way”

iv. Tradition also tells us that Peter was crucified by Roman cross upside down, by his own choosing, citing that he was unworthy to be crucified in the same way that Christ was.

v. But we might wonder, how did Peter know that his time approached?

vi. Were there writings on the wall, did he see the persecution escalating?

vii. Well, we don’t have to wonder. Peter tells us how he knows.

c. [Slide 13] As our Lord Jesus Christ has indeed made clear to me.

i. To make clear means to reveal or indicate.

ii. This could mean that Peter is simply following the signs. This could be referring to some statement by Christ given to Peter while He was still on earth.

iii. Or probably he means both. Peter is looking around at his life and no doubt remembers the words that Jesus spoke to him, which John recorded in his gospel. Let’s read those

iv. [Slide 14] John 21:18-19

v. We see here with John’s commentary the truth that Jesus gave to Peter. That he would die as an Old man and as a prisoner. This is when and how he would die.

vi. So, the Spirit of God recalled to Peter’s mind the words of Christ in order to reveal to him that he would die soon. Peter is no doubt in his 60s at this point. Which in that time was definitely old. Life expectancy was in the mid-40s which is a somewhat skewed statistic because of infant mortality and war – but still 60 would be quite old at this time.

vii. So, the second reason Peter must remind them and shake them awake, is because he won’t be able to for much longer.

d. [Slide 15] Passage Truth: So, Peter reminds them that because he is old and Christ’s words predicted that he would be bound and killed against His will when he was old – that his time on earth was short. This adds a priority for him to continually remind them of these things.

e. [Slide 16] Passage Application: So again, the application for them is to humbly hear and be reminded of God’s ongoing work in their lives.

f. [Slide 17] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to all of scripture we notice this truth plainly. The lives of men are a vapor. They wither like grass. Their lives are here today and gone tomorrow. Such is the nature of human life. It is frail and fragile. In light of such short lives – teachers are pressed to continually remind those in their charge of the beauty of God’s ongoing work.

g. [Slide 18] Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, you would do well to humbly receive what your Elders teach. Lovingly listen to them communicate God’s truth. Some of your Elders have far more winters behind than they do ahead. Their lives are approaching the finish line. And even if they are not old, God has not guaranteed a certain number of years to any man, much less to us. So, while we teach, while we remind, while we recall all that God is doing in, though, and with His people – humbly hear and heed.

Transition:

[Slide 19(blank)] So because of the high stakes of them receiving and living the message, and because Peter’s life is coming to an end, he must remind them and continue to remind them of all these things. But there is one last reason he must do this.

III.) Because the goal is total saturation, we must be continually reminded of God’s ongoing work with us (15)

a. [Slide 20] 15 – And I will also make every effort,

i. Again, to make every effort is to zealously, with all you are, as if your life depended on it.

ii. Just as Peter told his audience to make every effort to add to their faith, and to confirm their calling and election, so he is committing to make every effort for them.

iii. His efforts are clearly focused on reminding his audience of these virtues and their importance.

iv. And now his third reason

b. [Slide 21] So that you are able to recall these things at any time after my departure.

i. Peter wants to remind and keep reminding his audience so that they will eventually be able to remind themselves.

ii. Peter desires that he teach on these virtues; their need, their place in God’s preservation of His people; and the stakes for not having them. He wants to teach on them so much that even when he is dead – his people would still hear the words ringing in their ears.

iii. That once he is gone they would have it so engrained in their heads that they would easily be able to recall all that he had taught them on the matter.

iv. This is total saturation. Peter wants to be able to prick their finger and see that they bleed these teachings.

v. And not just so they can recall them – but so they can teach others also.

vi. This is… every teacher’s wish.

c. [Slide 22] Passage Truth: So Peter reminds them that they need to continually receive the truth of God’s ongoing work in them because at some point they will be the ones that will need to pass down the truth to others. They will not always be the receivers but must transition to be the givers of such teaching.

d. [Slide 23] Passage Application: So they must, now, humbly receive each and every reminder of the ongoing work of God with them.

e. [Slide 24] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the rest of scripture we have the Shema which was designed to facilitate this exact thing. Turn with me to Deuteronomy 6:1-15 and we will read this. We see from this text the command to continually teach these principles to any and all who would listen. So they would not be forgotten and so God’s law would continually be obeyed. In the Shema the threat of curse or promise of blessing is assigned to their response. And so in many ways the Shema is a great corollary to what Peter is saying here. In this the desire is that God’s people would not simply hear and heed what God had said but then go and teach to others the same. That they would recall for themselves what God has said and do as God has commanded. For this same reason we must be continually reminded of the ongoing work of God to preserve us to the kingdom.

f. [Slide 25] Broader Biblical Application: So, CBC, we must humbly listen to the continual reminders of what God is doing in us and through us to get us to His Kingdom. The purpose for this is certainly so that we will stay the course – but not only that. Indeed, we need to be so full of this truth that we actually can remind ourselves. That we can teach it to others. That we can be those who pass down the teachings of those who instructed us. This is the goal of all biblical teaching and discipleship. To reproduce disciples of Christ.

Conclusion:

Well, just as we began with two illustrations, I have two more to close us out today. But both of these should be relatively familiar to you if you have grown up in the church, because both illustrations are biblical accounts. They are history. They are God-breathed history.

The first is from a passage we have already seen. Peter references a statement made to him by Christ which indicated that he was sure to die soon. But right before that verse in John 21, we have a rather famous miracle that sparks a rather famous conversation recorded for us.

Peter, having seen the Risen Christ but having not spent much time with Him, decides that he is going fishing. Three years ago, this was his occupation. Now – perhaps it will be again. He wasn’t very good as a disciple of Christ and a fisher of men. He was not able to help sustain the commitment to Christ of any of the disciples– primarily because, he himself denied Christ three times on the night of His trials. So, since he failed as a disciple, perhaps he could succeed as a fisherman again. He didn’t.

All night he labored with other disciples to bring in a catch of fish. They caught nothing.

At daybreak (an interesting word for next week) a man appears on the shore and calls them friends. He asks them if they’ve caught anything. To which they reply nothing. The man commands them to cast the net on the other side of the boat and they WILL catch fish. John says to Peter – it is the Lord. Peter abandons his nets again… As if to say – I’d do it all again.

He swims to shore as the rest of the disciples haul in the massive load of fish. They sit down to eat breakfast from the catch they just had. Not being able to possibly eat all they caught, Jesus looks to Peter, points to the fish and asks.

Do you love me more than these?

Peter says. “Lord you know I love you.” That’s why I left that boat. I can’t go back. I can’t. But Lord I can’t go forward either. I’m stuck. I failed you… but I have no where to go.

Jesus says “Feed my lambs, Peter.”

We aren’t told how long between the question, but later, perhaps after the fish had been sold to market, Jesus asks Peter.

“Do you love me Peter?”

He replied. “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.”

“Then Shepherd my sheep Peter.”

A third time, Jesus asks, yet again. “Peter, son of John… Do. You. Love. Me?”

Now for Peter, the number 3 had taken on special significance. It was the third day after his crucifixion that Jesus had arose. He spent 3 years as a disciple of Christ with 3 men who formed an inner circle of disciples. But more recently – it was the exact number of times Peter denied His Lord on the night of His betrayal. Proving to Peter that he was no better than Judas.

And Christ changed his question subtly too. Before he was asking Peter if he loved him unconditionally and selflessly. Peter responded with something that could be a synonym or, could be avoidance. He responded by saying that he loved Jesus like a brother.

But now Jesus changes His question. He asks – do you love me like a brother Peter?

With his denial and Jesus even questioning his statement about how he loved Christ… Peter was grieved terribly.

Through tears I’m sure Peter said , Lord you know all things. You can see my heart. I cannot lie to you – for there would be no point. You know Lord… that I love you.

Perhaps, Jesus took his hand and raised Peter’s chin to meet his eyes. And he said – “Then Feed my sheep Peter.”

Jesus gave the same teaching to Peter, three times. If you love me, obey me. If you love me, obey me. If you love me obey me. How? By passing on what I have given you.

In II Peter, he is simply following His Lord’s example.

My fellow Elders. Take note. Do not strive to be innovative. Do not strive to be relevant. Do not strive to be earth shattering or ground breaking. Do not become obsessed with keeping tradition for traditions sake, but do not treat tradition as the enemy but rather your friendly guide to interpreting scripture rightly. Why?

Standing on the beach and seeing the Pacific ocean, even swimming in its waters may enable you to speak to where you’ve been and what you’ve seen vividly – but the interpretational perspective of believers down through the ages provides a map of the Pacific ocean. And only with a map can you provide a tour for the people of God. Our role is simple but not easy. We must continually remind our people of the teachings, not of Chris, not of Eric, not of Justin, Not of CJ, not of Jerry, not of Nick – but of Christ. For He alone has the words of life. So brothers – let us feed His sheep.

My fellow fathers. Take note. Do not overcomplicate your role. Do not get up in your head. Do not be overwhelmed by guilt and fear. Do not drown yourself in over worked laws. Instead, see your role as simply to remind your wife and your children about the word of life! Take what your Elders have given you and give it to your family. Take what God has shown you, being careful to test it thoroughly as from the Lord, and give it to your family. Teach them in word, in example, in song, in prayer. Remind them of what you’ve been reminded.

My fellow Christians. Pass on what you’ve received from faithful witnesses. Don’t teach it once. Don’t teach it twice. Continually give the words of life to all you hold dear.

My fellow learners. Heed the historical account of Numbers 11.

The people were given manna from the Lord every day. Every single day they were given Manna. A substance that could be made into something like sweet pastries made with the finest oil. Do you know what we call that? They had donuts people. They woke up and ate a healthy life sustaining DONUT every single day.

But after about a year… what happened. They said to each other, “Remember before when in Egypt we got fish and we ate it with cucumbers, leeks, onions and garlic! OH man. SOOO Good. I hate this manna stuff. SO SICK OF IT!”

Though it was bread… from God. Life sustaining donuts from heaven. They grew to despise it.

My friends. Do not grumble. Do not complain. Do not protest at the preaching of the gospel of Christ. Do not roll your eyes at the preaching of yet another sermon on the grace of God. Yet another sermon on how we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone revealed in scripture alone for the glory of God alone. Don’t let a sigh of exhaustion over another sermon calling you to live out the faith you have supposedly received. Don’t you dare beg for the fish of Egypt.

Because God gave his people quail to eat for an entire month. That is all they ate. So much so that they were sick. A plague broke out among them. And many died.

Do you know why churches today are plagued by spiritual sickness and those who think they are spiritually alive when they are still dead? Do you know why it is so hard to find a church that teaches that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, revealed in the scriptures alone, for the glory of God alone? Do you know why so many church never teach on living out the faith that they supposedly have?

It is because people with itching ears don’t want that kind of message. They don’t want to be reminded that God works with His people in an ongoing way to keep them from failing. OH no. They would much rather receive messages on having their best life now. The 7 ways to be a likable person. The 10 ways God wants you to be happy. Or the 150 ways that God says you are special.

What has God done? He has given them preachers to teach those messages. He gave them quail. Enough to kill some of them.

So my friends – though you know it – though you live it – receive with gladness, humility, joy, love, and hope the message of God’s saving work, begun and finished by Him and ongoing with you. Learn to love the Old Old Story. For that, my friends, is what you need to keep living it.

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Title: Trust, But Verify Part 2

Text: II Peter 1:8-11

FCF: We often struggle laboring zealously to do what God wants us to do.

Prop: Because being these virtues confirms our call and provides our entry to God’s Kingdom, so we must zealously labor to grow toward Christ’s moral excellence

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter 1.

Let me briefly review what Peter said last week so we can get ready for part 2 of Peter’s thought.

From verse 1 through verse 4, Peter has stated that from beginning to end, God will superintend His people to inherit what He has prepared for them. He gives them faith through the righteousness of Christ, He gives them grace, peace, and His power to supply all they need for a godly life. He’s called them to Christ’s moral excellence and to inherit a divine nature becoming holy and escaping corruption.

In short, God has done all to take His people from pre ordination to glorification. Because God has done this, Peter commands his readers to add to their faith every virtue required by God to reach the moral excellence of His Son.

But what is at stake? What do they gain or lose if they do or do not add these virtues to their faith?

I am in II Peter 1. I’ll actually start at verse 5 and read through verse 11. I am reading from the CSB today. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1369 or whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

This is a challenging sermon for 2 reasons. Reason 1 – it is long. Reason 2 – we will walk a theological tightrope through most of it. What does that mean for you? It is absolutely imperative that you stay with me. Do what you must do.

I.) Because being these virtues confirms our beginning, we must zealously labor to grow toward Christ’s moral excellence. (8-10a)

a. [Slide 2] 8 – For if you possess these qualities

i. Which qualities?

ii. Certainly, this refers back to the virtue list in 5-7 where Peter speaks of adding to our faith, the moral excellence of Christ and everything in between which he itemizes with 6 more virtues.

iii. We should not see these virtues as all the qualities the Lord desires of His people – but we should instead see this list as an all-encompassing summary of what God desires.

iv. But what does Peter mean when he says the word “possess?” Indeed, what does it mean to “possess” these virtues?

v. We think of possession in the realm of ownership. I bought them and they are mine.

vi. That isn’t quite what we need to see.

vii. The word here is a word used for being. Sometimes it is a synonym for other verbs in the “to be” category. Meaning that sometimes this word is translated am, is, are, was, were.

viii. This gives us a hint that perhaps these qualities are a little more than simply owned… but rather incorporated into our being.

ix. Perhaps another way we could say this would be “For if these virtues describe you” or “If these are true of you”

x. So, it is not something we own and put on a shelf. Rather it is something we are.

xi. But not just AS they are but…

b. [Slide 3] In an increasing measure,

i. This gives us a hint that the virtue list is not something any Christian can genuinely say they’ve arrived at. Nor is it a ladder to climb.

ii. You can’t step on faith and then step to knowledge leaving faith behind. Rather faith becomes a foundation that continues to grow underneath the other virtues.

iii. Rather than seeing all 8 of these virtues in their absolute sense then – we ought to see them in their general sense.

iv. Are you a person who clings to the righteousness of Christ? This is the baseline of possessing faith or faith being true of you. But are there not other things God has promised us that require trust? Are there not deeper facets of believing that God has supplied Christ’s righteousness to us? Indeed, there are!

v. And so, with faith as an illustration, we see that if someone possess all these virtues generally AND the virtues are growing, then what is their effect upon that person?

c. [Slide 4] They will keep you from being useless or unfruitful

i. These growing spiritual character qualities will keep them.

ii. The word for keep here has the idea of setting something, placing, or appointing. Meaning that these growing virtues cement or anchor a person against something. They keep them grounded.

iii. Well, what is attempting to unset or dislodge us?

iv. Uselessness. This means laziness, idleness, or doing nothing.

v. These growing spiritual qualities anchor them in work, in effort, and in labor. They are guarded against laziness and passive apathy.

vi. But it is not just that they are guarded against spiritual laziness but also that they are guarded against unfruitfulness.

vii. The idea is something done without profit. Something done that avails nothing.

viii. Not only is a person who can be described with these increasing spiritual virtues prevented from being lazy about spiritual labor– but they are also prevented from lacking spiritual results.

ix. God will use these growing spiritual virtues to produce what He has promised.

x. But in what will a person who has these growing spiritual virtues labor and be spiritually profitable?

d. [Slide 5] In the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ

i. We are back again, aren’t we?

ii. Let me quickly review and trace this phrase.

1. In verse 2, Peter wishes for God’s grace and peace to be lavished on his audience as they grow in the rich knowledge of God and Jesus.

2. In verse 3, Peter says that it is through the rich knowledge of God that God’s power gives all that we need for a godly life.

3. And here in verse 8, we are assured that if we can be described with these increasing spiritual virtues, we will be kept or protected against being lazy in pursuing the knowledge of Christ and from being unprofitable in our knowledge of Christ.

iii. So, what is the connection here?

iv. If you find someone who is characterized by these growing spiritual virtues – what is the only conclusion?

1. That they are laboring in and profiting from a rich knowledge of Christ.

2. Which means that they have received and are continuing to receive the power and grace and peace of God through a rich knowledge of Christ.

3. Which means that they are called to inherit the moral excellence of God and to be a partaker in the divine nature when they escape this present world of corruption by receiving all they need to be godly in the rich knowledge of Christ.

v. In short, such a person is clearly on the road to what God calls His children to.

vi. Peter will touch this one more time because this is the heart of what he wants to say to his audience, but because of what they will be facing soon from false teachers – Peter desires to answer the other side of this question too.

vii. What if a person is NOT characterized by these growing spiritual virtues?

e. [Slide 6] 9 – The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted

i. First, let’s deal with what it means to lack these things.

ii. Again, we may be tempted to view this as not possessing or not owning these virtues. However, this word too has a being or “to be” concept to it.

iii. To not have, or to not be, or to not be present in.

iv. So, what does it mean to not be able to be described with these virtues? In short, they are Christians in name– but their lives show little change.

v. Therefore, they are blind and shortsighted. Now what is the relationship between these two words and what do they mean?

vi. Let’s talk about relationship first. They are connected in some way grammatically but the word “and” is not present in the Greek. They are actually two words, a noun and a participle stacked next to each other.

vii. Some translations present this as a simple addition like the CSB. They are both of these.

viii. But other translations indicate that the relationship between these words is explanatory.

ix. That Peter says they are so nearsighted or shortsighted, that they are blind.

x. Even today, your eyes can be so bad that although you can technically still see, you are still classified as blind. Peter seems to be saying just that.

xi. So, what does Peter mean that they are so shortsighted that they are blind?

xii. Shortsighted is actually from the verb to close your eye or to blink. Or to squint

xiii. As an illustration I’ll ask Dean to put an image on the screen behind me. But before he does, I want you to close your eyes as far as you can without actually closing them. Get them as close to closed as possible. Don’t open them until I tell you to. Ready?

xiv. [Slide 7] Ok Dean – now. Look at the picture for 3…2… 1…. And now everyone open your eyes.

xv. Ok so you may have seen yellow shoes. Perhaps you even saw the jeans the person was wearing. But did you see that they were sitting on a tall building? Did you see the scooters below or the people on the street? Probably not.

xvi. When our eyes are barely open we cannot possibly see important details.

xvii. Indeed, if all we had was a blurry look at the calling of God, we’d walk away just as blind to it as if we’d never had seen it at all.

xviii. No one experienced the anxiety of a picture taken at such a great height with their blurred look. But when we look at it long and hard, with eyes wide open – we think, perhaps – what is that guy doing up there! Or, perhaps, cool view!

xix. In short – opening and fixing our eyes changes how we react and what we do with what we see. Whereas a blurred look through squinted eyes leaves us unchanged. Unaffected.

xx. Indeed, we could say that a squinted look is rather useless. And unprofitable.

xxi. Such is Peter’s assessment of a person who cannot be described with these growing spiritual virtues.

xxii. It is because they are so squinty eyed that they are blind, unable to see the call of God.

xxiii. But it isn’t just what is in front of them that has become blurry…

f. [Slide 8] And has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins.

i. My friends, we could be led down a strange theological quagmire here if we are not careful.

ii. So, let us walk through this passage knowing all that God has said about how His saving faith works, ok?

iii. We might be tempted to think that Peter leaves the door cracked, be it ever so slightly, to the possibility of someone that has had their former sins washed away, could now find themselves lacking all these virtues, being so short sighted that they are blind, and even forgetting that they had been cleansed.

iv. So, a case could be made that either Peter is saying that it is possible to lose salvation or it is possible to be saved but not have these virtues.

v. Indeed, at a cursory reading that seems to be exactly what Peter is saying.

vi. However, we must understand that Peter does not understand salvation as a checkbox kind of salvation. Just because you were “cleansed” of your former sin doesn’t mean you were “saved.” In fact, the writers of the New Testament do not talk about salvation exclusively as a “done” concept. They speak also of it being a future event and even an ongoing process.

vii. It is the ongoing process of BEING saved that Peter is concerning himself with.

viii. Where does the path of true Christianity start? Does it not begin with the initial cleansing of former sins? And where might that path end? Does it not end in sharing in the divine nature and inheriting Christ’s moral excellence?

ix. Peter has described the beginning and end of the Christian’s race… He has talked about how we were saved and how we will be saved. But what he speaks of now and really for the rest of the letter is how we are BEING saved.

x. And so, when Peter says that a person is so shortsighted that they are blind he is saying that they have lost sight of the eternal prize of Christ’s moral excellence. Their vision of that future salvation has become so blurry, they are blind to it entirely.

xi. But not only that, they have forgotten – or rather as the original language says – they have received forgetfulness.

xii. Suggesting they have willingly forgotten the cleansing of their past sins.

xiii. So, a person who cannot be described with these virtues not only cannot see the destination of all God’s true people, but they don’t want to remember where all His people begin either.

xiv. What do you call someone who doesn’t know where they are going or where they came from?

xv. Lost.

xvi. Does this mean Peter describes someone who was saved but now isn’t? No.

xvii. Effectively what Peter says is that if you are not being saved now – then you’ve never been saved and you have no hope to be saved as you are.

xviii. So, what does Peter advise, in light of these two kinds of people on two different paths?

g. 10a – Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election,

i. Again, to make every effort is with all zeal, with all you have, with all you are, as if your life depended on it.

ii. Confirm means to make firm or to bind.

iii. Based on this word and the context, there are two errors we can fall into in regard to interpretation. I need to caution you against both.

1. [Slide 10] To confirm our calling and election must be more than simply knowing we are saved because we do good works.

a. Peter uses the word to bind or make firm. This is not something he would use to speak of the subjectivity of our salvation, or how we perceive our own salvation. Instead, this is a word related to the objectivity of our salvation. Or the reality of it. Peter doesn’t want us to confirm our own feeling about being saved, but rather He wants us to bind up or secure the reality of our salvation.

b. From the rest of Scripture, we know that good works are not optional in the life of a believer.

c. So much so, that faith without works is a dead faith. You can believe all the right things but if no action follows then you are no better than demons.

d. And so, even though it is God’s Sovereign call and election, and even though God promises to bring His children from pre-ordination to glorification –

e. The nature of good works in the life of a believer is not simply to assure themselves of their own calling.

f. This is part of it, but if they ultimately fail to do good works, to display these virtues, they lose far more than assurance and if they ultimately succeed they gain far more than assurance.

g. Peter will speak to this overtly in the rest of verse 10 and 11.

1. However, to confirm our calling and election must also mean less than earning or achieving our calling and election.

a. Even though good works are integral to our salvation

b. Even though those who do the will of God will enter the Kingdom

c. Even though to bind means to make sure or make firm

d. We cannot go too far and say that by our good works we complete or that we keep our calling and election from failing – as if human performance is the determining factor of someone whom God has called and elected to see whether or not they actually make it.

e. Its not! Peter has already told us God does this.

iv. So, if it is more than simply assurance but less than human achievement, what is the third option?

v. The means God has chosen to make His call effective, is Him cooperating with the spiritual labor of His people, and empowering that labor to bear much fruit.

vi. We work out our salvation.

vii. This does not deny that God does it in us. Because like Philippians 2 says, we ought to be struck with fear and awe to realize that when we do work out or labor in our good works – it is God supplying to us both the desire and the power to do all He asks. Indeed, in Ephesians 2 God is the one who pre-ordained the good works His people were to do.

viii. In this sense then, when we can be described with these growing virtues, we firmly anchor ourselves against idleness and unfruitfulness, which are judged harshly by Christ as illustrated in the parable of the talents and in the curse of the fig tree. It is clear that the spiritually idle and unfruitful will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God, no matter what they believe.

ix. Instead, we are anchored in the work that God has chosen to use to prepare and seal away all His dear children for glory. Do we gain assurance from this? Of course. But this is a result of being planted even more firmly in our faith in Christ.

x. We’ll talk about that more in just a moment.

h. [Slide 11] Passage Truth: So, Peter reminds his audience of the call of God for His people. That they have been called to walk the path toward moral excellence. He will get them there – but all His dear children walk the same road. The narrow road. And he warns that all who do not walk this path neither see where they are going nor do they desire to remember where they came from. They are truly blind and have lost their way.

i. [Slide 12] Passage Application: So, what must they do? They must spare no effort of labor to firmly cement themselves in the work that God has set forth for all His people to do.

j. [Slide 13] Catechism #34 – asks, if we are redeemed by grace alone through Christ alone, must we still do good works and obey God’s Word? The answer to the question is yes and it lists 3 results or purposes to doing good works. 1 – to show love and gratitude to God. 2 – so that we may be assured of our faith by the fruits and 3 so that by our godliness others may be won to Christ. But there is only 1 governing reason that we must still do good works and obey God’s Word. Because Christ having redeemed us (past tense) by His blood, also renews us (ongoing) by His Spirit. We are being renewed.

k. [Slide 14] Broader Biblical Truth: CBC, good works are so important to our faith that even though we are not saved by them, we are saved WITH them. What I mean by that is that even though we rest on the righteousness of Christ, because God’s standard is perfect and perpetual obedience – which we simply cannot do. Even though we trust in Christ alone… the path that Christ’s blood puts all His people on, is a path marked with the Spirit’s renewal. Faith with good works is saving. Faith without good works is dead faith. Good works without faith are dead works.

l. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Application:. So, what must we do? We must labor zealously to do the good works that God has prepared for us. Why? Because we are what God has made us to be! Unlike those who have chosen to forget the cleansing of their sin, we labor to continue from and in that cleansing. Pursuing that day when we will truly and completely be cleansed forevermore.

Transition:

[Slide 16 (blank)] That, if I say so myself, was a HUGE first point. The second point is significantly smaller. But it does provide another reason that we must zealously labor to grow toward Christ’s moral excellence. Let’s look.

II.) Because being these virtues richly provides our ending, we must zealously labor to grow toward Christ’s moral excellence. (10b-11)

a. [Slide 17] 10b – because if you do these things, you will never stumble.

i. Here Peter both explains further what he means by confirming our calling and election, and also provides a benefit for living out these spiritual virtues in an increasing way. And he begins with the fact that they will never stumble.

ii. Although this word can be used in the sense of a single offense or even to sin in some way, it can also be used of a final fall. To fall into unbelief or to reject the faith. To apostatize. The certainty of Peter that a person who lives out these spiritual virtues will NEVER, or not even once stumble assures us of which to pick.

iii. If they have these increasing virtues, they will not apostatize.

iv. This is why he cannot be talking about raw assurance. He is not concerned with his audience doubting their salvation.

v. Let me lace together a thought for you.

vi. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that he sent His Son. Why? So that those who are believing ones (notice the ongoing nature of their faith) … would not perish but have eternal life.

vii. Ongoing, enduring, anchored faith in Christ’s righteousness alone is what saves us. Not in its action but in the object.

viii. What does Peter say here? How does God make sure that our faith endures? How does God keep His dear ones from failing to cling onto the righteousness of Christ?

ix. By entering into the cooperative work with His children of working out their salvation.

x. How do you safely teach your kids that they do not have the balance necessary to ride a bike? You provide training wheels. The first couple times they teeter and don’t fall, they not only learn that they haven’t got the balance necessary, but they also learn to trust in the wheels to hold them up. Eventually they learn balance and don’t need the wheels anymore.

xi. Surely this illustration is far less beautiful than what God has done, but it helps us to understand God’s heart. To ensure that we continue to trust in Christ’s righteousness alone – He comes along side us helping us to aim for sinless perfection in this life. As we bumble along, not only do we gain assurance in our success, exclaiming “I’m doing it – I must be saved!” but we also cry out in renewed dependance in our failure. Crying in repentance “I could never do it on my own Lord, I need Christ’s righteousness!”

xii. But no matter what… what do we never do?

xiii. Fall.

xiv. But wait, there’s more!

b. [Slide 18] 11 – For in this way,

i. In what way?

ii. In the way that lives out these virtues.

iii. In the way that ensures that you will never once fall from saving faith in Christ.

iv. In this way…

c. [Slide 19] Entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

i. Peter is not concerned about earning rewards for doing what God has planned for us.

ii. In fact, the emphasis is not actually on the “richly provided” so much as it is on “the entry.”

iii. It is not that our entry will be better if we live these virtues than if we didn’t live them.

iv. It is instead, that if we live them we will be welcomed home and if we don’t we won’t enter at all.

v. Again, Peter’s emphasis – we are not saved by works but we are certainly saved with them.

vi. That is why without these virtues, and increasing – no one can enter heaven.

d. [Slide 20] Passage Truth: So, Peter reminds his audience that a life characterized by these increasing virtues ensures that they will not fall away, they will not deny the faith, they will not apostatize but rather that their call will be confirmed and their entry into the kingdom will be provided richly.

e. [Slide 21] Passage Application: So, they must zealously labor to anchor themselves against spiritual idleness and unfruitfulness.

f. [Slide 22] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to all of scripture we see a tension that it is hard for us. We know that Christ saves us not by works of righteousness that we have done, but by mercy of God in giving us Christ’s righteousness. But we also know that we were made to do good works and that these works, according to verse 11, seem to have some bearing on whether or not we enter into heaven. But the gem in this passage is verse 10b. It harmonizes everything. What saves us? Christ and our being united to Him in faith. How does God ensure that His true children, those He called and elected, will stay united to Christ in true faith? He enters into a cooperative working out of their salvation.

g. [Slide 23] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must zealously labor to have these virtues in an increasing measure in our lives. We must be what God has called us to be. Our lives depend on it. Our future depends on it. For if we have not these virtues we will fall away from faith, and if we fall away we will never enter into the Kingdom and if we never enter into the Kingdom then we were never called to it. Therefore, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. Make every effort to add to your faith in an increasing way toward the moral excellence of Christ. We do this because that is what God has planned all His people to do. There is no such thing as a Christian who doesn’t have these virtues and have them increasing.

Conclusion:

[Slide 24 (blank)] So, CBC, what has God said this morning and what then must we do?

God through Peter has said that having these virtues and increasing is the only road that His children travel. All other roads have forgotten beginnings and fuzzy endings. You are lost if you walk a different road than this. God’s people confirm their calling, will never fall away, and are richly provided their entry into the Kingdom by living out these virtues increasingly in their lives.

But perhaps the most concerning verse in this context is verse 9. Those who lack, are so shortsighted that they are blind. They have only glimpsed the truth. They have had some kind of experience that seemed to indicate that they were cleansed of sin – but they have willfully forgotten it. They neither see where they are going nor remember where they’ve been. They are truly blind and lost. They are people called Christians… that aren’t actually Christians.

Since the stakes are so high here, perhaps we’d do well to look specifically at what someone who lacks these increasing virtues might look like.

[Slide 25(end)]

A Person Lacking Faith: I imagine that they might frequently falter in their trust of God’s promises, particularly His promises of redemption and salvation. They do not labor to hold fast to these promises, nor are they successful in holding them. Often times they try to insert their own human reason, logic, or self-righteousness when only Christ’s will do. They have a high opinion of man, a low opinion of God, or both. They claim faith in Christ, sure, but in reality – the only person they really trust, is themselves.

A Person Lacking moral excellence: I’d imagine that they rarely find many things in their lives that must change to be like Christ. Therefore, since they find little of their lives that needs to change to be conformed to Christ, they rarely labor in casting off sin and find little success in being truly righteous. They may be moral people – but lack love, selflessness, kindness, and/or integrity.

A Person Lacking knowledge: I’d imagine that such a person labors little in the Word, rarely seeking God, His person or work. Bible study is a bothersome chore infrequently done, and when done, it rarely goes much beyond the daily bread entry. Because they rarely labor, they rarely find anything noteworthy or groundbreaking about God. They actually think they have arrived already. They think they’ve got God pretty well figured out. They’ve put him in a box and tied Him up with a nice bow. It’s so bad that even if they did see or hear something that poked holes in that box – they’d just assume what they heard or saw was wrong or search for all the ways to prove it wrong without ever considering they might be the ones who are wrong.

A Person Lacking self-control: I’d imagine that this is a person who is out of control. This isn’t to say they are unpredictable. In fact, they are fairly predictable. They predictably labor little in keeping themselves from self-righteousness, arrogance, unkindness, vices or lack of love. They can’t tell you the last sin habit they were able to break – mostly because – that just isn’t something they are concerned with. Or perhaps – they can’t really even think of any sin habits they have that need broken. Or even, perhaps, they know they have sin habits but have given up any real hope or desire to see them gone.

A Person Lacking perseverance: I’d imagine this is a person who quits early. Not at sports or school, but rather a person who does not labor to stretch their trust in the Lord. And since there is no labor to trust, they stop believing in His power or goodness to do anything about where they are. Such a person when faced with trial or tribulation will either conclude that they have done something wrong for which God is punishing them, or that God wasn’t quite able to stop whatever has befallen them from happening. So rather than laboring to trust and seeing the profit of God working things for good as He has promised – they conclude that their trial means something is wrong with them or that God isn’t quite all He says He is. Their one concern is to get out of their trial as quickly as possible, the consequences be darned.

A Person Lacking godliness: I’d imagine this to be a person who doesn’t see being all God wants them to be as a priority or as something they need to reach for. Either this means they think they have arrived already and are pretty much what God wants or that since God has saved them, they don’t really need to care super strongly about doing as He commands. With this attitude they are predictably unsuccessful at being what God wants them to be. They may not do too many “bad things” – but their hearts are still selfish, unloving, and full of bitterness. They are about as moral as your average Muslim, Jehovah’s witness, Mormon, or any other religious group that has not the truth, but emphasizes law keeping.

A Person Lacking brotherly love: I’d imagine this person sees people as obstacles rather than mission. People are hard, and because of that, having relationships with people is of course, hard. This person doesn’t invest in getting to know people or ever really getting too close. Makes it easier to duck and run. They are surprised every day that they don’t have any really close relationships, and almost none with Christians.

A Person Lacking love: I’d imagine this is a person who never really loves anyone or anything unless they profit from it somehow. And as soon as the profit disappears from the thing they love, be it God or people, it becomes more and more unlovable. Such a person does not labor to love selflessly, as such they gather around them people and versions of God and Jesus who love them the same way. It is a mutually beneficial relationship… until it isn’t.

So here is the 1-million-dollar question. If you are this kind of person today. If you have heard each of these and the Spirit has struck like a nail each description into your soul showing that you are a Christian in name only. If you have been brought to the realization that you have forgotten your former cleansing of sin and can’t see the moral excellence of Christ anymore. If this is you…what do you do about it?

Oh, the temptation will be great for you to try harder. Oh, the pull of your heart is to just do better. But friend, if you are on the wrong road – running faster won’t get you on the right one. If you are rooted firmly in sand – keep digging for the rock if you wish, but you’ll be buried far before you find it.

You don’t need to get serious about Jesus. You don’t need to rededicate your life.

My friend you need the righteousness of Christ. You need to see that though you thought you were cleansed of your sin – you are still its slave.

But here is the good news… If you are hearing this today and realizing this today – Christ’s righteousness is available for you. Will you cry out in dependance on Him and Him alone? Will you not be satisfied with one time washing but a continual cleansing is what you desire? Do you long to be clothed in the white robes which are the good works of the saints, available for them at the great wedding feast? Do you long to do the good works that God has ordained for all His children? Do you long to be held up in faith with those works, keeping you forever from falling away? Then won’t you repent of your dead faith and your dead works and believe that Christ has done it all for you? Won’t you seek His Spirit to begin His ongoing work of renewal in you?

I hope you will.

And if you are here today, and you do see these virtues in you – not perfect – always struggling – always laboring – but increasing… slowly. That is exactly how God gets all His children to Christ’s moral excellence. He carries them through the fire, He carries them through the flood, He carries them through the darkest nights… He carries them on the narrow path cooperating with them to do the good works that He has planned for them. In their success He gives assurance and in their failure renewed dependance on Christ alone. If this is you – Keep… Going…

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Title: Trust, But Verify Part 1

Text: II Peter 1:3-7

FCF: We often struggle living out what we believe without undermining it.

Prop: Because God has given all His dear children all they need to be what He has called them to be, we must trust His promises by growing toward His call.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter chapter 1.

Last week we only made it through the first two verses of this letter. And they were quite powerful verses. Peter highlighted the sovereignty of God in giving us faith through the righteousness of Christ. He then asked for grace and peace to be lavished on his audience as they grow in the knowledge of God.

We talked about how the knowledge of God can be summed up in three words all beginning with the letter H.

Head – exploring God deeply

Heart – delighting in God only

Hands – obeying God carefully

Our knowledge of God then, is not an academic knowledge. Our knowledge of God is not feelings or emotional. Our knowledge of God is not duty. Rather it is the sum total of our being. Indeed, to know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to obey Him. To obey Him is to make His name known. And to make His name known is to glorify Him.

This is, essentially, our church motto. To know Him and to make Him known… and everything in between.

Today, Peter will build on that. The true thought of what he writes probably goes through verse 11. However, for your sake, I didn’t feel I could pack all that into one sermon. So we will divide this one sermon into two. You’re welcome

View Details

Title: Post Tenebras, Lux

Text: II Peter 1:1-2

FCF: We often struggle putting priority on serving our God.

Prop: Because God has given us all we need for life and godliness, we must build upon the faith we’ve received.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter 1.

The title of the sermon is not in a language that many of you may know. Perhaps I could ask someone who’s taken some Latin if he/she could translate for us. (Leland, Mallory). After darkness, light.

The significance of this phrase is multifaceted. As we’ll see today in foundations, this phrase, at least conceptually, is found in Isaiah 9. Matthew quotes this passage in chapter 4:16 of his gospel. Acts 26:18 references either this passage or Job’s expression that after the evening hope comes in the morning in Job 17:12. And Jesus reveals that He is the light of the world. Whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness but in light and life (John 8:12). So first this phrase is a biblical concept of darkness conveying a place in which someone is trapped. Enslaved. Unable to break free. Darkness is not something you can do anything about – you must simply wait for something outside yourself to change it. Like the coming of morning.

The reformers took this mantra to speak about the darkness that had come over the Roman Catholic church at that time. Not just darkness of sin practices, but even darkness of doctrinal confusion and digression.

This phrase aptly communicates the state of natural man before God acts to draw them to Himself. Before God gives the truth of Christ to anyone, they are hopelessly lost in darkness. It is one of the great metaphors of scripture describing the total inability of men to seek God. Afterall, how can you seek light when you are in utter darkness?

Today – we will see some of the inner workings of how God… turns on the light for His people. There is so much in these first two verses. Honestly I’ve cut so much from this sermon and even after typing this sentence, I realize I’m going to have to cut more.

So let’s dive in, I am in II Peter chapter 1. I’ll start reading in verse 1 from the NET. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1369 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

As I said, lots to cover – you’ll need your thinking caps and probably steel toed boots. If you don’t get that joke… you will. Let’s go.

I.) Our faith is given from God through His Son, so we must build upon the faith we’ve received.

a. [Slide 2] 1 – From Simeon Peter,

i. The majority of manuscript evidence insists that this be Simeon and not Simon.

ii. Simeon would be the Hebrew spelling and Simon the Greek spelling.

iii. It is worth noting that every letter written in Peter’s name that has been proved to be a forgery is signed as being from either Peter or Simon Peter.

iv. So, in a subtle way, the very first word of this text indicates the authenticity that Peter wrote it.

v. But who is Simeon Peter?

b. [Slide 3] A slave

i. Any negative connotation of this term must be repudiated immediately.

ii. Peter does not say this to shock his readers, to call up negative feelings toward his position, or even to emphasize his unwillingness to be in this position.

iii. But we should also refrain from seeing this as a “bondservant” concept too. Certainly voluntarily choosing to enslave oneself to a master did exist in the Roman world – but it was not the norm.

iv. Further, the word here used is the word douloV or slave. And that word would not necessarily mean the bondservant relationship.

v. As we’ve pointed out before, the world of slavery in 1st century Rome is simply impossible to paint with a broad brush.

vi. More likely Peter is pointing to an older concept of slavery. Moses, David, and Elijah were all said to be servants or slaves of God.

vii. In this context a slave was not only the property of his master but also represented his master. So much so that to disrespect or ignore the slave is to do the same to the master.

viii. In other words, our 21st century western minds conjure up negative images when Peter calls himself a slave. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

ix. In fact, being a slave of Jesus Christ- would be quite a significant honor bump to him and any who would also be called a slave of Christ.

x. But not just a slave…

c. [Slide 4] And apostle of Jesus Christ

i. Peter is an apostle. A sent one.

ii. With this carries the full weight of authority to pass on doctrine and expect to be listened to and obeyed.

iii. He was taught by Christ, saw him resurrected, and was commissioned to go and establish the church.

iv. Peter taught at Pentecost – and his words were used by God to draw 3000 people to saving faith.

v. He performed signs, wonders, and miracles to authenticate the message he preached.

vi. It is with this position of gifted honor and authority that he writes to his audience.

vii. But to whom does he write?

d. [Slide 5] To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ

i. In this short phrase there are a few things we need to address.

1. First, Peter does not address his audience the way he did in I Peter.

a. If you remember he identified them as chosen exiles in the northern provinces of present-day Turkey.

b. In this letter Peter does not actually mention any specifics of his audience.

c. The closest he comes is in chapter 3 where he says he wrote a second time with the same purpose.

d. This, of course, assumes that the previous letter was I Peter, and that the audience was the same. Not a big leap, but not certainly something we know for certain. He could be referring to a letter that has been lost.

1. [Slide 6] Second, let’s look at the phrase “of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”

a. Does this mean “of our God and of our Savior Jesus Christ?” Meaning God the Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.

b. Or does this mean “of our God and Savior, namely, Jesus Christ?” Meaning that Jesus is both Savior and God.

c. There is a translation rule in Greek, which I won’t bog you down with, but essentially it means that in this particular case, this would be the second option. “of our God and Savior, namely, Jesus Christ.”

d. What is the significance of this statement?

e. This stands as one of the clearest statements in the whole New Testament of the divinity of Jesus.

f. Any theological system, belief, cult, religion that does not teach that Jesus was fully God and Man – two natures in one – as the early creeds confess – is unorthodox and should be rejected as false teaching.

g. Mormonism, Jehovah’s witnesses, and even present-day Jesuses that are stripped of divinity so that he is just a good teacher, prophet, miracle worker, or political activist – are false teachings and ought to be courageously and unashamedly labeled as heretical.

h. Jesus IS God. Amen?

1. [Slide 7] The final point we need to make before moving on, will unfortunately not be made completely obvious UNTIL we do move on. Nevertheless, we should point it out to help us as we move forward.

a. Peter is addressing his letter to a specific group of people.

b. That group of people is not defined by their location but rather by their identity.

c. Their identity has been gloriously affected by or through the righteousness of the Jesus their God and Savior.

d. But we must ask…

e. To which righteousness is Peter referring?

f. Is it his faithfulness? His justice? His goodness? His saving righteousness? All of these are appropriate definitions of the word “righteousness.”

ii. In order to answer that question, we need to pause our thoughts on this and keep reading.

e. [Slide 8] Have been granted a faith

i. Perhaps the first question needs to be, what does Peter mean by “faith” here?

1. Faith throughout the scriptures can speak of many different ideas, all of which are determined primarily by the context in which they are found.

2. [Slide 9] Faith can mean

a. A set of beliefs or received doctrinal truths

b. A personal trust

c. Faithfulness

1. We can see the interrelationship of each of these. In many ways not one of these can exist without the others. However, the particular nuance can be important for us to understand.

2. In the context of II Peter he often refers to knowledge of God and Christ, reminded truths, and adding to such knowledge with more knowledge and holiness.

3. So, with this context in mind, it seems that the faith to which Peter is referring has to do with the illumination of the truth of Christ and our dependance or clinging to that truth.

4. [Slide 10] Meaning it is a combination of 1 and 2, but mostly 2.

5. Taking this definition of the word faith will actually fit quite well to some of the themes that Peter wishes to develop throughout the letter.

6. [Slide 11] So, the faith that Peter talks about is the sudden awakening to the identity and work of Christ and our subsequent dependance on that revealed truth.

ii. [Slide 12] The second concept we must understand in this phrase is the word used here “have been granted.”

1. This word means to obtain by lot or to have assigned to you or to receive.

2. We can say you were given something or that you received a gift. One emphasizes the giver and the other the receiver.

3. This word serves to emphasize the giver not the receiver.

4. [Slide 13] One scholar wrote “… the attainment is not by one’s own exertions, but is like ripe fruit falling into one’s lap”

5. The NET actually does a great job by translating this - rather than receive – have been granted.

6. [Slide 14] In other words, the faith, or the awakening to truth and dependance on that truth, is something that fell into our lap. It was unforeseen. Even, to some degree, unexpected. And because it was unforeseen and unexpected, it was not by our own effort or exertion.

7. Faith – both the understanding of the truth of Christ and Him crucified and the personal trust in that for all hope – all of it is a gift given from God. And that gift comes through the righteousness of Jesus our God and Savior.

iii. [Slide 15] But what definition should we take of this “righteousness” in light of the definition of faith and receiving it through this righteousness?

1. As we saw it is “through” the righteousness of Christ that an understanding and dependance on who Christ is and what He’s done has fallen into our laps.

2. What kind of righteousness could make the fruit of faith fall to us? Is it Jesus’ moral excellence? Is it Jesus’ justice? Is it Jesus’ faithfulness? Is it Jesus’ saving righteousness?

3. [Slide 16] There are really only two positions that scholars take, but for reasons I will explain on Wednesday night at bible study, the only righteousness that makes sense in the context, would be the forensic or the imputed righteousness of Christ. His saving righteousness. What is this?

4. We divide these into two.

5. [Slide 17] His active and passive righteousness.

a. Active:

i. The fact that He did not sin. The fact that He fulfilled the law. The fact that Christ perfectly obeyed all of God’s moral expectations for men.

ii. The fact that Christ was a second Adam. The model human.

iii. He came and with the Spirit of God and the Father’s good pleasure and love – He did perfectly keep all that God commanded.

iv. Meeting in every way God’s covenant of works made by God with Adam.

v. Adam could not keep it -but Christ did.

vi. In the end, this is the righteousness that God will judge each of us by – and in the end all God’s people will be permitted to enter into the Kingdom of God because we have His righteousness.

b. Passive:

i. His passive righteousness is displayed in His obedience to the Father to go to the cross and suffer as though He had committed every single sin of His people.

ii. So in the end, not only are we judged according to the perfect and perpetual righteousness of Christ but we also we are judged without the total and complete unrighteousness of our sorry state.

1. So, this is the righteousness of Jesus our God and Savior.

2. This is actually summarized quite well in our NCC catechism questions #22 and #23

a. [Slide 18] #22 “Why must the Redeemer be truly Human?”

i. That in human nature, He might on our behalf, perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and also, that He might sympathize with our weaknesses.

b. [Slide 19] #23 “Why must the Redeemer be truly God?”

i. That because of His divine nature His obedience and suffering would be perfect and effective; and also, that He would be able to bear the righteous anger of God against sin and yet overcome death.

1. But we are not quite done. How does this righteousness deliver to us… faith?

2. On this matter – it is very difficult to understand but think deeply with me as I read from John Gill.

a. [Slide 20] “…righteousness is before faith, or otherwise faith could not come by it; and, moreover, is the cause and reason of it; faith has no causal influence upon righteousness, but righteousness has upon faith: the reason why a man has a justifying righteousness is not because he has faith; but the reason why he has faith given him is because he has a justifying righteousness provided for him, and imputed to him.”

b. What is John Gill saying?

c. Some weeks ago we discussed that when God justifies us, declares us righteous, though we be simultaneously sinner but declared righteous, this is an act that God does alone and it is based upon nothing we have done or will do. He simply does it.

d. My friends here is that teaching in black and white. The faith that has fallen in our laps. The illumination of Christ and our binding ourselves to Him comes through God applying Christ’s righteousness to us.

e. Like a rope fastened to a man dangling off a cliff. Faith is only given after it has been anchored to something solid. Further, faith is only as good as the thing to which it is anchored. And so certainly we believe that we are declared to be righteous by trusting in Christ alone. This is true. But simultaneously we must also believe that without Christ’s righteousness imputed to us, we would have no ability to believe.

f. Once again, the scriptures consistently emphasize, by the word faith, not our action or exertion in it, but rather the object of it. In other words our expressing faith is not the mechanism that secures our declared righteousness. Rather it is the fruit and proof that we have been declared righteous.

g. Is this not then… a precious faith.

h. A faith…

f. [Slide 21] Just as precious as ours.

i. The shift to a plural pronoun here has us wondering who is “us” and who is “you.” Peter compares the gifted faith of apostles to the gifted faith of his audience and shows that there is no difference. It is of equal quality, value, and worth.

ii. Just as Simeon Peter was granted the favorable honor of the status of slave…

iii. So, we are bound to Christ and found to have this granted or given faith.

iv. Peter’s faith is the same as ours… unearned, unsought, but sure and stable in the person and work of Christ.

v. This comes pretty heavy on the God sovereignty side. If you are waiting for the human responsibility side you’ll have to wait until next week – but let me just toss this in there to give you hope or clarity. Yes – humans still have a responsibility to believe and keep on believing.

vi. But we must not let that human responsibility remove or take away anything from what we’ve seen today.

vii. God applies the righteousness of Christ to a person and in so doing shakes the tree to drop faith in the lap of those to whom Christ’s righteousness is applied. So much so that they immediately grab hold of the Righteous One. For, indeed, as God has just revealed to them…they must. He is their only hope.

g. [Slide 22] Passage Truth: So, Peter wants to remind his readers that their faith is a gift given by God through Christ’s imputed righteousness to them. It is the same quality and the same essence of the faith the apostles received.

h. [Slide 23] Passage Application: There is no stated application to his audience as of yet. Nevertheless, perhaps the assurance of the quality of their gifted faith is to encourage them and bolster their resolve to cling to it all the more and even to, as he’ll get to soon, build upon it.

i. [Slide 24] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the rest of scripture it is clear that since natural man is described as a “child of wrath” “sons of disobedience” “of our Father the devil” of whom “none are righteous” and “none seek after God” is becomes abundantly clear that as Paul tells us, we need an alien righteousness. We need someone to take our place. The Old Testament is full of examples of men and women that were not good enough. They couldn’t follow God’s law well enough. Even the best of them could not measure up to God’s desire. Truly in Adam, all men are hopelessly lost and unable to please God. But as our new representative, as the ideal human, Jesus through keeping the whole law yet suffering as though He violated it in every point as we have, has both exchanged our infinite sin debt for His infinite righteous merit. We are declared to be righteous on His account and in this God gifts to us both truth and trust in His righteousness alone. Why alone? For we have no righteousness of our own to bring.

j. [Slide 25] Broader Biblical Application: And in application we ought to cling to the preciousness of this faith. It is precious because it is a gift. But not just a gift, a gift from God. But not just a gift from God, but a gift from God secured in the active and passive righteousness of Jesus our God and Savior. Who took our place, bore our shame, suffered our wrath, and gave us His glory. That is the faith we have received. To Him be glory and power forever. Amen? And it is on this faith that we must continue to build for Him and His glory.

Transition:

[Slide 26(blank)] So God has given the righteousness of Christ to us and by this has dropped truth and trust in our laps. Because of this we ought to cling to and build on that faith. But what else has God given us to help us build upon our faith?

II.) Grace and peace are given by God, so we must build upon the faith we’ve received

a. [Slide 27] 2 – May grace and peace be lavished on you

i. Here are those theologically rich words again.

ii. What beauty is in the word grace. I hope that if you have been with us for any length of time that you have seen a renewed and deepened understanding of this word.

iii. Not simply God’s unearned favor. Not a bad definition. But it is just lacking. It is God’s power, God’s passion. God’s push, God’s pull to get us where He wants us.

iv. And peace. Not peace from problems, not peace from persecution, not peace from trials or tribulations… but first peace with God. Peace with a holy God who looks at us as sons and daughters. And second as peace in our souls. Peace and contentment. Resting in Him and His grace.

v. And may both of these be lavished. May they be poured over. May you be baptized in them. This is Peter’s wish.

vi. What a prayer.

vii. What will they need grace and peace for? What are they going to be doing?

b. [Slide 28] As you grow in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord!

i. Knowledge is a big concept in II Peter. Specifically, the knowledge of God.

ii. He prays that God’s grace and peace would be multiplied to them. The text does not actually say “as you grow” it simply says “in the knowledge of God…” But seeing that this is the purpose of grace and peace being multiplied, it follows that it is as we grow in that knowledge.

iii. But what do we mean by knowledge?

iv. Peter uses this term and another that are both translated knowledge, to convey a spiritual insight that manifests in outward change.

v. This knowledge translates into personal relational knowledge that transforms how we live.

vi. [Slide 29] Indeed, in Ephesians 4, the work of the ministry is the edification of the body of Christ. And the goal of that edification is to grow each other in the knowledge of Christ so that we become like Him.

vii. [Slide 30] My friends – the aim of the church – the aim of God’s people – is to know God, Christ, and the Spirit. And it requires your head, your heart, and your hands.

1. Head: Exploring God. You must grow in your understanding and knowledge of God.

a. First, you must know the gospel. You must know what the bible teaches about how God saves His people from their sin.

b. In many ways the gospel is very simple, but in other ways the gospel is quite complex. Know the gospel in all its complexities. If you want to put in theological terms – your soteriology ought to be pages not paragraphs.

c. But you cannot rest even on this knowledge of the gospel, but rather you must build upon it.

d. To not love the study of God is to not love God’s primary purpose for His people. To grow in knowledge of Him.

e. Your head must expand. And by this I don’t necessarily mean knowing all the theological jargon and what it means… but I do NECESSARILY mean the deep thoughts of all God has revealed about Himself through Christ.

f. In our culture we are obsessed with knowing the answers, but many times it is the right questions that allude us.

g. Too often we either google search the answer to find “what does the bible say about…”

h. Or we confine ourselves to a specific book in the bible without thinking about the rest of what God has revealed to us.

i. Rather than thinking deeply about the question of all that God is, we simply want someone to tell us what to think about who God is.

j. God didn’t write a systematic theology for us. He spoke through humans inspired to convey truth in their time about Himself and about themselves. But He did so in their time and in ways they could comprehend. But in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son.

k. This however, does not prove that systematizing God’s word is wrong. In fact, it proves that it is exactly what we must do if we are to truly know Him.

l. It is exactly what Jesus did with the 12 disciples on the road to Emmaus. He showed them how He was revealed in the Scriptures.

m. So, to know God’s grace – you must scour Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22.

n. Can you find His grace in Genesis 1? Oh yes. Abundant grace. But you can’t claim to understand it until you have seen it on every page and in every chapter. And even then – you have only scratched the surface!

o. To know His love. Same thing. To know His mercy, justice, wrath, holiness – all of these cannot be found in one book nor one internet search. To know God- you must seek Him as He has revealed Himself in this book.

p. And let me repeat myself ad nauseum. Stop doing google searches to find out what to believe about God… Stop doing google searches for all the ways to prove _______ doctrine wrong. You know what is great and terrible about google? You can find answers to support whatever you want to support. Or destroy whatever you want to destroy. But if you spent all your effort, rather than google searching, instead seeking the God of the universe in the only way He has given us to know Him… perhaps then you might know God.

q. My friends, if you do not desire to know God deeper and deeper still… than it is difficult to be certain that you have truly been regenerated.

1. Heart: But it is not enough to know Him. No, you must also delight in Him.

a. The knowledge of God must sink deep into your soul. Beyond your head.

b. The truth of His person must take hold of you – gripping you to your very core.

c. So that when you discover what God’s grace is – you are gripped by its power. When you know the love of God you are struck by its faithfulness. When you deepen in your understanding His holiness, you are cut to the heart, loathing every evil desire in you and pant after His cleansing.

d. It is not enough to know who God is. You must be radically and spiritually turned forever because of what you have been shown!

e. Can you truly know His holiness and walk away unaffected? Can your knowledge of His love be deep if you are not overwhelmed with its sweetness? Can you truly know grace without it bringing your heart to life? Without it turning its stony crags into flesh?

f. True knowledge of God leads to soul level affections.

g. To the extent that God becomes your one delight.

1. Hands: But it is not enough to know Him and delight in Him. For Jesus says that if you love me, you will keep my commandments.

a. To know Him and delight in Him is also to be changed by Him.

b. To know His grace is to act in obedience with it.

c. To know His glory is to rise up and sing praise.

d. To know His love is to display it to others whom He loves.

e. To know His Holiness is to violently and expeditiously kill off your sin without mercy and without regret.

1. To know Him is to Love Him. To Love Him is to Obey Him. To Obey Him is to glorify Him. To glorify Him is to make His name known.

2. Head. Heart. Hands. This is what it means to know God.

c. [Slide 31] Passage Truth: Peter hopes for his audience that the precious gifted faith that they have, If they truly have it, will be built on by grace and peace.

d. [Slide 32] Passage Application: And so, they must grow in the knowledge of God. The full knowledge. The rich knowledge. They must know God more with the grace and peace He provides.

e. [Slide 33] Broader Biblical Truth: We know from Scripture that although God does give grace and peace to the unbelieving world, it is grace with a small g. Peace with a small p. It is merely an expression of His character. He, not being like any other god, does not reign down fire and brimstone every time the world has earned it. If so, the world would have been destroyed long before Noah. Instead, God is a God of kindness. He offers grace to many. But to His elect. To those He loves, He gives greater grace. He has made a way for peace with them. He has lavished grace and peace on them and continues to do so. Indeed, that is why an assurance of a Christian is their gradual and growing righteousness before God. Because it proves that His Spirit is in them and working. So, if we truly have this gift of faith which God has given to us through the imputed righteousness of Christ, we will also have grace and peace lavished on us in order to build on our faith.

f. [Slide 34] Broader Biblical Application: Because we have been abundantly provided for with grace and peace – because God is faithful to those He loves – We can seek to grow in our knowledge of God the Father, Christ Jesus, and The Holy Spirit. And we must know Him not only with our heads, not only with our hearts, but with our hands too.

Conclusion:

[Slide 35(end)] In what has already been a doctrinally rich and applicationally heavy sermon, I won’t linger in concluding it.

Let me simply wrap it all together in a tight bow.

God will get glory from His people for what He has done in their lives.

He has, through Christ’s righteousness, declared sinners righteous, giving them spiritual sight to see the truth and to anchor themselves into it. He has given grace and peace and continues to lavish them upon His people. He has revealed Himself through many ages, through many people, Kings, prophets, shepherds, and in these last days God the Son. He has given us all we need and abundantly more than we could ever ask or seek awaits us in His coming Kingdom.

Now… doesn’t that sound like a God worth knowing?

Doesn’t that sound like a God worth exploring?

Doesn’t that sound like a God worth delighting in?

Doesn’t that sound like a God worth obeying?

The chief end of all men is to bring glory to God. And God is glorified by all men’s ends – in the fire of judgment or in the light and life made possible by grace.

So, if you are an inheritor of such grace… tell me… what is more worthy of your time, energy, money, thoughts, feelings, opinions, words, letters, emails, facebook posts, text messages, goings, doings, givings, teachings, lovings – Your very soul, heart, mind, and strength – your head your heart and your hands – Who, what, is more worthy to receive all of these… than our God?

May He receive the glory He is due from us. Amen.

View Details

Title: Introduction to II Peter

Text: II Peter

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter chapter 1.

I debated long about whether to actually get into the text this morning or whether to simply introduce the book and read it together and be done.

I put that decision off until noon on Thursday, which was about as long as I wanted to wait in order to give myself enough time to exegete the text if I chose to include some portion of it today.

However, given that it is mother’s day and that the first two verses of II Peter are not as simple to interpret as they may appear. I have chosen to only dip our toes into II Peter today.

I do plan for us to read the whole of the whole book as we have adopted the habit of doing for shorter books. So, I will need three readers in a few minutes here. Be thinking about whether that should be you.

I’ll not repeat any items from the introduction to I Peter today. If you are looking for information about who Peter is or date of the letter or even original audience information, you can refer back to the introduction of I Peter.

But there are some necessary historical contextual items that we need to address with regard to II Peter.

The first is the question of authorship.

[Slide 2] Authorship:

Just like in First Peter, the author identifies himself immediately. “Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ”

As with I Peter, we do not have a question of authorship but rather a question of canonicity.

If the author is representing himself as Peter even though he isn’t Peter, this cannot be a book written under the inspiration of God.

As widely accepted as I Peter was, 2nd Peter was one of the last books included in the canon of scripture. Indeed, it is fair to say that of all the books of the New Testament canon, II Peter has the least support for its inclusion. Of course, the flipside of that coin is, that of all the books not included in the New Testament canon, II Peter has more support than any.

[Slide 3] So, what was the big hang up with II Peter?

It all comes down to three big issues.

1.) No church father before Origen (AD 200s) quotes II Peter.

2.) Stylistically, II Peter is very different than I Peter.

3.) The II Peter and Jude conundrum

You may be thinking… well, so. Who cares! Peter said he wrote it.

Yes… but the early church in the late 2nd and 3rd century was saturated with pseudepigraphal (sue- deh- pig-ref-al) works where writers claimed to be someone they were not in order to influence doctrine. Gnosticism and Epicureanism were some of the greater offenders of this. There is actually quite a collection of gnostic gospels out there all claiming to have been written by this apostle or that apostle, to influence Christians toward their new belief.

Peter was a popular pen name adopted by some of these authors. And so, a work that differed so sharply from I Peter, who everyone thought was truly from Peter, would have drawn a great deal of uncertainty from early church fathers. This explains their hesitancy to quote the work for fear of quoting a false epistle.

Although the statement “no church father before Origen quoted II Peter” may be true, that doesn’t mean that no other church father addressed the book. Eusebius, though recognizing the letter’s uncertainty, affirmed the letter as legitimate in his list of canonical books.

Furthermore, several early church fathers have quotations that come remarkably close to some things in II Peter.

And after Origen we see church fathers such as Jerome, Athanasius, Gregory of Nazianus, and Augustine all affirming the legitimacy of II Peter.

[Slide 4] As the church fathers considered canonicity of each book they had different categories. Recognized, being those received by many witnesses as truly inspired works of God. Disputed books being those that seem to be truly inspired but there is much disagreement. Rejected books which were not inspired but extremely helpful books. And Heretical books that were doctrinally erroneous and often forgeries.

II Peter was always in the Disputed category. It never went fully into the Rejected and certainly never went into the Heretical categories.

Other books included in the “disputed” category were Hebrews, II John, III John, Jude, Revelation and James. As you can see, each of these 7 books with II Peter included, were later included in the canon of scripture. II Peter last of all.

So even though EARLY church fathers may not of quoted II Peter, by the time the canon was scrutinized and received – II Peter was received with them.

But what of the stylistic differences between I and II Peter? There are 50 some odd Greek words used in II Peter that are not used in the rest of the New Testament. Peter predicts his own death with surety. He speaks of the writings of Paul being scripture. All these supposedly point to a late date, a different writer or both.

But similar arguments were raised against Paul being the author of the Pastoral epistles. In that case we wondered why the style would be the same when the purpose of the letter was so different than his other letters. Similarly, while I and II Peter are written to remind his audience of the truths they have confessed, the actions that Peter desires for his audience to live out in reference to that truth are very different. In his first letter Peter wants his audience to recall their true faith so that they would endure suffering blamelessly. But the occasion of II Peter is quite different.

Therefore, we can reasonably conclude that Peter’s style would fluctuate, even widely, if such a purpose demanded it.

Another item that is raised with regard to the legitimacy of II Peter is its relationship to the book of Jude.

There are unmistakable similarities between the book of Jude and the book of II Peter. So much so, that if you were to seek out a commentary on the book of II Peter or Jude independent of one another – you’d be hard pressed to find very many.

How do we explain these similarities?

There are three options to us. 1 – Peter borrowed from Jude 2 – Jude borrowed from Peter or 3 – they both borrowed from a third source.

So how do these options raise concern of II Peter being authentic?

It is the same kinds of concerns that are raised by those who take issue with the similarities between the gospels. All of these arguments are not convincing.

In any case – none of these three issues were strong enough to overturn the doctrinal fidelity and spiritual fruit from this book. That is why the church fathers received it into the NT canon and attributed it to the apostle Peter.

So, we know Peter wrote this book sometime before AD 65. He is writing to dispersed Christians in what is now Northern Turkey. He writes primarily to wake them up with a fresh reminder of the truth that they have believed.

But what pushed Peter to write to his audience again? And in such a short time after he wrote his first letter? What more would they need to know?

[Slide 5] Occasion:

What is clear in II Peter is that he doesn’t speak of true faith enduring suffering blamelessly. He is not talking about insults or persecution coming from outside their covenant community. In many ways, the message of II Peter is far more dire and abundantly urgent.

Peter deals with need for spiritual endurance for two very specific reasons. 1 – the future surety of false teachers leading people astray and 2 – the sure albeit delayed return of Christ. Therefore, his tone is noticeably more forceful and aggressive. Physical dangers from without the body required him to speak encouragingly and to command love and submission. Spiritual dangers from within the body requires him to speak harshly and decisively.

You can see how such a pivot in purpose could lead to different style and tone right?

Peter is addressing the war against their faith that is and will be waged in their very hearts. Peter addresses the certainty of what they believe, warns them of the coming apostates, and tells them to be prepared for the coming of their King – for he certainly is coming back.

[Slide 6] Key Themes:

So, what are some key themes within II Peter?

1.) God’s grace results in godliness.

2.) God’s absolute dedication and care for His people to rescue them from this evil age and transport them to His eternal and righteous Kingdom

3.) Human responsibility in displaying good works, holiness, and growing to be more like Christ as both an evidence for their true faith and in preparation for His coming.

4.) The certainty of judgment and God’s ability to rescue His own through it and the certainty of His judgment upon those who are not truly His. He knows His sheep and He knows the goats.

[Slide 7] Phrases to keep an eye out for:

Allusions to Israel’s history. Several examples arise to prove that God has a history of faithfully judging the world separating the righteous from the wicked and he does so without warning to those who are not prepared.

Note the bookends of the letter – He desires his audience to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.

Note how much he talks about reminding them.

[Slide 8] Theological Challenges and Controversial Topics

As with every book we study there are some teachings and difficulties that we are going to run into. They will provide a challenge to some or all of us as we come to them.

1.) There is an ongoing tension throughout the letter of the sureness of God to keep His people but also human responsibility to obey.

2.) What is the fate of those who fail to obey? Are they blinded or nearsighted? Did they forget about their sins being washed or are they destroyed? Did Christ purchase them or are they lost?

3.) [Slide 9] Can we lose our salvation?

4.) Does the “spirit of prophesy” still exist today?

5.) Who are the angels that sinned long ago, imprisoned in chains now?

6.) Lot is righteous? Like really… he is?

7.) [Slide 10] What is happening in the spiritual realm that we don’t know about? Angels refusing to rebuke “glorious ones” what is that about?

8.) Is it truly better to have not known the way of righteousness than to know it and reject it in favor of your sin? Should we not teach people the truth then? Is this losing salvation?

9.) Does Peter confirm a literal 6 day creation and worldwide flood?

10.) [Slide 11] Two of the most misunderstood concepts about God and the second coming.

a. A day is 1000 years and 1000 years is a day

b. He comes like a thief.

11.) Does Peter predict the end of the universe as we know it?

12.) If Peter can’t understand Paul – what hope do we have?

[Slide 12] Outline of II Peter

I.) Greetings (1:1-2)

II.) How to be sure of your calling and election (1:3-11)

a. God’s work (1:3-4)

b. The Believer’s responsibility (1:5-7)

c. The result of assurance or amnesia (1:8-11)

III.) The testimony of Christ has never wavered. (1:12-21)

a. Peter has told them many times and they already know it. He will continue to remind them. (1:12-15)

b. The disciples were not duped, they saw it with their own eyes and heard it with their own ears (1:16-18)

c. The apostles received the Spirit of prophesy to convey these things accurately (1:19-21)

IV.) God’s truth has always been challenged (2:1-22)

a. The presence of false teachers and teachings has never been eliminated and are woefully destructive. (2:1-3)

b. The flame of God’s judgement both purifies the righteous and destroys the wicked. (2:4—9)

c. The sins and judgment of the apostate (2:10-22)

i. Their Sins (2:10-16)

1. Arrogance toward spiritual powers and authorities. (2:10-12)

2. Debauchery in their conduct (2:13-16)

3. Preaching empty words leading people astray (2:17-18)

ii. Their judgment (2:19-22)

1. They are slaves to their own sin (2:19)

2. They have rejected freedom in Christ and are now worse than they started (2:20-21)

3. They prove who they really are by what they return to. (2:22)

V.) The Lord’s Return is sure (3:1-18)

a. Peter’s desire to wake them up with truth (3:1-2)

b. The apocalyptic flood proves that God will judge the world (3:3-7)

c. God’s timetable is His own (3:8-9)

d. His coming will not be anticipated by the unprepared. (3:10-18)

i. It will be like a thief and will devastate (3:10)

ii. Because of this they must prepare their hearts with holiness and anticipation (3:11-13)

iii. In their anticipation and spotlessness they must remain patient since God’s delay is salvation for their brothers and sisters (3:14-16)

iv. Be on guard and grow (3:17-18)

[Slide 13(end)] Read II Peter

Well, having introduced II Peter to you, and getting a good jump on understanding the circumstance for its writing – let’s read together the words of Peter, breathed out by God through him as he wrote to remind and forewarn his audience of the coming spiritual dangers.

Let me pray and as I do you can come up to the mic here to read a chapter. Don’t be shy – we’ll need 3 readers today.

View Details

Title: The True Grace of God

Text: I Peter 5:12-14

FCF: We often struggle enduring through suffering blamelessly.

Prop: Because God does all to complete our salvation, we must stand firm in faith and obedience.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter 5.

Today we will finish up our study on the book of I Peter. Since taking the call to shepherd you, this will be our eleventh New Testament book we have studied together. I have found it to be one of the most personally challenging books that I have every studied and I hope that you too have been pressed by Peter.

Peter was a man of passion. A man who was quick to do and speak and slow to think. His faith often wavered and gave out. He even denied Christ 3 times.

The Peter presented to us in the gospels, is not the same Peter who wrote here. Not to say that it is a different man altogether as some suggest – but to simply say that the ongoing work of God in Peter’s heart is evident.

The man who drew a sword and cut off someone’s ear to protect Jesus – now says to submit to every human authority and joyfully suffer for the name of Christ.

The man who started sinking because he took his eyes off of Jesus - now says to cast every care on Him who cares for you.

The man who denied Christ – now says to stand firm and hold fast in faith.

And the man who once rebuked Jesus for saying He would die – now finds great hope in the death and resurrection of His Lord.

God changes all His dear children to look more and more like His only Son. And I hope that Peter’s words have done just that for you also.

Peter finishes his letter in summary and exhortation. Two final commands for His audience before he sends it.

I am in I Peter 5. I’ll start reading in verse 12. I am reading from the NET which you can follow on page 1367 in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

With only three verses to consider, we won’t spend a large amount of time this morning unpacking the text. But the implication of all of Peter’s letter, I hope, will be felt deeply within your soul. And that you will feel the need to obey and keep on obeying his final two commands.

I.) Because God does all to complete our salvation, we must stand firm in our faith. (12)

a. [Slide 2] 12 – Through Silvanus, whom I know to be a faithful brother,

i. The identity of Silvanus is clouded in some uncertainty.

ii. But even more mysterious is his actual role in this letter being written.

iii. This expression “through Silvanus” most often means delivered by. In the early church several church fathers used this expression more clearly to talk about someone who delivered a letter.

iv. However, because many see Silvanus as the Latin name for Silas, and because several expressions in I Peter seem to have Pauline flavors to them, and because Silas was with Paul on several missionary journeys – it is thought that Silas helped Peter to write his letter.

v. But if this is the Silas that went with Paul and was certainly well known throughout the church, the comment that he is a faithful brother seems unnecessary. Certainly the church in modern Turkey would have known who Silas was?

vi. Regardless of who this man was or how he helped Peter with this particular letter, we do know that Peter trusted this man because he was a faithful brother in Christ.

b. [Slide 3] I have written to you briefly, in order to encourage you

i. This is a chance for us to go back and look at what is encouraging about this letter?

ii. To a group of people who are being insulted, ostracized, marginalized and criminalized by the society around them, what has Peter said that is encouraging?

iii. Grab your bible and scan the text with me as we walk through each chapter.

1. Chapter 1

a. They are chosen by God to be who they are. Not according to their own works but according to the foreordaining of God. God picked them according to the counsel of His own will.

b. He is also preserving them and will deliver them to an imperishable inheritance. So that even though they suffer trials now, their preservation through them will actively prove their faith to be real.

c. This salvation they have in Christ has been prophesied by the prophets.

d. This salvation was ordained in Christ before time began.

e. And this salvation leads to their own purification to obey truth and stop sinning.

f. In other words – the vast majority of chapter 1 is encouragement.

1. Chapter 2

a. They, in Christ, have become living temples, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. This is their new identity and it has a purpose.

b. This is really the one big encouraging item in chapter 2. The rest is mostly exhortation or something we’ll talk about in a few minutes.

1. Chapter 3

a. Although there are encouraging statements in Chapter 3, most of it has to do with the item we will discuss in a moment.

1. Chapter 4

a. Three times in chapter 4 Peter reminds his audience that Jesus is ready to judge, that the culmination of all things in near, that God’s judgment begins with those He loves.

b. To suffering servants this would be a great encouragement to them knowing that there is an end in sight. That God’s Kingdom is coming, indeed it is here now. And one day it will be here fully.

1. Chapter 5

a. Chapter 5, like chapter 1 is full of encouraging concepts.

b. First the idea of a humble, caring, loving, listening body of people known as the church. With leaders who are there because they want to serve the people and lovingly lead them. Not for gain of any kind, but because God has called them to it.

c. With a church body acting in humility, not because they are earning anything by it but because that is who God made them to be.

d. With promises from God that He will exalt the humble and oppose the proud. And the greatest illustration is how He exalted Christ the humble and so His bride also and how He opposes our fierce enemy, the Devil.

e. Peter puts all the credit back on the Sovereign God for the preservation of His people, that after suffering for a time – as a God full of grace – He will save His people to the uttermost, forevermore.

1. To a people suffering for being who they are, not having chosen this fate but being chosen in Christ – such promises would be a great encouragement.

c. [Slide 4] And testify that this is the true grace of God.

i. We have come to understand God’s grace more fully together over the last 6 years. God’s grace is His divine enabling, empowering, impassioning, to love and do all that He has called His people to do.

ii. God’s grace is the reason that though still sinners we can and do have victory over sin and victory in obedience.

iii. God’s grace enables His people to be joined together with Christ in faith.

iv. God’s grace is the life-blood, the fuel, the heart of all that is being His people.

v. And so whatever “this” is in this text, Peter is saying it is the true grace of God.

vi. But to what does the word “this” refer?

vii. Although there are several options the most compelling is the letter itself.

viii. And because he is referring to all that he has written, we must, like we did for the encouragement, go back through the chapters of I Peter to discover where Peter talks about the grace of God.

1. Chapter 1

a. Such trials show the proven character of your faith which is more valuable than gold tested by fire and bringing praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Grace is brought to us at Christ’s revelation.

1. Chapter 2

a. Chapter 2 opens with our absolute dependance on sustenance from God Himself.

b. He continues by saying that to suffer for doing good is a grace from God

c. He concludes with the greatest display of God’s grace in the suffering and death of Christ to save us from our sin.

d. Through His suffering He has turned us back to God.

1. Chapter 3

a. In Chapter 3 Peter says that if we suffer for doing good we are blessed or favored of God.

b. He says that Christ suffered once for sins so that He could raise up His people from death and put down angels and authorities and powers.

1. Chapter 4

a. He says to arm ourselves with the same attitude of the suffering Christ and then says that if we suffer in the flesh we have finished with sin or that we have been freed from the slavery of sin.

b. He says in suffering we are suffering because we don’t wish to continue in sin.

c. But through this we prove ourselves to be living.

d. He says that in suffering we use God’s grace to minister to one another

e. He says to rejoice that we suffer with Christ.

f. If we are insulted for Christ’s name we are blessed.

g. If you suffer as a Christian glorify God for this

h. The righteous will be brought through judgment first with God safeguarding the souls of those who are truly His.

1. Chapter 5

a. God will preserve those who are His and establish them though they are attacked by Satan.

b. He will help to prove their faith.

ix. All of this shows that the true grace of God is Him using all things, even suffering and pursuit by our enemy, and in God’s judgment – ALL THINGS work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

x. The true grace of God is that God will hold forever those He loves.

xi. The true grace of God is that even amid suffering God is working in grace to preserve, protect, purify, and prove His people.

xii. And so, since they are encouraged and taught about the nature of God’s grace… what must they then do?

d. [Slide 5] Stand fast in it.

i. We must ask what is “it”?

ii. Is it the true grace of God?

iii. Is it the encouragement that Peter gave?

iv. Friends, it is still referring to all that He has written. Both the encouraging truths and the exact nature of the true grace of God.

v. That the truth of God’s choosing them, making them what they are, supporting them, working things out for their good, even in their suffering, all of this is something that must be stood fast in.

vi. Doctrine, good and solid doctrine, knowing what is true and standing firm in it is Peter’s point.

vii. If you are suffering, particularly if you are suffering for Christ’s name, not only is it in keeping with these truths, but it even affirms that you are God’s child and will inherit the glory of Christ in the final day.

viii. Remember what Thomas Watson said, “Christianity is not the removal of suffering, but the addition of grace to endure suffering triumphantly.”

ix. Stand in the truth of God’s work.

e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: So, Peter summarizes all that he has written, pointing out the encouragement and testimony of God’s sole work in choosing, sustaining, preserving, protecting, and perfecting their status as His children. Such truth is encouraging and illuminating, especially when they are pressed on all sides.

f. [Slide 7] Passage Application: And Peter makes it clear – that such truth is not only encouraging, but indeed it is foundational. It is the bedrock on which they must rest. To cling to God casting all their cares on Him. He alone has done this and He alone can keep them. So, they must stand firm in this faith. For standing firm in this faith is the evidence that God has done this for them.

g. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: From all of scripture we are reminded over and over again about the sole act of God to save someone. In theological terms it is known as “monergism.” It is the fact that God alone acts to save, keep, protect, preserve, test, purify, and perfect His people. No power of hell, no force of man’s will, no scheme of man, and no self-righteousness can ever do one thing to impact God’s work in saving His people. It is not by our merit that we are justified – but rather by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. And because God’ makes us who we are without us – He can keep us who we are without us too. He will sustain us. He will protect us. He will preserve us.

h. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Application: But just because God does something alone, doesn’t mean that we have no responsibility to act. So, CBC, when presented with such rich truth of God’s monergistic work, we have no other option than to grab on tight and hold to it for dear life. When everything around us crumbles. When doubt surrounds. When hope is strained. We hold fast to the truth that the God who was able to raise us to life, gave us faith in His Son, and is actively growing us, that same God is able and willing to keep us through the storm. Cast all your cares on Him. For He cares for you. Indeed, the very evidence that God is our God and has done all for us is that we cling to that hope and endure.

Transition:

[Slide 10(blank)] So we must ground ourselves in this truth. We must hold tightly to what God does to complete us in Christ. Even though that should be enough. Even though we should trust His promises. What else does Peter tell us to do? Where else shall we turn to for aid?

II.) Because God does all to complete our salvation, we must love one another. (13-14)

a. [Slide 11] 13 – The church in Babylon

i. The actual Greek expression here is, the woman in Babylon.

ii. Although there is much to be said here, realistically Peter uses coded language to hide that he is writing from the local church in Rome.

iii. What does the church in Rome have in common with these folks in modern Turkey?

b. [Slide 12] Chosen together with you,

i. They have the same Father, Lord, Elector, and Savior.

ii. They too were chosen together with the church there.

iii. They too are inheritors of the matchless grace of God.

iv. They too were given their identity by God and God alone.

c. [Slide 13] Greets you, and so does Mark, my son.

i. And all of them greet the church there with warm affection.

ii. Mark too, the spiritual son of Peter greets them.

iii. This is the same John Mark who abandoned Paul and Barnabas but later in II Timothy Paul desired him to come to Rome and help, since he was of great use to Paul.

d. [Slide 14] 14 – Greet one another with a loving kiss.

i. Certainly, this is challenging for us.

ii. Our culture does not put greeting and giving kisses necessarily together.

iii. Perhaps a culturally appropriate interpretation would be Greet one another with a loving embrace. Or, perhaps a loving handshake.

iv. This amounts to a second command in this passage. The first was to stand firm in their faith.

v. This second command is of action. That we are to warmly, kindly, affectionately greet one another as a loving family.

vi. The level to which God’s people are to see one another goes beyond even blood relations. We are bound not by blood, but by destiny. By calling. By identity. And by purpose.

vii. We, collectively, not you individually, but we collectively are the bride of Christ.

viii. Peter commands a deep familial love to be present in the assembly.

ix. This, as we’ve seen in other passages of scripture, is a proof of true faith. God’s people love one another.

x. And he hopes, for their sake, for something else.

e. [Slide 15] Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

i. Based on all that Peter has said, we know that peace here cannot and does not mean earthly peace.

ii. Peter’s wish for them is NOT referring to their own personal suffering at the hands of their pagan society.

iii. Such a wish would be to cut off the grace of God from them. Such a desire would be to pluck them prematurely out of the refining fire. Such a hope would be to remove the assurance of their faith proven by trial.

iv. No, this wish for peace from Peter is that his audience would know true spiritual peace.

v. But he clarifies that only those who are truly in Christ can know peace.

vi. Peace with God and peace in their souls. Though trials swirl around them – they have cast all their cares on a God who cares for them.

vii. To stand firm in God’s sovereign role in choosing, sustaining, purifying, proving, and perfecting them and to love one another intensely, faithfully, sacrificially, and selflessly is to obtain in this life – peace - and to gain hope for the next life of knowing true peace.

f. [Slide 16] Passage Truth: So Peter, for the last time in this letter reminds them of the greatness of their God who, without any credit to them, took them out of darkness and brought them into His light. Such a God not only has saved them from spiritual death, but will keep them in spiritual life as they walk the difficult road ahead – constantly sustained by His grace.

g. [Slide 17] Passage Application: In response to this, they must love one another. They have this common destiny together. They have this common trial together. They must find peace by trusting God and by loving each other deeply. Indeed, as we’ve said many times, their love for one another is evidence that God has done this for them.

h. [Slide 18] Broader Biblical Truth: Why is it so important for God to have done all in our salvation? Why must we eliminate any human part? It seems like a simple thing to ask with an obvious answer, but for Peter’s audience – if they truly chose this path for themselves. If they, of their own volition, chose to be this person… and then suffered for it. Would they not be wracked with guilt over having chosen poorly, since they now suffer for their choice? Or worse, would they not conclude that since they chose this life for themselves, that they could simply un-choose it to spare themselves pain? My friends, the fact that God did all is a great line in the sand for these people. You don’t have to feel guilt or regret over being a follower of Christ and suffering for it. After all, God made you who you are. But if God made you who you are – if He was able to do that – is He not also able to sustain, protect, purify and perfect you? Even through suffering? The doctrine of monergism is not a high and lofty academic only doctrine. No. It cuts to the bone. It comes close to the pain. If God alone saves us… then in our suffering… God alone can save us from that too.

i. [Slide 19] Broader Biblical Application: So, what do we do with this? Well, my friends – if God has done this – all by Himself. Then we are a people whom He has given a common destiny. A common life. A common burden. A common husband. A common calling. We are…. Together… wholly bound to Christ. What does that mean for us? I have more in common with you who are united to Christ by true faith than I have in common with my unsaved family. And even my saved family- I am united to them deeper than mere blood can go. Do you understand what this means? We are one in the Lord. One. We. Must. Love one another. This is the only path to peace and indeed if we love one another – is it not a great proof of God having made us His people?

Conclusion:

[Slide 20(end)] So, what is the main point, the primary theme that we can take away from I Peter?

True faith endures suffering blamelessly.

This theme encapsulates both the encouragement that Peter wishes to give them and the testimony of God’s true grace to them.

True faith, faith that is grounded in the absolute sovereignty and mongergistic work of God to save His people. Faith that is grounded in the work and person of Jesus Christ, faith that holds on to the promises of God that He will provide, protect, sustain, purify, and perfect His people – This faith – True Faith - is enough to stand on through every storm.

We do not need to resort to rebellion, we do not need to resort to retaliation, we do not need to go back to our sins, we do not need to love the world, we do not need acceptance, we do not need comfort, we don’t need the world to change, and we don’t need to change the world.

All we need is Christ. All we need is our God and His promises. So much so, that though we suffer insult, ridicule or even pain, torture and death for His name – we do not need anything but Him. Putting all our eggs in His basket, casting all our cares on Him means that we hope in nothing save what He has promised to give us. We seek His Kingdom and righteousness first.

For on this foundation we can stand and blamelessly endure suffering. And the eyes of the pagans, the enemy, and all who inflict such great tribulation on us, will see the same meekness that Christ showed as he went like a lamb to the slaughter. And many will scoff… but some will believe. And in the day when the Lord descends, the day the Son finally comes to judge the living and the dead, all the dead will be forced, for the glory of God the Father, to kneel before Him confessing that He. IS. Lord. And the vindication of His people shall be given and His justice shall reign.

My friends. Stand fast in Him. Stand fast in His grace.

Yet knowing our weakness. Knowing we would find great difficulty standing firm in a God we cannot see. Knowing that we are still sinners yet declared righteous. He gave us each other also.

That even while standing firm in the great promises of our God we may yet turn to each other and hold each other up. We may yet close ranks around those who are wounded and hurting. We may follow those who are strong in faith. We may lean on those who encourage. We may be carried by those who show mercy. We may be pruned by those who teach in word and deed.

In short – the narrow way is long and difficult. God alone should be enough. But He has given us the church, His bride, to love, help, teach, give to, support, guide, care for, serve, and protect each other.

In the days ahead… I’m not trying to alarm you and I don’t want to be too pessimistic, but the days of Christian virtue and morality being appreciated in this culture are coming to a close. What is true of this nation is the same truth of every nation before it. Men love their sin and want to keep it, even if it means their own condemnation. And when we make it clear to the waking world that the reason we cling to this morality is because we serve our King, and not for any other reason - well it won’t be long before He will not be permitted either.

In short – being a Christian will cost us something very soon. Our lives certainly… but there are a great many things more precious than our lives that will be threatened. They will come for our homes, our property, our children… they will take everything from those who have the audacity to call them sinners… and no matter how lovingly we tell them they are sinners… no matter how many times we say, “I was like you once”… it will not matter.

I don’t know when it will be. I do think it will be in my lifetime and certainly in my children’s. But soon… we will suffer as our forefather’s suffered. We will be put into the fire of God’s judgment. We will suffer much for the name of Christ.

How do you expect to stand Christian? Will you depend on the strength of your arms, your weapons, your wealth or your wit? And who will stand with you? Will you bind yourself to unbelievers who happen to share your values for this reason or another? Will you yoke yourself to those who worship idols and practice the paganism that is morality without Christ?

My friends. Stand firm in the testimony of the true grace of God. And love one another. This is true peace. This is the only path to knowing peace.

The world may crumble around us and we may lose all we cherish in this life… but if it doesn’t profit a man to gain the whole world but lose His soul… can you tell me what profit it is to lose the whole world but gain the Kingdom of God?

Very soon we will be tested in this. Are you ready to see if you have true faith? True faith endures suffering blamelessly remember. Are you ready to stand firm and love one another?

View Details

Title: Be Humble and Be Vigilant

Text: I Peter 5:5b-11

FCF: We often struggle believing the Lord will do as He says He will.

Prop: Because God exalts the humble and opposes the proud, we must humbly stand firm in Him.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter 5. We are quickly approaching the end of Peter’s first letter to the chosen exiles in what is now Turkey. Next week we will, Lord willing, finish up this letter and even review a little to close it out.

But today, we are still very much in the meat. Indeed, some of the last things Peter says before he gives the greetings and final exhortations, are stunningly profound and amazingly challenging.

To a group of Christians who are being absolutely thrashed for what they believe- Peter’s closing words of exhortation present such a paradox that if he had started with it, they may have just tossed the letter. But here, we see the groundwork of all he has written culminate into two final commands before closing it all out.

I am in I Peter 5. I’ll begin reading in verse 5. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1367 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Some really cool things here that I can’t wait to show you. Let’s dive in.

I.) Because God exalts the humble and opposes the proud, we must be humble and cast our cares on God. (5b-7)

a. [Slide 2] 5b – And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

i. We looked at this portion of verse 5 in conjunction with the roles of both Elders and the congregation.

ii. That in order to lead without lording, the Elders would need to be humble.

iii. In order to submit to the authority and responsibility of the Elders, the congregation would need to be humble.

iv. The reason that Peter should expect that from them, is because of the truism he mentions here from Proverbs 3:34. God’s grace is continually given to those who are humble. But those who are continually proud will receive God’s resolute opposition.

v. Only the poor in spirit will be given the kingdom of God.

vi. Only the mourners will be comforted.

vii. Only the meek will inherit the earth.

viii. So, if you are united to Christ by true faith, you will be humble.

ix. Nevertheless, to suffering Christians ostracized by their debauched society, demonized by demon worshippers, accused of lawlessness by the lawless, it may seem only a trite phrase pulled from an ancient scroll.

x. Ok, yes God will give grace if I am humble. But I am humble… where is the grace? Where is God’s opposition of my enemies?

xi. In some ways you see the tension between the Proverbs of Solomon and the Ecclesiastes of Solomon. The world should be that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble – but by all appearances it seems that God opposes the humble and gives favor to the proud.

xii. What is a Christian to do with the problem of evil in the world if this statement is true?

b. [Slide 3] 6 – And God will exalt you in due time,

i. Stop hoping in this world. That is Peter’s basic message.

ii. Stop looking for justice, mercy, peace, and love to reign here.

iii. That doesn’t mean we stop practicing justice, mercy, peace and love… because as citizens of His Kingdom this is what we do.

iv. However, to begin to think that the ship will right eventually or from our efforts, is foolishness.

v. God will exalt His people in due time. There is an end to the madness that is this world.

vi. What do we do with the problem of evil? How do we harmonize evil’s existence with a God who is all powerful, and all good? Recognize that this world is but a pit stop on the way to the eternal world that is to come. The problem of pain and evil is a temporary problem with an eternal purpose and solution.

vii. God will one day make it all right.

viii. And how do we know that we will be exalted in that time?

c. [Slide 4] if you humble yourselves under His mighty hand 7 – by casting all your cares on Him

i. God’s people are a humble people.

ii. God’s people recognize that all that they have is given.

iii. That they are nothing without Christ.

iv. That they are the fruit on the vine and without the vine they are nothing.

v. That all of our salvation is God’s work. That nothing we do or say contributes in any way to our justification. And that even the fruit of our faith, while it is us working out that fruit, it is wholly empowered and completely motivated by the grace of God.

vi. He gives and sustains our faith. He is its author and the finisher.

vii. So, we humble ourselves and believe that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

viii. That this is not some trite promise that we quote when times are hard – but with firm faith we grasp hold of such a teaching and depend on its truth even while we suffer.

ix. To the extent that we seek His Kingdom and righteousness first with total dependance on Him for all our cares.

x. Why should we do this? Why should we place every care, every concern, every earthly need, every sorrow, every pain, every injustice, every heartache, every loss, every hurt, every longing, every insult, every rejection, every bad thing in our lives – why are they cast upon HIM?

d. [Slide 5] Because He cares for you.

i. My friends.

ii. The doctrine of God’s sovereignty does not deal only with salvation.

iii. The doctrine of God’s sovereignty does not lie in theological discussions floating high in the lofty clouds of academia.

iv. If God is not sovereign than our pain and suffering is inevitable and explainable but the command to cast our care on Him is an incredibly risky one. If there are areas God doesn’t control, any at all, casting our care on Him could mean He won’t be able to help us.

v. If God is not sovereign than the promise that He cares for us is of so little value – because though He may care for us – He cannot stop what is happening to us, nor is He in any position to affect any meaningful change.

vi. Therefore, putting these two together, if God is not sovereign, the command to cast our cares on Him BECAUSE He cares for us… is stupid, foolish, and even unwise.

vii. But if God is sovereign and only if God is sovereign, can we identify our cares as those given by a God who is working things out for our good and His glory.

viii. If and only if God is sovereign can we cast all our cares on Him knowing He cares for us.

ix. God being in absolute control, exercising total dominion over His creation is the only way that casting our cares on Him and Him caring for us in the midst of those cares, gives us any comfort or peace.

e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: So, Peter reminds his audience that God exalts the humble and opposes the proud. It is those, specifically, who humble themselves before His mighty hand that God does care for and exalt.

f. [Slide 7] Passage Application: So, his audience must be humble by casting all their cares on God.

g. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out of this text we see that God exalts the humble throughout the scriptures. When Ahab, after sinning so wickedly did express remorse for his sin, God granted a stay of His judgment until after his death. When David repented for his sin, although God did not spare Him of the consequence, not only did God not turn His face away from David, He continued to keep His promises to David for his dynastic line. The proverbs testify that humility is exalted by God. Conversely, we see God oppose the proud. Unfortunately, these examples are far more common. Pick a Northern Kingdom King… any one of them... and you will see this demonstrated.

h. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Application: So, because God exalts the humble CBC, we must be humble. And how does Peter specifically express that act of humility toward God? Casting all our cares on Him. Dependance on Him. Faith in Him. Trust in Him. How is this an act of humility? Well in order to understand how this is an act of humility we must take every word in full. “Casting (throwing upon or dump on) all (every) cares (troubles and worries) upon (committed to) Him (God the triune).” How is this an act of humility? When we cast our cares on Him it is because we have come to realize several truths.

i. First, God is sovereignly in charge of all that befalls us. Therefore, we in humility do not cast off our care as if to not worry about it, rather we put our cares back at the source from which they came.

ii. Second, we recognize that we cannot do anything to affect our own anxieties and fears. And so, we hand them to Him who is able to relieve them or at least sustain us through them.

iii. Third, we do this, not with a few, not just the big worries, not just the big sufferings, but with all our worries and fears, recognizing that even though we may see them as small – we are still ill equipped to handle them.

iv. Finally, God’s power is made perfect in weakness. Have you ever thought about what that phrase means. It does not mean that when we exhaust ourselves and squeeze every ounce out that God makes up for the rest. Instead, it means that God’s strength is strongest when it is unpolluted by our added strength. Be humble and cast your cares on Him. Because His grace is sufficient for you.

Transition:

[Slide 10(blank)] Casting all our cares on God is challenging. But it is only half the equation. Let us not stop at this step lest we miss another important facet of enduring in a world against us.

II.) Because God exalts the humble and opposes the proud, we must be alert and resist the devil in steadfast faith. (8-11)

a. [Slide 11] 8 – Be sober and alert

i. Humility does not mean passivity my friends.

ii. Casting our cares on Him does not lead to inaction.

iii. It is not let go and let God.

iv. It is not Jesus take the wheel.

v. These sentiments communicate some truth. Truly God being sovereign means we should cast all our cares on Him.

vi. But it does not remove our responsibility to act.

vii. Though depending on God to care for us in our suffering – we ought to remain vigilant.

viii. We ought to remain alert. We ought to be watchful.

ix. Our resting in the Lord ought not to descend into sleep.

x. Rather from a position of resting in the Lord we are free to be alert for the dangers around us.

xi. Like what?

b. [Slide 12] Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.

i. The nature of a prowling and a roaring lion communicates both the hunger of the lion and the terror inflicted upon its prey.

ii. In this case, the bride of Christ.

iii. [Slide 13] Some look at this text and compare it to James 4 where he says something similar. However, there are key contextual differences between what Peter and James are trying to say.

1. James mentions nothing of the nature of the devil. Only that in resisting he will flee.

2. James clearly intends a resistance from temptation to sin.

3. But turning to I Peter, Peter seems to have a different situation in mind. Let me expand on that.

iv. [Slide 14] What does it mean to devour?

v. To devour means to drink down. It means to consume. It means to gulp.

vi. Unlike in James where the Devil is simply a tempter – Peter has something far more sinister, far more diabolical than mere temptation.

vii. Eusebius, in a letter written in the early church, thought that swallowed or devoured by the devil meant apostasy or when a Christian denies Christ.

viii. Therefore, we are not talking about a tempter who is actively seeking someone to succumb to sin, although that is certainly part of it.

ix. Instead, this is talking about the destruction of the faith of the Christian. Apostasy is his goal.

x. [Slide 15] Rather than comparing the language of Peter to James, I think it is better to compare it to the language of Job.

1. In response to the question of God “Where have you come from?” The Adversary or Satan which is a title or description of this being not its name. Satan responds “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.” This is a military expression. It means to execute reconnaissance or to investigate for weaknesses.

2. In I Peter, The Slanderer or the devil, again a description not a name, is characterized as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. How do lions hunt? They employ two methods, one is to stalk their prey but another is to scare their prey into a chase, isolate the weakest and face it against the strongest male lion in one on one combat.

3. In Job, God asks Satan if he has considered Job, who is righteous?

4. [Slide 16] Question. Why did Satan not consider Job?

5. He says that it is because God was protecting him. Job wasn’t weak.

6. Another question for you. In the entire exchange in Job, what is Satan’s objective? Is it the death of Job?

7. No. It is Job’s abandonment of God. He is trying to get Job to curse God. Even speaking through the lips of his wife those very words.

8. Likewise, the language of devouring seems less to do with death, pain, oppression, suffering, and more to do with apostasy.

9. In other words, the threat of death and even the reality of pain, oppression, and suffering are not an end in themselves. Rather their goal is to produce the effect of abandoning and cursing God.

xi. Satan’s goal then, is not simply to distract or to neutralize. His goal is to kill… Spiritually.

c. [Slide 17] 9 – Resist him, strong in your faith

i. This word means to stand against, oppose, or to resist.

ii. We are not running and hiding but rather fighting.

iii. To fight… a lion? Running and hiding seems preferred than to stand and fight. Afterall, if you have made it to a one-on-one fight – the pride leader (pun intended) with the weak (simultaneously justified yet still a sinner), you are probably going to be lunch.

iv. But notice it is not fighting in our own strength, but rather in the strength of our God.

v. His strength is made perfect in what? Our weakness.

vi. This perfectly marries the two aspects of humbly casting our cares on the Lord but remaining vigilant. We fight from the position of rest. We fight from the position of weakness and in His strength. His arms are wrapped around us as we resist and oppose our enemy.

vii. We are clothed in Christ and His righteousness, surrounded by the grace of God.

viii. Indeed, this is the only way we CAN oppose our great enemy. By faith.

ix. Why must we resist strong in faith?

d. [Slide 18] Because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering.

i. Listen very closely ok.

ii. Resisting Satan does not equal alleviation of his assault.

iii. Contrary to many name-it-claim-it, Pentecostal preachers – Peter does not say that we must resist in faith so that his assault will end.

iv. This is why it doesn’t do us good to compare Peter’s words to James’. James says that if we submit to God and resist the devil, he will flee. In regard to temptation, this is true.

v. [Slide 19] But did Satan flee when Job resisted the urge to apostatize? No. Instead, after taking all Job held dear, he told God that without his health, Job would curse Him to His face. In other words, Satan wanted to take more from Job. He pressed him harder. He did not flee.

vi. The reason we continue to resist the devil’s oppression, pain, suffering, and pull to get us to abandon God is not because it will force Him to stop. Rather it is because his efforts are not centered only on you and I.

vii. [Slide 20] It is a global effort on Satan’s part to roam the earth seeking the weakest of God’s people to eat. To devour. To lead into apostasy. To curse God and die.

viii. In short… we must continue to resist in the strength of our God because… WE. ARE. AT. WAR.

ix. And though the battle belongs to the Lord. Though the victory is won. Though claim to the universe is reaffirmed to be only our God’s… God is still executing the eviction notices of the former despots, and we are still preaching immigration policy to former darkness dwellers that have seen a great light!

x. Therefore, we oppose in God’s strength!

xi. Will that be a hard fight? Oh yes.

xii. For those who are united to Christ by true faith, it will amount to great pain and suffering for His name and possibly even our physical death.

xiii. But for those who only had fake faith... the cost will be even greater. For they will be devoured. Resorbed back into darkness.

xiv. So, what is our hope?

e. [Slide 21] 10 – And, after you have suffered for a little while,

i. Again, the insistence that this world is but a pit stop

ii. It is only a brief vapor. A fog that is chased away by the sun.

f. [Slide 22] the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

i. Peter started this letter with our identity being all of God. He concludes the letter with the same idea. God is the one who has made us what we are.

ii. Question. After we suffer for a little while… Where did your and my effort go? Where went our resisting? Where is the roaring lion?

iii. Absent.

iv. Here like in Romans 8, Peter gives an unbreakable chain. The God of all grace, from whence all grace comes, who has called us to share in His eternal glory in Christ, will also without any uncertainty, restore, confirm, strengthen and establish us.

v. Remember in chapter 4, where Peter says that God’s people will endure the fire of God’s judgement first? What points did we make there?

vi. The testing of God on this earth, his judgment process includes the fire of refinement for His people. Not just to eliminate sin and make them look more like Christ – but also to peel away all whose faith is fake.

vii. The same fire which purifies the precious metal, burns up the wood, hay and stubble.

viii. [Slide 23] Did you notice how God did not take anything away from Job. He merely allowed Satan to do this. To corner him. To attack him. To hunt him.

ix. Why was God so sure that Job would not curse Him?

x. [Slide 24] The answer is in chapter 1. God said ““Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil.”

xi. These are statements of identity… not performance.

xii. [Slide 25] God told Satan – I have called Job to eternal glory in His Redeemer, and I will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish him. And I will do that after he has suffered for a little while under your hand.

xiii. God knew that Job would not curse Him, because God knew what Job was made of. Why? Because God gave it to him.

xiv. How could we possibly escape being devoured by such an enemy… even if we were to resist?

xv. Because we trust God. Because we trust Him with all our cares. Because we trust that if He has called us to Christ’s glory… then we will have it.

xvi. God will use… even Satan himself… to refine His people and PROVE the faith that He has given them.

xvii. That is why Peter says…

g. [Slide 26] 11 – To Him belongs the power forever. Amen.

i. All power belongs to God.

ii. This word for power, understood in this context, must mean dominion.

iii. It is a word that communicates the absolute authority and power of God.

iv. There is nothing God doesn’t control. Even Satan…

v. And that doctrine gives us great hope.

vi. Not only that in suffering we can know that He has given it to us for our good, but we can also know that in suffering, as Jesus said, God will not allow one of His sheep to be lost.

h. [Slide 27] Passage Truth: Peter once again reminds his audience of the truth of Proverbs 3:34. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. He does so with an illustration. The illustration is the one who is the epitome of pride not being able to rip away those who are God’s from Him.

i. [Slide 28] Passage Application: And even though God will rescue His people from this enemy, it doesn’t mean they are passive. Instead, they must resist in firm faith. They must trust in the strength of God to oppose such an enemy. One they could never defeat on their own, but one who if faced in faith, cannot spiritually harm them. In fact, he will only purify their faith more with his assault.

j. [Slide 29] Broader Biblical Truth: A long confessed truth, held by the church in a broad context is that once a person is truly saved, they are secure in Christ forever. They will not, and cannot be lost. There is disagreement over emphasis on who does the sealing and holding. But here in our text we see that God holds forever those He loves. He will not lose any. But that is not a passive process for those united to Christ by true faith. Rather, though pursued by Satan himself, though tested by fire, though tried – they endure. As the Puritan Thomas Watson said “Christianity is not the removal of suffering, but the addition of grace to endure suffering triumphantly.”

k. [Slide 30] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, not only must we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. But we must also resist the enemy by faith. We must oppose him by actively clinging to our God and the promise that those whom He, the God of all grace, has called to share in the glory of Christ, He Himself will establish, confirm, restore, and save forevermore. My friends… His strength is made perfect in our weakness. His grace is sufficient for us to oppose the enemy.

Conclusion:

[Slide 31] So CBC, having seen that God exalts the humble and opposes the proud, what are we to do, particularly in a world where that doesn’t seem to be the case.

What are we to do when we are ostracized, marginalized, ridiculed, silenced, or falsely accused of bigotry, racism, and other vile things?

What are we to do with a world where the humble are stomped on and the proud hold power?

What are we to do when we face such a fierce and powerful enemy who is the epitome of pride?

Will we still believe that God opposes the proud and exalts the humble? Will we still believe that God uses these fiery trials to refine and prove our faith?

Peter gives us all we need to wage this war.

We must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. How? We must cast every care on Him. Why? Because He cares for us.

Let me just say that we do not do that well do we? In my own heart and in others I have seen us fail on both sides of this. Either we carry on through life handling everything that comes our way until we meet our match and in desperation cry out to Him. Or, we do the opposite and are fine praying for all kinds of little things, but when something big happens we trust only ourselves or experts to figure it out.

The scriptures say that not only that God holds the universe in His hands, but also that He feeds the sparrow. There is not one atom too small to escape His dominion and there is not one galaxy so large that He would be unable to effortlessly alter it.

Is He not worthy of all of our cares? All our anxieties? All our fears? Is He not ultimately responsible for us experiencing them? Could it be that the very reason He gives them to us, is to get us to give them back to Him?

My friends – our burden is heavy – but our God’s hand is MIGHTY. His strength is made perfect when we are weak. Be weak… and trust His sufficient grace!

Be weak but do not check out. Do not be passive.

Rest in His grace but do not fall asleep! Be alert for the enemy is searching for weak faith. He roars with suffering, oppression, pain, even the threat of death. And our hearts run. Those who have weak faith will be pursued and consumed.

So don’t have weak faith! Well, that is a fine thing to say – but how do I increase my faith?

We might wander into ways to believe harder or some sort of human focused effort.

Might I suggest to you that our faith’s strength is only as strong as the object of our faith.

In other words, a deep, humble, broad, healthy spiritual knowledge of who God is, His holiness, His love for us, His majesty, His grace… this strengthens our faith. The larger the rock, the more firm the anchor holds.

My friends, as we face this world, with devils filled, who threaten to undo us. We tremble not for them why? Because God has willed for His truth to triumph through us. The right man is on our side. The man of God’s own choosing. You ask – who is it? Christ Jesus our Lord. And He will win the battle.

Let us sing together – A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. #656

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Turn in your bible to I Timothy 3.

After all this singing, prayer, scripture reading, confession, and praise – you might be wondering… sheesh how long is this thing gonna last?

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Title: Being Elder Led

Text: I Peter 5:1-5

FCF: We often struggle leading and being led within the church.

Prop: Because God’s judgment begins with His own house, we must be sure we submit to God’s design for the oversight of His house.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter 5.

Last week, Peter revealed that the fire of God’s judgement does not skip His own people. In fact, God’s people are first to be refined by that fire in this life. The good news is, that those who are truly in Christ, those who have true faith, will endure through such trial and participate in the glory of Christ when He comes back.

Today, because of our chapter divisions, with a cursory reading we may assume that Peter changes the subject. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Peter continues on this same theme as he moves ever closer to the end of his first letter.

So let’s read I Peter 5:1-5. I’ll be reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1367 or in whatever version you have.

Transition:

Much to look at and do this morning, so let’s get right to it!

I.) Because the judgment begins with God’s house, elders must humbly exercise servant leadership toward the church. (1-4)

a. [Slide 2] 1 – So as your fellow elder

i. The word “so” connects chapter 5 with what Peter just said.

ii. Just like God will judge all men but begin with the house of God, so Peter will address the whole congregation but begin with its leaders.

iii. What does Peter mean by calling himself an Elder?

iv. Is this modesty?

v. Perhaps a little. However, we can clearly see that Peter is identifying with the leaders of the churches to which he is writing.

vi. He is coming to them not as an apostle only – but a fellow church leader. One who knows them and those for whom they care.

b. [Slide 3] And witness of Christ’s sufferings

i. This little phrase does two things.

1. It points to Peter’s apostleship. He saw Christ’s sufferings. But how does that identify him with the Elders there? Did they all see Christ’s sufferings too?

2. Indirectly yes. As Peter has been saying up to this point, to suffer for Christ’s name is to share in Christ’s sufferings. The Elders of the churches to which Peter is writing, have seen their people suffer for Christ’s name. They too have no doubt suffered for Christ’s name. In this, they have seen indirectly, the sufferings of Christ.

ii. So, Peter identifies with the audience not only as a fellow Elder but one who has seen the sufferings of Christ.

c. [Slide 4] And as one who shares in the glory that will be revealed,

i. But to have seen and shared in the sufferings of Christ – as Peter has said in this very letter – is to rejoice also in sharing in the glory of Christ.

ii. Such union with Christ means that we too will be glorified with Christ.

iii. Peter himself has endured suffering for the name of Christ. Indeed, in Acts he was beaten and imprisoned many times for preaching in the name of Christ.

iv. Because he is just like the Elders there, Peter can move to command them.

d. [Slide 5] I urge the elders among you:

i. Why the Elders?

ii. Elders are the spiritual leaders of the church. They watch for the souls of each member.

iii. Where the Elders go the congregation will follow. A church can only be as spiritually mature and obedient as their shepherds are.

iv. They have been – as Titus says – entrusted with the household of God. They are sheep still yes – but they are stewards and caretakers. They wear the shepherd’s robes.

v. That is why Peter commands…

e. [Slide 6] 2 – Give a shepherd’s care

i. Elders are not the chief Shepherd, that is abundantly true.

ii. But Elders are shepherds nonetheless.

iii. This is not a foreign concept in the 1st century ancient near east. Oftentimes, all the flocks of a farmer could not be watched by one shepherd. And so, the chief shepherd would appoint under shepherds to go and watch the flocks. Those under shepherds bore the authority and responsibility to shepherd the same way the chief shepherd would.

iv. But giving a shepherd’s care is an obvious spiritual metaphor.

v. Meaning of course that we should not emphasize an Elder’s physical care of the flock, but rather his spiritual care.

vi. When we analyze the role of the Elder and even church leaders in general like the apostles – priority is put not on the physical care of the body, but rather the spiritual care. The apostles purposefully gave up the duty of feeding widows so that they could focus on praying and the ministry of the Word.

vii. So also, an Elder is to be focused on spiritually guiding, feeding, tending, and protecting… who?

f. [Slide 7] to God’s flock among you

i. Two very important teachings in this phrase.

ii. First, is that the flock they are to shepherd is God’s. Although they are performing the duty of a shepherd, ultimately, they do not own the flock.

iii. Second, not only do they not own the flock of God, but this flock is “among” them. Even though they wear the shepherd’s robes they are a sheep as well.

iv. As Peter continues, he plays jump rope with this paradoxical relationship between the Elders and the church.

v. Already he’s suggested that they give shepherds care to the flock

vi. But then immediately reminds them that they are not the shepherd and are in fact one of the sheep.

vii. Now he swings back the other way and qualifies or further explains the duty of giving shepherds care. What is meant by giving spiritual shepherd’s care?

g. [Slide 8] Exercising oversight

i. This is a compound word meaning to inspect, mark, or watch and the prefix means around or over.

ii. From this we get the verb to look around, to inspect, or oversee.

iii. And so, we see that the primary application of giving a shepherd’s spiritual care is to exercise oversight. To watch over.

iv. Some have suggested, and with good reason, that this word does not communicate authority.

v. On its own I would actually agree with that. The word in and of itself does not communicate authority but responsibility.

vi. Because he is speaking to Elders directly, it seems appropriate for Peter to emphasize the responsibility of their oversight rather than their authority.

vii. They are responsible within giving a shepherd’s care, to spiritually oversee, protect, guide, feed, and provide for the flock of God.

viii. But to use this word to suggest that Elders do not actually have any authority is self-defeating for several reasons. Two of which are drawn from this very text.

1. Peter is going to go on to qualify exactly what he means by exercising oversight. If Peter simply means that they are responsible to watch out for the church without any authority to make decisions, then some of these qualifiers do not make any sense at all.

2. Peter goes on to speak to the congregation and their response to this oversight. If it is simply responsibility, the church isn’t to treat it that way. We’ll get to that.

3. From other scriptures, to conclude that oversight is raw responsibility, would be to undermine the responsibility of other believers to do the same for one another. Do other believers not have a responsibility to spiritually care for others?

4. Finally, If God gave only responsibility to Elders with no authority to accomplish such a task – not only would that be breaking how He normally operates in Scripture with prophets, priests, and kings – but it would also leave any Elder foolish enough to accept such a responsibility, hopelessly incapable of the task.

ix. All that to say, oversight certainly means responsibility! But responsibility from God never comes without authority. And with that given authority Peter wishes to caution these Elders.

h. [Slide 9] Not merely as a duty

i. Not by compulsion or not by constraint.

ii. The NET here interprets this as no mere duty which captures some of the force – but maybe adds too much.

iii. Simply put, this office, this authority, this responsibility ought to not be entered into by the will of anyone except…

i. [Slide 10] But willingly under God’s direction

i. The Elder in question must be willing

ii. And his willingness to enter into this role out to be according to, or under the direction of, God’s will.

iii. God alone calls and qualifies the men who are to be Elders of a church. If they are unwilling, they ought not be forced to serve or feel compelled to serve.

iv. Such a man wielding authority and responsibility for the souls of God’s people would wreak havoc on the church.

j. [Slide 11] Not for shameful profit

i. A person taking an Elder’s position wields influence and authority over those who are under his charge.

ii. In this we see that oversight must include some authority, otherwise how could an Elder ever have the opportunity to take money from the coffers of the sheep?

iii. Why are so many cult leaders wealthy? Why are prosperity gospel teachers wealthy? Because they use their authority to easily fleece the sheep.

iv. But Peter says that an Elder ought not consider his office of responsibility and authority to be a means to become wealthy and amass great riches.

k. [Slide 12] But eagerly

i. With cheerfulness, with eagerness, and readily.

ii. How does this counter the previous point?

iii. Perhaps left between the lines – Peter suggests that an Elder will pay out far more than he takes in.

iv. That an Elder who truly gives a shepherd’s spiritual care and exercises proper oversight will recognize that heartache, challenge, confrontation, struggle, pain, persecution and stress are sure to follow that exercised authority and responsibility.

v. Nevertheless, he takes on these challenges willingly and cheerfully for the glory of God and the sake of his brothers and sisters in Christ, knowing that he may lose a great deal of earthy things to do so.

l. [Slide 13] 3 – And do not lord it over those entrusted to you,

i. I love the counter balance that these next two qualifiers have.

ii. To lord over means to exercise dominion over or to subjugate.

iii. It means to enslave.

iv. If oversight was only and purely responsibility for the spiritual care of the church, such a command would not be necessary.

v. How could you enslave or dominate someone with your responsibility to care for them?

vi. You could potentially guilt trip them – “hey man do you want me to be judged of God? C’mon!”

vii. But aside from that – if oversight was purely responsibility, you could never dominate someone.

viii. This means that there is inherent, given, authority from God to the Elders. They are not only responsible for the spiritual care and well-being of the church – but they exercise the appropriate amount of authority to see that done… however… the church does not exist to serve them.

ix. Rather the Elders exist to serve the church to the glory of God.

x. God has trusted Elders with His people for their spiritual good. This MUST include authority over them and it is because of that included authority and stewardship that God warns them through Peter - that authority must not be abused.

m. [Slide 14] But be examples to the flock

i. This expression means to set the template. It means to be a pattern.

ii. The Elders are to be a guide to the congregation for how to believe, live, think, speak, and worship. They are the template to follow. They ought to be following Christ so much that they can say to the church- follow me.

iii. If exercising oversight was only about authority, such a command would not make sense. How many in power say do as I say not as I do? How many politicians set up mask mandates and never wore masks?

iv. You don’t need to be an example if all you have is authority. You simply need to bark orders.

v. This is why we call this form of church government “Elder LED”. All authority falls on the Elders – but so does all responsibility. That is the difference between lording and leading.

vi. So, my friends, oversight includes responsibility. So much so, that far from lording – an Elder must demonstrate to the congregation, even if it costs him much, what it means to follow Christ.

vii. After all this – I feel I must ask this question…

viii. Why would a man do this willingly?

n. [Slide 15] 4 – Then when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that never fades away.

i. When the chief shepherd, for whom they are but stewards, appears to take His flock back – those who exercised this kind of oversight will be rewarded.

ii. But what is this reward?

iii. Rather than assuming this is a special reward for Elders, I think it is best to interpret this as the New Kingdom or eternal life.

iv. But here is the snag. How is it that an Elder when exercising Christ-like oversight, gets the same reward as anyone who is simply a believer?

1. There is no greater reward to be given than to inherit the same glory Christ has.

2. Exercising oversight in this way is one more test of the genuineness of someone’s salvation.

v. In other words – if an Elder does not exercise oversight like this – not only is he unqualified to be an Elder – but his entire identity in Christ is brought into question.

vi. The calling for an Elder must be from God because there are no additional rewards for this call beyond that which is given to all of God’s people – and there are a great many more responsibilities and dangers inherently received by taking such a call.

vii. Why would anyone want such a call?

viii. Why indeed, unless the Lord has called them to it.

o. [Slide 16] Passage Truth: Peter reminds his audience that the greatest reward is passing through the fire and coming into the glory of Christ on the other side. Elders prove that they will pass through this fire when they give the Chief Shepherd’s care exercising appropriate oversight of His flock.

p. [Slide 17] Passage Application: So, the Elders to which Peter writes must Shepherd like Christ. They must humbly serve the church wielding the authority and responsibility of Christ toward His people as He would. They must serve purely and faithfully.

q. [Slide 18] Broader Biblical Truth: In our society when we get more responsibilities what do we expect in return? More privileges, right? When a boss hands you a list of new duties, what do you generally expect to receive as well? A raise, right? God’s Kingdom doesn’t operate that way. To those whom God gives much, He rewards much. To those whom God gives little, He rewards much. Think of the parable of the farm workers. Remember from Matthew 20? Jesus tells a story about a farmer who goes out early in the morning and hires someone to work in his vineyard. He agrees to pay the worker a day’s wage. But at various stages throughout the work day, the farmer goes out and hires new workers promising them that he would pay them a fair price. At the end of the day, the farmer pays each man who worked for him, a day’s wage. Because that is what all of them needed. Dwelling with the Lord is what all of us need. And if we have been saved for many years, suffer under great persecution, serve in heartache as Elders, and work tirelessly for God’s Kingdom or if we come to saving faith on our deathbed – the reward is the same. Why? Because it is Christ’s reward. And we are bound to Him. So, Peter subtly tells Elders, do not work for the reward – work for the Chief Shepherd.

r. [Slide 19] Broader Biblical Application: So, to these men today, who will become the Elders of our church, and to myself as the only current Elder – guys we must give Christ’s Shepherd care to these folks here at CBC. We must exercise proper oversight over them. Not for gain, not for power, not because we feel like we have to, not to get our way – but to serve, to be an example, and because God has stoked the flame of our love for Him and for them. This kind of oversight is the only kind we may exercise if indeed we expect the Chief Shepherd to be pleased when he arrives. And I daresay that there are a great number of Pastors today who will not only be rejected this crown when the chief shepherd arrives – but will be denied entry into His fields and lands too. As an expression of the true faith within us men – we must shepherd these people and exercise this oversight over them.

Transition:

[Slide 20 (blank)] But what about the rest of the church? What is their corollary to this teaching?

II.) Because the judgment begins with God’s house, the church must humbly submit to its Elders and to one another. (5)

a. [Slide 21] 5 – In the same way

i. In what way?

ii. In the way that anticipates the judgement of the living and the dead.

iii. In the way that anticipates the culmination of all things.

iv. In a way that anticipates the judgment that is beginning.

v. In the way that anticipates the coming of the chief Shepherd.

vi. In the way that is sure to pass through this judgement…

b. [Slide 22] You who are younger

i. What is meant here by younger? Younger than who?

ii. In this context it is clear that younger here means younger than the Elders. And that it is not referring to age, but to spiritual maturity.

1. In II Timothy 2, this word is used to describe passions from which Timothy must flee. Youthful passions. We would not conclude there that they were young passions as in they are new passions. Rather we would say they were passions borne of immaturity.

2. And since this word is a comparative adjective meaning more immature than the Elders, I think we can conclude that those in question are not immature spiritually but are comparatively less mature than the Elders.

iii. What that boils down to- and what Peter surely means, is the church.

iv. So, desiring to be pleasing to the Chief shepherd when he arrives, the rest of the church, whom the Elders are shepherding and overseeing, are to what?

c. [Slide 23] Be subject to the elders.

i. The church is to be subject to the Elders.

ii. They are to submit willingly to the authority and responsibility the Elders have to care for their souls.

iii. We’ve addressed this in the past, so I won’t go too deep into it today. But certainly, abuse happens in churches. Either Elders do not exercise appropriate oversight or the congregation is not submissive or both.

iv. The bottom line is this though– no matter what is said or done – you must submit to your Elders.

v. But what if they are not being Godly Elders?

vi. Friends if they are not being godly Elders – what are you still doing at that church?

vii. To not submit to an Elder – is to leave the church.

viii. See. Peter firmly says, without qualifiers, “church, submit to your Elders.”

ix. If God has qualified and called them – He is also calling you to submit to them.

d. [Slide 24] And all of you

i. Peter broadens now to encompass the whole of his audience once again.

ii. He first had a command for the Elders in their relationship to the church among them.

iii. Then he had a command for the church itself.

iv. Now he will share the core of both of these commands to the whole assembly.

e. [Slide 25] Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,

i. Wear humility.

ii. Put on the robes of a servant toward one another.

iii. Be submissive to each other.

iv. The core of the command to the Elders, to give shepherds care exercising appropriate oversight and the core of the command to the church to submit to their Elders, is all about humility toward one another.

v. It is a relationship of mutual love, trust, care, submission, and kindness.

vi. It is a relationship forged by God Himself.

vii. What is the backbone of such a command to all of them?

f. [Slide 26] Because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

i. This is a quote from Prov 3:34 and James also uses it in his letter in chapter 4 verse 6.

ii. This verse is the gospel my friends.

iii. Those who are humble are those to whom God continues to give grace.

iv. Those who are proud are those to whom God opposes.

v. Do you understand what truth Peter is giving?

vi. Again – it goes back to the nature of those who are truly believers.

vii. Just as an Elder obeying his command is simply evidence that His faith is genuine, so also to the church as whole, their faith is proven genuine, when they are clothed with humility toward one another.

viii. He is calling them to be humble with one another as an evidence of their genuine faith.

g. [Slide 27] Passage Truth: Peter reminds his audience again that the reward for God’s people is coming through His judgment into the glory of Christ. And one way to know that someone is favored of God and not opposed by God, is that they are humble.

h. [Slide 28] Passage Application: So, all of God’s church must clothe themselves with humility. One specific expression of that humility is for those who are less spiritually mature than the Elders, to submit to their care and oversight.

i. [Slide 29] Broader Biblical Truth: From all of scripture we see that humility is a core tenant of the Christian faith. Its opposite is something that God consistently judges. We’ve seen it in the nation of Israel during foundations, and we continue to see it throughout the New Testament and the history of the church. God judges the proud but gives grace to the humble. His people are a humble people.

j. [Slide 30] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, you must hear and heed what your Elders say for they are the ones whom God has appointed to watch over your souls. And they are the ones who will be judged first, receiving the same reward that you do for being in Christ. You must follow their example as they follow Christ. You must submit to their shepherding and oversight in a spirit of humility.

Conclusion:

[Slide 31(blank)] Peter has been building this theme of coming judgment throughout all of chapter 4. It is with that backdrop, knowing that this judgment starts with God’s people, but also knowing that God’s people will make it through to the other side, Peter begins with the Elders and finishes with the church. If only the righteous make it through by God’s gift of grace and faith – then how do they know that they are part of His house? For Elders, they are humble servant leaders. For the church, they humbly submit to their Elders.

If we are this kind of church, then we are certainly part of God’s house and will pass on to the day when the Chief Shepherd arrives to transpose us to glory.

So, CBC, what must we do with such a text this morning?

My friends, it was not by tedious design, but by providence of God that we have studied this passage the same day in which we will receive our first Elders.

So, we are afforded the unique opportunity to apply directly what we have learned today.

And as Peter did, let me start with those who would be our Elders.

Can I ask all perspective Elders to come to the front and face the congregation with me?

After approving the Eldership Transition Protocol on October 24th 2021, we have followed every step laid out in that document to the letter. Today I draw your attention to one specific statement in that approved document.

We resolve to receive the qualified perspective Elders into their office over Columbus Baptist Church on April 10, 2022.

Since we have voted as a congregation to receive these men into their office on this date, and since there have been no sustained objections to each man’s qualifications, we should now move to continue with the wishes of the congregation by receiving these men to join me as Elders.

However, given the weight of such an event and for the sake of the congregation, it seems fitting for us to make a covenant with one another. We have often compared the relationship between Elders and the Church to how God has set up a marriage to operate. Christ is to the church as a husband is to His wife. The church is to Christ as a wife is to her husband. And God has given the role of under shepherd to those whom He has called and qualified for the role of Elder. He has given such men the responsibility and authority to care for the flock of God until the Chief Shepherd returns.

Therefore, it is fitting that like a wedding where husbands and wives make a covenant with one another and with God, that today these men and I make a covenant with the congregation and the congregation with us. As we make this covenant with you, and as you make the covenant with us, I’d ask that you stand along with us since we are all but sheep in the flock of our Lord.

[Slide 32] To the Perspective Elders and myself.

1.) The first question is a blanket doctrinal question designed to keep this time from being unnecessarily long for the congregation. I have drawn up a short doctrinal confession of the Elders, which I hope each member of the congregation was able to grab on the way in today. If not, be sure to grab a copy on the way out. Men, I will ask the question and we can say “I DO” together. Do you affirm each point of the Doctrinal confession of which you received a copy ahead of time?

2.) Do you affirm that the only rule for faith and practice for Columbus Baptist Church is the inerrant Word of God?

3.) Do you affirm that the chief end of man is to glorify God?

4.) Do you affirm that our only hope in life and death is that you are not your own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to your Savior Jesus Christ?

5.) Do you affirm that there are three persons in one true and living God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that they are the same in substance, equal in power and glory?

6.) Do you affirm that God’s law requires personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience; to love Him with all you are, to love your neighbor as you already love yourself; and that what God forbids should never be done and what God commands should always be done?

7.) Do you affirm that since the fall no mere human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly, but consistently breaks it in thought, word, and deed?

8.) Do you affirm that the purpose of the law is to teach God’s holy nature, His will, and your sinful nature and the disobedience of your heart and thus your need of a Savior, and now as a child of God the law teaches you and exhorts you to live a life imitating your Savior?

9.) Do you affirm that God will not allow disobedience and idolatry to go unpunished but since every sin is against His sovereignty, holiness, goodness, and righteous law, that God is righteously angry with your sins and will punish them in this life and the next?

10.) Do you affirm that the only way to escape God’s just punishment and satisfy His justice is by God alone acting in mere mercy and abundant grace to deliver you from sin and its punishment by a Redeemer?

11.) Do you affirm that the only Redeemer is the Eternal Son of God who became man and died, delivering you from the power and penalty of sin and bringing you back to God; and that by His substitutionary atoning death on the cross He alone redeems you from hell and gains for you forgiveness of all your sin, imputes His perfect righteousness to you, and grants to you everlasting life?

12.) Do you affirm that Christ resurrected from the dead, ascended into glory, is seated at the right hand of God, is your Great High Priest advocating before the Father on your behalf, is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, is the very Word of God, and is coming again to judge the living and the dead?

13.) Do you affirm that at the day of judgment only those who are elected by God and united to Christ by faith will enter into eternal life?

14.) Do you affirm that at the day of judgment those not united to Christ by faith will be cast out from the favorable presence of God into hell to be justly punished forever for their sin?

15.) Do you affirm that since you are redeemed by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone that your faith, as with all other gifts of God, comes to you from the Holy Spirit?

The next two questions are open questions which each man has prepared an answer for ahead of time.

16.) If you are redeemed by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, what role do good works play after you have been redeemed?

17.) Have you received from the Spirit saving faith in Christ and if so, how do you know?

The last several questions are promises that the Elders are making to the congregation. Once again, I’ll ask the question and we can say “I Do” together.

18.) Do you affirm the statement of faith of Columbus Baptist Church in the newest revision of the Constitution to be implemented this day upon the reception of the Elders?

19.) Do you agree to abide by this same constitution of Columbus Baptist Church?

20.) Do you agree to submit to your fellow Elders?

21.) Do you seek the office of Elder because the Lord has clearly directed you to this calling out of a sincere love for Him and His church and a passionate desire to give Him glory and not because of compulsion or some baser desire?

22.) Do you agree to be zealous in the disbursement of your duties as an Elder; to promote the truths of the gospel, the purity and unity of the church in the love of Christ; and to do so even should threat of persecution or opposition arise to hinder you?

23.) Do you agree to lovingly and patiently disciple the members of Columbus Baptist Church to grow in the knowledge of Christ and be conformed to Him?

24.) Do you agree to lovingly and patiently listen to, admonish, rebuke, correct, instruct, pray for, and lead the members of Columbus Baptist Church?

25.) Do you agree that at any time during your tenure as an Elder if the answer to the aforementioned questions would become radically different than you have confessed today, that you will, of your own volition, notify all other Elders of this change and submit to their guidance in response?

26.) Do you agree now to take upon yourself all the responsibilities laid upon an Elder as revealed in Scripture, many of which are contained in the Constitution of Columbus Baptist Church?

[Slide 33] In light of all these covenant obligations to which we have agreed, I would like to ask the members of Columbus Baptist Church to make a covenant with us. Please respond with “We Do” as your answer to the following questions.

1.) Members of Columbus Baptist Church, having had adequate time to observe each of these men, having made all concerns over qualifications known to the appointing body, having heard their confession to doctrinal truth, having seen their eagerness to make a covenant of loving servant leadership with you, and in accordance with our approved Eldership Transition Protocol, do you acknowledge God’s provision of these Elders and therefore receive each one as an Elder to give you a shepherd’s care and exercise oversight over you?

2.) Do you endeavor to make every effort to love, pray for, submit to, and humbly work together with each of these men, that by the grace of God and for His glory, we may accomplish the mission of this church?

Having made such agreement with one another, in the presence of God and witnesses who are not yet members of this church, I read now from our approved Eldership Transition Protocol…

We resolve that upon receiving these Elders over us, that the newest revision of the Constitution of Columbus Baptist Church shall be implemented and our current Deacon Board shall immediately be dissolved.

At this time the deacon board is dissolved and the newest revision is now our current Constitution.

Let me pray.

Let’s all join together holding hands with one another. No one without a hand being held.

Someone start us on the song “Oh How He Loves You And Me”

View Details

Title: What’s In A Name

Text: I Peter 4:15-19

FCF: We often struggle righteously enduring suffering.

Prop: Because the only suffering that God’s people are blessed to endure through is suffering for Christ’s name, we must glorify God for the name and trust Him to keep us through suffering.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter 4.

Since verse 7, Peter has been describing the response his audience should have to the news that Jesus is ready to judge the living and the dead; that the culmination of all things is near. That response is one for their heads, their hearts and their hands. He told them that they must be self-controlled and sober-minded. He tells them that they must fervently love one another, forgive each other, show hospitability, and serve each other with their God-given gifts.

Starting in verse 12 he began describing further what being self-controlled and sober minded means.

We saw last week that it meant to not be astonished that we suffer, but rejoice in sharing the sufferings of Christ.

This week, Peter will continue to hone our understanding of self-control and sober-mindedness. But he will begin by refining what he means (and doesn’t mean) by suffering for the name of Christ.

I am in I Peter 4, I’ll begin reading in verse 15. I am reading from the NET which you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1367, or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Well, you had your break last week. This sermon proves to be more in line with the normal length. There is a lot to get to here… I’ve done my diligence to try to keep the fluff out – so you do your diligence to keep yourself awake and attentive.

I.) The only suffering that is blessed is for bearing Christ’s name, we must glorify God that we bear the name. (15-16)

a. [Slide 2] 15 – But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or criminal,

i. Peter repeats a theme from 2:20 where he says that it is of no credit to a person for suffering for sinning.

ii. Peter has emphasized that a Christian must suffer for doing good. God’s good.

iii. A Christian can suffer at the hands of wicked men for sin. Indeed, the world does not exist completely antithetical to God’s law. With His image stamped on men, and His law written on men’s hearts, there is a moral persuasion, enough to leave men with the need for law and order.

iv. In many cases then, the laws of the ungodly include some of God’s laws.

v. Murder, theft, lawbreakers are all condemned in both secular society and in God’s law.

vi. But there is one more item in this list. And I fear that these first three serve as a trap for his readers. They are lulled into quickly dismissing each of these – knowing that they are not suffer for any of them. But the last one… well this one hits REALLY hard.

b. [Slide 3] Or as a troublemaker.

i. The word translated here “troublemaker” is a combination of the words for foreign or alien or belonging to someone else and the word for inspector, overseer, or guardian.

ii. Combining these two it would be someone who watches over, guards, inspects or oversees something that is someone else’s or something that is foreign or alien to him.

iii. This is the etymological meaning but it doesn’t help us with any real precision on what Peter is getting at.

iv. Going to other texts within the scriptures doesn’t help us either, since this is the only time this word is used in the New Testament.

v. Therefore, we must rely on the fuller context of I Peter and even here in this verse.

vi. However, that presents another wrinkle. The words translated by the NET “as a” could also be translated “merely as” or “even as” indicating that this last item is of lesser seriousness than the first three yet still something for which a Christian should not suffer.

vii. Perhaps this is an indication of something that Peter’s audience was actually tempted to do.

viii. That has led to four different options two of which seem popular among translators and commentators. We will focus on these two.

1. [Slide 4] This could be referring to someone who is a busy body, someone meddling in other people’s affairs. But we have to be careful with this meaning. Why?

a. Remember, that they would do this to the extent that they are suffering insult, derision, and being ostracized.

b. So, we probably can’t conclude Peter is talking about someone who is being nosey or even a gossip. That seems too light.

c. Some commentators suggest that a stronger word than meddling is needed here to capture the force of it. Which is where the NET comes in. Troublemaker.

d. In other words, a trouble maker would be a person who is unnecessarily forceful and aggressive in involving themselves in non-Christian activity such as in pagan services, cultural values and worldview, or political action.

e. Translating that to a modern example - hopping on a Facebook post from one of our Liberal senators and publishing your critique of their viewpoint, then subsequently getting blasted back with all kinds of insults.

f. Peter makes it clear that this kind of suffering is not the kind of suffering we are blessed for. Openly defying and spitting in the eye of our culture and suffering for it is not a suffering that is blessed. Rather it is a suffering you have earned.

g. I read an article this past Friday of a woman who is a pro-life advocate in Washington DC. She and 7 other friends pretended to be clients and went into a Planned Parenthood, storming the doors, locking out workers and stealing fetal remains from their biowaste dumpster. She was found with the dead babies in her home. She is going to jail.

h. My friends – she is not suffering for Jesus. She is not suffering in the blessing of God. She is suffering because she was a troublemaker. I hope that you and I can understand that God is pro-life so ought we to be… but that doesn’t give us some kind of holy right to stir up trouble in order to force everyone else to adopt God’s perspective.

i. [Slide 5] A famous quote – “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” This in its intention is pure. Good people must do right. Which is exactly what Peter will say in verse 19. But. Let’s analyze this quote according to the scriptures. [Slide 6] Evil won’t triumph. We already know the end of all things. God has told us. And why will evil not triumph? [Slide 7] Is it because good men do something or is it because a Holy God does something?

j. We must do right. We must love what is right. We must stand for what is right. But we dare not think that by our standing, loving, and doing right we will change the world. Only God can change men. And indeed He may use our good works to lead some men to Him. But make no mistake - THAT is the goal. Not the moralizing of men, but the salvation of them.

k. Do not be a trouble maker my friends. That is not the path to graced suffering.

1. [Slide 8] Another perspective on this word is that this could be referring to someone who is a spy, informer, or revolutionary against his own government. An insurrectionist.

a. Sadly, this meaning affords us no leeway or comfort either.

b. We are Americans. We have a history of rebellion and revolution.

c. Not only that, but we encourage the people of our country to change or abolish government if it does not uphold its end of the Constitution.

d. It is we the people is it not? We must undo, undermine, decimate or destroy government if it becomes tyrannical.

e. But tell me. Based on a reading of I Peter up to this point… do you think Peter would agree?

f. Even if we took the other meaning of the word troublemaker – could you not see a revolutionist as an application of that word?

g. My friends, I love this country I really do. And I truly believe that God shed His grace on this country. I believe, largely because of God’s grace to the Puritans that this nation before it was a nation had strong roots in biblically reformed Christianity. And it is because of those roots that this country has had such a long-lasting Christian flavor.

h. But, Jesus didn’t side with the Jewish zealots. He didn’t lead revolution and no where in scripture does it ever hint at Christians being allowed to do such a thing. And in I Peter I’d say that if he means by this word – not an insurrectionist or revolutionary – that that would be well within the context of his letter.

i. I fear as the Christian flavor continues to subside in this culture that we as God’s people may see revolution as a viable option to force it to come back. But my friends what do you do when the salt has lost is savor? Can you get it back? Or is it only good for walkways to keep the weeds from growing up? Is it only good for being trampled on?

ix. We may be tempted to make the case that the only thing at stake here is to lose the ability to suffer righteously.

x. That we can be a troublemaker or revolutionary and all we stand to lose is the blessing of God in suffering.

xi. However, Peter gives this example in a list of other sins that should be avoided whether you incur suffering for them or not.

xii. And ought we always to seek the blessing – the grace of God?

xiii. So, it is unavoidable really.

xiv. Dear friend, one sure fire way to keep yourself from suffering for being a trouble maker or a revolutionary, is to simply not be either.

c. [Slide 9] 16 – But if you suffer as a Christian,

i. Let this be the reason that we suffer. And this reason alone.

ii. Let it be because we are named with Christ’s name.

iii. Let it be because we are slaves of Christ.

iv. Let us be like Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael. Or as they are better known, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These boys who took pagan names, wore pagan clothing, advised a pagan king, but would not bow to worship a false god.

v. Let us be like Daniel who took a pagan name, advised a pagan king, wore pagan clothes, lived in a pagan land, but would not pray to a false god.

vi. Let us be like the apostles who observed the laws of the Jews and Romans but would not cease from preaching in the name of Christ.

vii. Let us suffer ONLY because we are named with Christ’s name.

viii. And then, and only then, if we suffer for this reason alone…

d. [Slide 10] Do not be ashamed,

i. In Paul’s letters he frequently had to deal with people accusing him of not being a proper apostle.

ii. One of the reasons cited was because he was in jail. How could he be an apostle and a criminal at the same time?

iii. But as Peter says, there is no shame in suffering for being named with Christ’s name.

iv. True there is shame in being a criminal. There is shame in being a prisoner. But if you are a prisoner, insulted, suffering for Christ’s name – there is no shame.

v. Do not be ashamed of the name you bear.

vi. Though all the world despise you – the Lord has given you His name.

vii. So…

e. [Slide 11] But glorify God that you bear such a name.

i. That name you suffer for was not because of a choice you made. It wasn’t because of something you did.

ii. You didn’t earn that name.

iii. You didn’t pursue that name.

iv. You didn’t even know the name until it was revealed to you.

v. And as our Catechism said today – it was only by true faith, a gift of God, that you received such a name. It is only by true faith that you are resting in such a name that was given to you.

vi. This is the reason you don’t need to be ashamed if you suffer for bearing the name of Christ.

vii. That isn’t something you did.

viii. Unlike all the other crimes committed in verse 15, where their suffering was earned.

ix. You bear the name of Christ because God gave you that name. He took you from the child of Satan and made you His child.

x. This goes back to what we saw before. Suffering insult for Christ’s name gives assurance that you are indeed God’s child. When we share in His sufferings, we have assurance that we will share in His glory as well.

xi. So, if you suffer as a Christian, glorify God for He made you who you are.

f. [Slide 12] Passage Truth: So Peter, further honing his previous points, sharpens what kind of suffering is a blessing from God. And it is only the kind of suffering that is unearned. It is only the kind of suffering, given simply because they bear the name of Christ.

g. [Slide 13] Passage Application: So in response they must give glory to God because He is the one who gave them this name. It is the name upon which all their faith rests.

h. [Slide 14] Broader Biblical Truth: From the fuller context of the scriptures, we see that there are a great number of reasons to suffer. Cain suffered for slaying his brother, Ham suffered for his inappropriate behavior, Jacob suffered for his deceptive dealings with Esau, David suffered in losing his child. But the difference between all these and Daniel or the three young men with him, is that the latter suffered for something unearned. They suffered only because they were following after God. It is only this kind of suffering, given simply because we bear the name of Christ, that is blessed by God. It is a suffering that is unearned. Why? Because it is a name we did not earn, seek, or do anything to get, but was freely given by grace through faith, all of which was a gift from God. We only received this name. We only rest in this name.

i. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Application: And if we suffer for it, we should rejoice. In what way specifically? We ought to glorify God that we have such a name. Peter builds such a great argument here. If suffering for Christ’s name (and Christ’s name alone) is a blessing from God, a grace to us, and an assurance that we have the same Spirit resting on us as rests on Him – then we ought to perceive suffering for His name as a great assurance and therefore glorify God in that assurance because we have such a name. What a privilege to be named with His name. What an honor to endure shame and suffering for Him. We ought to be sure not to suffer for anything less, anything earned. But let us suffer for Him with gladness in our hearts – rejoicing – glorifying God because HE GAVE US THIS NAME for which we now suffer.

Transition:

[Slide 16 (blank)] Boy is that jarring. Can you imagine a group of Christians that 1.) only suffered for bearing the name of Christ and nothing else and 2.) rejoiced and glorified God for bearing such a name? Do you think the world might consider us peculiar then? What else should we do to be self-controlled and sober-minded?

II.) The only suffering that is blessed is for bearing Christ’s name, we must entrust our souls to our Sovereign creator as we do good. (17-19)

a. [Slide 17] 17 – For it is time for judgement to begin,

i. Again, a theme echoing throughout this chapter.

ii. This marks the 3rd time in 17 verses that Peter has hinted at the judgment to come.

iii. First when he said that Jesus is ready to judge the living and the dead.

iv. Second when he stated that the culmination of all things is near.

v. And now he stated that the judgment is beginning.

vi. But the judgment he has in mind is not necessarily the one we might think it is.

vii. He is not talking about condemnation. When we think of judgment, we think of fire, brimstone, and hell. In short, the final outcome of judgment. However, judgment can also mean the act of judging or the process of determining a sentence.

viii. When Jesus is said to be ready to judge the living and the dead – of course this isn’t saying condemn because, as we said before, living would be those spiritually living and the spiritually living will not endure a final separation from God.

ix. But what judgment do the spiritually living receive? Well, if we see this as the process of judgment rather than the outcome – it starts to become clear.

x. And Peter will actually say this plainly in his second letter. There Peter imagines judgment as a great fire that all people must pass through. Not one person escapes the purifying flame.

xi. The difference of course is that all things that are pure, precious metals and valuable, will pass through the flames.

xii. They will get hot, they will bend, they will shed impurities, but will pass through – refined.

xiii. This is why Peter says…

b. [Slide 18] Starting with the house of God.

i. It has long been a statement that the closest God’s people ever get to hell is here on earth.

ii. Peter almost says as much here.

iii. The judgment, the fire, happens here for God’s people.

iv. Here is where the house of God is tested. Here is where the house of God is tried. Here is where the house of God is put to the flame.

c. [Slide 19] And if it starts with us, what will be the fate of those who are disobedient to the gospel of God?

i. Peter’s point of God’s judgement starting with His own house is an argument of a Greater to Lesser.

ii. If God’s own house will not be spared from this judgment, if there is no nepotism, if God would crush His son and put His church through intense persecution to accomplish His greater purposes,

iii. If God will treat those whom He cherishes thusly,

iv. What is going to happen to those who are not part of that house?

v. And this is not only a question of judgment certainty but of judgment severity.

vi. If suffering is not excluded from His people – how might He treat His enemies?

vii. There is a little something here that is mostly a rabbit trail but something we can discuss this Wednesday at bible study. What does it mean to disobey the gospel? And how does disobeying or obeying the gospel square with a salvation that is not of works? This leads to the question of what is the gospel and what isn’t the gospel.

viii. But this whole discussion doesn’t need to happen right now since it is obvious that it is the non-Christian to whom this refers.

d. [Slide 20] 18 – And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinners?

i. Peter quotes Proverbs 11:31 here.

ii. He quotes from the Septuagint which differs from the Hebrew slightly

iii. The Hebrew would have us conclude that the righteous still suffer when they sin therefore how much more so the wicked when they sin.

iv. In other words, the Hebrew thought centers on being saved from the penalty or consequences of sin and how even the righteous are not saved completely from that on earth.

v. But the Greek version of this text makes a similar point only from the perspective of being saved from the presence of sin. That the righteous are barely saved from sin’s presence how much more so those who actively keep practicing sin.

vi. Listen very closely. This is NOT suggesting in anyway that it is difficult for God to save His people. Without making light of the great substitutionary atonement of Christ, we cannot think that God was barely able to rescue His people.

vii. Rather than this referring to the ability of God to save us it communicates instead the depth to which natural man is plunged in their sin. That even with Christ’s atoning sacrifice, His people are progressively refined to look more and more like Him. It is not instantaneous. Why?

viii. Because we still have this body of death from which Christ is freeing us.

ix. What does this quote contribute to Peter’s argument?

x. Even God’s people go through the fire of refinement. But the same fire that refines them consumes those who practice sin.

e. [Slide 21] 19 – So then let those who suffer according to the will of God

i. Peter draws a second application from the same basic truth teaching.

ii. Before it was those who suffer for being a Christian. But as we said, being a Christian is not something they chose. Rather it is something God chose first for them. What does that mean if they suffer for being a Christian?

iii. Peter assigns this suffering implicitly through verse 18 and then explicitly in verse 19 to God.

iv. If you suffer for being of Christ, you suffer because God chose you, gave you grace and faith, and you believed. It is not because of you – but because of Him. It is His will that you suffer.

v. God crushed His Son to accomplish His greater redemptive plan.

vi. God will pass you too through the fire.

vii. And listen, your suffering for being a Christian is not because God is powerless to stop someone from insulting you. It is not because God is unable or unwilling to stop someone from ostracizing you. It is not because God is unwilling or unable to stop someone from harming you.

viii. No, it is because His divine purpose and plan has our suffering included. Indeed, it is part of His judgment.

ix. If God gave you the name of His Son – you can rest in knowing that if you suffer for it – it is His will.

f. [Slide 22] Entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they do good.

i. Why would we trust a God whose plan is to bring us to suffering?

ii. Because His plan isn’t to bring us to suffering but through suffering.

iii. God promises His people that they will be refined but be brought through more precious than gold.

iv. That to have your house built on the rock does not mean that you will not be overtaken by the storm – but it does mean that the house on the rock will stand firm.

v. God promises to use all things for the good of His people and for His own glory.

vi. So, trust your souls to the one who promises that the Rock will hold you. The name of Christ will keep you.

vii. He created you. He has re-created you.

viii. So, trust Him and do good. His good. Even to those who insult, malign, abuse, and ostracize you. Do good.

g. [Slide 23] Passage Truth: So Peter’s reminder to his audience, although dressed up a little differently is essentially the same. The only kind of suffering that is a blessing from God is suffering endured for bearing the name of Christ. The reason of course that this kind of suffering is a blessing is because it is an assurance of being judged by Christ now, and a promise that we will come through such judgment refined like gold.

h. [Slide 24] Passage Application: Thus, Peter’s audience must conclude that such judgment and suffering is by the will of God and that they can rest knowing that they will come through it refined. They must entrust their souls to God for that refinement while simultaneously continuing to do good – even to those who insult them.

i. [Slide 25] Broader Biblical Truth: From the whole context of scripture, we see God calling Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Samuel, David, The prophets – God is the one who calls His people unto Himself and gives them His purpose and identity. In each case, they were not seeking Him. But He revealed Himself to them first. But God does not spare all He has called from suffering and trial. When Ahab and Jezebel had their way among the people of Israel and God told Elijah that he had 7,000 of a remnant who had not yet bowed the knee to Baal – were those 7,000 spared the terror of Jezebel? How about Elijah – was he not hunted by her to the point of his own depression? My friends, God marks out, calls, and gives His name to those He wills – but that doesn’t mean they are without any suffering for their own refinement. Was not Elijah refined in that cave by God Himself? Did he not learn something from God then? Were Noah and His family spared from the apocalyptic event of the flood? Careful now. Don’t answer too quickly. They were spared from death… but they were not spared from the flood. They passed through it. The Lord Jesus Christ will judge the living and the dead. And He is now judging the living. We are in the ark of His name passing through the waters of judgment. In that we are bound to get a little sea sick.

j. [Slide 26] Broader Biblical Application: So what must we do CBC? Stay in the ark. We must entrust our souls to our God. That He will see us through this judgment. That He will deliver us safely onto His holy mountain. That once the flood recedes and the fire is quenched – He will deliver us safely to His new Kingdom. Until then, we trust Him to do this and do good for His glory now. Living as a slave to righteousness. And thus the circle back to the sermon on the mount is complete. We must seek His Kingdom first and His righteousness. One day – ALL THINGS will be added to us.

Conclusion:

[Slide 27 (end)] So CBC, if we suffer only for the name of Christ, we must glorify God for bearing such a name. It is truly a name that will save us through the judgment of Christ since He will carry us through the fire.

Therefore, being self-controlled and sober minded means glorifying God for the name He’s given us and trusting Him to deliver our souls safely through the fire as we continue to do good.

Being self-controlled and sober-minded is to have His Kingdom and Righteousness as our primary pursuit. Not this life, not the things in this life, not the troubles of this world, not even the culture or nation in which we live. We certainly don’t abandon it – because we are here as ambassadors. But we are most certainly not of this world – we are aliens.

So, since we are in the world but not of it – we don’t endeavor to change the world’s morality, for such a job is only accomplished by God through His judgment. Instead, we do good and hope in Him to deliver us safely through and to lead others to glorify Him by our good deeds.

Herein lies the delicate tension.

Doing good means we do not participate in evil. That we obey what God says for His glory. Doing good means we don’t believe that murdering babies is health care, but rather agree with God that children are a gift from the Lord. Even if they are sometimes an inconvenient gift. Doing good means we know God’s plan for gender is immutably given from conception therefore we teach our children so. Doing good means we don’t see sexuality as a moving target but one that God sets in heterosexual monogamous martial bounds. Therefore, we do not commit sexual acts outside of such a marriage, we instead seek it only and always in the arms of our spouse whom we have covenanted with before God to faithfully love for as long as we are both living.

In this way, if we suffer for these things, it is because we bear the name of Christ. For all this we do because He has given us His name and for no other reason. We don’t hold these truths and practice these values because of tradition but because we’ve been bought with a price and are now adopted heirs with Christ. And if we suffer for the name of Christ, then we are blessed.

But my friends, may we not suffer because we were a troublemaker. May we not suffer because we were a revolutionary.

But if our suffering is simply for being what God made us… then we can rest in knowing that our suffering is from God. And if it is from Him – then we can glorify Him for making us what we are and we can trust Him to carry us through it all while we continue to do good.

View Details

Title: Sharing and Rejoicing

Text: I Peter 4:12-14

FCF: We often struggle responding rightly to suffering.

Prop: Because all God’s children are united to Christ, we must not be astonished but rejoice at sharing in His Sufferings.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter 4.

Last week Peter reminded his audience that the culmination of all things was near. This meant that they needed to respond in two specific ways. First, they must be self-controlled and sober-minded. Second, they must love, forgive, treat like family, and serve other believers.

This week serves as an expansion on the first point. What does it mean to be self-controlled and sober-minded?

We indicated last week that it meant not to panic and make rash choices attempting to preserve what you have in this life. This week Peter will expand on that and reconnect this teaching with the core of the letter; suffering for being a Christian.

It promises to be a rather challenging message for us in many ways.

I am in I Peter 4 and I’ll begin reading in verse 12. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1367 or whatever version you have.

Transition:

The text for today could easily be smooshed together with the rest of the chapter. But I felt that the individual points in these 3 verses were profound enough to look at them in isolation from the rest of the chapter. Because of that decision – the sermon will be a bit shorter today. I said a bit – don’t get too excited! Let’s continue Peter’s letter.

I.) Suffering with Christ means we will rejoice when He returns, so we must not be astonished but rejoice at sharing in His sufferings. (12-13)

a. [Slide 2] 12 – Dear friends,

i. This is the term of endearment to his audience.

ii. The last time he addressed them this way, was in chapter 2 verse 11.

iii. Again, I cannot emphasize enough how pivotal verses 11 and 12 are of chapter 2 in understanding most of this letter.

iv. In that text, he urged his friends, who were foreigners and exiles both in what is now modern Turkey and in this world in general, to abstain from bodily lusts and to maintain good conduct toward non-Christians.

v. This time Peter uses this phrase to propel him toward the end of the letter.

vi. He begins by focusing on being self-controlled and sober minded in light of the culmination of all things being near.

vii. He will speak more specifically to that but before he does – he says…

viii. Dear friends…

ix. As if to say, I love you, but get ready cause here it comes.

b. [Slide 3] Do not be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you,

i. Using the same word he used before in verse 4 to express the sheer shock of non-Christians when they see these Christians not wanting to go back to sinning, Peter turns that shock on his audience.

ii. Don’t be shocked. They are astonished when you don’t want to live like them. You should not be shocked when they hate you for it.

iii. You should not be astonished when a trial by fire is occurring among you. What does that phrase mean?

iv. A trial by fire is a good translation of the term here used for burning. The idea is that like metal is tested and refined by fire, so also we as Christians are tested by suffering and difficulty.

v. Why should we not be astonished that this kind of suffering occurs?

c. [Slide 4] As though something strange were happening to you.

i. It is normal for God’s people to suffer. It is normal for God’s people to be tested by suffering.

ii. That is hard for us to square with. We have lived in relative peace for a couple hundred years.

iii. For a few generations now, especially in this country, there has been relatively no suffering.

iv. So, what do we do with a text like this?

1. [Slide 5] We could conclude that Peter is simply wrong.

a. That the church does not endure suffering as a means to test them.

b. That God is not in the habit of allowing his church to undergo hardship.

c. We could conclude with prosperity teaching that God’s true desire for his church is to have a wonderful life now. To be healthy, wealthy and wise. To have peace and harmony.

d. [Slide 6] However, to deny Peter would be also to deny Paul, James, John, Matthew, Mark, Luke, Jude and even Jesus Himself.

e. In order to conclude that the church does not endure suffering, you must say that Jesus lied, and intentionally led his apostles in that lie.

f. In short, to deny this teaching is to reject Christianity as a whole.

1. [Slide 7] We could conclude that Peter was writing to a specific audience in a specific situation.

a. Therefore, his message is primarily for those who are in similar situations.

b. Therefore, while WE have nothing to learn here, some cultures around the world would greatly benefit from Peter’s message.

c. [Slide 8] However, this also sets a dangerous precedent. When we begin to dismiss passages of scripture because we don’t perceive that they apply to us, we inadvertently flip the relationship God says we are to have with His Word.

d. We do not come to the text deciding what we need and what we don’t need.

e. Rather we come to the text as if it was a mirror to reveal to us what is true about God and ourselves.

f. Every single passage of scripture reveals something about God and something about ourselves.

g. Could we dismiss the origins discussion in Genesis 1-3 because science has given us the “fact” of evolution? Can we dismiss this as a text that was intended for primitive non-scientific people and only really applies to similar cultures?

h. Certainly not. And perhaps we need such a text more than we know.

1. [Slide 9] Perhaps we should instead assume that what Peter says is true and our experience is false.

a. How could Peter be right and my experience wrong?

b. I think a lot of times when we talk about suffering many envision rotting away in a prison somewhere or being beaten, or being burnt at the stake, or crucified.

c. But Peter isn’t talking to people who have experienced any of these.

d. Although we won’t get to it for a moment, he is actually going to include in this “fiery trial” insults. Being insulted for the name of Christ.

e. That is exactly what was happening in this very context.

f. I am so glad I Peter was written because it makes it clear that suffering for Christ is not limited to martyrdom or close to it.

g. That we can, indeed, suffer for Christ simply by being insulted.

h. But perhaps you still protest and say – but I’ve never even suffered in this way! Certainly, we don’t need what Peter is writing to us.

i. My friends, for what was Peter’s audience suffering insults? Why were they suffering so much?

j. It is because they stopped sinning. They refused to look like the world. And the world hated them for it.

k. If it is indeed true that you have never even been insulted for Christ – You at least have to ask yourself, “Is it because I look too much like the world?”

v. [Slide 10] I conclude then, that Peter is right.

vi. It is normal for God’s people to be tested by suffering.

vii. And for we who do not experience great persecution and suffering at this time – perhaps we need this text now more than ever.

viii. Why?

ix. Because he says not to be astonished at this.

x. I genuinely think that we will probably be quite astonished when suffering begins to be more severe and widespread. Indeed, I constantly hear Christians say things like “I can’t believe the world we are living in” I mean… I’ve said these things.

xi. In fact, the fact that some conclude that this text does not apply to us is the very reason that Peter must write it. Not only to convince them that suffering as a way of testing is normal, but also to prevent them from what?

xii. What is Peter’s command?

xiii. Do not be astonished. You ought to expect it.

xiv. Want it? No.

xv. Pursue it? Of course not.

xvi. But expect it? You bet.

xvii. So, if we are not to be surprised by suffering… what ought we to do instead?

d. [Slide 11] 13 – But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ

i. At first, we read these words and are quite perplexed.

ii. Rejoice in suffering? Am I supposed to love suffering?

iii. Does Jesus want me to be a masochist?

iv. But look again.

v. Rejoice in what?

vi. Rejoice in the degree in which you shared in the sufferings of Christ.

vii. In other words, our rejoicing is not in the suffering but in being able to identify, to an even greater degree, with Christ.

viii. To what end? Why is it good and worthy of rejoicing to be identified with Christ?

e. [Slide 12] So that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad.

i. Because the sufferings of this world are not worthy to be compared to the glory which is to come.

ii. Those who share in the sufferings of Christ will have every tear wiped from their eyes one day and they will never again cry tears of sadness or pain.

iii. My friends, the sufferings in this life are the last we’ll ever have.

f. [Slide 13] Passage Truth: So, Peter reminds his audience of two truths in this short text. The first is that the future kingdom is coming. That it will reveal glory, a glory so great it will wipe away any pain we may have here. It will be a glory so great that we will rejoice and be glad, forever. But the path to rejoicing in Christ’s glory is first following Him in His sufferings.

g. [Slide 14] Passage Application: In response to that, his audience must not be astonished when they suffer, but rather rejoice in that they share in the sufferings of Christ. And thus walk the path to that future glory.

h. [Slide 15] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from the text we find that this truth has been taught since the garden. A promise given for hope to return to Eden. A family created that will be brought back together with their Father, the Lord. A nation that will be the seat of all power forever. A king that will reign forever. A church that will prevail against the gates of hell. The glory of Christ, is a gift for His people. But along the way, suffering. The path to God’s promises includes rejection, insults, and even physical harm.

i. [Slide 16] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must not be surprised when we face sufferings for the sake of Christ. I think we would be surprised right now. We’d be quite taken aback by suffering in our culture for Christ. So Peter’s message is especially relevant to us. Expect to suffer for being of Christ. Our culture, which has largely been shaped by Judeo-Christian influence, is quickly and sharply rejecting that influence. The values of hell are quickly encroaching on the values of our nation because although built on Judeo-Christian moral influence, most have rejected the Word of God. Which is the basis for that influence. We ought then to expect suffering for Christ. We ought not be astonished when it happens. But we ought not either be saddened or gravely frightened. Instead, we ought to rejoice. Not that we suffer. For suffering is undesirable. Not that we are persecuted, for God tells us we ought not be persecuted. God reveals a kingdom peace and hope. No, we rejoice because in a small degree, we suffer like Christ suffered. We share in those sufferings. He told us that the world hated him and so they also will hate His Kingdom citizens. So, we ought to rejoice when this happens, for it fulfills the word of Christ and also identifies us closer with our Savior. We walk the path our Savior has walked before us. We are on the right road. And that road, though now marked with suffering, leads to life eternal.

Transition:

[Slide 17 (blank)] The fact that sharing Christ’s suffering is the path to rejoicing in future glory propels God’s true people to not be astonished that we would suffer. Rather we must rejoice, knowing that we walk the path of Christ. But what other motivation could there be to rejoice in suffering?

II.) Suffering for Christ’s sake is a characteristic of one united to Christ, so we must not be astonished but rejoice at sharing in His sufferings. (14)

a. [Slide 18] 14 – If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed,

i. Although I said this before, I say it again, I find it so encouraging that the book of I Peter was written.

ii. If for no other reason that it includes insults in suffering for Christ.

iii. Truly I have never personally suffered prison, physical harm, or anguish over my faith in Christ.

iv. But I have been insulted. I have been insulted on a personal level and on an institutional level.

v. For obeying my Lord, for refusing to sin like all the rest, for keeping my testimony pure, for believing that every single man woman and child is born desperately wicked, for holding to a salvation devoid of human effort, for upholding scriptural values on sexuality and parenthood, I have been called a great many derogatory things.

vi. And on a grander scale, several of Hollywood’s elite, Academia’s experts, philosophical think tankers, and psychological geniuses have personally and intentionally assaulted my Lord and His word and any who would believe it.

vii. My friends, if we are insulted for the name of Christ – we are blessed.

viii. Peter has said this in several ways now.

1. 2:21 – if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor (grace) with God.

2. 3:13 – IF you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed (favored or graced).

3. And now in 4:14 – if you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed (favored or graced).

ix. Peter is convinced and he wants his audience to be convinced… that to suffer for Christ, for doing good, means that God’s grace is on you.

x. And you can trace it through scripture if you want. But whenever God’s grace comes to us, it seems like His Spirit right there with it. Applying that grace to us.

xi. And look what comes next. Why are we blessed?

b. [Slide 19] Because the Spirit of glory, who is the Spirit of God, rests on you

i. God’s spirit rests on us.

ii. Now we ought not read too much into Peter’s wording. Some may be thinking, hey, doesn’t the Spirit indwell God’s people? Here Peter says it rests on us.

iii. Because as some of your bibles may indicate– this is another quote from the Old Testament.

iv. I say another because we should to be quite used to Peter quoting from the Old Testament.

v. Here it is a reference to Isaiah 11. And I would like us to turn there together, but I am also going to put the words on the screen because Peter quoting this passage and using it the way he does is quite astounding and I don’t want you to miss it.

vi. [Slide 20-24] READ ISAIAH 11: 1-9

vii. There are three basic concepts that make Peter’s quote here astounding.

1. [Slide 25] First, this quote is clearly about Jesus.

a. The shoot and root from Jesse is a prophetic reference to Jesus. An offspring or descendant of Jesse, father of David.

b. Israel was a tree cut down to the stump. God’s judgement had chopped them to nothing. But one day a shoot will spring from the stump.

c. Even Jews of the 1st century would have recognized this as a prophesy about the Messiah of God.

d. The Old Testament predicts His absolute love, fear, and obedience to God.

e. The Old Testament predicts His ability to see the heart of people and not judge by outward appearance.

f. The Old Testament predicts his judgment which Peter has referenced in this very chapter. His judgment of the living and the dead.

1. [Slide 26] Second, this quote is clearly about the New Kingdom, the Millennial Kingdom, or both.

a. Since Isaiah puts this in judgment language, we know that although this is about Christ, it is also not quite yet.

b. Peter has said that the culmination of all things is near… and included in that culmination would be the judgment of the living and the dead by Christ.

c. Also included in Isaiah is the punishment of the wicked and the vindication of the righteous. Something Peter has also referenced in this chapter.

d. And the remainder of the passage in Isaiah makes it clear that this is talking about the New Kingdom, the Millennial Kingdom or both.

e. It isn’t really a good time for us to venture off into a discussion of which it may be or not be or whether or not there is a millennial Kingdom.

f. But covering all the bases we can clearly see that this is an economy of existence to which we are not accustomed. Where all life lives in peace.

1. [Slide 27] Finally, and most shocking, this quote is applied to Christians who suffer for Christ’s sake.

a. He says that to suffer insult for the name of Christ, is to be blessed. Why? Because the spirit of God rests on you… just like it rests on the Messiah.

b. My friends, the fullness and richness of the gospel is not adequately conveyed when we say – Jesus died for our sins so we could escape hell and be with him in heaven.

c. Is this true? Of course. But if this is still your raw understanding of the gospel – you must move beyond this.

d. Christ died to unify you to Himself. You have been baptized into Him. Your water baptism is only a sign sealing this truth. Like a wedding band placed on the finger of a bride, it is not the ring itself which marries her to her husband – but it is certainly a sign and seal of that covenant. So also, our water baptism is a sign and seal of our baptism into Christ.

e. Just a quick plug here – if you are a believer but have not been baptized after conversion, you MUST do this. First it is commanded. Second it is one of only two sacraments that Christ Himself has given us to perform on the church. It is a holy sign sealing the truth of your baptism into Him. Into His death and raised into His resurrection.

f. Ok so back from that Rabbit trail – In our unification to Christ as His people… that means that like a bride inherits a share of all the husband had. Like an adopted child who inherits the name, honor, and wealth of the family they have been adopted into. All that He has is ours. We will be made to be like Him. That is not simply sinlessness. We will reign with Him. As His queen. As His brother.

g. My friends… This is huge.

viii. To suffer for His name’s sake verifies that we are His people. That we have been sealed by the Spirit of God. The down payment of a glorious inheritance that is Christ’s and because it is His, it is now ours.

c. [Slide 28] Passage Truth: The second truth Peter reminds his audience is not only that to share in the sufferings of Christ is to rejoice when His glory is revealed. But to be insulted for His sake is a great assurance that the same Spirit that rests on Christ, rest on us also.

d. [Slide 29] Passage Application: In response, His audience must not be astonished when they suffer for His name. Rather they should rejoice!

e. [Slide 30] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from this text, the subject of the assurance of a believer is a great teaching which served as a primary emphasis during the reformation? To what does a believer look to for assurance that they are of God’s true people and that they will be inheritors of this Kingdom when it comes? How do we know that the Spirit of God is in us? This served as the primary topic of conversation when we studied through I John together. And flowing from the pages of the New Testament, generally speaking, a true believer is being progressively conformed to the image of Christ. In keeping with that thought, Peter reminds us that to suffer for obeying Christ is, quite frankly, a step that fake Christians will never take. Indeed, in one of Christ’s Kingdom parables, 1 of the soils in which the seed of the word of God is planted is the rocky soil. The seed sprouts quickly but when the heat of persecution arises – it is scorched. I fear that when persecution arises here, we will see many scorched plants leave our churches, never to return.

f. [Slide 31] Broader Biblical Application: So for us CBC, we must not be astonished when, not if, but when this happens. We ought to expect suffering for the name of Christ. It is part of the normal experience of Christianity. However, because suffering for Christ proves we are His people and proves that we have the same Spirit rest on us that rests on Christ; that we are united to Christ. We must rejoice when we suffer for His name. Not for the suffering. But for the assurance we gain from it.

Conclusion:

[Slide 23] The two truths that Peter gives us are:

1.) That sharing in Christ’s suffering is the path to rejoicing in His future glory.

2.) That suffering for His name means we are united to Christ because the Spirit that rests on Him, also rests on us.

If we were to boil down these two truths into one it would be:

• Sharing in the sufferings of Christ means we will also share in the glory of Christ.

Or perhaps we could reduce this even further.

• Being united to Christ means we share in all that Christ has.

With that truth, CBC, how shall we view suffering for His name?

If we are united to Christ, in that all that He has we will share in – should we be shocked that we will suffer ridicule, insult, derision, physical harm, and even death for following Him?

How do we turn this negative command into a positive?

Expect to suffer for His name.

This brings two powerful thoughts to my mind.

• First, we ought not assume that just because we live in a time and place of relative religious peace, that such a time will continue forever. Indeed, the church has already lost too much ideological ground to our culture to expect us to remain in peaceful relations for much longer.

• Second, If we are to live before men, showing our good works, and it is our good works that draws out the ire of the world, then at some point, if you have experienced no insult or slight in your Christian walk, then perhaps you must ask and seek out if your walk is Christian at all.

But not only should we expect suffering for Christ – we should rejoice in it.

Why should we rejoice? Not because we like to suffer. Not because we want to be persecuted.

Rather, suffering as Christ did identifies us closer to Him, assures us of our unity with Him, and encourages us to look to His future revelation in glory.

Suffering drives out our preoccupation and love for this world.

Suffering deepens our love for other believers.

Suffering intensifies our longing for the New Kingdom, peace, Justice, and GOD’S WAY.

In short, suffering for Christ has far more benefits for a believer than draw backs.

And with God being absolutely sovereign over all – we can know without doubt that if we experience suffering for the name of Christ – it isn’t because God was powerless to stop the sin of someone else against us. Rather, it is because God has sovereignly placed this suffering upon us for our good and His glory.

This too allows us to rejoice in suffering for His name, knowing that we are in the will of God. In what better place could we be?

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Title: Holy Ground

Text: I Peter 4:7-11

FCF: We often struggle living as if the Kingdom is immanent

Prop: Because the Kingdom of God is near, we must be clear headed stewards of His grace.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter 4.

Last week Peter helped us to see the importance of having the attitude of Christ. Christ trusted His Father and desired the will of God in His suffering. He was meek and gentle even to his executioners. This must be our attitude as well. Suffering for doing the will of God and refusing our human desires shows that we have been set free from sin. And the Lord’s judgment is sure. He will set the standard for who is spiritually alive. So, we must trust God, obey Him, and be meek with all those around us.

Today Peter shifts away from a focus on the church’s lives lived before non-Christians and transitions to how the church should live toward one another.

I am in I Peter 4 starting reading in verse 7. I’ll be reading from the NET which you can follow on page 1367 in the pew bible or in whatever version you have.

Transition:

Hard hitting message today. Let’s get right into it.

I.) Because the judgment of Christ is near, we must be self-controlled and sober minded. (7)

a. [Slide 2] 7 – For the culmination of all things is near.

i. This little phrase does so much in the letter of I Peter that I have to break up how we analyze it. Usually, we just look at what the words mean and move on. But we need to organize our thoughts around this phrase from a few different angles.

ii. First, stylistically. What does this phrase accomplish for Peter’s letter?

1. I Peter 2 began with Peter’s depiction of God’s people as a chosen race, a kingdom of royal priests, and a holy nation. Peter describes all of the true church as God’s representatives on earth connecting men to God.

2. In 2:11-12 Peter combines this identity with the fact that they are exiles living in a land that is not their home country. They are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven living on earth. So, what does that mean for them? They must abstain from bodily lusts or keep from needing creature comforts and maintain good works among the non-Christians.

3. Since 2:12, Peter has shown how to apply that in social situations where they must be submissive, when they suffer, and even when they suffer for doing good. And this is all with the backdrop of showing good works toward non-Christians.

4. Even up through 4:6, Peter kept these basic threads intact.

5. But now, with this little transition coming out of judgment on the living and dead, Peter turns his attention to showing his audience what it means to be a holy nation, and a royal priesthood to each other.

6. Before Peter aimed the faith and practice of the church outside its community, since they were foreigners and exiles. He sought to answer the question, “how do we behave before those who are not like us?” Now he will explore how the church behaves toward one another as a holy nation and royal priesthood.

iii. Second, we need to see what this phrase actually means? What is Peter saying?

1. Quite simply, this phrase takes the teaching Peter just gave about the reckoning and judgment of the living and the dead by Christ Himself, and immediately places it before his audience as something that is close at hand.

2. Peter speaks of the immanency of Christ’s judgment.

3. We may scratch our head here because, after all, it has been almost 2000 years since Peter penned these words. And so far, that reckoning has not yet occurred.

4. And assuming that Peter is writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we can reasonably conclude that as Peter penned these words the Holy Spirit knew that it would be at least 1,960ish years before it would come to pass.

5. Can we conclude that this would be… in God’s perspective… near?

6. Sure a 1000 years are like a day to our God. But remember the other part of that phrase. A day is like a thousand years. The teaching here is that time is irrelevant to God, not that time passes more quickly for Him.

7. Part of our problem is that with western minds we are always thinking chronologically.

8. When we hear soon, near, almost or coming… we think it won’t be long to wait or the time approaches.

9. But this is not always what near or culmination mean. In fact, it speaks less to the amount of time before we reach the end and more to the number of steps before we reach the end.

10. Peter is not speaking chronologically. Rather he is talking about how many puzzle pieces are left in God’s plan before it is finished.

11. In short, not many.

12. We exist, in the church age, as if holding our breath before diving under water. As if resting on the porch seeing the storm on the horizon.

13. And listen, there are many folks on TV talking about the end times now. Russia is somehow some fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy. Maybe they are. Maybe they aren’t. But do not think for a moment that Christ is waiting on Russia to do something before He comes. And don’t be convinced, no matter what eschatological system you cling to, that Jesus is waiting for something to happen before He returns.

14. Listen… Peter wrote this to his audience – assuring them– even though it has been almost 2000 years – there is little left to happen for Jesus to return. What does that teach us? Peter was convinced it could happen at any moment. So must we.

iv. Lastly, thematically, this phrase pushes us toward the end of the book

1. This idea of the Kingdom of Christ being completed soon heightens the urgency of all the following applications.

2. Each thought to the end of the book is colored by this idea that the end is immanent. The puzzle is almost complete.

3. This sharpens each command given.

v. And so, what is the first command in light of the culmination of all things being near?

b. [Slide 3] So be self-controlled and sober minded.

i. Now is not the time for inconsistency.

ii. Now is not the time to panic.

iii. Now is not the time for unpredictability.

iv. Now is not the time for hasty thoughts or actions.

v. Now is not the time to cling to this life and all it offers.

vi. Now is not the time to sow our wild oats, to discover ourselves, to find our truth, to follow our heart, or to reach for our dreams.

vii. The world is busy about these things. Why? Because deep down, they believe that tomorrow will come just like today did. That they have a reasonable amount of control over their lives. They decide their fate. They make their destiny. All things will continue as they always have.

viii. And not only do they believe this to be so – they want it to be so. They do not want anything to change.

ix. So much so that when the status quo is threatened, when the possibility exists of things changing drastically or coming to and end, or death looms large, that is when the world goes mad.

x. But my friends.

xi. The culmination of all things is near.

xii. Peter is calling for assimilation and conformity. I cannot tell you how unappealing these words are to our world. The world is all about celebrating differences? Inclusivity! Intersectionality! Are you as tired of these words as I am?

xiii. Everyone gets to be whatever they want to be today.

xiv. If you are afraid then we must stop what scares you. If you are offended then we must stop what offends you. If you are comfortable than we must fight to keep what comforts you.

xv. The phrase goes “you do you” right?

xvi. Peter says the end is almost complete – Stop doing you and get in line and conform. Assimilate.

xvii. Not that every Christian is the same, not that we lose our own personality or individuality in the church – but in a very real way, all of Christ’s people should think and act the same.

xviii. Paul tells us to have the mind of Christ, Peter told us to have the attitude of Christ, we are the body of Christ, being pressed into the mold of Christ – is it so crazy to think – that we should all look the same?

xix. Peter says fall in! Get in line! Focus! Stay alert!

xx. Do not panic. Do not make rash choices. Be still. Control yourself. Compose yourself.

xxi. Why?

xxii. Although life may be hard for you now – the time approaches when God’s justice will reign. So don’t do anything foolish. Don’t panic. Continue doing good works and trust the Lord.

xxiii. To what result?

c. [Slide 4] For the sake of prayer.

i. The effectual fervent prayer of a RIGHTEOUS man avails much. James 5:16

ii. I want all men to pray lifting up HOLY hands to the Lord – I Timothy 2:8

iii. DWELL IN UNDERSTANDING of your wife’s subordinate support role so that your prayers won’t be hindered. I Peter 3:7

iv. Peter says that our prayer life is connected to our thoughts and deeds.

v. Can you pray powerfully while living fearfully of what the world can do to you? Can you pray powerfully without trusting God in all things?

vi. Can you pray powerfully while running here there any everywhere trying to preserve what you have in this world, defending it from those who wish to take it? Can you pray powerfully while being unkind and lacking gentleness in your dealings with others?

vii. Indeed, powerful prayer is predicted on a holy and righteous lifestyle.

viii. We cannot expect prayers to be heard while not being controlled by the Spirit. For the Spirit intercedes for us with many groanings. How can He do this when we have grieved Him?

ix. And what are we praying for powerfully? Peter tells us to be in control of body and mind – to fall in line with the Spirit’s control over us for the result or purpose of prayer. But what did he say before all that? That the cup was almost full. That the Kingdom of God is approaching its culmination.

x. In the Lord’s prayer - one aspect we are taught to pray for… is the coming of God’s Kingdom.

xi. The prayer of a persecuted church… is even so come Lord Jesus. Quickly. We must be controlled by the Spirit to pray such a prayer and mean it.

d. [Slide 5] Passage Truth: The truth Peter reminds his audience of is a truth that will endure throughout the remainder of book of I Peter. It is that despite all the issues they face, all the persecution and problems, there is now no more than stands between us and the consummation of the Kingdom of God.

e. [Slide 6] Passage Application: With that in mind, his audience must be self-controlled and sober minded. They have nothing to fear from this world, and the eternal state is all that is left for them. There is no reason to panic. There is no reason to start living foolishly. They must fall in line, be in control and sober so that they can continue to pray powerfully for the kingdom to come.

f. [Slide 7] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from this text, if it was true in Peter’s day – is it not just as true and perhaps even more now? We, the church, have waited for almost 2000 years. The world has ebbed and flowed. Christianity has fallen in and out of favor with the masses. God has granted mass repentances and great revivals. Great outpourings of grace. God has allowed great persecutions and sufferings for His people. Yet still Christ is seated on the throne. Yet still Christ intercedes for His people. Yet still the Spirit actively regenerates and brings more to faith. Yet still the Father gives grace. But all that remains… even still today… all that remains is for Christ to stand in judgment. He is ready to judge the living and the dead.

g. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, if this is true. If the culmination of all things is truly near. What must we do? Get back in line! Keep your heads! Stay frosty. There is absolutely nothing happening in the world worth fearing. All that is happening is all that has always happened since the dawn of creation. Violence? Always been here. It started with Cain killing Abel. Disease? Always been here. Viruses have been around since the beginning. God’s people being hated? Yep! It’s been in the playbook since the garden. My friends… Stay focused. Live like Christ. Trust Christ. Only when your head is on straight will you be in a position to pray powerfully for the Kingdom to come.

Transition:

[Slide 9 (blank)] But our close proximity to the fullness of the coming Kingdom does not only teach us to keep our heads and hearts stayed on Christ and His Righteousness. It also teaches about the importance of God’s church.

II.) Because the judgment of Christ is near, we must love and serve one another in His grace. (8-11)

a. [Slide 10] 8 – Above all keep your love for one another fervent,

i. When we are pressed on all sides, persecuted for holiness, attempting to continue to trust the Lord and maintain good works, we need one another more than ever.

ii. When God’s people are truly alone in a world gone mad, we cannot afford to let our love for one another cool.

iii. And God gives grace to do this.

iv. Time and time again during persecution is when the church thrives. We see unity form around truth and love blossom and flourish.

v. Certainly, we must depend on God’s grace for this but that doesn’t mean we are passive.

vi. We are encouraged by Peter to keep our love fervent or constant for other believers.

vii. And with the backdrop of all things culminating soon – this takes on a particular amount of urgency. God’s Kingdom is coming. That heightens the need for His church, His Kingdom citizens, His holy nation, His royal priesthood, to unite in love with one another. To prepare for this Kingdom by living it now.

b. [Slide 11] Because love covers a multitude of sins.

i. This is probably a quote from Proverbs 10:12.

ii. The first half of that proverb says that hatred stirs up dissension.

iii. Hate draws big red circles around every tiny flaw in the paint. Love simply paints over it.

iv. Without suggesting that church discipline should not happen, without suggesting the church be soft or flippant about sin in the camp…

v. The church should be a place where little things get smaller.

vi. God’s holy nation should be a people who don’t have molehills that become mountains. In fact, the only time you should really hear about something is when it has become something big.

vii. Because overall – God’s people should recognize the great debt God has forgiven them and ought to then forgive others.

viii. When you truly love others as you have been loved, when you truly love other Christians as Christ loved you, small offenses, minor insults, unintended slights, small flaws, micro aggressions, triggering actions – should all fade to nothing because of love.

ix. You want to know how the church can truly be different than the world?

x. If we let love cover all of these. There is no such thing as love covering sins in our culture.

xi. Going back to the original illustration – our culture is all about drawing big red circles around everyone’s flaws. Neither fixing the flaw, nor contributing to the evenly painted wall.

xii. But the church should be a place where these kinds of things don’t happen.

xiii. If you truly have a group of people who, as far as it depends on them, are living at peace with all – should there ever be fights? Arguments? Hurt feelings?

xiv. My friends… love fervently and let that love cover sin.

xv. There really is no time to fight amongst ourselves. The culmination of all things is near.

c. [Slide 12] 9 – Show hospitality to one another

i. This means to be a lover of guests or strangers.

ii. Of course, this is directed toward one-another.

iii. So, we know Peter is not talking about people outside the church, although certainly hospitality toward non-Christians would be in keeping with a Christlike attitude.

iv. But this specifically has to do with a Christian’s disposition toward other believers.

v. It certainly includes use of their home and entertaining guests.

vi. In fact, this is probably the main meaning here. That people would entertain traveling preachers, fleeing Christians, and even open their home for the church to meet in.

vii. But when I turn this command upon us, I fear it loses some of its potency. We have a church building – at least for now. Traveling preachers typically prefer to have their own room in a hotel somewhere rather than being in someone’s home.

viii. What is at the core of this command?

ix. To his audience this is simply caring for the physical needs of those who are true brothers or sisters in Christ, even if it is potentially costly to you or comes with great risk from the governing authorities.

x. Although our culture may be resembling Peter’s soon, for now the potency of this command does not come through to us. Shall we reduce this command to paying for the hotel of a visiting preacher? Shall we reduce this command to offering our home for a bible study or youth event?

xi. Perhaps. But maybe there is something bigger behind this command.

xii. First, that we ought to care for the physical needs of those whom we come into contact with that are genuine believers, is an obvious and straight forward application of this.

xiii. Certainly, this could be abused. And how better to help a man than to stop giving fishes and teach him how to fish? The early church even had stipulations on how long traveling preachers were permitted to stay in a home – just to be sure that such things could not be abused.

xiv. But where this command takes us and where I think it hits us hardest is before we actually get to the place that we help a believer with their physical needs.

xv. Although it may stretch the meaning some – perhaps we could see this command less like “invite people to your house” and more like “see God’s people as one whom He purchased in His Son before time began.”

xvi. For us, before we even get to helping other believers, I think in our hyper individualized culture, in our homebody, introverted, every one is ok with not going any where for 3 months kind of culture – the seemingly missing building block to helping others with physical needs is knowing and loving them like they are your family.

xvii. And this cuts to the core of some of the problem of Western churches that Eastern churches don’t understand.

xviii. Your home, your life, your family, should all be open for all who are God’s people. People in the church should know you best. They should know you better than your family. Better than your co-workers. They should know you because you allow them to know you.

xix. Flaws and all.

xx. We should be people who share ourselves and trust each other quickly.

xxi. Persecution sharpens this need.

xxii. When you are the scourge of society, and all that is wrong with the world, there is really no time to invest 3 years of your life into a church body before you tell people your phone number.

xxiii. There are jokes a plenty about greeting time in church and being introverted.

xxiv. My friends – this command is the introvert killer.

xxv. Feel free to be introverted with your co-workers, your family, and your friends. But with the body of Christ – there really is no time for you to wait to open up.

xxvi. Make connections quickly and then drive them deep.

xxvii. How can we care for the physical needs of a brother or sister, when we can’t even talk to them?

xxviii. But this is sooooooooooooo HARD!

d. [Slide 13] Without complaining.

i. Relationships are work. And just because we share the same savior and are in the same body doesn’t mean they are easy.

ii. God’s grace comes alongside believers to tie them together in Christ. But that does not negate the effort we must invest in getting to know one another and caring for each other’s needs.

iii. And because we are human – any time we have to work at something, anytime something doesn’t come natural, any time something is hard, any time it costs us something – what do we do?

iv. Yeah. We complain.

v. Peter nips that right in the bud.

vi. Not only must your love for other believers be constant and sin-covering, but you must also without complaint open up your lives to and care for one another.

vii. Your local church should be comprised of your closest relationships on earth.

viii. If they aren’t – there is a good chance that you are violating something in these commands.

ix. And this is so important. Because we aren’t just building relationships with one another because we need relationships. We aren’t just getting close so we can care for each other physically.

x. In fact, there is a sharp and real purpose behind the body of Christ deeply loving, forgiving, and knowing and caring for one another.

xi. What is that purpose?

xii. It is the ministry of God’s grace.

e. [Slide 14] 10 – Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another

i. Peter teaches a valuable truth about each and every member of the body of Christ. And he does so in passing. In little more than a transition, Peter explains that every single member of the body of Christ has at least one grace-empowered, Holy Spirit-applied gift for the expressed purpose to serve other Christians.

ii. Spiritual gifts differ from talents and skills in that they are directly empowered and applied by God for the help of other believers.

iii. You may be good at hacky sack, or math, or dance, or construction – but all of these are not things that God uses to build His church in faith and love.

iv. You may be good at teaching or have a decent income but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a spiritual gift of teaching or giving.

v. How do we know what our gifts are? I think we’ve overcomplicated this a little now a days. I’ve taken spiritual gift tests. They are ok.

vi. But I think the single most important thing to remember is that every single gift is required of every single Christian. With or without the spiritual gift of teaching, all of us are required to teach one another. To disciple one another. To sharpen one another.

vii. Since we all should be attempting to do every single spiritual gift, in that process people will be positively impacted by what you are doing. And if they are close to you and love you – they will probably tell you that you greatly helped them when you obeyed that particular command.

viii. It is as simple as that. When people grow to be more like Christ because of what you’ve done… that is your first REALLY big clue that that is how God has gifted you.

ix. God uses His people as a means to give His grace to believers. To grow them.

x. Can this be true?

f. [Slide 15] As good stewards of the varied grace of God.

i. God’s graces come in many forms, colors and flavors.

ii. His favor, power, and passion toward His people to see them conformed to His Son, can come through various means and in various applications.

iii. Exercising our spiritual gifts for the benefit of our brothers and sisters makes us good caretakers of that gift as it is being used to give grace to other people.

iv. We become a conduit for God’s work in the sanctification of others.

v. Does God need us to do this?

vi. No.

vii. Meaning our gifts are just that. A gift. He has afforded us an role in helping one another to be grown and sustained on His various graces.

viii. So, Peter divides these giftings into two groups and encourages their proper use.

g. [Slide 16] 11 – Whoever speaks,

i. There are various speaking gifts listed in scripture.

ii. This isn’t really the time to expand on them – but they include teaching, preaching, exhortation, leadership and more.

iii. Even though all are called to teach and disciple, some have been spiritually empowered to do that effectively.

iv. It goes way beyond whether you like someone’s style or not. Actually, you liking their style or delivery has very little to do with it at all. Indeed, some of the most charismatic people who teach and preach are false teachers.

v. We aren’t looking for someone who is appealing, but rather someone who is instrumental in the application of God’s grace helping us to grow and be more like Christ by what they say.

vi. The warning then for those with these speaking gifts is this…

h. [Slide 17] Let it be with God’s words

i. Don’t get drunk on your own gifting.

ii. Remember that all you have to offer is from God and God alone.

iii. The moment a man steps away from scripture and begins teaching his own thoughts, opinions, without biblical standing or backing – that is the moment that he has left the true power of his gifting.

iv. He must speak authoritatively on what God has said. And leave no room for disagreement.

v. In doing this, the Word is free to impact the lives of God’s people.

i. [Slide 18] Whoever serves,

i. A second broad category in giftings is designed to serve the body.

ii. This is not necessarily only physical needs.

iii. Encouragement, giving, helping, and acts of mercy are all included in this kind of service.

iv. And although construction may not be a spiritual gift – perhaps it could be an expression of giving. Maybe hacky sack isn’t a spiritual gift – but it is one way to express encouragement to another believer.

v. But the same temptation exists for those empowered to serve one another…

j. [Slide 19] Do so with the strength that God supplies

i. Just like a speaker can get convinced of his own success, so a servant can be persuaded to assume that all their service is done in their own strength.

ii. Such a conclusion would be catastrophic.

iii. We are nothing without Christ. Indeed, all that we have has been given to us.

iv. So going out to serve, do so knowing that you are weak but He is strong.

k. [Slide 20] So that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ.

i. This is the way to make much of our Lord.

ii. We serve and give, we are conduits of God’s grace

iii. Just as we connect non-Christians to God, so too we continue to connect Christians to God.

iv. But we dare not believe that we do this in our own strength and power.

v. All we have is a gift.

vi. And when we do much for His Kingdom, humbly knowing that it was He who did it through us – He will be glorified because if not for Christ, we would be nothing.

vii. With this thought, it is fitting then for Peter to conclude this section with doxology.

l. [Slide 21] To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

i. Such a statement is rich and doctrinally supercharged.

ii. All glory and power belong to Him forever.

iii. It is from these kinds of expressions that we derive the teachings of God’s holiness and his sovereignty.

iv. If He possesses all power and all authority and has all dominion – there is not one single rogue molecule in the universe.

v. And how important is it to suffering saints that God be sovereign?

vi. If God be not sovereign than there is no hope that the culmination of all things is near, nor any hope that there is any purpose to their suffering.

vii. If God be not sovereign over men, then how could God ever guarantee an end to their suffering?

viii. In short, if God is not in absolute control over all things… even the will of man… we can trust nothing He promises in scripture. Why? Because there is always something out there he cannot control. And as long as there is something out there He cannot control, there is something out there that Satan can use to make His promises void.

ix. Yeah… it matters to suffering saints that God is truly sovereign.

x. And if God has all glory, there is truly none beside him, none to whom He can be compared.

xi. Does this matter to the suffering saints?

xii. Not only is He morally perfect, but He is completely distinct from any other being. He alone gets glory because He is the only God.

xiii. And He, this holy God in which all glory belongs, is their God.

xiv. Yeah that matters too.

m. [Slide 22] Passage Truth: Peter’s reminded truth endures even to here. The next thing on the to do list for God is to judge the world. The only thing left is to commence the fullness of the Kingdom of God.

n. [Slide 23] Passage Application: In light of that, his audience must be making sure that the Kingdom of God is on display among their members. Not perfectly of course, but practically. That they are loving one another, forgiving one another, opening themselves up to one another, and in His grace, serving one another.

o. [Slide 24] Broader Biblical Truth: Don’t get conned into thinking some great step is needed before God brings His kingdom. Most eschatological systems allow for this to be true, but some do not. Some assume some act either of God or His church is necessary before the end comes. This is simply not true. The Kingdom’s coming is imminent. It could happen in a few moments. For there is nothing left for Christ to do, but to judge the world.

p. [Slide 25] Broader Biblical Application: In light of that CBC – let us not waste any more time acting as if this thing we call church is just another thing we do on earth. Let us stop pretending that this is one more activity to involve ourselves in. Let us quit the lie that is this thing we do on Sunday is just one more facet of our lives. My friends. This church – and by that I do not mean the building – this church is your embassy. If you and I are ambassadors in a foreign land, this is our embassy. If we are a Kingdom of priests than this body of believers is our temple – each of us a stone built on Christ. Church is not something you do. Church is not somewhere you go. Church is something God made. A new creation. Like when He spoke the earth into existence from nothing, He spoke and carved out of death the life of His people. Church is haven. Church is rest. Church is holy ground. When we are among each other – we are home. Out there we are insulted. With us, uplifted. Out there we are maligned, with us loved. Out there we must be guarded, with us we must be open and vulnerable. Out there every mistake is amplified, with us every mistake is forgiven. Out there it is take take take, with us it is give give give. Out there it is my power, my strength, my ambition, with us it is all His grace. Out there, nothing seems to match what God says is reality. With us God’s reality is on display.

Conclusion:

We’ve all heard stories of men and women, in the process of the most grueling tests of their physical fortitude, being rejuvenated by the announcement that this is the final lap. A runner receives a burst of energy when she turns the corner and sees the finish line. A weight lifter being utterly exhausted finds more strength when he hears he is only 5 reps away from beating the record. One more out. 1 minute remaining. One more point.

CBC… The next thing on God’s list is the completion of our salvation. The next great work of Christ is coming in His glory.

Drawing strength from such truth means what?

Control yourselves. Get back in line. Be like Christ. Focus. Seek His Kingdom and Righteousness. And love one another, forgive one another, treat one another like family and serve one another with God’s gifts.

If we were to boil all this down even further – be the church. Be God’s Kingdom on earth. Be His temple. Be His priesthood. Be His holy nation.

My friends we are in a hostile foreign nation right now. Peter’s announcement that all things are culminating is our guarantee that rescue is coming. And the church is our embassy. It is a little slice of heaven, a little patch of holy ground in this hostile foreign land.

But here is the question. Are you calm? Or do you still fear? Do you clamor to keep your life on this foreign soil? Do you fight to preserve what you have here – or do you pine for home? Is the church your embassy? Do you come here to love and be loved? Do you come here to serve others as a steward of God’s various grace? Do you see the gathering of God’s people as a little taste of what all of the Kingdom of God will be like?

My friends – the Lord is coming to save His people. Stay calm. Stay focused. And run to, depend on, and minister to His people. We are the Kingdom of God even while in this Kingdom.

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Title: Armed with Attitude

Text: I Peter 4:1-6

FCF: We often struggle responding well to unjust suffering.

Prop: Because our suffering for doing good is temporary and revelatory, we must arm ourselves with Christ’s attitude.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter chapter 4.

Last week was a little more on the academic side. I hope in spite of that you were able to learn and grow. Today, Peter takes all the theology and academia and aims it at the hearts of his audience. Indicative switches to imperative. Telling them what IS transitions to telling them WHAT TO DO.

Of course, every New Testament writer, when commanding their audience to do something, grounds that command in truth. And even though Peter just proved conclusively that Christ suffered for doing good and was given glory because of it… he will add a couple more pillars of truth to undergird his command to his audience today.

I am reading from I Peter 4 in the NET which starts on page 1366 in the pew bible. You can follow in whatever version you have.

Transition:

Not near the uncertainty of last week but much to get to. Let’s get right to it.

I.) Because suffering means we have been stopped from sin, we must arm ourselves with Christ’s attitude. (1-4)

a. [Slide 2] 1 – So, since Christ suffered in the flesh, you must also arm yourselves with the same attitude,

i. Peter’s point is inescapable for his audience and has been for some time.

ii. They may in fact suffer for doing good. But they ought not live in terror over this. Why? Because the fear of suffering for doing good is relegated to this earthly, fleshly, and temporary existence.

iii. Since this world is a temporary illusion of the eternal state, his audience ought to suffer without fear, instead trusting and fearing Christ while living harmoniously and humbly, even with those who persecute them, seeking to give an answer for the hope they have.

iv. Their example of doing this is none other than Christ Himself.

v. Peter has conclusively proven that Christ suffered in the flesh.

vi. He came to earth and suffered for doing good. In fact, His suffering was God’s good. His suffering proved He was blessed of God.

vii. Because in that suffering not only was He doing the will of the Father, bringing glory to God the Triune, but He was also rescuing His people and bringing them back to God, since they were separated from Him by their sin.

viii. Christ died for sinners. The just for the unjust.

ix. And in that death His mission was complete. Thus began His victory march to the realm of the dead, back to the realm of the living, and then to God’s realm itself.

x. Now Peter comes to chapter 4. Because Christ suffered in the flesh, in this physical realm, in this temporary plane…

xi. That gives Peter the springboard for this command…

xii. Arm yourselves. This is battle language. It is “get your sword ready! Draw your weapons!”

xiii. But notice! What is our sword?

xiv. Christ’s attitude.

xv. What was Christ’s attitude in suffering in the flesh?

xvi. I think He demonstrated it best in the Garden of Gethsemane.

xvii. Was his human nature afraid? Oh yes. He did not want to experience physical death. And he did not want to experience temporary separation from the Father.

xviii. But who did He fear more than death and separation?

xix. “Yet not my will, but yours be done.”

xx. His human will feared the will of God far more than death or separation. For it was the will of God for Him to suffer.

xxi. His attitude was exactly what Peter has said. Trusting and Fearing God.

xxii. And then he went like a lamb to the slaughter without saying a word. Meek and mild they hung Him on the tree.

xxiii. So, Peter’s audience when facing suffering for doing good, they must arm themselves with the faithfulness of Christ in fearing and loving God to continue to do His good, and the meekness of Christ so that in that suffering they may do so gently and courageously.

xxiv. This… is so…. Backward. We don’t think this way.

xxv. I keep saying Peter wrote, Peter wrote, Peter wrote… but I hope you understand… God’s Spirit penned this through Peter. Because Peter would have never said this in his own flesh. Indeed, Peter was the one who armed himself with an actual sword and sliced off someone’s ear defending this meek Christ as He went obediently to the cross for our sins.

xxvi. Now he tells his audience… arm yourselves with the attitude of Christ.

xxvii. In many ways this is part of Peter’s ongoing repentance. Don’t be like me. Be like Christ.

xxviii. But this isn’t the only thing in this text that we will see that seems backward…

b. [Slide 3] Because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin,

i. What?

ii. Haven’t most people suffered in life? Does this mean that all people who suffer no longer sin?

iii. Well, it certainly can’t mean that. So, what does this challenging little phrase mean?

iv. First, By suffering in the flesh, we must assume that he means suffering for doing good in the will of God. To pare it down to simply suffering would violate all that Peter has been saying since chapter 2.

v. Now the tricky phrase – has finished with sin.

vi. I could enter into a longish explanation about what is happening here in the Greek… but the conclusion is that the Greek doesn’t help us. Why? Because the best translation is something like “He has been stopped from sin.”

vii. How is it that a person who is suffering for doing good has been stopped from sin?

viii. Although there are many views, Peter is making a statement that at first seems quite unlikely but will later demonstrate it to be true. So, let’s, for the time, assume it to be true outright.

ix. And let’s keep reading.

c. [Slide 4] 2 – in that he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires.

i. This phrase explains what it means to have been stopped from sin.

ii. In this it is implied heavily in this text and verified in others that it was our sin that kept us from truly being concerned about the will of God and enslaved us to human desires.

iii. In other words, the only reason that Peter can command them to have the attitude of Christ is because they have been stopped from sin and freed to concern themselves with the things of God and stop concerning themselves with human desires.

iv. Now that we have been stopped from sin – we can spend the rest of our lives in the flesh (or on earth as the NET says) being busy about God’s business. Seeking His kingdom and righteousness.

d. [Slide 5] 3 – For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians desire.

i. Peter stays on the topic of time.

ii. You’ve been stopped from sin so that you can spend all your remaining time on earth concerned about God’s things and not natural desires.

iii. Because the time (on earth) you had before being stopped from sin was more than sufficient for you to have fulfilled those desires.

iv. Now what is Peter saying here? Is this the “sow your wild oats” passage? Is Peter saying that it is ok to allow young people to spend time indulging their sinful desires – get it out of their system – so they can come back ready to focus on heavenly things?

v. No. In fact, I think Peter is saying the opposite.

vi. The shortest amount of time spent with sin, is more than sufficient to allow you to experience the depth and darkness of your wickedness.

vii. Indeed, speaking to persecuted Christians suffering for doing good – it may be in their minds to dabble in some of their old ways in order to get some relief.

viii. But Peter says… no.

ix. That time has passed. It is gone. You can’t get it back.

x. And would you want to?

xi. Don’t you remember who you were? Before we look at Peter’s reminder to them, for who they were… why don’t you spend some time thinking about who you were before God opened your eyes. Before God lavished His grace on you. Who were you? What did you live in? What has Christ freed you from?

e. [Slide 6] You lived then in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts, and wonton idolatries.

i. Peter calls out his audience for all that they were and it wasn’t a pretty picture.

ii. I’ll not go into each of these words in too much depth. Essentially at the core they lived lives that were governed by their desires. Their bodies, their relationships, and even their spiritual selves were turned in on themselves. There was nothing they weren’t willing to do for themselves. And if it was worth doing… it was worth doing to excessive proportions.

iii. If we take what we have already seen about sin, how it prevents mankind from being concerned about the things of God, and makes it impossible for mankind to stop sinning, we can position ourselves to interpret Peter’s words accurately here.

iv. We can see that such is the natural disposition of all men’s hearts. They may not commit every sin or be the vilest of sinners. But sinners will sin. That is what they do. Although to varying degrees – they are slaves. Not just to sin, but to Satan as well.

v. Cast off the illusion that in order to be enslaved to Satan you must die and go to his domain and be tortured by him. My friends that is myth designed to disguise the truth. That is happening right now. Every single person who is not in Christ is a slave to the vicious will of their father the devil.

vi. Understanding this helps us to realize…

vii. We ought not look at Peter’s audience and think – wow what a loathsome bunch of pagans they were. Nor should we see their testimony and pine for ours to be like it.

viii. People get really weird when they see the testimony of another believer that is particularly jarring.

1. On the one hand you have some who have convinced themselves that they have always believed in God, and have always tried to live a life for Him. So, the testimony of someone like this is appalling to them because after all- they were never THAT bad.

2. On the other hand, you have some who hear a testimony like this and wish they had one similar. “Wow God saved them from so much sin and muck… it makes my testimony of getting saved in Sunday School at the ripe age of 6 seem so anticlimactic!”

ix. Both of these conclusions make the same error. The error is the assumption that their personal sin is less than these listed.

1. To those who may say that they have always believed in God and always tried to do as He instructed. To those who look at these kinds of people thinking – wow I am glad I was never that bad.

a. [Slide 7] I have put Luke 18:9-14 on the screen behind me. It serves as the justification for my next statement.

b. You may want to reevaluate if you are a Christian or not.

c. My friends if our sin prevents us from being concerned about the things of God, if our sin has enslaved us to fulfill its desires and the desires of Satan as the scriptures says, if our sin has separated us from God… then to say you have always believed in God or always tried to live as He wanted you to. To look at Peter’s audience or others around you and think – well I’m glad God got me before I was that bad – to do this is to suggest that you don’t understand sin and that you don’t understand God.

d. Meaning that your claim to have always believed in God and tried to serve Him is false. And your satisfaction over not being as bad as others… is a delusion you have made for yourself.

e. You were as bad… and more, as we’ll see in a moment.

1. And to those who hear this kind of testimony and wish your testimony of salvation was as dramatic or exciting, you too have the same problem.

a. The scriptures do not teach us that we all start out in a neutral position to which the sins we commit makes us a vile sinner.

b. Rather we begin as a child of wrath enslaved to sin. As we live it manifests in various expressions, the most heinous of which we learn to hide quickly like lying, jealousy, hatred, pride and idolatry. The more obvious expressions of sin like these listed in this text are the natural outpouring of a heart that already has all of these more egregious sins fully gripping it.

c. That being said – if the Lord lavished grace on you early, catching you before you descended to these baser and more obvious expressions of wickedness – your testimony is the same as a prostitute, a drug addict, a murderer. For the core of all these sins was fully formed and operational in you when the Lord delivered you from sin.

d. Stop cheapening God’s grace by thinking it was no big deal to save you. Stop arrogantly assuming that you were not a vile sinner at the age of 5. Your parents know better.

x. That is why Peter says the time has been sufficient for you to do as the non-Christians desire.

xi. The time of your slavery, however long it was, was enough.

xii. But we still lack clarity on the end of verse 1. How does someone suffering for doing good prove or show that they have been stopped from sin?

xiii. Are you ready? Peter will draw the conclusion.

f. [Slide 8] 4 – So they are astonished when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness,

i. The natural mind of man cannot comprehend the fact that former sinners are not now pursuing sin.

ii. This sharpens what Peter means when he says “he has been stopped from sin.” It is not a declaration of wholesale cessation from sin. We aren’t talking about perfectionism here.

iii. But we are talking about the death of sin in the heart of someone in Christ.

iv. And when non-Christians don’t see even a desire in you to do as they do… if you looked at this list and thought ugh… who would want to do these things?

v. If you look at this list and started putting in sins you used to do before you were converted….

vi. Is there even a desire for them anymore?

vii. The world will not understand this.

viii. They can understand you wanting to “drink a little less” but that doesn’t mean you have to stop coming to the party!

ix. They may understand that you got a new “religion” but that doesn’t mean you can’t work on Sunday.

x. Ok, so you are committed to your wife – but that doesn’t mean you can’t come to the strip club!

xi. Right, so people matter to you, that’s great, but you need to make your employees afraid they’ll get fired if you want them to be productive.

xii. My friends, the world… just… doesn’t… get it.

xiii. They can accept minor life changes with subtly new passions and priorities. They can even accept people turning over a new leaf to engage in culturally accepted behavior. But they cannot wrap their minds around wholesale life change based on the work of an invisible force, purchased by a man who was killed 2000 years ago, revealed in an ancient book, that cuts across what is culturally acceptable.

xiv. And what do we humans do when we don’t understand something in this way?

g. [Slide 9] And they vilify you.

i. If you swim against the stream everyone thinks YOU are the problem.

ii. If you stick out, everyone makes YOU a target.

iii. And doing all this while claiming to be following a God that THEY should be following too?

iv. Well, those are fighting words. Because to live a holy life before the ungodly is to instantly reveal their own sin to them. And that is not comfortable.

v. Pretty soon, they will make you out to be everything that is wrong with the country, the company, or society in general. Since you won’t join them, they’ll make sure you never can.

vi. And this is Peter’s point.

vii. This is why Peter can confidently say that if you suffer for doing good you have been stopped from sin.

viii. The evidence of the death of your sin, is that you resist it to the point of suffering for doing so. That is the true test for whether your sin is truly dead.

ix. The answer to this riddle is revealed.

x. And it proves to be just as Peter said. To suffer in this temporary life for doing good and abstaining from the desires of the flesh, is to prove beyond shadow of doubt that you have been stopped from sin.

xi. Why?

xii. Because if you haven’t been stopped from sin… you could not and you would not suffer for doing good. You would simply go back to what you did before.

h. [Slide 10] Passage Truth: Peter reminds his audience that their present suffering for not continuing their sinful practices of their former life, proves that they have been stopped from sin. Not sinless – but certainly these sins have been put to death. Based on the fact that their suffering for doing good proves this to be true of them… how ought they to view suffering for doing good?

i. [Slide 11] Passage Application: They must arm themselves with the same attitude of their suffering Savior. His attitude of faithfulness to fear and love His Father above His own human fears. His meekness when facing intense suffering for doing good. This is the attitude of Christ, and it must be taken up as their weapon.

j. [Slide 12] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the rest of scripture can we find this truth? Indeed, we can. If we are bound by sin, enslaved to it. If we are children of wrath. If every man is not righteous. If no one seeks after God. If all men’s hearts are evil and desperately wicked. If even David admits to having been sinful at conception. And if sin prevents us from being concerned about God or seeking Him or His ways. Then what happens when you find someone resisting sin to the point of their own physical suffering. What do you know of that person? That sin – whatever they are resisting – is dead. It has ceased. Indeed, this was the primary concern of the writer of Hebrews toward his/her audience. In fact, the contexts are so similar with differing conclusions we need to go there to see it. READ HEBREWS 12:1-4. Peter’s audience and the author of Hebrews’ audience have the same truth presented to them but with different conclusions. Peter is assuring his audience that their struggle against sin to the point of suffering for not doing it is proving them to be of the faith. Whereas the writer of Hebrews states this as a reason for why he/she has doubts about some of them.

k. [Slide 13] Broader Biblical Application: So, my friends, what does this mean for us? We too must arm ourselves with that Christlike attitude. He obeyed His Father, doing what He was commanded, even though it would mean great suffering. He set his eyes to the cross and went there meekly and gently. He hung there willingly though He could call all the host of heaven to His defense. And He stayed there until He fully paid the penalty for our sin. We then must arm ourselves with that same faithfulness and meekness. We too must be fearful of our God above the pressures of this world. If we are truly believers, those in Christ would rather suffer in their bodies then sin against their God. And as they suffer they meekly and gently face those who harm them with an answer for the hope they have. This must be us. We too must arm ourselves in the fight against our sin – even if comes to the point of bloodshed. And the only way we can arm ourselves – is with fear for our God and meekness toward others.

Transition:

[Slide 14(blank)] But there is another attitude of Christ that the writer of Hebrews displays that Peter now raises. For Christ endured the cross and suffered the shame for the joy set before Him – the promise of sitting down in approval and victory at the right hand of God. His victory is also why we continue to arm ourselves with his attitude.

II.) Because all men will be judged according to God’s standard, we must arm ourselves with Christ’s attitude. (5-6)

a. [Slide 15] 5 – They will face a reckoning before Jesus Christ

i. Peter has one more riddle for us in this text.

ii. He sets it up first by assuring his audience that for all the persecution that they are experiencing at the hands of the wicked, not one bit of it has been overlooked. Not one injustice has been forgotten. Not one insult to the people of God will be unaccounted for.

iii. Every sin against God’s people is a sin against Him. And one day, there will be a reckoning. This is why WE must be meek and gentle with those who would oppose us.

iv. As God says “Vengeance is MINE, I will repay.”

v. His vengeance is just and measured. His vengeance will not exceed what is due and will not come from selfish motives.

vi. As the Holy God, creator of all there is, possessing all control, all authority, seated on the throne above all thrones… Jesus Christ will justly give what all people have earned.

b. [Slide 16] Who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.

i. Who are the living and the dead?

ii. Jesus stands ready to judge them.

iii. Based on the previous statement about a reckoning we may conclude that the living and the dead are those who are living and dead who are non-Christians.

iv. Or perhaps we could conclude that this is talking about judging the physically living and physically dead, Christian and non-Christian alike.

v. However, then Peter says this.

c. [Slide 17] 6 – Now it was for this very purpose that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead,

i. So now we have to wonder where Peter is going.

ii. Is he talking about dead people getting another chance to hear the gospel?

iii. You might say – no it says those who are “now dead.” But here is the thing – the word now is not in the text. It has been added for clarity.

iv. Why was it added?

v. Peter continues…

d. [Slide 18] So that though they were judged in the flesh by human standards they may live spiritually by God’s standards.

i. Peter is playing jump rope with the terms living and dead.

ii. With this last statement it is clear that the ones to whom the gospel was preached who are dead, are those who like Christ have died in their physical body.

iii. Even though all of humanity considers them dead – by all human standards they are dead.

iv. God actually determines whether or not someone is dead. Because though physically dead, they are spiritually alive in Christ. Just as Christ was made alive in the spirit.

v. So when he says that Jesus stands ready to judge the living and the dead – he is not speaking in physical terms. Rather, he is talking in spiritual terms.

vi. In this he both comforts his audience that death in this life is not always a defeat. But he also warns that the living are not necessarily the victors either.

vii. God determines who is living and dead. And Jesus will judge those who are either spiritually alive or dead.

e. [Slide 19] Passage Truth: Peter reminds his audience that God alone determines who is alive or dead. That your physical existence is little more than a blimp on the way to your eternal existence. Peter reveals that this world is oftentimes the mirror image of the world that is to come. What seems one way is often the other. And Peter makes it clear that God’s perspective is how things actually are.

f. [Slide 20] Passage Application: Therefore, they must arm themselves with the attitude of Christ. For His attitude reflects the world through the mirror. The world that is right.

g. [Slide 21] Broader Biblical Truth: So much in scripture is written to get God’s people to stop focusing on this world. Although it is true that God created this world and when He created it, it was very good. What is certain is that His plan was never to have His people dwell in this place. He would have them dwell with Him. In scripture it says that the sufferings here is not worthy to be compared to the glory to come. God remains the judge of all things. And so many things in this life work opposite of the way God says they actually are. Death is not the end, nor is life all there is. Yet spiritual death is the end and spiritual life is all there is. To determine anything by what we see or feel, is to be like a person observing the world around them by looking at a mirror. It is oftentimes… backward. But the one thing we know is that God’s perspective is all that matters.

h. [Slide 22] Broader Biblical Application: So for us CBC, we must have the attitude of Christ. We must face suffering for doing good boldly. We must be faithful to our God, fearing Him more than any earthly thing. Knowing that all this is temporary. We must instead fear God who has the power to cast us into hell. We must love Him and serve Him with our lives. And when we suffer for doing this, may we meekly and gently face those who would scoff at us. May we have an answer ready for the hope we have.

Conclusion:

[Slide 23 (end)] Peter gives two reasons in this text that we ought to arm ourselves with the attitude of Christ.

First, because suffering for obeying God and resisting sin is evidence that sin has been put to death in our lives.

Second, because this life is temporary and all that happens here will be judged by God and none other.

In light of both of these – we must arm ourselves with the same attitude that Christ had when He endured suffering for us.

How did Christ endure suffering for us? What was His attitude going to the cross?

It wasn’t masochistic. He didn’t enjoy suffering or desire death. He wasn’t seeking it out. In fact, he left Jerusalem in the early part of his ministry to delay His crucifixion.

And even in the Garden of Gethsemane he did not desire it. Not really.

But what was His one desire?

The will of God to be done. And what was the will of God? That Christ would atone for the sins of His people with His death on the cross.

And once resolved to obey the Lord, how did he treat his captors? His judges? His persecutors? His executioners? His deserters?

My friends the world we live in is consumed with us vs. them. Left vs. Right. White vs. Colored.

Can we just take a moment to recognize that all of this is a farce? Do you want to know how the world is actually split?

The spiritually living and the spiritually dead. The seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. The children of God and the children of Wrath.

And here is the key. Only God sets the standard for who’s who.

And what does Peter say in this text? Suffering for doing good and resisting sin shows you are alive. Even if the world kills you for it… you are alive.

How are you going to possibly suffer for doing good and resisting sin without the attitude of Christ going into that?

What are you willing to suffer for? When is the last time you suffered to the point of physical harm in order to not sin against God?

My friends very soon our culture will turn on us. It has already begun. Things that have been age old beliefs of the church for faith and practice are beginning to be hurtful, misogynistic, abusive, and counter to progress and a free society. Very soon the Christian faith will be classified as it was in Peter’s day.

You see the Romans at this time thought their civilization was the peak of human progress and advancement too. They too thought that their society was free and the best chance at happiness that the world had ever known. And how did they come to view Christianity? It was known as a “pernicious superstition” that sought to topple the established order because they refused to honor Caesar as a god, ensuring of course that calamities of the gods would fall on them. Thus they became enemies of the state. They were accused of “hating the human race” because they believed and lived the way they did.

My friends, we are only a few steps away from this being the prevailing thought about Christianity in this nation.

Why do I bring this up? Why all the doom and gloom?

Remember the words of Peter. Arm yourselves with the attitude of Christ. Very soon resisting sin may come with a price tag. Very soon doing good may cost you a pound of flesh. Very soon being humble and harmonious with people may mean they laugh while killing you for it. Or your wife. Or your kids.

Know that God sets the standard for who is among the living. And realize that suffering for resisting sin is an assurance of its death in you. For if we are alive to God, we are dead to sin. And with this in mind… Arm yourself with the attitude of Christ.

View Details

Title: He Will Hold You Fast

Text: I Peter 3:18-22

FCF: We often struggle blamelessly enduring suffering while trusting Christ.

Prop: Because our Savior provided the ultimate example for us, we must suffer for doing good trusting God in all things.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter 3.

Today’s sermon introduction has gone through many iterations. I wanted to draw a stark contrast between how the congregation is to respond to authoritative dogmatic preaching from an Elder and how the congregation is to respond to speculative or investigative teaching from an Elder.

As I thought about and considered this, it became clear that this was going to have to be another sermon.

So, depending on the Lord’s leading I’ll probably do a topical sermon in the future about The congregation’s responsibility to submit to the Elders’ teaching and how to weigh that against Elders who are teaching something wrong.

But for the purposes of our message this morning, let me just quickly say that it is the normal, biblical expectation of the church to submit to their godly spiritual leaders when they instruct them in sound teaching.

In other words, when you walk away from a sermon, you are not at liberty to begin picking apart all the places that your Elder got it wrong. You are not at liberty to dismantle what was said and poke holes in all that he taught. If it was sound teaching – you must submit. And the soundness of his teaching is not determined by what you think but what the scriptures say and what the church has historically accepted as the teachings passed down from the apostles.

Today, however, will not conform to that standard. Because there are elements of today’s sermon that I am telling you now… are not sound teaching. Not because they are not found in scripture or pure opinion, but primarily because there is no consensus within the church about the interpretation of this particular text.

Martin Luther said of this text, “This is a strange text and certainly a more obscure passage than any other passage in the New Testament. I still do not know for sure what the apostle meant.”

Even though the exact meaning of the text is not clear to us today, and hasn’t been for some time, we must thank the Lord for His preserving of His word. Although this passage is obscure, it is an illustration of the point he made in the previous section. Meaning that this text’s design is to further explain or illustrate what He has already taught plainly. And so, we can rest in whatever interpretation proves his previous point.

In that, I can be authoritative and dogmatic. In that I will call you to action because in that the scriptures and the historical church agrees.

Today I have no problem with you walking away from this sermon in total disagreement with my interpretation of the text. In fact, I kind of expect it.

But don’t miss the point this illustration is trying to prove. That would be to your detriment. Because that is the words of God not me.

I’m in I Peter 3. I’ll begin reading in the NASB in verse 18. Follow in the pew bible on page 1366 or whatever version you have.

Transition:

Quite the introduction and a lot still to cover so let’s get to it.

I.) Christ suffered for doing God’s good will but was protected, so we must suffer for doing good trusting God in all things. (18-20a)

a. [Slide 2] 18 – For Christ also died for sins

i. What IS clear is that Peter is connecting the work of Christ in some way to what he has just said.

ii. So, let’s remind ourselves again what he has been saying.

1. He wants to let his audience know that they must be harmonious and humble to all people, even non-Christians, because this will lead to a more comfortable life in this world but more surely will lead to God’s pleasure and favor.

2. But even if they live in discomfort and suffering in this world for doing good, they must understand that God blesses those who suffer for doing good.

3. So, they must continue to fear God and live harmoniously and humbly with all men, even when defending their faith in Christ. If his audience does this, those who scoff and mock will ultimately be put to shame while they will be vindicated and raised up.

iii. So, Peter continues.

iv. For, or because, Christ died for sins.

v. How does this statement relate to what has been said?

vi. Is not Christ the ultimate example of suffering for doing good?

vii. Not just an example but the greatest example. For He did the greatest good and endured the greatest suffering.

viii. Indeed, Christ was killed. He died. But furthermore, He died for sins that He did not commit.

ix. If Peter is looking for an example of someone who suffered for doing good, according to the will of God, as one favored of God even in the suffering – is there a better example?

x. Jesus suffered unto death for sins that were not His own.

b. [Slide 3] Once for all

i. There may be some confusion on what this means.

ii. But because it is a couplet with the last statement, we must understand it as such.

iii. The words “for all” are not in the text. The adverb “once” modifies both the verb died and the prepositional phrase “for sins”. Once dead for all sins.

iv. Christ will not be sacrificed again, AND, His atoning sacrifice continues to pay the debt of sin for His people.

v. We just talked about this in our Catechism question last week. Does Christ’s death mean all our sins can be forgiven? Yes, because Christ’s death on the cross fully paid the penalty for our sin, God graciously imputes Christ’s righteousness to us as if it were our own and will remember our sin no more!

vi. All His people stand before Him as if they had never sinned and are perfectly righteous.

c. [Slide 4] The just for the unjust

i. This is the gospel that Peter is preaching here folks. Don’t you dare miss it.

ii. It isn’t the just for the ones who sinned. It isn’t the just for the imperfect. It isn’t the just for the confused. It isn’t the just for the spiritually challenged.

iii. It is the just for the unjust. To understand why the gospel is good news – you have to understand that you are a vile wretch deserving of nothing but God’s wrath because to be unjust is to be wicked.

iv. The only way you can be forgiven is if Jesus does everything for you. If you are trusting in any measure of your own self-righteousness, your own decisions, your own choices, your own faith, your own good deeds – then you are trusting in something that cannot save.

v. The perfectly righteous must be exchanged for the perfectly unrighteous.

vi. The only thing you contribute to your own salvation is the sins for which Christ died.

vii. Why did Jesus do this?

d. [Slide 5] So that He might bring us to God

i. Where were we?

ii. The bible teaches that we by nature are a great way off from God. We are separated from Him.

iii. In Adam we were born in sin. And not only are none righteous but as Paul says quoting from the Old Testament, none seek after God.

iv. Not only do none deserve God – but none want God.

v. That is how far separated we were. That is why Jesus had to come and get us.

e. [Slide 6] Having been put to death in the flesh

i. Can Christ’s flesh do something His Divine person cannot? Can God die?

ii. Questions arise, God is omnipresent. How could Jesus be omnipresent and also human who are present in 1 space at one time? This question betrays the understanding one has about the union of Christ’s two natures. This question supposes that these two natures are mixed together and unable to operate independently.

iii. [Slide 7] Think of a circle equally divided down the middle. One half blue. The other half red. At no point is there mixing of the two colors, since that would form a third color in the middle. The circle is one yet in two colors. Christ is one in two natures.

iv. Think of humanity. We are at very least body and spirit. Perhaps body, soul, and spirit – but let’s not get into that now.

v. We cannot separate our body and spirit, one to go on vacation while the other goes to the store. However, our flesh can fast from food while our spirit nourishes itself on the Word of God and prayer.

vi. Indeed, there are statements in scripture pointing this out. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. When the disciples wanted to stay up with Jesus but couldn’t do it.

vii. So, Jesus is omnipresent in his divine nature. His human nature did not keep His Divine nature from doing this. Yet in His human nature he was locally at one place and time. And He still is as Peter will talk about in a bit.

viii. All this to point out that Jesus’ death as a human was in His body.

ix. It was in the physical realm that Jesus died. Not the Spiritual.

f. [Slide 8] But made alive in the spirit

i. This is where interpretationally things start to get a little… tricky.

ii. There are three basic and equally acceptable interpretations here.

1. [Slide 9] This is talking about Christ being raised to life by the Holy Spirit.

a. Certainly, we know this to be true and this indeed seems like a no brainer.

b. However, grammatically this is awkward. The two indirect objects of flesh and spirit would be pointing to two very different things. 1 would point to the sphere of which Christ’s death occurred and the other would point to the means by which he was made alive.

c. Certainly not a big enough problem to discount it completely. But it is odd.

1. [Slide 10] This is contrasting Christ’s death in the physical realm to his being made alive in the spiritual realm.

a. This is similar to the resurrection view although it is talking more about the process of the resurrection than the actual resurrection.

b. In other words, the contrast is being made that in the physical and temporary world – Christ died. But in the spiritual and eternal world Christ was made alive.

c. So, although it is pointing to the resurrection, it is not getting quite there all the way.

d. This matches the indirect objects but also presents us with a new problem.

e. Was Christ made alive in the spiritual realm? Wouldn’t it have been better if Peter said, he was made alive in new flesh? Or in glorified or purified flesh?

f. He wasn’t a spirit walking around. Unless his new flesh could traverse the spiritual and physical realms…

View Details

Title: #blessed

Text: I Peter 3:13-17

FCF: We often struggle responding to unjust suffering well.

Prop: Because we are blessed if we suffer for doing good, we must fear Christ and honor all people.

Scripture Intro: CSB

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter chapter 3. You can also turn to Isaiah chapter 8 and put your finger or some kind of marker there. We’ll be looking at the chapter soon. In the pew bible that is on page 770.

Last Wednesday at bible study, I was able to express some of my perspectives on Peter’s letter up to this point. To say that all he has to tell us is relevant and incredibly challenging would be an understatement. It seems that every week Peter is going after yet another tiny idol in my heart. Yet another tiny passion, need, desire, or comfort that I must be willing to sacrifice. Yet another perception shift and paradigm change.

A well-known preacher in our time once said, “If you can’t say amen, you better say ouch.” I wish I could say amen more, and ouch less through this.

Unfortunately, today, is another ouch day. At least it was for me. There are parts of this message that I find myself saying Amen to. But the commands – and particularly the appropriate application of those commands are where my toes crunch.

Nevertheless, Peter’s message is undaunted. He peppers his audience once more with counter-cultural thinking. And since nothing is new under the sun, the reason it was counter culture in his day, is the same reason it is counter culture in ours.

Perhaps the title of this message has you confused. Allow me a chance to explain it.

Twitter is a social networking site that allows people, especially people of influence, to post their thoughts on things. I am in no way recommending joining up. In fact, it is a fairly empty place of anything of value. Regardless, if you wish to start a growing conversation about something, you can put the number sign or, as it has been relabeled, a hash tag in front of it and post it with your comment. This enables people to search for that word and find what you have to say about it.

For a while, there was a popular hashtag in use. #blessed. It is probably still used. But most of the time you’ll find the hashtag blessed being used when you stumble upon good fortune, get something special, are rewarded, or generally life is going good.

I have titled this message from Peter, #blessed. Let’s find out why.

I am in I Peter 3, I’ll start reading in verse 13. I am reading from the CSB today but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1366 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Well lets dive in and see if we can find out what Peter says is being… #blessed.

I.) Because we are blessed if we suffer for doing good, we must fear and trust Christ(13-15a)

a. [Slide 2] 13 – Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good?

i. As we pointed out last week, there are two ways to make sense of Peter’s comment here.

ii. Both are valid. And perhaps both are intended.

iii. First, as a general principle that holds true, when we do good, God’s good, generally speaking, we will be seen by the world as benign, unthreatening, and good for society.

iv. As the history of the church shows us, generally speaking doing good does not lead to harm. Many of the ideals the Lord has set up for how His people are to live are appreciated by the world around them. Perhaps this is the glimmer of the image of God in men still, that even the depraved children of wrath, of whom we once were a part, can still understand and appreciate generally what is good since it benefits society.

v. Another way to interpret this, which actually has some support from the context we will look at today, is that harm, true harm to us is not within the capacity of men to truly give to God’s people.

vi. That even if they are able to take earthly things away, they are not able to actually harm us in any real or significant way.

vii. As the scriptures say, what can man do to us? If God is for us who can stand against us?

viii. And so with these two perspectives, yes Peter is right by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, who is going to harm us truly if we are devoted to what is good?

b. [Slide 3] 14 – But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed.

i. So does Peter discredit what he just said?

ii. Of course not.

iii. First of all, he does say even if you suffer. Meaning that it is not the norm but the exception.

iv. Second, he does not say harm but rather suffer. Although subtle there is a difference. It is possible to suffer without being harmed. Even in our physical bodies often times we can bear no marks or scars of suffering.

v. Indeed, Peter’s audience were not being whipped, beaten, maimed or killed. Instead, they were being insulted, suspected of wrong doing and cultic practices, and held as enemies of the people.

vi. They are not being harmed here. But they are suffering.

vii. Furthermore, when we see this in not just the material realm but the spiritual realm as well, we recognize and understand that no spiritual harm can ever befall those who have been united with Christ. We may suffer physically but we can never be harmed spiritually.

viii. And then Peter absolutely destroys us with this last statement.

ix. Even if you suffer for righteousness… then you are blessed.

x. And so, it would be appropriate to translate his thought by saying… if you are fortunate enough to suffer for righteous living, then you are #blessed.

xi. This thought, this truth, will be the backdrop of all that Peter will say until the end of chapter 4.

xii. For God’s people, to suffer for doing good, means that God has shown His favor on them.

xiii. He has actually already said this in another way in 2:19. This is a grace to you if you endure hardships in suffering unjustly.

xiv. If you endure suffering for doing good – God has lavished His grace on you.

xv. So, what is our response to God lavishing grace on us and blessing us to suffer for doing good?

c. [Slide 4] Do not fear them or be intimidated.

i. This is actually a quote from Isaiah 8:12. But this chapter in Isaiah needs a full reading. Let’s go there and see what Isaiah says in his context. READ THROUGH VERSE 12

1. 1-4 – This is a prophesy concerning what remains of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. But the cities of Damascus and Samaria will be plundered. Isaiah’s son is the promised son in Isaiah 7, the sign to Ahaz that God will bring the final destruction of the Northern Kingdom by the Assyrians.

2. 5-8 – but rather than take heed of this and repent, Judah will instead rejoice over the fall of Syria without considering that they could be next. And God promises that indeed they are next. They too will fall to Assyria.

3. 9-10 – But Isaiah breaks into a song of hope at the name of Immanuel. That one day the nations will be shattered. One day they will not be able to overcome God’s people. Why? Because God is with us.

4. 11-12 – Isaiah is taken hold of by the Lord and warned not to act like the people of Judah and Israel. Specifically, that he should not be wringing his hands in terror and fear at the trivial earthly matters that they may be destroyed by invasion. Don’t be afraid of what scares them, God says.

ii. Let’s Pause right here in Isaiah, keep your place there as we look at the screen for verse 12 as quoted in I Peter 3 and combine the contexts.

iii. In Isaiah’s context he tells of the great fall of Israel and Judah. He tells of the destruction of God’s chosen people – but not ultimately. That one day, God with us, will break the power of the nations because He is with us!

iv. Then God grabs on to Isaiah and warns him not to imitate Israel and Judah. Not to fear what they fear. They wring their hands and are worried about the trivial earthly matters.

v. In I Peter, depending on your translation, you may see something a little different.

vi. Peter is either saying the same thing as Isaiah, don’t fear what they fear, or he is saying, don’t fear them. Well which one is it?

vii. Actually, it really doesn’t matter since what people often do to incite fear in others is to take what they fear personally and use it against their enemies. So regardless of whether Peter is saying don’t fear what your persecutors fear, or don’t fear your persecutors the end is essentially the same.

viii. So, Peter too reminds his audience that suffering is not something that they ought to fear. Even suffering unjustly. The world around them fears suffering. They fear it with every fiber of their being.

ix. Indeed, one of the most powerful motivators in all of human history is fear. Fear of suffering. Fear of losing life, limb, freedom, or property. This is why terror and fear have become an often used form of warfare. Not just harming or killing, but striking fear into the people who are not harmed or killed.

x. God tells Isaiah, and Peter tells his audience – Don’t fear what the ungodly do. Don’t be intimidated by the fear of having earthly comfort, peace, safety, freedom, or security ripped from you. Do not fear what men can do to you.

xi. What should we fear?

d. [Slide 5] But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy,

i. Peter draws the same conclusions that God told Isaiah to draw.

1. 13 – Instead, you must recognize the authority of the Lord who commands armies. He says you must fear Yahweh. He is the one you must fear.

2. 14-15 – Yahweh Himself will become a stone making people trip. A trap or snare to the residents of Jerusalem. Many will stumble, and be destroyed. We saw this quoted in chapter 2 of I Peter.

3. 16-18 – Let this account be evidence, reminders, object lessons of what? That God is the ultimate authority who needs to be feared and obeyed.

ii. You see, Peter tells his audience that rather than fearing what other men fear and can do to them, they must instead fear the Lord. They must fear Yahweh. Who Peter calls – Christ.

iii. Not only is this a great big teaching on the Deity of Christ and the Trinity in general, but it also immediately snaps us to attention.

iv. We ought to fear the Lord. We ought to regard Christ as holy.

v. This speaks not only to us obeying Him, but even more generally, to fearing His judgments, His will, His threats, His position more than anything else.

vi. Earthly concerns, even good earthly concerns ought to be nothing compared to our reverence and honor we give to Christ.

vii. This is the proper mindset for all of God’s people. And when facing suffering for doing good, we do not need to fear suffering or those who inflict it. Instead, we must fear our Lord and trust Him, for we serve the God of all things, who is holy, and our great Savior.

e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: So, Peter reminds his audience, again, that to suffer for doing good is a blessing from God. What a backward thought! No wonder they needed the reminder, because to our natural mind – that does NOT make sense.

f. [Slide 7] Passage Application: So they must not fear what other men fear. They must not fear men in general. Indeed, their only fear ought to be the Lord. Jesus should have their reverent fear and trust.

g. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from here, we see the scriptures teach this truth implicitly and explicitly. Was Abraham not blessed in spite of having to leave his homeland, worship a different God, deal with barrenness of his wife, and ultimately never see the fullness of the Lord’s promise to him? Was Jacob not blessed despite being tricked by his father-in-law and pursued by his brother? Was Joseph not blessed even though he was sold into slavery and imprisoned unjustly? Was Moses not blessed though he be stuck with a complaining mutinous Israel for a generation and some change. Was David not blessed though he was actively boxed out of the Kingship God gave Him by both his father in law and his son? Was Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishaal not blessed though thrown into a furnace? Was Daniel not blessed though thrown to the lions? This truth is taught throughout – to suffer for doing good, is to be blessed of God.

h. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Application: So, for us CBC, the message is clear. The enemy of faith and hope has always been fear. Fear of what other men fear and fear of what other men may do to us. We read the Voice of the Martyrs, we read foxes’ book of martyrs, we see the Ukrainian church worshipping Christ while missiles fly and we shudder at the thought of enduring anything so vile and so wretched. But Peter’s words remind us that to suffer for doing good is to be blessed. So what are God’s people to do when our flesh shivers? What are His people to do when our fears grow? We are to fear something greater. Our God and King ought to be set apart as holy in our hearts. He is greater than all men and all men’s fears. And He alone is worthy of fear and, since He is our God and Savior, He alone is worthy of trust and obedience as well.

Transition:

[Slide 10(blank)] So if we suffer for doing good, we are blessed. And people who are blessed of God don’t fear men or what they can do – but they do fear, honor, trust, and obey Christ. But what else do they do because they are blessed of God?

II.) Because we are blessed if we suffer for doing good, we must righteously answer scoffers when they doubt our hope. (15b-17)

a. [Slide 11] 15b – ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

i. Faith and hope go hand in hand with each other.

ii. To receive faith in the promises of God is to receive hope in God fulfilling all of His promises to the fullest degree.

iii. We believe what God has said because He has opened our eyes to see and believe. And we hope in all that He has said but has not yet come about because we have believed all that He has said.

iv. But the opposite of faith and hope is fear.

v. And Christians do not fear what other men fear. We honor, regard, fear, and trust Christ. We hope in His work. We hope in His future coming.

vi. All of this is foreign to the non-Christian.

vii. Indeed, to not fear suffering for doing good, to not fear losing earthly treasures and trinkets, to not fear losing earthly comforts – but to hope in a future reality where the wrong shall fail and the right prevail… such a hope will be absolutely hated by the world.

viii. Peter suspects that they will be attacked by non-Christians, enduring ridicule and scoffing at the hope that they have in all that God has promised.

ix. So, in their fear of and trust in Christ they ought to be ready to give an answer for why it is they fear and trust Him.

x. His audience ought to be prepared to give a sound defense of their faith and hope in Christ.

b. [Slide 12] 16 – Yet do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience

i. Even our defense of our faith to the scoffing world is measured and restrained.

ii. Just because we are defending the hope that we have and how God has miraculously cut the scales from our eyes and transformed us and promised us eternal life in Christ, does not mean we can retaliate.

iii. Remember we must be harmonious and humble with all people.

iv. Including scoffers. Including those who see our faith as a trite crutch. Who laugh at our hope in a future eternal kingdom. Who ridicule our devotion to an ancient faith. Who roll their eyes at our assurance of a spiritual realm.

v. Even the most venomous of atheists, the most cutting of pagans, the most arrogant of cultists, must be afforded the gentleness and respect that Christ would afford to them.

vi. Why? Why can’t we just mop the floor with them and shout the truth louder?

c. [Slide 13] So that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame.

i. Again, the themes of I Peter come back around.

ii. God’s purpose in our doing good is to silence the ignorance of foolish people. God desires that we fear Him and honor all people. God desires that we abstain from earthly lusts and instead do good deeds before non-Christians – even the nasty ones – so that they may be forced to glorify God when He appears.

iii. And what will happen to those who mocked His people in that day?

iv. Will they not be put to shame? Either they will be put to shame as Paul was, who having spent his former life attempting to snuff out God’s people, only to become one and repent in shame for His actions. Or they will be put to shame in the eternal sense as they are separated from God forever in the second death.

v. Just as God told Isaiah, Peter tells his audience, there are bigger things than this world going on. Fear God, and trust Him.

vi. Afterall…

d. [Slide 14] 17 – For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

i. There is a simple truth being taught here.

ii. If we trust and hope in Christ. If we fear God and not what other men fear.

iii. If we believe that God is sovereign as He claims to be.

iv. Then any suffering we endure for doing good is from Him.

v. We can rest in the fact that when we suffer for doing good, it is not by accident. In fact, we can know that we are blessed, and that God is giving grace to us.

vi. But when we suffer because of doing something evil – we get what we deserve.

vii. So, if we are to suffer for doing good, if our hope and faith is scoffed at and mocked, why would we then return scoffing for scoffing and trade a blessing with doing evil. Instead, we should be ready with an answer and give it harmoniously and humbly.

e. [Slide 15] Passage Truth: And so Peter’s reminded truth remains the same. Suffering for doing good means his audience is blessed.

f. [Slide 16] Passage Application: So they must be ready to answer for their hope, trust, fear and obedience to the risen Christ. They must be ready with an answer. But not just any old answer. A gentle and respectful one. So that there will be nothing but shame for the scoffers.

g. [Slide 17] Broader Biblical Truth: The New testament too is filled with stories of blessing amid great suffering. Every single apostle suffered a martyrs death save John. And he was only spared so he could write the Revelation of Jesus Christ. And countless others some without story and without name have been butchered and endured great pain for the sake of Christ. For doing good. Are they not blessed? If you asked them today… after years in the presence of God… they would answer that they were and are indeed… blessed. Beyond measure. And if they had to do it all again… they would. My friends there is something far more important than our life, liberty, safety, security, comfort, peace, and ease. And it is the glory of our God. Those who suffer for doing good – are blessed.

h. [Slide 18] Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, we must be ready. We must be ready to give an answer to the scoffers. We must be ready to give a reason for our trust in a God we cannot see. We must be ready to give a reason we cling to an ancient religion. We must be ready to describe to the most aggressive of critic why we hold fast to promises that have not yet been fulfilled for 2000 years. We must be prepared to demonstrate to all the nay-sayers why what we believe in our hearts is more true than what they see with their eyes. And we must do it with poise and grace. We must do so with gentleness and respect. We must be able to calmly and kindly, keeping our consciousness clear, answer the scoffer. And they may never repent. They may not be convinced. They may laugh in our face. They may even inflict suffering on us. Nevertheless, we fear, trust, and obey our King – King Jesus. And we live harmoniously and humbly giving an answer for our hope.

Conclusion:

[Slide 19 (end)] Peter reminds us of a specific truth today. He reminds us that if we suffer for doing good we are, indeed, blessed. That is a really backward thing for us to consider. In fact, the general logic we have is much like Job’s friends. If we are suffering– we must have done something bad. Maybe we don’t actually know we did it, but we certainly did. God is trying to teach us something. Perhaps. But perhaps our suffering is what He is teaching.

How interesting that Peter does not say as a response to this, make sure to search your heart for the lesson God is teaching. Make sure to search your heart for sin to stop the suffering. And messages like this stick out like a sore thumb to those from a prosperity gospel persuasion. How can I be blessed for suffering for doing good? Am I not supposed to have my best life now? What happened to name it claim it and word of faith?

Does Peter say to name their deliverance or have great faith to get out of the suffering? No. In fact, Peter doesn’t give any hope of getting out of suffering. Instead, he offers what to do in the midst of suffering. And what is that?

To not fear men or what they can do, but rather to fear, honor, trust and obey Christ. And when our hope in Christ persists even though we suffer, when we are not fearful over the threats we face but are resolved to trust the Lord – we will certainly endure a scoffers critique against such hope. What then? We have ready an answer that is gentle, respectful, but firmly rooted in truth. Why? So, they will be ashamed when they attempt to make us look bad for doing good.

So what does this mean for us?

My friends, we serve the living God. He is the maker of all things. By Him and through Him all things consist. When men malign us, threaten us, intimidate us, or carry out all manner of fear tactics against us causing us suffering and misery – it doesn’t change who we are and who God is. We can rest knowing that God has us in that suffering and will see to it that it’s end result is our good and His glory.

This means that instead of fearing men and what they may do to us – we fear our Lord. For He alone can cast men into hell. He alone is the judge of the living and the dead. We fear the Lord. We honor, and trust Him. He is our mediator. He is our Savior. He is our King. We hope fully and finally in him no matter what this world says or does.

And when people ask why we live in a fantasy. When people ask why we hope in a God who we cannot see, hear or feel. When they try to poke at the foundation of our faith – we must stand ready with a gentle, respectful, but firm answer.

CBC – these two commands are incredibly simple to express in words, but woefully difficult for us to execute in practice.

First, we must increase in our honor, fear, trust and obedience to Christ. He is not the warm squishy Jesus that our culture makes Him out to be. He is not the defender of refugees, or the savior of the oppressed, he did not come to fight against prejudice or to save the world from racism. His goal was not so narrow. He came to save His people from sin. He is the second person of the Godhead. He is Yahweh. All Yahweh’s promises to His people and all Yahweh’s commands for His people are fulfilled in Christ. Dear friends, we must make much of Jesus. We must worship Him. And how do we worship if not by honor, fear, trust, and obedience. If you do not honor, fear, trust or obey Him now… do you think you will when you suffer for doing good?

Second, we must be ready to defend the reason we hope. Now let me tell you what this does NOT mean. This does not mean that you must be an expert apologist. This does not mean that you must be a top scholar. This does not mean that you must write your own systematic theology or know the finer points of all the deep teachings of Christ.

But make no mistake – you must know this book. You must know what God says, commands, promises, and expects of His people. You must know it in order to do His good and to hope in Him. You must know it to stand in defense of the slanderous attempts to undermine its truth. And you need to know it well enough, so you can speak winsomely, gently, respectfully and without arguing.

I’m convinced the reason that people get in screaming matches over religion is because they do not know what they believe or what their opponent believes. If we simply know what we believe – we can stand firm against the attacks without retaliating.

Do you know this book well enough for that?

A great theologian, pastor and teacher named R.C. Sproul once said – everyone is a theologian. What he means by that is that everyone is required to study God. And every believer must study and trust God.

Paul says that the purpose of the church and ministry is for God’s people to grow in the knowledge of Christ. In a basic way, knowing who God is, Father, Son and Spirit, is the foundation of our honor, fear, trust, and obedience to Him. Not that knowledge in and of itself gives us anything. For raw knowledge does nothing. But in order to grow in our love for, honor of, trust in, and obedience to Him – we must know Him and we must know Him more and more.

And we cannot know Him if He does not first know us. We may know of Him. We may know facts about Him. But to truly know God, He must reveal Himself to you.

My friends. If you claim to be His, you will suffer. And you may even suffer for doing good. Indeed, if history is a teacher to us – this most certainly will be some of our fates. So what must we do? We must hold fast to our holy King, fearing, trusting, and obeying Him. And we must be ready to gently answer all who question our devotion to this hope.

Are you ready for that?

If not, I suggest you seek out someone who can help you grow. I suggest you come to Wednesday bible study. You can do so from the comfort of your living room. I suggest you get a bible study gathered. I suggest you seek out sound teaching from those whom you view as godly people.

Everyone is a theologian. Make sure you are one who trusts Christ and is ready to gently answer attacks against the hope you have in you.

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Title: Harmonious and Humble

Text: I Peter 3:8-13

FCF: We all struggle treating all people like Christ treated all people.

Prop: Because God has blessed us and cares for us and will punish the wicked, we must be harmonious and humble toward all people.

Scripture Intro: ESV

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter chapter 3. Understanding the flow of Peter’s letter, we know that he is reminding his audience of their identity. God has lavished grace on them to be his chosen people, his royal priesthood, his holy nation to go and represent him before the nations.

So his audience must submit to human authorities, to earthly masters, and even to spiritual headship as structured by God. They must walk uprightly before non-Christians so that they have no other option but to glorify God because of the good works of His people.

All who have this call on their lives will suffer for His name.

Today Peter will tie up many of these strands into one cohesive message.

I am in I Peter 3. I’ll begin reading in verse 8 from the ESV. But you can follow along on page 1366 in your pew bible or in whatever version you have in front of you.

Transition:

Peter is going to reach back to verses 11 and 12 of chapter 2 and will show us the character qualities that fit with someone who is abstaining from bodily lusts and doing good before non-Christians.

I.) Because we have an inheritance of blessing, we must be harmonious and humble toward all people. (8-9)

a. [Slide 2] 8 – Finally, all of you, have unity of mind

i. If we aren’t careful, we may read this word “finally” and think that Peter is coming to some sort of a conclusion.

ii. There are a couple reasons that this cannot be the case.

1. There is a lot more letter for us to get to.

2. Much of the rest of this letter has the same threads of teaching that he has brought out in chapter 2:11-3:7.

iii. In other words, this can’t be a conclusion because it doesn’t conclude anything.

iv. So how else can we interpret the word “finally.”

v. It can also mean “in summary” or “to sum up”

vi. So, this word really is getting us to the heart of all that he has been saying and giving us the underlying truth in its most condensed form.

vii. So, what is the underlying principles for his audience in regard to submission to magistrates, masters, and proper relations in the home?

viii. Peter begins with 5 descriptions. These are not verbs in the truest sense. So, we cannot say each of these is an action God’s people must do but rather these words are adjectives. They are something we must be on a character level. Indeed, these are the foundation of all the actions they must take.

ix. But to whom is Peter referring? Certainly, he is instructing his audience. But to where will they point these character qualities?

x. Many assume that because of the words Peter uses, that he is instructing them with regard to their own Christian community. This is certainly possible. Indeed, the last context presupposes men who have saved wives. However, the words “one another” do not appear in this text. Nor does Peter actually make any obvious shift from his overall point. Which is what?

xi. It is from chapter 2:11-12. Indeed, the character qualities they are to possess here are counter to those bodily lusts they are told to abstain from. They are certainly good conduct from verse 12 which is said to bring non-Christians to glorify God.

xii. And so, for me, the case is made, that the more likely scenario is that Peter means for these character qualities to be present, not just toward the household of faith but to all people, including non-Christians.

xiii. Certainly, the degree of these character qualities will be different to each group – but the general spiritual virtue should be present in any believer regardless of where it is aimed.

xiv. So the first of these is that they would all have unity of mind.

xv. Although the ESV does a great job translating the word, probably what is in view here rather than unity in thought is harmony or ideological peace.

xvi. This does not mean that we must agree on everything. In fact, to be of one mind with non-Christians would be crossing over several lines.

xvii. But to be harmonious or like-minded enough that we do not quarrel often is more to what Peter is pointing.

xviii. As much as we disagree with our human authorities or our spouses, we must have the purpose of harmony at the forefront. And that is really true of all people including non-Christians and Christians. And for the Christian it is even more expected that we ought to be living in harmony, since we are all of the same holy nation.

b. [Slide 3] Sympathy

i. This is a great translation of this word

ii. The Greek would actually be “having fellow feeling” or “feeling the like with another”

iii. To sympathize is to be able to understand someone’s feelings on a matter and appreciate them to the point that you feel them also.

iv. This may even go into empathy a little more so that sympathy.

v. To be sympathetic to people is to not live life only concerned with how things affect us but rather to be attentive to the thoughts and feelings of another.

vi. Perhaps one way we can be sympathetic to our non-Christian neighbors is to pray for them. Not just for their spiritual needs but even for their physical protection.

vii. And even when they are so ideologically apart from us, we can sympathize because we too were once children of wrath and thought as the unbeliever does.

viii. And toward our spouse, saved or unsaved, we can see how sympathy seems integral for husbands to have if he is to treat his wife well, being mindful of her subordinate support role. And even wives need sympathy to appreciate the pressures of their husbands and their role as the spiritual heads of their family.

c. [Slide 4] Brotherly love

i. This is a word which we would readily recognize if it were put into English letters.

ii. Philadelphos

iii. The city of brotherly love.

iv. And this is what this word means. To love as brothers. To have a level of love that you would have for a brother.

v. This is easily the character quality that leads many to believe Peter is only speaking with reference to the Christian community. Indeed, this love is reserved often for the Christian community in the NT.

vi. But certainly, having a brotherly affection and treatment of non-Christians is appropriate. How can you love your brother if he is a non-believer? Certainly, like a brother, yes? And so, considering all humanity as brothers is a good place to begin.

vii. There will be times with non-Christians that this kind of love will be strained. Especially as our spiritual family and heavenly ideals take precedent over them – but hear me now…

viii. In the community of faith, such love is never optional and should always be stoked and cultivated.

ix. As a brother expresses love to a brother, so ought we to love one another.

x. Even when we disagree, we do so in brotherly love, neither back biting nor gossiping, nor complaining, nor slandering.

d. [Slide 5] A tender heart

i. This word means compassionate or merciful.

ii. It means to extend kindness when someone does something wrong.

iii. And so, toward our non-Christian neighbors we ought to expect them to fail. We ought to expect them to treat us poorly at times. They are only human after all. And fallen humans at that.

iv. With our Christian brothers we ought to expect the same. We know them at their worst – and so we ought to love them and be merciful and compassionate when they wrong us.

v. There is no hint of allowing sin to continue or white washing over gross failure. But there is a slowness here to seek personal justice or vindication for when they fail.

vi. As our Lord is longsuffering with us, so may we be also longsuffering with all people.

e. [Slide 6] And a humble mind.

i. This word is a compound word combining both the mind and humility.

ii. Thus, toward non-Christians and Christians alike, for the sake of our testimony, we must be humble in mind. We must always be friendly toward all people not considering ourselves superior.

iii. In this, Peter forms what is really two character qualities we must have if we are to live as foreigners and exiles in a pagan world. If we are to abstain from bodily lusts and do good works even while being persecuted, what two character qualities must we have?

1. [Slide 7] Harmony – which expresses itself in two ways. First in…

a. Sympathy and in Compassion, which flow out of a heart of…

i. Brotherly love for all people.

1. All of which requires us to be humble and others serving.

a. Indeed both attributes are necessary to each other in the sense that they cannot exist without each other.

b. You cannot be humble without being harmonious. And you cannot be harmonious without being humble.

c. These two cannot be separated.

f. [Slide 8] 9 – Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling,

i. Peter has given us what motivations and qualities to possess behind the commands of submission, but what must his audience do? What actions can they take?

ii. First, knowing that his audience is being accused of doing wrong, and knowing that many are no doubt being insulted and suspected of many things – they must not return insult for insult.

iii. They must not return evil for evil.

iv. In short, they cannot stoop to retaliation.

v. In sports, coaches try to drill this into players heads. And it holds true. The referees rarely see the initial insult, swipe, punch, kick, slap, or shove. But the moment a player returns in kind what he was given, that is usually what the referee sees and penalizes.

vi. If God’s people are to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, representing God to the nations, and living out good works so that non-Christians could see and glorify God because of it – how does retaliation fit into that?

vii. It does not.

viii. Retaliation kills all trust. It kills influence. It kills good will.

ix. We cannot stoop to this level.

g. [Slide 9] But on the contrary, bless,

i. This means to speak well of someone – specifically in a religious sense.

ii. It means to ask for a blessing from God, to seek their personal good from God Himself.

iii. It means to turn to God on their behalf.

iv. Can you imagine if we stopped praying that God would change out our leaders to better ones and started praying that God would change our leaders’ hearts? Can you imagine what people would say if during the chants for “let’s go Brandon” you just started chanting “God bless and keep Joe Biden in the Your tender care and mercy.”

v. Can you imagine what you would do to people if they are sitting around the water cooler talking about their ball and chain at home and you just say “Please Lord keep and protect my wife who works so hard to support me?”

vi. I’m convinced that if we’d simply bless others our world would think we were the strangest thing that has ever walked the earth. And they might even ask us why we are always blessing people.

vii. Speaking of that…

viii. What is the motivation behind always blessing Christians and non-Christians? Why should we bless all people?

h. [Slide 10] For to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

i. The way this is structured it can appear that by blessing others we earn a blessing.

ii. Instead, the blessing we obtain is the “this” in the first sentence.

iii. To inherit a blessing is what we have been called to.

iv. The earth is the closest you will ever get to hell. This world is the farthest you will ever be from the Lord in your whole eternal existence.

v. These trials are the most severe you will ever face.

vi. One day all your tears will be wiped away and you will forever dwell in the bliss of worshiping your King.

vii. To those who claim to be Christian brothers who are insulting us and doing evil to us, or to those who are non-Christians – many of them will inherit no such blessing.

viii. But you can give them a blessing here on earth. You can make this life the closest they will ever get to heaven. They can enjoy the mercy and grace of God… THROUGH YOU!

ix. You may be the closest they ever get to experiencing God’s goodness.

x. Think about that…

xi. You might be the closest they ever get to knowing God.

xii. Do you think you can be longsuffering? Tenderhearted? Compassionate? Can you bless them with your mouths and not utter curses upon them?

xiii. And if you can, if you are able to maintain harmony and humility among them – do you think that may be used of God to push them to repentance and faith? Indeed, it may.

i. [Slide 11] Passage Truth: Peter reminds his audience that they were called to obtain a blessing. They are God’s royal priesthood, his holy nation, his people whom He purchased with the blood of His Son. Their blessing – an eternal blessing – is waiting for them secure in the person and work of Christ.

j. [Slide 12] Passage Application: Therefore, because they have this blessing coming to them in the Kingdom that is to come, they must live in harmony and humility toward all people, neither speaking nor doing evil in response to evil that is given. Rather, they must bless all.

k. [Slide 13] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from this text we know from so many passages of scripture what God has done for His people. Even if we confined ourselves to the book of I Peter we’d find God’s sole work in our salvation and Christ’s bearing our sin in His body on the tree. And we see that this plan was from before the foundation of the earth. Let alone other passages that tell us of God’s faithfulness to His own. He is good to us always. And He has promised us something in His Son. Something for which the Holy Spirit is a down payment, assuring us of the eventual fulfillment of that promise. And that is the glory that is to come. We are called out ones to inherit great blessing. What does that mean for us?

l. [Slide 14] Broader Biblical Application: We should not spend so much of our time, energy, testimony, money, spirit, power, strength or anything on this world. This world is a vapor, an illusion, a testing fire – and all that come through it, come through as pure gold. We are being refined here. We will suffer. We will be mistreated. We will be maligned. We will be insulted. We will be harmed. So, what is the point of retaliating against those who harm us? Ought we not to simply do good. To treat all people with harmony and humility? Why would we retaliate, lash out, or destroy others?

m. [Slide 15] John Calvin said “The common feeling [natural impulse] indeed favors what is very different; for men think that they expose themselves to the insolence of enemies, if they do not boldly defend themselves. [Our only path to avoid our enemies plan against us is to fight it] But the Spirit of God promises a happy life to none except to the meek, and those who endure evils; and we cannot be happy except God prospers our ways; and it is the good and the benevolent, and not the cruel and inhuman, that He will favor.” – Calvin, John (2009). I Peter. John Owen (Tr. And Ed.) Calvin’s Commentaries 500th Anniversary Edition: Vol. 22. Hebrews, I Peter, I John, James, Jude and II Peter. (p.104). Baker Publishing Company.

n. So let us be meek, good and benevolent. God will do justly with the wicked. He doesn’t need us to do that for Him.

Transition:

[Slide 16(blank)] And this thought of God’s work in doing justice is exactly where Peter goes next. Let’s look at verses 10-13.

II.) Because God will protect His people and punish the wicked, we must be harmonious and humble with all people. (10-13)

a. [Slide 17] 10 – For “whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

i. Verses 10-12 are a quotation from Psalm 34:12-16. So, before we go any further, we should turn there to look at the entire psalm. Psalm 34 starts on page 615 in the pew bible if you wish to join us quickly. READ PSALM

ii. More or less this is a direct quote. Peter pulls it directly from the text with very little change.

iii. What is the context of Psalm 34 and how does it come into I Peter?

iv. Psalm 34 is a psalm that is probably written about the time when David pretended to be insane in front of Achish the King of Gath. At this point, I have about 1200 words that I have cut from this sermon because it would serve better in a discussion than in a sermon.

v. For reasons that I can go into on Wednesday night at bible study – let me know if you need the zoom link

View Details

Title: The Mystery of a Sacrament

Text: I Corinthians 10:14-21

FCF: We often struggle to comprehend the nature of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

Prop: Because this very important and serious meal is still new to us, we must review what we believe.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Corinthians chapter 10.

In 2014 Columbus Baptist church was at a crossroad. The previous pastor had resigned, the Deacons were well on their way to trying to understand what exactly a church is supposed to be. In that process, the vision, mission, and purpose of CBC began in seed form. The core of that seed was the willingness to question everything we were doing by comparing it to the truth of scripture. Not scripture accepted by one or two, but scripture as has been accepted down through the ages of church history. This goal, this seed, whether they knew it or not is the same mantra of the reformers. Semper Reformanda. Always reforming. It is the recognition that each human, let alone the church as a whole, tends to forget or neglect sound teaching and drift away. Because of this seed, many things in our church began to slowly change. Indeed, what this church was 8 years ago, is not what it is today. And perhaps I am a little biased, but I believe that that is good.

But late to the game in our church history of reform is the subject of The Lord’s Supper or Communion. I think everyone in church leadership was unhappy with the practice of the Lord’s Supper. We all knew it was more special than we were making it. But for some reason, we couldn’t quite figure out why. I’ll speak a little about what was happening, but let me keep moving down the timeline.

In 2019, we stopped. We stopped doing Communion. To understand the seriousness of that statement, you must understand that one of the few things that actually defines what a bible believing church is, is the offering of the sacraments. Sacrament is a loaded term which we’ll get into in just a few minutes. So, for us to call ourselves a church, yet not offer the Lord’s Supper was flirting with a very dangerous line.

So why did we stop? I’ll be honest, it started out as sinful forgetting. I forgot to arrange it one month. And then, I forgot to arrange it the next month. But ya know what? No one asked. It was at that point that I realized… we have a really big problem.

As God’s providence had arranged, he brought a different teaching about the Lord’s Supper into view. An ancient teaching – going back as far as our memorialist view. I admit at first, I was staunchly opposed to it. Indeed, I had several arguments against it. One by one each fell. I spoke to people who believed it. I searched the scripture. I listened. I learned. But it was not until I read this passage of scripture in its context that I actually started to understand and agree with what ultimately became the way we as a church view the Lord’s Supper.

On October 27th of 2019 I preached a sermon titled simply “The Lord’s Supper”. It was a polemic or an argument for understanding the Lord’s Supper for what I believe the scripture says it to be. In that sermon I posed the question… how does a Christian change? We all believe in a progressive sanctification. That slowly over time we become more what God wants us to be. So how does that happen?

Through several passages of scripture, I believe I was able to demonstrate beyond shadow of doubt that we change when we are united further to Christ. As we disappear into Him, as we are pressed into His mold, we change to be more like Him. And grace, God’s power to do things He wants us to do that we were formerly unable to do, grace then is the help, the power, the force that pushes us into Christ. And so, with the case being made that progressive deepening unity to Christ by grace applied by the Holy Spirit is how we grow… I took us to this text. Let’s read it this morning.

I’ll start reading in verse 14. I am reading from the NET which you can follow on page 1292.

Transition:

So let me color the background of this text, I will do a shorter version of my analysis of it, and then we will ask some questions drawing the stark divide of where we were and where we are now. Hopefully in all this you will be prepared to take the Lord’s Supper with us after the service.

I.) [Slide 2] What is the context and meaning of I Corinthians 10:14-21

a. The general reason for Paul writing the book of I Corinthians is because they were a much-divided church. They lacked unity on many issues.

b. In chapter 1 we discover that although lacking no spiritual gifts, they are divided over allegiance to certain teachers. Arguing over their inherent strengths.

c. At the end of chapter 1 and into chapter 2 he makes plain that the gospel has power not because of human strength but because it is from God. Indeed human strength and knowledge can undo what God is trying to do which is why Paul didn’t try to out argue them, he simply preached the gospel.

d. In chapter 3 he encourages them with something similar to Peter in I Peter chapter 2. He speaks of them as a building built by God and he encourages them not to be wise in this age but to seek God’s wisdom.

e. Chapter 4 builds on this to rebuke them and encourage them to humility and mutual love, adhering to the teaching they had received and to imitate those who came before them… Paul included.

f. In chapter 5, one of the few things they are united on, they shouldn’t be. They are refusing to do church discipline on someone who is in public sin. Even being prideful about their acceptance of it.

g. In Chapter 6 we see that their divide is so sharp that they are suing each other.

h. In Chapter 7 views on marriage and divorce are dividing them.

i. And beginning in chapter 8 he begins a lengthy topic of division which carries us through chapter 10.

j. In chapter 8 he broaches the topic of food that has been sacrificed to idols. After it had been sacrificed, the temple priests would sell it as a meal for a lower price than you could get in the market. So Jews would go in and eat from the temple food, knowing that there was no god there. But Gentiles having been idol worshippers before being regenerated, would have difficulty disassociating the food with the idol. So, Paul advises the Jews to be careful of their Gentile brothers.

k. In Chapter 9 Paul gives an example of his own life. He being an apostle may have the freedom to demand payment, but instead he doesn’t for the sake of the gospel. So just because you are free to eat, doesn’t mean you should.

l. Then he comes back to the topic in chapter 10 – He shows that even though the children of Israel did eat the spiritual food, drink the spiritual drink, and partake even of the water of the rock which was Christ – they ultimately became idolaters. Though free from Egypt, and eating the meals provided by the true God whom there is none beside, they still committed idolatry.

m. Finally, we come to our text.

n. [Slide 3] So, then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry

i. Since, even though eating of God’s meals they were still able to be idolatrous this proves one half of Paul’s point. That to eat of the spiritual meal does not necessarily bind you to the meal provider. The Israelites were able to eat and still abandon God.

ii. This teaching then, although an example from Israel is an illustration for the Gentiles to understand that eating a meal offered to an idol does not in itself do anything.

iii. [Slide 4] But Paul goes on and encourages them as thoughtful people to consider what he says.

iv. And then he talks about the Lord’s Supper.

1. [Slide 5] He asks two questions of them to generate thought.

2. Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ?

3. The implied answer to both of these questions is yes.

4. But what is the question asking?

5. [Slide 6] Well let’s dig into the phrase “sharing in the blood of Christ” and “sharing in the body of Christ.” What do these two statements mean?

6. [Slide 7] Literally we could render this “partnership of the blood of Christ” and “partnership of the body of Christ.”

7. This is the word we get Communion from. It means fellowship, partnership, or communion.

8. And to what are we partnering or communing with?

9. [Slide 8] Well, if we continue reading, we may be inclined to believe that in the cup and the bread we are partnering together with other believers. This is true in other contexts and I do believe that Paul makes that point in verse 17, but perhaps this is a second point after the point he just made. As he continues this will become clearer.

v. [Slide 9] We must remember that the backdrop of this is meat offered to idols. So now, Paul zooms out from the Lord’s supper to verse 18. He gives another example from the people of Israel. At an altar where a sacrifice is given, all who eat the sacrifice become partners (same word as participation or sharing) of the altar.

vi. Then verse 19 – am I saying that idols or food sacrificed to them amount to anything? Now wait… why would he be asking this question? First, what is he asking?

vii. You see if we assume that being partners in the blood and body of Christ means that we communally are one because of it, then this question comes out of left field.

viii. But, what if, being partners of the sacrifice means that we commune with the thing sacrificed? We fellowship with the sacrifice. We partner with the altar.

ix. Indeed, is this not exactly what happens? When the Israelites ate the meal of the sacrifice, did they not symbolically unite themselves to the animal that took their place? Does not that animal become part of them? Does this not connect them to the God on whose altar it is that the animal is being sacrificed?

x. If that is Paul’s meaning then his question is… Am I saying that the food has power in and of itself? Am I saying that these idols are really strong enough take you away from God?

xi. [Slide 10] Verse 20… no. Paul is not saying that. He’s already made this point from before when he said that by eating God’s spiritual food the Israelites were not kept from leaving God’s worship.

xii. But on the flip side, what Paul is saying is that just like we commune with, and unite to Christ in the Lord’s Supper, so also pagans commune with and unite to the demons who stand behind each idol.

xiii. In this he reminds Jews that they believed that demonic forces or lesser gods were at work behind idols such as Baal and Molech. Yes, you’ve gained knowledge and understanding that God is the only God. But that doesn’t mean that these idols and their worship services are totally benign either.

xiv. Paul continues…

xv. [Slide 11] 21 – You cannot drink form the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons!

xvi. Paul introduces a forbidden duplicity here. And in this he teaches us something.

xvii. My friends – Paul says, unequivocally, that to eat the Lord’s Supper is to partner with Christ, to commune with His body and His blood, and it is to worship Him. That is why to eat these meals offered to idols in the sanctuary as part of these worship feasts, is also to worship the idols inadvertently. They must worship only Yahweh. While eating them certainly cannot pull them from God, it is an act of false worship to these demons. Because they are partnering with them.

o. What does this mean?

p. If the way God is changing us is by the Spirit’s work of pressing us with grace into the mold of Christ, and to eat the bread and drink the cup is to partner with his body and blood, both of which have significant roles in our atonement as we saw recently in I Peter, then the Lord’s supper is far deeper and far richer in meaning than I think most evangelical churches recognize.

q. But before we go further to define exactly what our view is now, lets go back to before October 2019 and answer this question.

II.) [Slide 12] What was our view of the Lord’s Supper (Communion)?

a. I think the best summary of how we viewed the Lord’s Supper previously was that it was a memorial.

b. It was a service designed to remember what Christ did on the cross.

c. You might be thinking… is that wrong?

d. No. There was nothing really inherently “wrong” or sinful with what we were doing before.

e. But given the text this morning, we can clearly see that there is more to this than simply remembering what Christ has done. Remembering Christs death, and partnering with His body and blood are not the same thing.

f. This leads us to this question.

III.) [Slide 13] Where did we come up with this memorial view?

a. It is a view derived from scripture. In I Corinthians 11 we see Jesus specifically say to remember. To do this in remembrance of Him. And while we can dig deeper to find more there, it certainly would still include looking back and remembering what He accomplished.

b. We also have to understand church history on this. Coming out of the Medieval period, there was only one organized global visible church. The Roman Catholic Church. While there were dissenters, they were fairly small pockets.

c. And the view of the Roman Catholic Church regarding the Lord’s Supper is one that is quite different than the memorial view and the view we hold today.

d. The difference runs so deep that it really springs from a disagreement on how men are rescued from the original sin of Adam.

e. Luther – broke from the Roman Catholic view but only incrementally.

f. In reaction to both of these views, Ulrich Zwingli put forward the memorial view, to deny any real presence of Christ in the elements themselves and only in the gathering together of the people of God. The Lord’s Table for Zwingli was a symbol or a memorial of what Christ accomplished. Even still, Zwingli did not deny the concept of God using the table to grow His people, although he staunchly opposed the mere eating and drinking earning God’s action.

g. So, traveling back in time in church history we see that we held to a modified and pared down version of what Zwingli taught. I’d like to think that if Zwingli were alive and observed what we were doing, he might have pulled me aside and rebuked me.

IV.) [Slide 4] What are the problems with this and why did we change?

a. As we’ve already said… the raw or simple memorial view is absolutely true. It is wholly biblical.

b. However, in viewing the Lord’s table as a raw memorial, there are some inherent problems. I’ll only give my top two.

i. If it is simply a reminder of what Jesus has done in the past, why is it repeated? This is something I thought often. In fact, most of the time, although it was scheduled for the first of the month, as I said before, I forgot it was happening. I didn’t forget Christ died for me, and I had been drawn to that very fact from the pages of scripture during that very week. But I needed a reminder to remember the reminder service. If it is only a reminder of what Christ did – I found… at the risk of sounding arrogant… I didn’t really need it.

ii. If it is simply a reminder of what Jesus has done in the past, why are unbelievers excluded? Should we not remind them also of what Christ did? Isn’t that what Evangelism is? Should we not illustrate Christ’s death vividly by having them eat the symbol of what He went through? It seems like this is a vivid evangelistic illustration that we are missing the opportunity to have. And yet scripture forbids unbelievers from partaking.

V.) [Slide 15] So what is the true meaning of the Sacrament?

a. [Slide 16] First, what is a Sacrament?

i. [Slide 17] Well, a sacrament can be defined as any ordinance established by Christ that is a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality in which God promises to give to His people grace.

ii. It is not because they do it that He gives grace, rather it is a pipeline or vehicle given as a gift to His people for His favor and power to be given to them.

iii. Sometimes God gives grace without a vehicle or pipeline.

iv. But there are several pipes or vehicles identified in scripture that God gives to transmit grace to His people. Some of these include His Word, Prayer, Christian Fellowship, Preaching, and Discipleship. The core of all of these is the same. God giving grace to His people through the past and ongoing work of Christ and applied by the Spirit of God in the hearts of those who are believing.

v. What differentiates these from a Sacrament? Or are all of these Sacraments?

vi. First, no, all of these are not Sacraments. Just because God uses these as a way to give grace to His people to help them be what He desires them to be, does not mean that they are Sacraments. This is where we would break from a Roman Catholic view, which tends to include many things which God uses to give grace as a Sacrament.

vii. [Slide 18] The two elements that differentiate a Sacrament from these other vehicles of God’s grace, is that a Sacrament is a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality and that Christ Himself has commanded His people to do it.

viii. In this, as Baptists, we believe that there are only 2 Sacraments. Water Baptism of believers and the Lord’s Supper. Both of which meet the criteria of a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality and an ordinance established by Christ Himself.

b. [Slide 19] So, what is the Lord’s Supper? First, in response to what we’ve learned for the past several years and this morning, we must see what the Lord’s Supper is not.

i. [Slide 20] We deny that the elements themselves contain or become the actual physical body and blood of Christ. Such a teaching is unscriptural in both its composition and application.

1. With this we therefore deny the Roman Catholic and Lutheran perspectives on the Lord’s Supper.

2. We instead affirm that the elements represent the spiritual reality of the redemptive effect of Christ’s body and blood. And so, we partake spiritually of Christ’s atoning work of His body and blood and so feed our souls on that effect.

ii. [Slide 21] We deny the use of the Sacrament as a work to earn a state of grace or to earn forgiveness for our sins.

1. With this we therefore deny the Roman Catholic and Lutheran perspectives on the Lord’s Supper. Such conclusions are works based salvation and are a false gospel.

2. We affirm a spiritual benefit of the meal, but such a benefit is only available to those who are already a partaker in the truth that the sign represents. And that benefit is a gift of God that we receive by faith.

iii. [Slide 22] We deny that the Lord’s Supper is only a memorial, remembering the death of Christ.

1. With this we therefore deny most Baptist, Bible, Non-Denominational, and Evangelical church views on the Lord’s Supper, not as unscriptural, simply incomplete.

2. The key word here is only. We certainly do remember our Lord’s death, but more than that! By partaking of the bread and wine (juice) we are spiritually partaking in the redemptive and sustaining power of the body and blood of Christ. We are nourished by it to the extent that we leave strengthened and empowered to live more like Christ.

c. [Slide 23] So what IS the Lord’s Supper? The Lord’s Supper is a feast of remembrance, of communion, faith, hope, fellowship and thanksgiving.

i. It is a feast of remembrance. We come in remembrance that our Lord Jesus Christ was sent of the Father into the world to assume our flesh and blood and to fulfill for us all obedience to God’s divine law, even to the bitter and shameful death of the cross. By His death, resurrection, and ascension he established a new and eternal covenant of grace and reconciliation that we might be accepted of God and never be forsaken by Him.

ii. It is a feast of communion. We come to have communion with this same Christ who has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the world. In the breaking of the bread he makes himself known to us as the true heavenly Bread that strengthens us unto life eternal. He calls it His body, in that His Body inaugurates for us a new and living way to access God. In the cup of blessing he comes to us as the Vine in whom we must abide if we are to bear fruit. He calls it the New Covenant, ratified by his blood, by which we have been sprinkled clean.

iii. It is a feast of faith. We come in faith, believing that unity with Christ is God’s normal way in which He strengthens and sustains us for His holy purpose on earth, and will ultimately present us faultless before the throne of God, perfecting the work which He began in us. The Lord’s Supper is a sign of this truth. But unlike the normal means of grace – study of God’s Word, prayer, preaching, and church fellowship and discipleship – the Lord’s Supper is a special way that God does strengthen and sustain His dear children. In that, void of human effort, for those entering by faith to receive this sign of God’s provision in Christ – God does also then provide Christ to us all the more.

iv. It is a feast of hope. We come in hope, believing that as often as we eat this meal together, we do proclaim the Lord’s death, its continual atoning work for us, until he comes again. Knowing that He will present us faultless before the throne of God if we are His children. And believing that this bread and this cup are a pledge and foretaste of the feast of love of which we shall partake when his kingdom has fully come, when we with unveiled face shall behold him, and be made to be like him in his glory.

v. It is a feast of fellowship. Since by his death, resurrection, and ascension Christ has obtained for us the life-giving Spirit who unites us all in one body, so we come to receive this Supper in true love, mindful of the communion of saints. And, as we are united to Christ more through this meal – we are also united more to one another.

vi. It is a feast of thanksgiving. We come in thankfulness for what our Savior has done for us, and continues to do for us, and will do for us. Although we may disagree with some of their doctrine, the Roman Catholic Church refers to the Lord’s Supper as the Eucharist. This name is derived from the Greek word Eucharidzo which means to give thanks. In each account of the first Lord’s Supper in Scripture Christ gives thanks before breaking the bread. So, Christ the Son of God demonstrates for us the proper spirit of receiving this sign and the truth signified. We do so with gladness in our hearts for what we are in Christ and how God continues to sustain us with Him until we will be like Him.

Conclusion:

[Slide 24 (blank)]

Since we go directly to the Supper after this message is complete, I feel it necessary for me to give counsel to all who are present on what sort of person qualifies to attend this spiritual feast. And indeed you must qualify.

[Slide 25] Who doesn’t qualify?

1.) You are not a believer. You can come and observe if you like. You can come and see what we do. But do not come to partake in the elements. Why?

a. Because there is absolutely nothing there for you. Because the benefits of the Supper are only given to those who are believing, there is no benefit for you.

b. There are actually warnings for those who partake in an unworthy way. If you are not of Christ, this is included in that list. God has, and continues to actually cause sickness and even death for those who partake of this event in an unworthy way.

2.) You are a believer who is harboring sin. The Corinthians were being selfish and treating the event as another meal. It is our agreement with God about our sin that proves that God is faithful and just with the result of forgiving and cleansing. If you are disagreeing with God about your sin, you are lacking the evidence that you have the faith necessary for this meal. And the sin in question matters little. It is the heart that matters. If you will not give up a sin you should not partake of this meal. Instead you should repent. And turn from your sin. And if you are turning now from it – come and spiritually feast on God’s promise to partner you with Christ and help give you victory.

3.) You are a believer who holds to any view of the Lord’s Supper other than what scripture suggests. If you do not believe that you are partnered to Christ’s body and blood in this event. If you do not believe that God sustains you by grace through Christ. If you believe that your partaking earns God’s grace or forgiveness. I would encourage you not to partake also. I would not say with certainty that you would be guilty of the unworthy manner, but you certainly would not be united with us. Please take time to square this teaching in your head. Only partake if you are convinced of what scripture teaches.

Perhaps in these three, you have discovered that you should not partake. If that is you, please simply slip out quietly after I pray. Make every effort to not engage anyone headed upstairs in conversation. Let them focus on the spiritual meal to come.

But who does qualify to partake?

[Slide 26] Who qualifies?

1.) You are a believer struggling to get victory over a sin.

2.) You are a believer feeling disconnected from Christ

3.) You are a believer feeling disconnected from other believers

4.) You are a believer who desires to live a life more like Christ

5.) You are a believer who wishes to obey Christ

6.) You are a believer who desires to proclaim Christ’s atonement with your life.

7.) You are a believer who wants to celebrate the mercy and grace of God as He gives it.

[Slide 27] Why is it only those who are broken and needy that qualify for this meal?

Because that is what the Lord’s Supper is for. Meals in general are for the hungry. For the weak. For the thirsty. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be, what? FILLED!

Jesus Himself said that He did not come to seek the healthy but to help the sick.

And the scriptures tell us that God’s true people agree with God about their own sin. They see themselves as wholly deficient and unable to make restitution for their sin or to please God.

What does that mean? If you are weak, broken, needy, struggling, hurting, failing, desperate for Him… this meal is for you! Come and Feast!

Jesus said His body is for you. He said this cup is for you. Come and Feast!

The Lord’s Supper is a gift to us… His people. So that we may remember our Lord, commune with Him and with one another, grow in grace and victory over sin, and hope in the day when we will eat the marriage supper with Christ. So, Come and Feast!

With that in mind, let’s pray.

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Title: Influencer

Text: I Peter 3:1-7

FCF: We often struggle having godly marriages.

Prop: Because honoring people and fearing God governs the marital relationship, wives and husbands must obey the Lord’s instruction for their roles.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter 3.

Last week as I studied this passage, I was making conclusions that I did not find confirmed in any commentary that I own. You all know that on a normal week that wouldn’t necessarily stop me from breaking with the commentators to interpret a passage differently. Each time I do that though, I need to make sure I am confident in my conclusion, because I don’t want to teach something that the bible doesn’t say. Well, last week with my covid addled mind– I had exactly zero confidence in my conclusions. This was one factor in doing the reset Sunday last week.

But going back to my notes this week with a clearer head, it appears that even though my flesh was weak, the Holy Spirit was strong. The Spirit this week gave me the confidence I needed to put this unique interpretation forward.

I am in I Peter chapter 3. I’ll start reading in verse 1 and I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1366.

Transition:

Well since you again had a break week last week, I’ll take advantage of that by giving you a longer sermon this week. I wouldn’t want you to feel shortchanged

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Title: This Is A Grace To You – Part 2

Text: I Peter 2:21-25

FCF: We often struggle suffering for unjust reasons

Prop: Because Christ is our example of suffering, we must follow Christ.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter chapter 2.

It has been a challenging last couple sermons hasn’t it? Our American mindset says “don’t tread on me!” You don’t have any authority to tell me what to do! We the people… has really clashed with what God is teaching us from I Peter. It certainly adds a little bit of second guessing and a little bit of pause to our normal attitudes toward our governing officials.

Last week Peter explained that we ought to submit, even to evil masters. Because even if we suffer for doing no wrong, and even if we suffer for doing good, suffering is exactly what we’ve been called by God to do. And so, if we are to suffer, we must make sure that we suffer for doing no wrong and/or to suffer for doing good. Sometimes that means suffering for disobeying a human authority when they tell us to disobey God. Sometimes that means suffering with unjust rulers who impose unkind or unfair laws. So, if we are to suffer no matter what – we should suffer blamelessly. And as Peter told us last week, to do such a thing is beyond our normal human capacity. We can’t do this. But God can. God’s grace can enable us to do this. Indeed, Peter calls our endurance through such suffering – a grace.

Today, Peter will continue that thought, expressing the source and example of that grace to us.

I am in I Peter chapter 2. I’ll read again starting from verse 18 and read through verse 25. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1365 or whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Well, we have lots to cover today. Last week you had a nice short TV show sermon. This will be a little more of a challenge for you. But stick with me – so many cool things here!

I.) Christ is our example of suffering unjustly, so we must follow Christ. (21-22)

a. [Slide 2] 21 – For to this you were called,

i. Looking back to the statement we ended on last week, it is imperative that we remember the context.

ii. The context flows from the basic command to submit to all human authority. To honor all people, love God’s people. Fear God and honor the King.

iii. But this point goes back further. That God’s people as those who are foreigners and exiles here on earth, must abstain from bodily lusts and maintain good deeds so that non-Christians will glorify God because of our lives lived before them.

iv. But this point goes back still further, as Peter has outlined for us that we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, tasked with being God’s ambassadors on earth to represent Him before the nations.

v. And this goes back still further, realizing that God has done all of this to us, in us, and through us – by Himself. He did not rely on us for any of it. Instead, by His grace, He formed us for this.

vi. The sum total context is of utmost importance to us – because this is a letter. Peter is drawing one thought from another and we cannot any more divorce a single line from the rest of it than we could isolate any line of an email and try to deduce what is being said.

vii. We need the whole.

viii. God has done all to make sure that we would become His priests ministering to the nations. Now, with His grace, He expects us to live holy lives – not conforming to our bodily passions or fleshly desires but rather having a heavenly outlook, that is even willing to submit to human authority. Even human authority that is evil. Even if that authority causes us to suffer unjustly for doing no evil or even for doing good.

ix. This is what we have been called to, and now Peter comes full circle. He goes back to how God did it all.

x. Not to remake the point of God being the sole actor in our salvation. Rather, to push us forward. To encourage us to endure unjust suffering.,

xi. Why? Why is unjust suffering something we have been called to? Why would God put His people through this?

b. [Slide 3] Since Christ also suffered for you

i. What is our suffering for?

ii. What do we unjustly suffer for here on earth?

iii. Why would the bible tell us to rejoice in suffering for the name of Christ?

iv. Christ suffered for you.

v. Now if we aren’t careful, we could conclude here that Peter is making a point about repayment. That since Christ suffered for you, you must now suffer for Him. God crushed Christ so we must pay Him back with our life.

vi. This is neither true nor possible. First, God already owns us. All creation is His. Giving him our lives is nothing more than giving Him what is already His. It is no great act of sacrifice or virtue.

vii. Secondly, the scriptures never hint at suffering as a mode of repayment. Indeed, again, we cannot repay God for what He has done for us. And He doesn’t need us to.

viii. So, if Peter is not saying we must suffer to repay Christ for suffering for us… what is his point of bringing up Christ’s suffering for us?

ix. Well, that takes a little bit to unpack but it begins in what he says next.

c. [Slide 4] Leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps.

i. In our “theories of the atonement” study we did a couple years back – we looked at several ways theologians down through the centuries have answered the question –What did Christ accomplish with His death?

ii. In that study we discovered several aspects of the atonement that were quite illuminating. Most of them are completely valid facets of the atonement as long as they are viewed together and not in isolation.

iii. A couple theories supposed that Christ died to give us an example to follow. To show us how to love God with everything we are or how to love people.

iv. While we concluded that both of these views on their own are incomplete – there is certainly some aspect to Christ’s death that is an example to us.

v. Peter just said it.

vi. Of course, we cannot strip this verse out of context. What example did Christ set for us?

vii. Suffering.

viii. What did He suffer for that we must also suffer for?

d. [Slide 5] 22 – He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth

i. What follows is basically Peter’s commentary on Isaiah 53.

ii. Peter has quoted the Old Testament several times already and will quote and allude to it several more times in this epistle.

iii. But here in these next few verses, he quotes from 1 chapter of the bible exclusively.

iv. That in and of itself forces us to go and at least read that chapter.

v. So, turn in your bible with me to Isaiah 53. Because he quotes from the Septuagint, I’ll read a modern English translation of the Septuagint.

vi. The verse Peter quotes here is in verse 9.

vii. So how is Peter using Isaiah 53?

viii. First of all, he is clearly saying that this one, this one like a child, this root in a thirsty land, with no form or glory – this one who suffers pain for us – this one is Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God whom Peter confessed several years before writing these words.

ix. What Isaiah wrote 800ish years before, Peter says is a reference to Jesus the Messiah.

x. Secondly, and more to Peter’s point, is that Peter brings the suffering of Christ to bear on this discussion of our suffering unjustly.

xi. He says that Christ suffered for us as an example to follow. And so, this is the first point of that example.

xii. What is Peter saying is Christ’s example in suffering?

xiii. He suffered… unjustly.

xiv. Put simply, he suffered having done no wrong. He committed no sin and told no lie.

xv. But suffered as if He had.

xvi. Christ is our example.

e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: So Peter reminds his audience that Christ is their example in enduring suffering. He endured suffering even though he did nothing evil to deserve it. Jesus committed no violence or lawlessness and he told no lies. Yet, he suffered anyway.

f. [Slide 7] Passage Application: Peter’s audience then must follow in their Lord’s footsteps and also suffer unjustly. Given their situation, this means enduring slander and suspicion. This means enduring a community that generally sees them as lawbreakers and trouble makers. What Peter’s audience must do is to continue submitting to and honoring their human authorities, even if they will suffer as if they didn’t. In this way they will be like Christ.

g. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: And friends Christ is our example too. True, He is much more than a mere example, but He certainly is an example. The scriptures testify of our need not only for a Savior but for a pattern to follow. The law is essentially a pattern that the Israelites were to follow. And they could not do it, which showed them they needed a Savior. But now, we who have been saved and redeemed by the blood of the lamb do look for the perfect interpretation of the law – which is Christ Jesus our Lord. Actively He humbly submitted to and obeyed the whole law of God. And passively he suffered and died as if He failed it in every point as we have. His suffering for doing no wrong is an example for us.

h. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Application: So, we too must be prepared, because we have been called, to suffer for doing no wrong and for doing good. This is hard to imagine in a time when for the last couple hundred years we’ve lived in a country with freedoms to worship as we please. But the mocking and ridiculing has been around for quite a while. We’ve been mocked and ridiculed for believing that the earth was created and not evolved. We’ve been mocked and ridiculed for believing that any sexual activity outside of a monogamous marital relationship is all that is acceptable. We’ve been mocked and ridiculed for believing that many mental illnesses that our psychologists have labeled as diseases are nothing more than sins ailing a sin enslaved person. And going forward we will continue to be mocked and ridiculed for believing that same sex marriage and attraction is antithetical to God’s law. That God created two complementary genders of which each human is one of, immutably. That Christ can love sinners and still call them to abandon their sin. We will continue to be mocked until the mocking gives way to malice and anger. Being mocked is a form of suffering. And we have endured it. Remember that it is a grace from God to do this. And remember also why we endure it. It is not because we are holier than those who oppose us. It is not because we cling to rigid tradition or ritual. It is because Christ is our Lord and His Words are true, and He has set the example. Though we be falsely accused of being bigots, racists, homophobes, transiphobes, gender illterate, intolerant, or whatever else – May we still love those who curse us. May we still submit to those in authority over us. And in so doing, may we follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Transition:

[Slide 10 (blank)] Christ is indeed our example of how to suffer unjustly. But it isn’t only that He was innocent and suffered. There is more to His suffering that we must learn from.

II.) Christ is our example of fearing God and honoring all people, so we must follow Christ. (23)

a. [Slide 11] 23 – When he was maligned, he did not answer back;

i. Was Christ maligned?

ii. Indeed, He was.

iii. He was accused of blasphemy by the Pharisees. Of working by the power of Satan.

iv. He was accused of insurrection and rebellion by the Romans

v. He was accused of over familiarity with sinners and Gentiles

vi. He was of no esteem, of no repute, of no reputation. Can anything good come from Nazareth?

vii. He was mocked and scorned by both thieves on the cross.

viii. And he did not say a word in retort.

b. [Slide 12] When he suffered; he threatened no retaliation

i. Although not a true quote, this is also an allusion to Isaiah 53. Certainly, in verse 7.

ii. Though he was beaten, scourged, crowned with thorns, given not one but several kangaroo courts

iii. Though he suffered all this… and having all power and able to snuff out the life of every single person against him, in the most painful of ways – and being justified in holy anger to do so…

iv. He did not retaliate.

v. Friends I couldn’t do that. I struggle showing mercy and kindness to my children… let alone someone who is actively trying to murder me…

vi. And praise God I do not have all power. I shudder to think of what I could do with all power against my enemies.

vii. Not only did he not retaliate.

viii. He didn’t even threaten it.

ix. What did He do instead?

c. [Slide 13] But committed himself to God who judges justly.

i. He feared God.

ii. Granted His fear looks different than ours. He and the Father are one.

iii. But he allowed God to be the ultimate judge while submitting to unjust judges who were carrying out an unjust death sentence upon Him.

iv. He honored human authority.

v. My friends this is the pattern that Christ has set out for us. He suffered innocently at the hands of unjust judges who worshipped Caesar as god and crucified Him for claiming to be equal (as a King) to Caesar.

vi. He didn’t even deny the charges. He stood silent.

vii. Yet he honored human authority. Even saying, that Pilate would have no power to execute Him if it were not given by the Father.

viii. That is our pattern. Christ Feared God and honored human authority.

ix. I’ve heard people argue that Christ’s death cannot apply to submission to human authority because it was God’s will that He go to the cross. Two thoughts on that.

1. Peter uses His death in that exact way to prove that exact point. Seems like we can too.

2. How do we know that our submission to human authority to do with us as they please either with laws that do not violate God’s overt commands, or punishing us for violating laws that do, how do we know that that is not God’s will for our lives? We already know it is God’s will for us to suffer. Why wouldn’t it be for this exact cause?

d. [Slide 14] Passage Truth: Peter reminds his audience that Jesus Christ was the perfect example of suffering while fearing God and honoring human authority. He did not retaliate. He did not argue or fight. He did not start a revolution or raise a rebellion. In fact, he said to Pilate if my kingdom WERE of this world, my followers would not have allowed me to be taken. Interesting that Peter tried to prevent Jesus from being taken and was rebuked for it. He was acting like Jesus was a king with a kingdom from this world. Instead, Jesus is the example of how to fear God, honor people, and suffer unjustly.

e. [Slide 15] Passage Application: So, Peter’s audience must follow in their Savior’s footsteps. They must be like Christ. They must submit to human authority and fear God and even suffer for it. But in so doing, they emulate Christ – their prime example.

f. [Slide 16] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the rest of scripture and really our conversation of late – we see Christ as the example of how to handle wicked authority figures. Jesus knew the names of each person in the kangaroo courts. He knew the spiritual condition of each person. Not only did He know, but He wrote their life from end to beginning. He published all they are before time began. As we’ve pointed out, for God to know something is for God to ordain something. For all that is known, is approved of God. Every single one of them, He knew them. And He allowed every one to do as they did – without rebuke, without retaliation, without even a word. All the while He was depending on the justice of God. For He knew that God the Father is the only just judge.

g. [Slide 17] Broader Biblical Application: So, for us CBC, we ought not expect human judges and juries and governors and bosses and even parents to be just. Not like God anyway. In fact, we ought to expect the opposite. That they will act in self interest and sin. Therefore, we must follow our Savior’s footsteps. That when we suffer for doing no wrong or for doing good, we must at that moment fear God and honor our human authorities, knowing that this is what Christ did. Even though His government was higher than theirs – He provided an example for His flock. We must endure unjust suffering with Fear for our God and honor for all people.

Transition:

[Slide 18(blank)] Christ suffered unjustly as the only truly innocent person to ever die. He also suffered trusting God to be judge and honoring human authority who really had no right to punish Him. What an astounding example to us. But this is not all we must see. Christ’s suffering has one final lesson to teach us. And it may be the biggest of the three.

III.) Christ is our example of doing good and suffering to turn others to God, so we must follow Christ. (24-25)

a. [Slide 19] 24 – He himself bore our sins

i. Continuing the theme of Christ’s being the example to us, Peter quotes again from Isaiah 53:4 and 12, where twice Isaiah the prophet tells us that Christ bore our sins.

ii. He took our burden.

iii. This word can mean to carry up or carry to. It can also mean to bear with or endure.

iv. What subtlety here is in play, I don’t want to bog you down with grandiose theological arguments. But some would find it appalling that Christ would somehow become or occupy the place of a sinner. Pure substitution is denied by them for various theological reasons.

v. But I believe that regardless of whether Jesus is pictured here as a high priest taking sin to the cross to be offered as a sacrifice, or we see Sin and Christ becoming one to become the sacrifice, both are true and both would say the same thing.

vi. But Peter sharpens the point by adding two more phrases.

b. [Slide 20] in his body

i. Now what is the significance of “in his body”

ii. I am going to try really hard to not go too deep into theology here, but I want to warn you that there is a bit of deep stuff on the way. Ok.

iii. Here we go.

iv. These two statements “in his body” and “on the tree” are easily glossed over but are of utmost significance when we consider the nature of the atonement of Christ and even the doctrines of the deity and humanity of Christ.

v. What is the significance of Jesus bearing our sins in his body?

vi. In one of the sacrifices performed on the day of atonement, two goats were selected. They cast lots to determine which goat would have which role. One of them was sacrificed on the altar for the sins of the people. But they laid their hands on the other goat and ceremonially transferred their sins to it. Then they set it loose into the wilderness. They sent it out from the camp, cutting it off from the covenant community.

vii. What the ceremony of the scapegoat communicated to the people is that not only did the sacrifice of the goat not truly pay for the sins of the people, but that the sins were so great they must be purged of it. It separates them from God’s promises. And the goat then takes their place. He is given their sin and is then pushed outside the camp.

viii. Peter when he says Jesus bore our sins in his body alludes to this kind of sacrifice.

ix. Furthermore…

x. When the bible speaks of the effect of sin on us, it speaks as though we are wholly corrupted. That our hearts are evil and deceitful. That there is no righteousness in us. That our very souls have been compromised by sin.

xi. In other words, it is not simply our body that is sinful, it is our whole person.

xii. Jesus is God who added human nature to Himself. He had one will consisting of both the divine and human. He had one spirit consisting of both human and divine. Not blended together and not two separated either. Like man is both soul and body so Christ was both God and man.

xiii. We can no more send our soul on vacation while our body remains working than Christ could separate his humanity from His divinity. Yet they were not a garbled mess either. Distinct yet joined.

xiv. So, when Jesus bore our sin in His body… what does that mean?

xv. What can it mean other than our sin was imputed to His human body. Indeed, as the scripture says, He became sin.

xvi. What was pictured in the scapegoat and the goat sacrifice? 2 goats foreshadowing the accomplishment of one goal. And here is Christ with two natures accomplishing that goal. Christ’s body became the vessel for our sin. All sin of all His people was transferred to it on the cross. He carried that goat (his body) outside the camp (the hill of Golgotha) and was sacrificed for it.

xvii. But we dare not think or consider that His Divine person and attributes became infested with sin. Such a thought would be heretical and cause so great a theological quagmire that we may as well chuck the whole thing.

xviii. Furthermore, for Him to be a sacrifice that is acceptable his human spirit would need to remain innocent and pure.

xix. Stating that he bore our sin in His body then, although He is the God-Man, puts a fine line between where the sin was born.

xx. And that matters because when Jesus dies on the cross and the wrath of God is poured out on Him – He suffers physical death in His body with sin infesting it – but he does not suffer spiritual death to his divine or human spirit. Why? Because that is not where sin was.

xxi. Certainly, God cut off communication to His Son on the cross as Jesus cried out – why have you forsaken me! But communication cut is not the same as relationship severed.

xxii. Indeed, we know it was God’s will to crush His Son and to lay on Him sin. So how could God be displeased with His Son doing what He ordained Him to do.

xxiii. And since the sin He bore was in His body alone, it was only His body and not His human Spirit that was cut off from God.

xxiv. And so, it was the physical death of Christ that expiated our sin, propitiated God’s wrath, and His blood that ratified a new covenant.

xxv. By these three little words Peter guides his audience and future Christians not to assume that God’s wrath poured out on His Son for the sake of His people is the same thing as spiritual death.

xxvi. So, we then must ask – how is the physical death of Jesus able to pay for the spiritual death of His people? How can Jesus suffer physical death once and be dead for less than 72 hours and that be enough to pay for our eternal death?

1. His spirit both human and divine, being perfect, innocent, and one in whom God is well pleased means that His death is truly the only death that was unearned. Of all the “innocent” life lost on this earth, truly speaking if we are be theologically accurate, the only life that was ever to have been snuffed out in innocence is the Lord Jesus Christ’s. Our death cannot even pay for our sin. Our physical death could never restore us to a pleasing status with God. That is why it is eternal death. Remember, there is no credit for suffering for committing sin. To die for our own sin would be to get what we deserve – and with no means to actually please God – God is just to commit us to that death forever. But Christ is perfect… for true innocence to die after having sin transferred to His body makes it a sacrifice able to pay for the sins of His people.

2. He is God. The only creature that could ever be able to endure the wrath of God – would be God Himself. Even high and lofty angelic creatures will be put under His feet and put in their proper place. And some of them will be doomed to eternal wrath of God. Why is it eternal? For if God would pour it out fully on them at once, they would be utterly destroyed, which would be to give them a mercy and make God unjust. But if God poured out what would be His eternal wrath for all His people on God the Son – He can take that wrath. And when it was expended – used up, When he drank that bitter cup dregs and all – He said -It is finished.

3. Our Catechism questions for today asks what sort of redeemer is needed. And the answer – one who is truly human and also truly God. And Peter shows us why that is.

xxvii. Jesus had to be human so that He could provide a human vessel that was capable of bearing and dying for sin – but sin that was not His own. And God so He could endure God’s wrath.

xxviii. But the deep theology doesn’t stop here… No groans please

View Details

Title: This Is A Grace To You – Part 1

Text: I Peter 2:18-21a

FCF: We often struggle suffering for Christ.

Prop: Because God’s grace is given to those who endure suffering, we must submit to good and evil masters.

Scripture Intro:

[Slide 1] Well, I want to take a brief moment to address the elephant in the room. Yeah, this is a recording. I am not coming to you live here. I know that is going to add some challenges to me and to you. Me in the preaching, not being able to see you while I communicate the message of God’s word is a severe limitation. Even though I write every word I say any given Sunday – I often feel the Spirit’s subtle pushes and pulls to say things differently, with a different inflection or even truths I say hit me harder while saying them as I see your eyes grasp those truths.

It will also be difficult for you, not seeing me in person and listening to what is essentially a YouTube preacher that isn’t even live. I hope and trust that the Spirit of God will be with us both through this. It isn’t ideal and I think that if I had my way, it wouldn’t be like this. Nevertheless, this is what the Lord has providentially prepared for today. So, I hope that you will take whatever means you need to engage with me and the scriptures.

{Flip to image 2} Turn in your bible to I Peter chapter 2.

Last week was a difficult message. I know it was. In many ways it cuts against the grain of much of our history as a nation, our culture, and even what we’ve been taught is the difference between cowardice and bravery. Isn’t it brave and right to stand up against tyranny? Suddenly God says to submit to it AND honor it?

I wish that I could make it easier. I wish that today’s message was less difficult to swallow. It isn’t. Indeed, in some ways, we might find it even more challenging than last week.

In Peter’s little epistle the hits keep coming for us. I hope that despite this difficulty, we will submit to the teaching of the word of God and be humble enough to hear what God is saying.

I am in I Peter 2. I’ll start reading in verse 18. I will read through the end of this chapter even though we will only cover the first couple verses today. I am reading from the NET which you can follow in the pew bible on page 1365 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

{Flip to Image 1 in 2} This sermon will be shorter than last week… but it is hard hitting and difficult. Prepare your heart for a brief moment, steady your spirit as we explore what Peter is saying.

I.) Because God’s grace is given to those who endure suffer unjustly, we must submit to good and evil masters. (18-21a)

a. [Slide 2] 18 – Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence

i. Slavery in the first century was far more common and far more diverse than our more recent perception of its practice.

ii. We actually looked at this in detail in I Timothy chapter 6.

iii. In the Roman empire, not only could you become a slave in many ways and be released from slavery in many ways, but even the experience of being a slave was overwhelmingly diverse. Some were poorly treated but others were like family.

iv. More than 1/3 of the Roman population at the time of Christ were slaves.

v. When critics look at the bible’s refusal to demand for the end of slavery, they have committed the interpretational fallacy of inserting their present understanding of a concept into the historical context they are considering.

vi. Slavery in the Roman world was simply not the same as slavery here in America.

vii. Indeed, the experience was so varied, it is difficult to describe with any generalizations.

viii. So, when Peter speaks to slaves, he is not talking to a group of people who are always abused and never have a hope to be free…nor is he speaking to a group who were all stolen from their homeland and forced against their will. Some of that happened at this time – but it is by no means the majority.

ix. So, Peter addresses these, mostly indentured servants, to obey and submit to their masters.

x. Just like they must submit to every human authority – the king and his governors – so also, they must submit to their masters.

xi. With all reverence. This is the same word for fear that Peter used earlier to fear God.

xii. In fact, Peter only uses this word, from where we get our word phobia, when he speaks of fearing God. So, in the entire corpus of Petrine authorship, this would be the only case where he directs it toward a human being rather than to God.

xiii. This has led many commentators to believe, and I have been persuaded, that Peter is not in fact telling slaves to have deep reverence or fear for their masters.

xiv. Rather it seems that Peter is assuming that his audience is picking up from the last context. Thus he does not state the object of their fear because he assumes that his audience will remember who he just told them to Fear. God.

xv. Grammatically this is quite plausible.

xvi. Contextually we see Peter ask for submission to human authority because of the Lord, and because of God’s will, and later out of a conscience of God. All of this points to the Fear Peter is asking of slaves to be directed not at their human masters – but rather at their God.

xvii. They ought to submit because they fear the Lord.

b. [Slide 3] Not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are perverse.

i. Oh my.

ii. This, this is a hard one to swallow.

iii. The ones who are good and gentle – they would certainly be easy to submit to and be subordinate to.

iv. However, those who are perverse. Crooked, twisted, ill-tempered, wicked and evil. Certainly, God would not have slaves submit to and be subordinate to such villains.

v. Indeed, Peter says otherwise.

vi. As difficult as last week’s sermon was to digest, and as much as I don’t unnecessarily want to poke that wound if it caused one – we must consider what Peter is saying here in light of the context. For the whole passage here is about submitting to every human authority.

vii. And using a lesser to greater argument, certainly one could easily arrive logically to the conclusion, that if we are to submit to and be subordinate to a local tyrant over a small plot of land he owns, certainly we would also be submissive to a tyrant who rules the whole land.

viii. Nothing in this command undoes what we talked about last week. In fact, it only further proves the general principle.

ix. Does God overtly command or forbid something? And has the human authority forbidden or commanded that same thing? Then we disobey and pay whatever penalty the human authority assigns. Otherwise, we submit to the human authority.

x. This would be very challenging for slaves who were under the yoke of a wicked master.

xi. How could Peter be so insensitive? What could possibly be the reason for such a command?

xii. Peter gives two. They are from either side of the coin on this matter.

xiii. First….

c. [Slide 4] 19 – For this finds God’s favor,

i. The words “find” and “God’s” is not in the text.

ii. The word for favor is the same word we use to talk about God’s grace.

iii. Literally this phrase would be “This is grace” or perhaps “This is a grace”

iv. God’s grace as we know, is the divinely given power and support that we need to do what God has purposed us to do.

v. First in our regeneration so that we may repent and believe. Then in our sanctification so that we may grow to be more like God. Finally in our glorification as we forever proclaim the wonder of His grace.

vi. Since Peter speaks to an audience that is neither unregenerated nor glorified, it is reasonable to assume that the grace to which he is referring is a grace for sanctification. A grace to be more like Christ.

vii. So, slaves ought to submit to their masters out of the fear of God, regardless of whether they are good or evil.

viii. Why?

ix. It is a grace…

x. What is?

xi. Peter helps to flesh out his thought with the next statement.

d. [Slide 5] If because of conscience toward God someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly.

i. The phrase conscience toward God is a difficult one. It only occurs here in the New Testament.

ii. The phrase would be rendered conscience of God.

iii. When we talk about conscience we are talking about an inner moral voice or attunement to a particular moral conviction.

iv. But this conscience is of God. Meaning that we are not looking at a moral persuasion so much as an awareness of and allegiance to God.

v. If someone endures hardships in that they suffer when they did not deserve it – meaning that they did not disobey or do anything unlawful, or wrong, and yet they suffer…

vi. And the reason they suffer is because they Fear God and have been awoken to Him and are wholly allied to Him.

vii. Such a person has obtained grace from God.

viii. What does that mean?

ix. No one can do this! If you left last week feeling like – yeah but I can’t just submit to anything these people say. I know they are evil people! I know their intentions are evil. I know they want to destroy me.

x. Yes. You are absolutely right.

xi. But Peter says that if you submit out of Fear of God and endure hardship because they inflicted suffering on you… even though you did not disobey…

xii. God is at work in your life. He has produced that submission and endurance.

e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: Peter reminds his audience that God’s grace has been given to and will continue to be given to those who endeavor to submit to their masters and are unjustly dealt suffering.

f. [Slide 7] Passage Application: So his audience, being believers and seeking God’s grace continually, but also being slaves, they must submit to their masters, whether they are good or evil.

g. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: Generally speaking the bible is full of commands from God that are absolutely impossible for us to accomplish. In the Joshua 24:16, when the conquest has stalled and Joshua is imploring the people to obey and not abandon Yahweh for other gods, the people gloriously answer that they will obey all that God has said. Many people stop reading there. But in verse 19 Joshua says “You are not able to do this” He reminds them that for their failure they will be punished. But rather than listen to Joshua they said they would serve only Yahweh. Of course, we know that they didn’t. So, what do we do with the consistent expectation of our God to do more than we are actually able to do? What do we do with the threat of judgment for failure – when we are guaranteed to fail? What do we do with the hope of reward immediately removed by our inability to do what God has asked? The whole of the law teaches… that we cannot do it. We need God. We need His favor, His power… his grace. Perhaps you last week felt the weight of the command to submit to every human authority. But perhaps you said like the Israelites – I CAN DO IT! Peter says… even if they are evil. I CAN DO IT. Peter says… no you can’t. But do it anyway. Obey what you cannot obey. Cry out to the Lord… and when you succeed in submitting, even to an evil master who makes you suffer for doing no wrong… when you endure that hardship and are able to continue to submit… what does that mean? This is a grace. This is God in you.

h. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Application: So, what does this mean for us CBC? What is Peter saying? Is he not saying… test God in this? Is he not saying – submit to every human authority even if they are evil and SEE how the Lord holds you up! See how God helps you to endure suffering for doing no wrong! Fear the Lord, swear allegiance to Him, and obey your good and evil masters. And see that faithful God give you grace to do it as you obey. Certainly, the context of a slave and master relationship does not exist in our culture. And there is a ready application of an employee to employer here. Still it is not one to one, because if your employer tells you to do something you don’t want to do – you always have the option of quitting. And finding a job today is fairly easy. As a slave you would not have that luxury. So, what happens when you do no wrong, and suffer under the scrutiny and malice of a crooked boss? You endure such suffering and do so knowing that in that endurance, God is giving grace.

Transition:

[Slide 10] But it is not just for doing no wrong that one can suffer under a tyrant. Peter gives the second reason that a slave must endure suffering.

II.) Because God’s grace is given to those who endure suffering for doing good, we must submit to good and evil masters. (20-21a)

a. [Slide 11] 20 – For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it?

i. I designed a meme to go along with this one. Fans of Jurassic Park will be amused I’m sure.

ii. [Slide 12] If you moan and groan and endure patiently the punishment of your master, but you are being punished because you sinned against him, there is no credit to you there.

iii. There isn’t a parole board in existence who would be filled with pity by a prisoner on his 15th year of a 30 year sentence complaining about how hard the last 15 years were.

iv. You did the crime, now you must do the time.

v. [Slide 13] What I find especially intriguing here is that Peter does not say “disobey.” He does not say “insubordination.”

vi. He says “sin.”

vii. Again, this proves the general principle. To disobey a command of a human authority is not necessarily a sin, in so far as God has given a contradictory command.

viii. But what this could be doing also, is assigning the value of “sin” to disobedience to human authority when God has not overtly given a contradictory command.

ix. And then Peter will do the opposite with the next phrase.

b. [Slide 14] But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God.

i. Again, Peter does not say submit or obey. He says – do good.

ii. God’s good.

iii. Meaning that this does not necessarily mean that doing good is always obeying the master.

iv. So then to do good, whether that is to obey God rather than man or to be an obedient slave going above and beyond, and yet still suffer and endure that suffering patiently and without complaint – what is that?

v. This is grace with God.

vi. How interesting then that God’s grace comes to those who either endure hardship and suffering for doing no wrong or for doing good.

vii. God’s grace is with those who fear God and honor human authorities and endure suffering for it.

viii. Why?

ix. Because they will need His grace if this is to be their normal life!

x. Who would consider such a life… normal?

c. [Slide 15] 21a – For to this you were called

i. Oh boy.

ii. To what is this referring. What are they called to?

iii. Enduring suffering for doing no wrong. Enduring suffering for doing good.

iv. Now is Peter still talking only to slaves here or has he moved on?

v. I would say that Peter has never been talking only to slaves. That is why he began in verse 11 and 12 to talk about abstaining from bodily lusts and maintaining good conduct among non-Christians. That is why in verse 13 he said to submit to ALL human authorities.

vi. Slaves to masters is only a smaller example of general truths and commands.

vii. The reason I think that is because he has already called his audience slaves to God in verse 16. All of them.

viii. What seems like individual cases of submission is actually a quick succession of the effect of the greater principle of submitting to all human authority.

ix. Peter is in the midst here of outlining for us social codes.

x. Similar lists can be found in secular writings of the time.

xi. But Peter’s list it is not because that is the way culture demands it, it is not because of a patriarchy, it is not because of cultural norms, it is because God is God and we are His people who are called to represent Him before the nations.

xii. That means submission…. And it means submission to good and evil masters. It means submission even if we suffer for doing no wrong or for doing good. Why…

xiii. Because that is what we have been called to…

xiv. Seems like we can’t win here.

xv. We will suffer if we don’t submit. We will suffer if we do. We will suffer if we sin. We will suffer if we do good.

xvi. YES!

xvii. Do you now see why Peter wants his audience to submit to their human authority?

xviii. We as children of God have been called to suffer. Period. That is the end of the sentence.

xix. All these ministries that tell you that God has a marvelous plan for your life… they are right… it is for you to suffer for His name.

xx. That is His marvelous plan for you.

xxi. And it doesn’t matter if you live in this world in peace and harmony with everyone or if you are a rebel opposing every single person – if you are His – you will suffer.

xxii. So, if you are called to suffer regardless. What becomes most important is why you suffer.

xxiii. And what has Peter said?

xxiv. Suffering for sin and unholy rebellion = no grace given

xxv. Suffering for obedience and holy living = grace freely supplied

xxvi. Do not suffer for sinning.

xxvii. Fear God, honor and submit to every human authority. And suffer for doing good. Suffer for doing no wrong.

d. [Slide 16] Passage Truth: Peter reminds his audience that suffering is the call of God on all His people. He has called them to that end. Why? Because He has called them to grace. And it is a grace of God’s to help His dear children endure suffering for doing good.

e. [Slide 17] Passage Application: So Peter’s audience must submit to their masters expecting that suffering is a normal part of being of Christ.

f. [Slide 18] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the rest of scripture we find that God desires to help His people. The Father who sits on the throne wishes to give grace to His people whom He has purchased through His Son and secured by His Spirit. The Spirit applies grace to our hearts because the Son has sent Him to guide and comfort us, who was Himself sent by the Father to accomplish the saving of all the elect of God. My friends, the triune God is always at work to give us what we need. That is why Paul could say that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. That is why Peter could command slaves to submit to their evil masters knowing full well that even if they suffer they will be in the grace of God to endure it. We have no fear of submitting to human authority. Why? We serve a great big God who can give grace to His people.

g. [Slide 19] Broader Biblical Application: So for us CBC – in whatever situation you find yourself… under whatever kind of human authority – good or evil, gentle or quarrelsome – Fear God and honor that human authority. Should he tell you to sin, you must do good and obey God rather than men. Should he tell you to do something you dislike, you must do good and obey your authority out of fear of God. I am convinced that the more we look for ways to obey our human authorities and fewer ways to resist them the better off we are. We know we are destined to suffer – regardless of what we do. And so, if we know we will suffer no matter what, because that is what we’ve been called to do – we must fear God, honor His commands in His word, one of which is this one… submit to every human authority.

Conclusion:

[Slide 20] You’ll notice that I didn’t spend a lot of time applying this to employers. Why?

To be honest, I don’t think Peter wants us to get too bogged down in the specifics. Even as he moves on in chapter 3 to husbands and wives, the church itself, elders, and more – his point is far bigger than simply – make sure to do what your so and so tells you.

Peter is issuing a multi-layered multi-pronged philosophy of ministry. He is setting before his audience the proper way to suffer. And boy doesn’t that just sit sideways with us?

We don’t want to hear that message! We don’t want to hear about the proper way to suffer!

We want to hear a message about avoiding suffering. How do we avoid suffering Peter? How do I avoid having a master that is evil? How do I avoid suffering unjustly? How do I spare my family suffering, Peter? How do I get my master to be good to me? How can I get the most out of my work? How can I be fulfilled in my job Peter?

That isn’t Peter’s message.

It is how to suffer well. Peter is teaching His audience how to suffer for God’s glory. For their testimony to the nations as His kingdom of priests… this is how you suffer.

Oh friends. I’m convinced that very few in our nation would teach this book for what Peter intends. The entire book is “This is how God’s true children blamelessly endure suffering”

And added to that… to view our endurance of such suffering as a GRACE… A grace that God gives us… oh we certainly wouldn’t teach that either.

To have to endure suffering is a curse is it not? Wouldn’t we interpret that as God’s chastisement on us? Or at least some kind of martyr complex where we are poor and abused…

No. It is a grace. Meaning that the only reason we are enduring is because God is holding us up to do exactly that.

He is holding us up – battered and broken for doing no wrong and for doing good – so that the nations will see what HE CAN DO to a former child of wrath.

To the foolish God shows what His grace can do to a former fool.

To the nations, through His Kingdom of priests, He says “Look how I can uphold my people though they be dragged to the fire and burnt, though they be flayed alive, though they suffer unimaginable pain and misery – look what my grace can sustain them through! Am I not a great and merciful God? That I would allow you to torture my bride thusly, and have not yet snuffed out your life? All for your sake? See my mercy – repent of your sin and believe. And my grace will sustain you also.”

This is the gospel… but…

It is a gospel that no one wants my friends. But it is a gospel that we have confessed – because He has lavished His grace on us… so that we can suffer for Him.

True… Peter will eventually console his audience and remind them further that this world is not the end. But for now… we best leave it here.

Christian – you have been called to suffer. Suffer well! Fear God, and submit to and honor human authority.

View Details

Title: Fear God, Honor the King

Text: I Peter 2:13-17

FCF: We often struggle being free in Christ but willingly submitting to anyone.

Prop: Because God’s will is for His people’s lives to be a rebuke to the nations, we must submit to and honor every human authority.

Scripture Intro: CSB

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to I Peter chapter 2.

I apologize for the lack of cohesion in the I Peter series of late. When we get into the holidays things tend to break up in weird ways. Starting this week, I don’t anticipate deviating from I Peter for some time, unless the Lord prompts me otherwise.

Providentially this works out in our favor since last time we concluded what amounts to be the introduction to I Peter. The remainder of the book focuses Peter’s audience on the specific ways that they can both abstain from bodily lusts that neutralize their spiritual effectiveness and also live virtuous lives before non-Christians so that they glorify God at judgment day, even if they currently are maligning his audience.

So as we move throughout the rest of I Peter we should be looking to categorize everything into one of or both of those categories.

Today begins a rather large section on submission. Depending on how you classify and categorize, we could see this concept of submission go well into the mid point of chapter 5, and perhaps even for the rest of the book.

So it begs the question, how does submission in various aspects accomplish both abstaining from bodily lusts and living virtuously before non-Christians?

I am in I Peter 2, I’ll begin reading in verse 13. I am reading from the CSB today but you can follow along in whatever version you have.

Transition:

This is a long sermon. Even with cutting all that I could, it will take us a while to get through. So, get uncomfortable… maybe we should turn the heat down… sit on a pencil or something. Let’s see what God has for us.

I.) God’s will is for His people’s lives to be a rebuke to the nations, so we must submit to every human authority. (13-15)

a. [Slide 2] 13 – Submit to every human authority

i. I cannot tell you how much we as Red-blooded Americans bristle under that word submit.

ii. We dislike it in every single aspect we see it, so long as we are the ones who must do the submitting.

iii. Here, Peter tells his audience to be subordinate to, to obey, every or all human creations, ordinances, or institutions.

iv. The CSB does a great job helping us to arrive at what Peter intends. Authority.

v. Any human made institution that has authority over you must possess one of or both of the following. First, they must be able to decide what is or is not lawful. Second, they must have the role to enforce such laws. If a human institution has been granted either of these or both of these powers – they are in authority over you.

vi. This ranges anywhere from parents, bosses, and governments to sports league officials, country club board rooms, and even your membership for Kroger. In each of these someone makes the rules and someone is in charge of making sure you keep them.

vii. Peter in this context is going to focus on government, but literally every human authority is in view.

viii. Submit to every human authority… But Peter… WHY?

ix. You said it yourself – we are a chosen race, a holy nation, a kingdom of priests! We are foreigners and exiles! There is no King but Christ Peter. How can you say to submit to every human authority?

b. [Slide 3] Because of the Lord

i. Wait… what?

ii. What does God have to do with the King? With Congress? With the Emperor? With the President?

iii. Peter is not telling his audience to submit to these people because they are worthy, or even because their position alone requires us too. Rather, submission to human authority is part of our relationship to God.

iv. Although Peter doesn’t really delve into this here, the role of the civil magistrate, or human governing entities, is defined in other passages of scripture (Romans 13 especially) as God’s instrument to bring order and to withhold sin from flourishing.

v. There are a couple points that become clear though.

1. First, just because God has raised them up for this task, does not mean that they will be godly or always fulfill their obligation to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. They will not always make laws that are fair, responsible, reasonable, or agreeable. They will not always enforce their laws with restraint or without prejudice. They will not always love justice, mercy, and they will not always be humble. Why? Because they are human made institutions of authority.

2. But secondly and paradoxically, Proverbs 21:1 says that the king’s heart is, in the hand of the Lord, like channels of water. He (God) turns it wherever He wants.

vi. So how do we harmonize these? I actually don’t think it is that difficult.

1. Because God is the King of Kings and Sovereign over all, even the heart of the King – there is nothing any human authority can do that is outside of God’s eternal decrees and purposes.

2. That means that God sometimes uses sinful, wicked, ungodly men and women in authority to accomplish His purpose. Purposes which could include a society allowed to have a depraved mind. Purposes which could include lawless and godless nations. Purposes which could include the creation and enforcing of unjust or ungodly laws. Purposes which could include the destruction of said nations.

vii. This is very important for us to understand if we are going to understand what Peter is saying.

viii. Peter continues…

c. [Slide 4] Whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 - Or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.

i. Here Peter helps to define what he means by human authority.

ii. Many of his audience would no doubt assume this meant the emperor and his edicts.

iii. As an Emperor of the known world, Nero had totalitarian rule over all his empire. What he said was law. It isn’t how Rome started. In fact, Rome began similarly to our nation. They had a Senate, and people discussed and voted on laws and direction of the republic.

iv. But as time went forward, and fear of war and death plagued people, it gave way to a totalitarian Emperor… who promised to give back power when the crisis was averted.

v. Peter doesn’t consider the past and what Rome was only a couple hundred years earlier. He is only concerned with what Rome is now.

vi. And he tells his audience to submit to, what is relatively new concept of, an emperor.

vii. But not just an emperor, but also to his governors. Those whom he has delegated authority to go and enforce the law. To punish those who do evil and praise those who do good.

viii. Evil and good here are God’s evil and good. And this is where we can get all twisted up in our interpretation if we let ourselves.

ix. Because we ask – yeah but what if they punish the good doers and praise the evil doers?

x. In other words, if they fail to uphold God’s standard of Good and Evil, does that mean we don’t have to submit any more?

xi. It is worthy to note that in EVERY SINGLE passage in the New Testament where something like this is said – that human authority goes to punish evil and praise good – not only does it never address the question “what if they don’t do that?” but they are always in the context of submission to authority.

xii. In other words, in scripture, this idea of a civil magistrate’s purpose to support God’s laws is always used as a reason to encourage God’s people to submit to them. Which does not necessarily imply the opposite.

xiii. The summary point here, is that God wants His people to submit to their human authorities. Period. End of sentence.

xiv. And you might say – yes, but what if they are commanding me to violate God’s laws?

xv. I’d like to suggest to you that even when they command you to violate God’s law, there is a way to both keep God’s law and submit to their authority. We’ll get to that in a bit.

xvi. But why must Christians do this?

xvii. Peter said we are a chosen race, a holy nation, a kingdom of priests! We are foreigners and exiles! There is no King but Christ Peter! How can you say to submit to every human authority? And how is it for God’s sake that we would submit to them?

d. [Slide 5] 15 – For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

i. God’s will for His people is to live peaceably among the nations.

ii. They are a race all to their own, a nation all to their own, a kingdom all to their own, a priesthood all to their own… but they are to dwell among all others in peace and quiet.

1. In Romans 12, leading up to the passage on submission to human authority Paul says this “12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people.12 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people.13 12:19 Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath,14 for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,”15 says the Lord. 12:20 Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head.16 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

2. I Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that requests,1 prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people,2 2:2 even for kings3 and all who are in authority, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 2:3 Such prayer for all4 is good and welcomed before God our Savior, 2:4 since he wants5 all people6 to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

iii. My friends… God’s will is clear for His chosen race, his royal priesthood. It is simply this… our lives lived in proximity to non-Christians should lead them to silence. They ought not be able to accuse us of any unlawful or unwholesome behavior.

iv. And what is clear, is that one way we can be above these kinds of accusations… indeed one way we can live virtuous lives before non-Christians, is to submit to our human authorities.

e. [Slide 6] Passage Truth: So Peter reminds them that it is the very will of God for His people to live in such a way that all who might oppose and accuse them of wrongdoing would be put to silence. That they would be forced to glorify God in this life or the next. So, what does that mean for Peter’s audience?

f. [Slide 7] Passage Application: They must submit to every single human authority. They must not be known as rabble rousers, rebels, trouble makers or zealots. Instead, they ought to be law abiding citizens, keeping a peaceful and quiet life, making no trouble, knowing full well that human authority has been placed by God to punish wrongdoers and praise Do gooders.

g. [Slide 8] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the rest of scripture we see this same point being made in the sermon on the mount. Christ says to live your life before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. One of the qualifications for an Elder is to have a good reputation with non-Christians. And even throughout Israel’s history they had a “to the nations” ministry which included living in submission to the King of Israel and even when they were in exile, living in submission to their foreign rulers. We’ll talk more about that in a little bit.

h. [Slide 9] Broader Biblical Application: So what does this mean for us CBC? We too ought to be people who generally are law-abiding citizens. In some ways, our particular political situation makes this much more difficult, in that technically we the people are the ones who hold the power. Therefore, we govern ourselves. We elect people to represent us in our state and federal level government. So, when we come to scripture passages like this one we can get into all kinds of side discussions on whether or not our representatives have the authority to do what they are doing, whether or not our governors or our president has the authority to do what he does, and we can expand the issue to proportions so large that it is difficult to see exactly where the will of God would fall. But Peter ignored the context of Rome and what Rome was supposed to be. He addressed them for what Rome was at the time. And His command was to submit to every human authority. Many times, I think the question of constitutional authority vs representative authority overcomplicates the general principle which God has for His people. They ought to be doing good in order to silence those who oppose them. My friends, even in a “we the people” constitutional republic, I think we must still submit to our leaders. Afterall, we can admit that generally speaking our government as broken and far from its origin as it is, still puts guilty people behind bars and still sets innocent people free. Not perfectly but they are still doing what God has ordained them to do. And what if we do not agree with a law or leader? In our society we are free to legally oppose such things, civilly and peacefully. We have so many more freedoms than the people to which Peter wrote. But shouldn’t that mean it is easier for us to submit to our human authorities? Because we only need to submit to them until we can get them out of office? Indeed, since that human authority can change if they are making foolish choices, we should be experts on submission to authority – because there is a constant light at the end of the tunnel. Instead, at times we are some of the gripiest collections of malcontents the world has ever known. Giving the wandering desert Israelites a run for their money. After all, what do you do if you don’t like Moses? Well you form a rebellion and die by God’s judgment that’s what. But what do you do if you don’t like Gretchen Whitmer? You vote her out. I’m convinced we do more harm to the name of Christ when we disobey laws and edicts that do not contradict God’s word than if we simply lived peaceful law-abiding lives until the edicts and offices change. I am convinced that our urge to resist has more to do with rights than righteousness. It has more to do with getting what is good for me rather than doing what is good toward unbelievers. Show me a Christian who refuses to submit to His human authority and I will show you a Christian that has little concern for non-Christians around him. My friends, our gut reaction to infringements on our freedoms, our rights, our liberties is usually one of pride. May we check that against Peter’s command. May we live in peaceful submission to every human authority.

Transition:

[Slide 10 (blank)] Alas, to submit to every human authority is the easier command of the two Peter gives. If submission to human authority has you twisted… your head just might explode when you hear more.

II.) God’s will is for His people’s lives to be a rebuke to the nations, so we must honor all people and fear God. (16-17)

a. [Slide 11] 16 – Submit as free people

i. In this statement it is clear that Peter is addressing some objections to what he just said.

ii. Certainly, some of the objection would be, but aren’t we free in Christ? Indeed, are we not only slaves to Christ? Why should we willingly submit to such wicked people?

iii. How can God be pleased with us for doing this?

iv. Peter makes it clear that they are free. They have been freed from sin and even from the shackles of human authority. There is only one Lord and King to whom the elect of God must bow the knee and that is Christ.

v. And so, as people who are free from such authority… they must willingly submit.

b. [Slide 12] Not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil,

i. Certainly, to submit would mean not seeing freedom in Christ as an excuse for insurrection, unlawful practices, or outright opposition to civil magistrates.

ii. Peter says that our freedom in Christ is not absolute.

iii. Just because you are free in Christ from all human authority, does not mean you can use that freedom to do what you want.

iv. Just like Paul said in Galatians and Romans – you cannot use freedom to sin.

v. Rather…

c. [Slide 13] But as God’s slaves.

i. Our freedom in Christ is slavery to Christ.

ii. The difference of course is that Christ is a loving and gracious master whereas evil and sin lead only to death.

iii. Peter’s end around is complete.

iv. Although technically the objection stands that we are free in Christ and are not bound by such earthly authorities…

v. Christ commands us to submit and obey these authorities.

vi. With Christ we can say that our kingdom is not of this world, and neither is our King. But while we yet remain here, we must, for the sake of testimony toward non-Christians, do good by living humble and submissive lives to our human authorities.

vii. Peter now summarizes all he has said in reference to living virtuously before non-Christians in 4 quick commands.

d. [Slide 14] 17 – Honor everyone.

i. Honor here means to prize or to value. To esteem or to make much of.

ii. In an honor shame culture being told that you are a chosen race and royal priesthood would certainly be an honor boost to his audience. But they are not to use their identity as a way to vault themselves above others. Afterall, they did nothing to earn such an honor as Peter clearly pointed out in chapter 1.

iii. Instead, part of living virtuously before non-Christians is to honor them. It is to value them. Prize them. Put them on a pedestal.

iv. To honor everyone is Peter’s attempt to redesign the class system. Rather than have the shamed and the honored, the poor and the rich, the weak and the powerful – Peter starts with all men being treated with honor by believers.

v. Yes even those who hate you and revile you.

vi. Yes even those who love the right to abort children.

vii. Yes even those who are drug addicts and drug dealers.

viii. Yes even those who are openly homosexual.

ix. Yes even those who call you a racist, white supremacist, or Fill in the blank phobic.

x. Yes even those who are transgender.

xi. Yes even those who hate God.

xii. Yes even those who want to squash your religious freedom.

xiii. Yes even those socialists.

xiv. Honor… everyone.

xv. Wow…

xvi. That is hard.

e. [Slide 15] Love the brothers and sisters.

i. This is Peter’s second class in his two-class system. Where the lowest of those is honored.

ii. If we honor all people… we might assume that we must go above and beyond for God’s people.

iii. Indeed, the command to all men everywhere representing the second table of the law is to love others as you love yourself. But the new command given by Christ to His disciples is to love other believers as Christ loved us.

iv. If we honor everyone, we have not yet fulfilled the law of God toward those whom God has selected to be the bride of His Son. For those… we must love as He loved us.

f. [Slide 16] Fear God.

i. The order and wording of these last two commands is of utmost importance.

ii. The scriptures tell us to not fear what men can do to us. For men can only take earthly things away from us.

iii. Instead, we ought to fear God, who can cast our very souls into hell.

iv. In 6 Greek words and 5 English words, Peter succinctly summarizes what Christians are to do in reference to civil magistrates and their laws.

v. The first command is to fear God. The first command is that of respect and terror.

vi. In chapter 1 when we looked at that some weeks ago we recognized that this word is too easily switched to reverence in our translations and interpretations.

vii. However, it is clear that there is a fear that we have of God. Not because He will punish us but because He could and would be just to do so. It is a fear rooted in the holiness of God and our sinfulness as man.

viii. In one sense, yes, we are not condemned in Christ – but that should not lead to familiarity or flippancy. Rather to fear and love.

ix. We are reading the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe to the girls at night. And Peter, Susan and Lucy have just met Aslan. There, Lewis perfectly captures this concept. They approach the lion not expecting him to lash out or harm them, yet they are absolutely terrified. They must conjure all their courage to approach him – yet even then – they cannot look at his face.

x. This is what it means to fear God. As His children, we approach in hopeful acceptance because of Christ, but we do so as a clay pot approaching the potter who formed us for His purposes.

g. [Slide 17] Honor the Emperor.

i. So here we see that same esteem, respect, valuation and exaltation being given to the emperor.

ii. He is after all one of the “everyone” that is to be honored.

iii. If he is to be esteemed, then it is even possible to esteem or honor the emperor and actively disobey him?

iv. Indeed, being told in the same context to not only submit to but to honor the Emperor, Peter could be coming dangerously close to being accused of kowtowing to the Emperor Worship cult.

v. We know from our study in the pastoral epistles that it was common in Rome to believe that Caesar was a god and worthy to be worshiped along with the rest of the pantheon. It is actually fairly common in pagan worship to consider the kings or rulers of whatever nation as a living god.

vi. And here Peter has told his audience to submit to and honor Caesar.

vii. But what happens when Caesar demands worship? What happens when Caesar tells us to stop preaching Christ? What happens when Caesar wants us to pay taxes that we know will be used for ungodly purposes? What happens when Caesar gives us blasphemous names meant to brainwash us?

viii. How do we parse out what to do in these situations?

ix. Peter has already told us.

x. Fear God and Honor the Emperor. We do both. And we do exactly those.

xi. We do not Fear the Emperor nor do we simply honor God.

xii. Just like the previous example was two classes of people, all honored and one loved, so also does Peter present two classes of authority. Both honored and one feared.

xiii. In areas that God has never said overtly that we shall or shall not do something, we are to honor the King.

1. Caesar indeed used the taxes for ungodly purposes. But God does not say pay taxes only when they are used for just purposes. He does not say to only give money to Him. Indeed, Jesus said give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.

2. Nebuchadnezzar laid Jerusalem under siege, took all the nobility to Babylon, and began brainwashing them to serve him. He gave them foreign names to re-educate them in their ways. All of this Daniel, Hannaniah, Azeriah, and Mischael did without any disobedience.

3. Even taking blasphemous names and advising with good advice a pagan King they did without incident and without hesitancy.

4. The point of all these examples is to show that when God does not overtly command or forbid something, that a human authority is commanding or forbidding, in those cases, no matter how uncomfortable, how unfair, how “slippery slopey”, how brainwashy, how nefarious, underhanded, how encroaching it is on our freedoms, or downright unkind the command may be – we must honor our human authority. We must submit.

5. But in these instances, we submit, not because the human authority is worthy, but because we fear God.

6. Because as Peter says, we must submit for the sake of our God, to whom we are slaves, who’s will is that we would silence ignorant people with our good deeds, especially when they accuse us of being rebels and unlawful people.

7. When we generally are submissive, peaceful, quiet people and honor and obey our human authorities … we put to silence those who would accuse us of being rabble rousers and rebels. But it also sets up a better testimony for us when we must disobey…

xiv. Like, in areas where God has overtly commanded or forbidden something that human authority is forbidding or commanding, we must fear God and honor the King.

1. In Acts 5:17-42 we see the apostles arrested by the Sanhedrin out of jealousy that the people were listening to the apostles and not them. During the night an Angel of the Lord released the apostles from prison and commanded them directly to stand in the temple courts and proclaim all the words of life to the people. They obeyed. A little later the Sanhedrin sent for them only to find them teaching in the temple courts. The apostles are brought before the Sanhedrin and it is revealed that previously before the apostles were sent to jail, the Sanhedrin had instructed them not to preach in the name of Christ. They replied, “We must obey God rather than people.”

2. In this context we find a DIRECT command of God given and its opposite given by human authority. So much so that Luke hides the fact that the human authority had commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus until after they receive a contradicting command from the angel of the Lord. In the narrative this highlights the contradiction with no suspicion of retaliation on the apostles’ part.

3. After this, the Sanhedrin had them beaten and commanded them again to not teach in Jesus’ name. They submitted to the beating but not to the command. They continued to preach and teach in the name of Christ.

4. In Daniel the three friends submitted to the furnace but not to the command to worship the idol.

5. In this way the bible gives us the example that we continue to fear God and honor the King, even when the King commands us to disobey God. We honor the King by submitting to the punishment he decides for disobedience. And we Fear God, knowing that disobeying Him would be far worse for us than anything any human authority could do.

xv. This is the pattern we have. In all instances we must fear God and honor the King.

h. [Slide 18] Passage Truth: Peter pulling from verse 12, continues to show that virtuous lives should be lived before non-Christians. Even though they are maligning his audience, they should live good lives before the non-Christians because it is the will of God for them to silence the accusations of the ungodly with lifestyles that prove their accusations are foolish.

i. [Slide 19] Passage Application: So, Peter’s audience must honor all those who are non-Christians. Even those in charge. They must elevate all non-Christians to a place of value and importance in their lives.

j. [Slide 20] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out from this passage we have seen in the sermon today at various points that the scriptures prove that God has always had His eyes on the nations. His people were always placed in front of all others and commanded to be and expected to live differently before them. To live in such a way that it brings fame and glory to God.

k. [Slide 21] Broader Biblical Application: So for us CBC, to bring fame to God, to leave an accusing world in silence, we must Fear God and honor all people. To fear God is to live purely and faithfully in this world, keeping His law and His precepts. And to honor all people – even the King – it is to give value and esteem to those who right now malign us and seek our destruction. By living holy lives in fear of God and lawful and good lives toward non-believers we will put to silence those who accuse God’s people of wrongdoing. They will, instead, be driven to glorify God because of our lifestyles – either in this life or in the next.

Conclusion:

[Slide 22 (blank)] So what can we learn from all this today CBC? How then shall we live in light of what Peter has told us?

One of the biggest questions Christians have and often face is “What is God’s will for my life?”

And occasionally in scripture, we have direct statements to call our attention to the will of God. Like here in I Peter 2:15.

It is God’s will

Now if something like “marry Jane” or “be a plumber” followed that statement – we’d be sure to have latched onto it wouldn’t we?

But Peter says, “It is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.”

God’s will is for us to live holy and virtuous lives that confound even our harshest critics. And what is Peter’s first application of that point?

Submit to and honor every human authority. Ugh. Peter. That is so un American.

We can say “we the people” and “constitution” all we want, but in the grand scheme of things, our government does not exempt us from this command. Indeed, it should be easier for us to submit to our leaders because we know that some of them will only be around for a max of 8 years and others of them we can vote out if they truly are bad enough. But again the flaw in that is… that it takes a majority to vote them out. What happens when your country is a pagan nation and not a Christian nation… like the US is now? Then, even “we the people” won’t help us.

My friends, rather than wrangle over comparing our government to the government of the Roman empire… perhaps it would be best to simply obey what God has said.

Fear God and Honor our human authorities.

But in our country… I am convinced that we error on both sides of this.

On the one hand, many Christians legitimately fear what their civil magistrate can do to them if they should disobey or defy them. They fear what may be if they were pressed to go against the common wisdom or edicts of the civil magistrate. For these Christians, they would have bowed to Nebuchadnezzar’s idol probably before ever facing the furnace – but certainly by the time the furnace was lit they would have bowed the knee. After all, they can still serve God in their heart even if they bow the knee to another god.

But I think the greater threat to our particular church is the on the other side. There is a slogan being passed around our theological circles right now. “Obey God, Defy Tyrants” The general idea is that the government does not have a right to tell Christians what to do. Much of this is born from the recent mask mandates, lockdowns, and government telling people not to gather in large groups. They specifically say that the government has no authority over the church at all, especially to tell them how they can assemble together or whether or not they can sing, hug, shake hands etc.

Here is the problem with their logic. Peter agrees, and still says to submit. Peter recognizes that we are free in Christ and that there is no King but Jesus. Still… they must Fear God and honor the King. Even when our civil magistrates come dangerously close to telling the church what to do and how to operate, we can find ways to submit to and honor them while still fearing the Lord.

God doesn’t tell us not to wear masks. God does give us a minimum number for gathering… but it is two or three. Even then it isn’t a command. God does tell us to worship him with song though. And that is one aspect of our worship we were planning to defy our government on if such an edict came down. We must worship the Lord with singing. And we would have gladly paid any fine associated with that disobedience. Thus, we would Fear God in worshipping Him as He says to worship Him but also have honored our human authority by recognizing that we had disobeyed them and made restitution for that.

Going forward in a culture and nation that is sure to give us more opportunities to wrestle with these two commands, we must focus on fulfilling both the command to Fear God and to Honor the King. Because I think there is something bigger at stake too.

When we fight and squirm and squabble and get angry under mask mandates and attendance sizes and similar impositions to our freedoms – and then they forbid the worship of Christ, our rebellion to that command will just be another instance of civil disobedience in a long history of opposition.

But when we do all we can to honor and submit to our human authorities, even curtailing our freedoms and giving up some liberties, and the edict comes down that we must disobey like stop preaching in Christ’s name. It will be at that point that a normally peaceful, accommodating, honoring, good-doing congregation will stick out like a sore thumb. You have such a track record for obedience and compliance… why do you resist now? Christ alone is King Mr. President. We must obey God rather than men.

As we plug this back into what was said in verses 12 and 13… I think it is easy for us to see how our desire for freedom, peace, safety, and liberty could all be classified as a “bodily lust.” Something we should abstain from needing. Instead, we should live virtuously by being law-abiding citizens unless we must choose between being punished by God or by men. In that instance… we choose men.

My friends – let us Fear God AND honor the King.

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2021 in Review

1.) [Slide 1] The challenges of 2021

a. COVID… STILL

b. Sickness

c. Physical issues

d. Long trials

e. Deaths of church members

f. Constitutional revisions

g. Increasingly antagonistic culture toward the gospel and God’s people

2.) [Slide 2] The blessings of 2021

a. Finishing the Pastoral Epistles and starting 1 and 2 Peter

b. Finding able teachers to pulpit fill while I had COVID

c. Eldership moving forward

i. Lessons learned here

ii. Confidence built

d. Marriages

e. Babies

f. Roof done

g. Missionaries visiting again

i. Lundquists

ii. Frosts

iii. Daums

h. New attenders and members

i. Church finances held strong

j. A relatively quiet year almost ordinary

3.) [Slide 3] Personal Lessons Learned

a. Godly Leadership plows the road, sets the pace, but also patiently and lovingly comes to aid those who lag behind.

i. I Timothy 3 and Titus 1 indicate that the work of an Elder is one that will require qualified men to be patient, kind, humble, meek and gentle with their people. Not pushovers when it comes to doctrine, but not bullies either.

ii. I Peter 5 indicates that Elders must not exercise oversight as a duty but must do so willingly as examples and patiently until the Lord returns. Not lording over their people.

iii. Titus 1 tells us that Elders become stewards of God’s house. They are caretakers of all that belongs to the master.

b. The command to come boldly before the throne of God is because we shouldn’t want to come boldly.

i. Hebrews 4 tells us to come boldly – but when we know our sin and His holiness that is certainly a challenge.

ii. Oftentimes perhaps we come too boldly. What I mean is that we flippantly stand before the God of the universe who drove Isaiah to cry out woe is me, who left Peter begging for His life, and John lying face down on the ground.

iii. I am learning that coming boldly before the throne begins with thinking about that throne for a moment. Who sits there, who is He, who I am next to Him? Then I find that I must obey the command to come boldly… because I don’t want to come at all when I think of who He is and who I am.

iv. Start your personal prayer time reflecting on the character of God and who you are in comparison. Before you even say Dear Lord, or Father… See if it is hard to pray boldly then.

v. Then pray boldly.

c. Oftentimes men in ministry’s greatest challenge is themselves.

i. I’ve read several books about Eldership over the last year.

ii. I’ve read several books about pastoral ministry over the past several years.

iii. I can tell you as your pastor I am full of weaknesses and shortcomings. But I could never be Christ to you anyway. I’m not making excuses for those weaknesses or sins… but I am confessing them. I have not arrived at spiritual perfection. And if you think I have because I know a lot of theology… well… doctrine in the head does not always translate to faith in the heart.

iv. So, I have to ask two seemingly contradictory things of you. Don’t look to me to be your Savior. But trust me enough to follow me as your guide.

v. What I mean is, God has placed me in this position as your shepherd. And in a few short months, God willing, there will be more who have been placed in that same exact place. God is gathering biblically qualified men who are going to be shepherds to you. Caring for you and leading you. You should follow us. You should obey us. You should listen to us.

vi. But no matter how many Elders we have leading this church, and no matter how qualified we are… we will never be Christ. The Elders can never give you grace. And we can never claim to be something that God’s grace did not make in us.

vii. We are simultaneously sheep and shepherds.

viii. We need to be sanctified just as much as you do. We may be a little farther down the road than you – but we can’t claim that of our own doing. I confess all this publicly so that you know that I have no intention of building a Kingdom of Chris here. I desire the Kingdom of Christ.

ix. Keep us your Elders, present and future, in your prayers that we would not be our own enemies… that we would not build our own kingdoms but His. Pray for us and rebuke us if necessary.

x. Christ alone is King. Amen?

4.) [Slide 4] Personal Blessings

a. I set a goal to read 24 books this year. I didn’t quite make it. I only got 21. I began St. Augustine’s work “City of God” and got around 250 pages in and decided to move on to other stuff. I plan to get back to it but it was a very slow read for me. So, I will no doubt keep the 24 book goal for next year. But I have a few recommendations for you.

i. [Slide 5] I’ve said it before, but I want to reiterate that you should all read a few books that I believe have information in them that is foundational to being a Christian.

1. The Know Series. Know the Creeds and Councils and Know the Heretics. Both of these books can be found on the table outside the restrooms but there are only a couple copies. If you have borrowed a copy and haven’t read it – get it done