Second Presbyterian Church Sermons: Recent Episodes

Second Presbyterian Church

Podcast feed of sermons from the pulpit of Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee.

A Child Only the Father Could LoveHosea 11:1-11

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. (Hosea 11:1)

Big Idea:

This passage pictures God’s pursuing love of his child, Israel, in three stages: infancy, adolescence, and adulthood.

I. Infancy (vv. 1-4)

Like a child learning to walk, God raised and cared for Israel. However, as much as he pursued Israel in love, they continued to turn away from him to false gods with the promise of material gain, political power, and fertility. Jesus said one must become a child in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. That is, one must admit their total need and dependence on Christ.

II. Adolescence (vv. 5-9)

Israel arrogantly believed they had gotten to where they were on their own merits. They exchanged God’s grace for their own achievements. Despite this hard-hearted arrogance, God will not give up his child. Despite the wrath they should incur, God resolves not to “execute his burning anger.”

III. Adulthood (vv. 10-11)

Though it appears frightening at first, God’s roar, like that of a lion, is to scare his people back into fellowship with himself. Just as a good father, he would rather see his child go through difficulty if it brings them back to himself rather than see his child destroy himself through a lack of repentance.

Discussion Questions

What is one way you can relate to God as a child to a father?
What is one way you have noticed God’s long-suffering grace in your life?
What would it look for you to view life’s circumstances and God’s law through the lens his fatherly care? How might it change your perception?

Live Like You’re LovedHosea 9-10Give them, O LORD— what will you give?(Hosea 9:14)

Big Idea:

What happens when you forget that God is a father? What happens when you forget that God loves us the way a good father loves his child? You act like an orphan. That is exactly what is happening to the Israelites in this passage. They are living like orphans. They’re not living like they belong to God and are loved by him. So what are the marks of one living like an orphan and how does God’s Fatherhood cure them?

I. Disobedient (Hosea 9:1-8, 15-17; 10:13)

First, living like an orphan is to live disobediently. The first and most obvious is disobedience. This is the lust of the eyes, the insistence on doing what seems best to you rather than what God requires. What will be the result of trying to make it as an orphan? You will be as “lonely as a wild donkey” (8:9). You will not find lasting love in those wrong places. So what must you do? You must seek the Lord again as your Father if you are already a Christian. If you are not, you must come to Christ for your righteousness as Hosea says in 10:12. Let go of your grip on your sins and your insistence on running your life and allowing others to determine your worth. Instead take hold of Christ and he will transfer his righteous record to you. That will complete the paperwork for becoming a child of God. It will bring you into a family of fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers who will love you unconditionally. It will set you on a path not just of right doing, but of human flourishing. And you will actually start living a life that blesses others and pleases your heavenly Father.

II. Degradation (Hosea 9:9-10; 10:9-10)

The second way that living like an orphan affects us is by degrading us. Rather than living according to the good design God has woven into creation and commanded us to live according to, we live according to the lust of our flesh. And because our hearts are broken with sin, this lifestyle only ends up degrading us. It makes us live more like animals than humans made in the image of God. Hosea references two major points in Israel’s history where this happened. They ended in rape and murder. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ has an answer for the questions each generation is asking. It’s a much better answer than any other we may find. What is true? God’s Word. What is real? Life as defined by God’s Word. What is good? God’s design for how we are to live in the world he created. What is beautiful? The life lived according to God’s design.

III. Defiant (Hosea 9:11-14; 10:1-11, 13-15)

The third manifestation of living as an orphan is defiance. This is the most frightening one. The Israelites’ pride is manifest. This is to live with a fist raised to God. They “depend on their own strength” (10:13), harm people around them (10:11), and disobey all the authorities in their life (10:3) because they do not fear the Lord (10:3). How can anyone be rescued from pride? No one can humble himself. Acting humble is “false humility” which grates on everyone because it is just another way to draw praise to yourself. True humility is believing that you are significant and what you do is significant but only because God is the sovereign Savior and giver of every good gift. So how do you get this gift of humility? You can’t contrive it; you can only pray to Jesus for it. And Jesus promises to pray to the Father for it. And the Father sends his Spirit to give it to you.

Discussion Questions

Have you observed the negative effects of loneliness in your own life or someone you know? How does living with God as your father help bind you to a community where you can flourish?
Have you observed in your own life or in the life of someone you know the degrading effects of living according to sinful desires rather than submitting to God’s commands? How does knowing God as a good father help compel you to want to follow his commands, even if they seem like they could be counter to your desires?
What is one way you may be guilty of defiance toward the Lord? Spend time praying for the humility to accept his will and live according to it.

Download a PDF of this sermon recap.

Then the Lord said,

“Behold, I am setting a plumb line

in the midst of my people Israel;

I will never again pass by them; (Amos 7:8)

Big Idea:

In these five visions, Amos demonstrates that the Israelites had refused to live worshipfully in three areas: their vocations, their avocations, and in church. Why were they unfaithful in all these areas? Because they had neglected to listen to God’s Word in each area. The ultimate judgment for such neglect is when God removes the Word and gives rebels what they want (8:11-12). The only hope is to return to Christ who is the “plumb line” and delighted to do the “work” his Father gave him, who “lived” among us, and who “sings” in our worship.

Worship at Play (Amos 7:4-6; 8:7-10, 14)

Everything outside of our vocation is typically referred to as our avocation. It is life in-between corporate worship and work. That portion of life is threatened in the second vision of fire that devours land and water, that is, everything essential for human beings to flourish. The Israelites were guilty not just of corrupting public worship and business fraud but of neglecting to live gratefully or worshipfully during the in-between times of life.

Christians in the past help us with an outline for how to pray. In their morning prayers, they gave thanks for safekeeping through the night, for the creation of the world, and for the work that lay ahead of them. In the evening, they would express gratitude for God’s help through the day, for meals, and ask God’s mercies for the night as well as reflect on the day and ask God to keep them faithful until death.

Worship at Church (Amos 7:7-9; 8:3, 5)

The final area of judgment has to do with the Israelites perversion of worship. While it is true that they had created a new form of religion that affirmed their indulgent lifestyle, it is also true that they observed the major feasts and all the sacrifices. However, those acts were perfunctory. God is a person and just as any person is offended by a gift or a conversation or an act of service which is done without any feeling just to check something off of a “to do” list, God is equally repulsed by heartless worship. In fact, God reminds his people that he was still with them in the desert when it was impossible for them to provide sacrifices to him. The wilderness wandering was a 40 year object lesson proving that God guides and blesses his people despite their inability to do anything for him.

We are after the same thing in corporate worship. In order to recapture our hearts, God gathers us in structured worship to channel us into gratitude. It is impossible to maintain a heart that is soft for the Lord in daily life without very regular corporate worship. This requires at least three things:

Persistence: As with anything else in life, without regularity, one is unlikely to see transformation. We commit ourselves to that which is most important to us.
Preparation: Again, we often get out of something that which we put into it. That is not to say that God is limited by our preparation; he’s not. However, we are much more likely to engage wholeheartedly in worship if we have spent at least a few minutes preparing our hearts the night before or the morning of.
Personal: Every movement of our worship service has significant meaning. Every section represents what Christ has done for us in the gospel. Every segue provides an opportunity for you to participate physically in worship so as to train your heart to respond appropriately to grace.

Discussion Questions:

What regular rhythms can you adopt into your week to help you live worshipfully in every area of life?
Which of the three ways of helping to engage wholeheartedly in worship resonated most with you and how might you be able to put it into practice?

Download a PDF of this sermon recap.

Then the Lord said,

“Behold, I am setting a plumb line

in the midst of my people Israel;

I will never again pass by them; (Amos 7:8)

Big Idea:

In these five visions, Amos demonstrates that the Israelites had refused to live worshipfully in three areas: their vocations, their avocations, and in church. Why were they unfaithful in all these areas? Because they had neglected to listen to God’s Word in each area. The ultimate judgment for such neglect is when God removes the Word and gives rebels what they want (8:11-12). The only hope is to return to Christ who is the “plumb line” and delighted to do the “work” his Father gave him, who “lived” among us, and who “sings” in our worship.

Mission (Amos 7:1-3)

The first vision reminds us of the horrific locust plague that was literally sent on Israel as a result of Joel’s prophecy. Though the locusts are metaphorical in Amos’s vision, the destruction promised is not. Amos plead for mercy on Israel in response to this vision because it would have wiped out God’s people which was the line through which the Messiah would come. If God followed through with his threat, not only would there be no Jews, but more tragically, no Savior. But the question that must arrest our attention for personal application is, "Why did God threaten their crops?" Often the focus of a particular judgment reveals the area of life in which the rebellion occurred. In this case, it was their vocation. In the Israelites’ vocations, they refused to listen to the voice of God. Their selfish extortion of their poor laborers, their crooked business deals and inflationary prices, and their generally indulgent laziness generally demonstrate that they paid no attention to God’s directions for how we work.

Mercy (Amos 8:1-6)

Scripture is full of guidance and instructions for how we should work. Amy Sherman has been a tremendous help to the church with her book Kingdom Calling. In it, she describes four different “pathways” for working in a way that is in keeping with God’s mission and extends mercy to those around us.

Bloom where you’re planted: The most obvious place to put into practice the characteristics of the Kingdom of God outlined in the Bible is where you currently work. Simple Kingdom priorities can get the world’s attention because they are often counter-cultural and “not the way things are done in the real world.”
Donate your skills: Through training, education, and experience, each of us has skills we can use to benefit others. It could be volunteering medicals skills in underserved areas, tutoring kids who are behind in school, teaching financial skills, or helping repair a house or a car. Whatever it is, God calls us to be good stewards of the skills he has given us by donating them to serve others.
Launch your own social enterprise: Many of our mission partners do this as a way to serve the people they are ministering to both in word and deed.
Participate in your church’s targeted initiative: Our church has many mission partners, each of which welcomes volunteers to help in their work.

God made us work not as a result of the Fall, but in order to dignify us as image bearers and include us in the joy of his redemptive activity.

Discussion Questions:

How can you more consciously live “coral deo” in your everyday life?
Which of the pathways listed could you follow to participate in God’s mission of mercy in the world?

Seek good, and not evil,that you may live;and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you,as you have said.Hate evil, and love good,and establish justice in the gate;it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:14–15)

Big Idea:

Sincere worship of God must result in practical deeds of mercy to those in need.

Worship with Sincerity

The minor prophets in particular teach that worship begins in a heart that is subjectively and emotionally moved by remembering the incalculable mercy of God revealed in the gift of Jesus Christ and salvation from judgment. This worship should form our minds, bodies, and vocations so that all our lives are aimed at serving God, which will include working for justice in the places God has called you.

Work for Justice

There are at least two major hurdles to responding to worship by working for justice: despair and believing that we are “little people.”

No Despair: God never requires you to be successful against injustice; he just requires you to speak out and act out against it. He alone can effect change. That’s why he reminds you of his resume in vv. 6-8. He is the sovereign God who changes things on the “surface of the earth” (8), but he will do so in his time.
No Little People: None of us has a right to believe we are too little or insignificant to make a difference, because none of us is working in our own power. We are Christ’s ambassadors here on earth, calling on the resources of God to come and bring about change. Our responsibility is to be faithful where God has called us.

Discussion Questions:

What is one way you can devote yourself to sincerity in worship?
Which of the two hurdles to working for justice most resonated with you? How does God’s character and resources overcome this hurdle? How does Jesus’ life prove that God uses the seemingly insignificant to accomplish his plans?
Who is someone who embodies these things well in their ordinary, everyday life that inspires you?

Download a PDF of this sermon recap.
Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:19–24)

Big Idea: The scriptures comfort as the Spirit accompanies them in our personal readings but especially in corporate worship. In response to God’s mercy revealed in this passage, here are four actions to take:

I. Pour out your feelings to the Lord (vv. 1-20)As Jeremiah remembers the horror and the trauma of the Israelites being carried away into exile in Babylon, he pours out his feelings to God. In fact, he speaks in ways that shock us because of their irreverence. First, he calls God a liar. The images in vv. 1-3 include several of the promises of Psalm 23. Second, he says God has abandoned him (vv. 4-9). In the first 20 verses of the chapter, he speaks of God as a former acquaintance, not as one he knows. The images of vv. 7-9 are similar to Psalm 88 where the psalmist ends with the words, “darkness is my only friend.” Third, Jeremiah calls God a murderer, comparing him to wild animals (vv. 10-11), an archer (vv. 12-13), and one who has “made my teeth grind on gravel…I have forgotten what happiness is” (vv. 16-17). Fourth, he calls God a joke, a ridicule among his own people (vv. 14-15). Finally, Jeremiah says he feels like he is losing his mind. His thoughts of suffering are intrusive (vv. 19-20). As a loving Father, God allows us to express our feelings (even giving us the words to express them in scripture) because he atones for any sinfulness in them in Christ. And once we have spent our energy crying out to God in anger and confusion, we can collapse in his arms.

II. Profess the faith of your fathers and mothers (vv. 22-27)The importance of repeating the truth about who God is in weekly worship is demonstrated in the way that Jeremiah, after having railed against God so intensely, ultimately returns to who God is. His perspective turns to hope in the Lord once he remembers God’s steadfast love and mercy (vv. 22-24). It is in light of God’s love, even while acknowledging the existence of suffering and evil, that Jeremiah is able to repeat three times in vv. 25-27 that God is good. Specifically, he likely remembered the passage that reveals the heart of God’s character: The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6–7)

III. Pursue the peace of the kingdom to come (vv. 28-39)Next, Jeremiah seeks to align his heart with God’s heart and the purposes of God’s kingdom. First, he releases vengeance to God (vv. 28-30), recognizing that God does not approve of injustice and will someday bring it to a definitive end (vv. 37-39). He also remembers that God’s purposes for his people are always in love. God does not afflict from the heart. He only chastises out of love (vv. 31-33). Jeremiah would later write to the people in exile in Babylon, exhorting them to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare (Jeremiah 29:7). As Christians, when we encounter tragic events that tempt us to forsake the place we are and pull away to somewhere else, we remember the prophet’s words that as we seek the welfare of the city God has called us to, we will find our welfare in it.

IV. Pray with Jesus’ prayersEach of these steps in responding to tragedy point us to Jesus. Jesus prays for us with raw feelings (John 11; Matthew 26:3-46). Jesus has experienced every tragedy we face in this life, and he is with us in it (Heb. 4:15). Jesus is himself the faith of our fathers and mothers. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Heb. 13:8). And Jesus died as an outsider to the city of man in order to bring the city of God (Heb. 13). Jesus did not pull away from our problems but came to earth and got involved to redeem and restore all things. He came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

Discussion Questions:1. What are you feeling about the tragedies in our city? Have you poured those feelings out to God? If not, what might have kept you from doing so? How does this passage give you permission to do so?

What is a gospel truth that has given you hope over the past couple weeks? If you are having trouble thinking of any reason for hope, read some of the following passages organized according to the most prominent emotions many are feeling right now:
Fear - Psalm 56
Sadness - Revelation 21:1-8; Psalm 147:3; 2 Cor. 1:3-4
Anger - Debt. 32:34; Ezekiel 33:11; Psalm 73
Doubt - Psalm 131; Romans 8:18-39
Despair - Genesis 18:25; Revelation 22:20-21
What is the next good thing you can do to pursue the peace of God’s coming kingdom in light of that hope?
How have you grown in your knowledge of Jesus over the past week?

This message is from the service in which we remembered and celebrated the life of our dear sister, Liza Fletcher. We hope it will comfort those who are grieving with the gospel of Christ, who was and is the Source of Liza's light.

Other resources:

"Eliza Fletcher's Funeral Light" — The Gospel Coalition

Big Idea:

The Church of Jesus Christ (a particular people in a particular place) is the refuge from our worst enemies: our personal sin, a fallen world, and ungrateful idolaters. Not only are these enemies displeasing to God, they are ultimately dehumanizing. That means that attachment to a local people and place not only helps us to please God, but it also causes us to flourish as human beings.

Personal Sin (vv. 1-3)

When we left Jonah in the last study, he had been saved by the great fish whom God “provided” (v. 17). This prayer of praise in chapter 2 proves that Jonah viewed this strange conveyance as a gracious rescue by God; not as a judgment. God loves us too much to allow us to continue in our rebellion for long, so he graciously sends “storms” in our lives to bring us to repentance.

Fallen World (vv. 5-6)

Not only did memories of corporate worship provide equilibrium for Jonah in his distress over personal sin, but it also anchored him when he was literally at the mercy of natural forces trying to kill him.

Ungrateful Idolators (vv. 8-9)

Perhaps the greatest enemy anyone faces is ingratitude to God and the idolatry that produces. For Jonah, he had lost his gratitude for salvation. Jonah reinforces what the Bible teaches elsewhere—ingratitude leads us to serve idols (Ro. 1:21-23; cf. Ps. 120; 31:6; 69:1-15). Idols require constant feeding and only give temporary satisfaction. An idol promises to make you happy if you will give it what it demands, but you will always give more than you get.

Discussion Questions:

Can you think of a time you were experiencing something difficult in your life and God used corporate worship or fellowship with other believers to readjust your perspective?
Are you sometimes overwhelmed with the reality of sin in the world? How so? In what way(s) does corporate worship help give you courage and hope to face the coming week? We worship on Sunday because it is the day Jesus rose from the dead. How might this shape the way you see worship in relation to sin in the world?
What part(s) of the worship service can help work gratitude into our hearts? How have you seen this happen in your own life?

Big Idea:

The book of Jonah shows numerous miracles of God’s sovereign grace. From the outset, we encounter a God whose tenacious redemption creates joyful ironies of sovereignty. From chapter one, we must believe that God loves sinners (ourselves and others), because he proves it through the perseverance of his sovereign grace.

I. Finding while Fleeing (vv. 1-6)

The first irony exposed is that we will find God to be everywhere we are trying to flee from him. The climax of this first irony is found in v. 3, “But Jonah ran away from the Lord.” It is important to realize that the ironic elements in this little book are not mere literary flourishes. They illustrate a theological maxim that must be learned in life; disobeying the Lord is always personally irrational because God is sovereignly redemptive. What is God calling you to do? Whatever it is, however great or small, if you are his child, you will not run away from it successfully. He is already in that place—a vocation, person, relationship, addiction, comfort— you are trying to run to or hide in. He has found you and we will see that there is nothing he is unwilling to do to call you back to obedience. Your soul is more precious to him than any of your comforts, enjoyments, even your health. And his Kingdom agenda is infinitely more important than your personal one.

II. Evangelizing while Rebelling (vv. 7-10)

Next, God’s sovereign grace is proven through the sailors’ conversion. God used an angry rebellious prophet to lead pagans to faith in and worship of the one true God! And they knew he was rebelling, because for some reason he told them when he boarded the ship. It was not as if they embraced his faith not knowing the hypocritical life underlying his testimony. God brought them to faith despite the suffering they experienced as a result of Jonah’s sin and despite Jonah’s personal testimony which contradicted his verbal profession.

III. Confirming by Denying (vv. 11-17)

The final irony is that Jonah’s denial confirms the steadfast lovingkindness of God. Jonah is so set on fleeing God that he would rather be tossed into the sea to his death than call on God from the ship and repent and go to Nineveh. In a stunning display of his grace, God still saves Jonah by having a fish swallow him and save his life.

Discussion Questions:

Can you think of an example in your own life when God called you to something that you did not want to do? Can you think of an example of a time God turned your course around to set you back on the right path? What does Jonah and your experience reveal about God?
It can often be the case that we think God can only use us when we have been faithful recently. When we are feeling angry, rebellious, depressed, or ashamed of falling into sin, we assume we cannot be used by God. How does God subvert this notion in Jonah’s story? What does this reveal about how God works?
What is one particularly powerful and memorable way God has revealed his grace to you? How might your life look different if rather than thinking God’s grace was too good to be true, like Jonah, you readily received it, like the sailors?

Big Idea:

The pouring out of the gift of the Spirit does not merely liberate us from fear and unworthiness but does so in order to set us on the infinitely great mission of expanding the borders of the kingdom of God. God’s grace draws us out of the corner and sets us mission for him.

Vigilant (vv. 1-8)

God demonstrates his loving care for us by the way he takes note of those who seek to harm us. Three particular ways the devil tries to keep us in a corner are by scattering us, dividing us, and dehumanizing us. As Christians, we have an eternal home in Heaven, so we can afford to root ourselves here on earth by loving the place where we live. We can be vigilant against anyone or anything that causes division among us, and we can stand up for the vulnerable who are oppressed and dehumanized.

Victorious (vv. 9-16)

We can also be encouraged to come out of our corner and join in God’s mission by the fact that God will be victorious. We work in the power of a God whose weapons are infinitely more powerful than any used by the devil against his kingdom.

Vindicates (vv. 17-21)

Ultimately, every event in history, every phenomenon in nature, and every aspect of reality, seen and unseen, is for this purpose: “that we may know that Christ is Lord.” Whatever setbacks we face, and whenever it seems that evil has won, we must remember God’s zeal for his glory and that no other power will ever prevail against his kingdom. With that confidence, we can come out of our corner and join him in his kingdom work.

Discussion Questions:

Which of the three ways the devil seeks to keep us in a corner – scattering, dividing, dehumanizing – most resonated with you? How so?
How does God’s vigilant care for us supply what we need when we are scattered, divided, or dehumanized?
How do you see the devil scattering, dividing, and dehumanizing others in the place you live?
What is one way you can join God in his work of vigilance to bring love and grace to those around you?

Big Idea:

God’s commands are intended not merely for our survival, but for abundant life. Left to our own, we would never experience as much as our good Father wants to give us. If you want the blessings that only an infinite God can provide, you must obey the Gospel. Two commands, both of which lead to our good, from the Gospel are included in this text: fear not and be glad.

Fear Not (vv. 20-22, 25)

To benefit from the Gospel, one must obey God.

Preparation: Of course, the first step to obeying the Gospel is to believe that Christ is your Lord and Savior (Ro. 1:5). It is to acknowledge that you are sinful and that your sin separates you from God and deserves his just judgment. It is also to acknowledge there is nothing you can do to earn the righteousness required to be made right with God and to have a relationship with him. In view of these things, you must trust in Jesus Christ to take away your sin. He did this by giving his life and taking the judgment your sin deserved. It is also to trust in Jesus Christ to give you the righteousness God requires.
Promise: In regard to this command to be not afraid, it is especially important to understand that God never utters the command without providing the accompanying promise, “I am with you.” That is no less true in our text. God tells every part of Israel’s culture to “fear not” (21-22) and later provides the promise, “I am in the midst of Israel” (27). There are many other places where the command and promise are conjoined (Genesis 39:23; Ex. 33:14,15; Dt. 31:6, 7-8, 23; Josh. 1:5-9; Josh. 10:25; 1 Ch. 28:20; 2 Ch. 32:7; Is. 43:2; 2 Pt. 1:4). The practice of the presence of God therefore is the antidote to all fear.
Power: Consistent with the preparation to fear not, the power to fear not comes from Christ. How did Christ face fear with the knowledge of God’s love and the awareness of God’s presence? Well, what were the most courageous moments of Jesus’ life? Surely they were his temptation in the wilderness, the threat of being thrown from the cliff, the agony in the Garden, and the trials and death he faced on the cross. In his battle with the devil in the wilderness, Jesus demonstrated that the primary way to practice the presence of God is to recall Scripture. Drawing Scripture to our minds is to live consciously in the presence of God because God is near to us in his word. Quoting Deuteronomy 30:14, Paul says it is not necessary to bring the body of Christ near to us from heaven or the grave; he is as near to us in his word as he would be if he were physically standing next to us.

To obey the God’s Gospel command, “Fear not!” means to draw near to him, and he will draw near to you, and his felt presence will calm your anxious heart.

Be Glad (vv. 18, 23-24, 26-27)

Just as God’s presence removes all excuses for being afraid, so God’s provision of himself as our God removes all excuses for spiritual depression. God refers to himself in v. 27 as “the Lord your God” which is the same two-fold name he provided in the preface to the Ten Commandments. Before he reveals the most basic duties we owe him and our neighbor, he reminds us of the sovereign grace of his person, the one who redeemed us. Look at how those three qualities of God’s person provide restoration for those who repent and remove all excuses for spiritual depression.

The Lord: When you remember that God is the Lord, it puts all of life in perspective. For instance, because God is the sovereign Lord over creation, he is able to provide our basic human needs. Remember the locust plague destroyed the basic staples of the Israelites’ Middle Eastern lifestyle: grain, meat, wine, and oil. These basic necessities of life, including life and breath, are not entitlements—they are gifts of God intended to cause all men to seek him (Ac. 17:24-28).
Your God: This is God’s covenant-keeping name. He is the God who has revealed himself to be full of grace and mercy, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin (Joel 2:13). So not only is God sovereign, he is gracious. His kindness is as much a reason to repent as his kingship (2:13; Ro. 2:4). God’s kindness is expressed in his overly generous response to us after sins of ingratitude. Upon the slightest turn toward him, God, like the prodigal’s father, rushes to us and lavishes good gifts on us. Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds (Romans 5:20-21). Our position in Christ is better even than Adam’s before the fall because we are now eternally and spiritually more stable as a result of our lives being united to Christ.
Your Redeemer: Finally, God promises his people will never again be “shamed” (19, 27). That is the language used in the New Testament to describe the eternal security provided by the cross of Christ. Being united to Christ through faith means that your life is joined to Christ’s which made satisfaction for your sins, guarantees your resurrection, and assures your acquittal at the judgment. Because Christ can never be shamed, you cannot either (Ro. 9:33; 10:11). Furthermore, as we will especially learn in 2:28:32, God in his generous redemption pours out his Spirit into your heart so that you will remember that Christ’s cross infallibly proves you are loved (Ro. 5:5).

Discussion Questions:

As Christians, we can tend to see commands like “fear not” and “be glad” as tests of our devotion. In reality, God both commands these things and supplies what we need to keep them.

What things tend to make you fearful and/or anxious?
Which one of the ways Christ supplies for our fear – preparation, promise, power – was most encouraging to you in light of the particular fear you named?
Do you find the command to “be glad” a challenge to keep? What are some specific things that can make this a challenging command to keep?
Which of the three titles given to God – the Lord, your God, your redeemer – was the best news to you today? How does it specifically apply to challenges to your joy?

Augustine once prayed, “God, command what you will; only grant what you command.” Use this as a guide to your own prayer regarding fear and joy. Name specific things in your life that make keeping these commands challenging, and ask God to supply everything you need to obey them.

Big Idea:

The Westminster Confession of Faith concludes from Scripture that while repentance is not a cause for salvation, “it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it” (15.3; Lk. 13:3-5; Ac. 17:30-31). If there is no possibility of salvation and pardon without repentance, it is critical for us to know what the marks and motives of true repentance are as they are alluded to in our text.

Marks of True Repentance

The marks of true repentance are alluded to with three brief lines in vv. 12, 13.

Confession: God says that we must “return to him with all our heart.” Seeking pardon for sin begins with naming sins as you recognize them and calling them what God does in his word. The WCF says that “men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man’s duty to endeavor to repent of his particular sins particularly” (15.5; Ps. 19:13; Lk. 19:8; 1 Ti. 1:13-15).
Apply: One way to practice this is to use the Westminster Shorter Catechism’s questions on the Ten Commandments and take one commandment per day and confess how you have broken what it forbids and failed to perfectly do what it requires.
Contrition: True repentance is also marked by contrition. “Fasting, weeping, mourning” are all signs of a truly broken heart. The Confession says that when a man comes to realize the “filthiness and odiousness of his sins,” he will grieve and hate them. There must be an emotional revulsion at sin (Je. 31:18-19). Furthermore, the Bible says that such emotion should be in view of its offense against a holy God, not just regret over the consequences (2 Co. 7:9-11).
Apply: One way to feel the weight of your sin is to confess it to another person. While the sin is against God first and foremost, the pain of seeing a loved one's face as you admit your wrong is a helpful step in breaking the cycle of repeated sin.
Change: Finally, true repentance involves conversion or change. I don’t mean that every time a Christian sins, he must be converted anew. I mean that true repentance means turning away from that sin, even if it means you are never done battling it the rest of your life. The Catechism says that repentance includes to “endeavor after new obedience” (Ps. 119:6, 59, 106; Lk. 1:6; 2 Kg. 23:25). If you easily and quickly return to the sins you have confessed, then the Bible says you are like a dog returning to its vomit. While true repentance does not ensure that you will never fall again to the same sin, it will keep you from returning to it quickly or easily.
Motivation for True Repentance

Just as there are marks of true repentance, we need a powerful motivation to wake us out of our sin and move us towards repentance.

God’s mercy: The surest incentive to produce true repentance will be the grace of God in Jesus Christ, which Joel clearly declares in v. 13. It may sound strange to your ears that I would say Joel declares the gospel of Jesus Christ, but that is precisely what he does when he quotes Exodus 34:6, 7, “he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” This was God’s answer to Moses’ request, “Show me your glory” in Exodus 33:18. This is made even more compelling by the fact that God revealed himself this way after the Israelites had built a golden calf to worship instead of him.
God’s gift: Another motivation to turn to a gracious God is that he gives repentance to those who ask for it. That means, true repentance is not something we can conjure up on our own. It must be given to us by God’s grace (see Acts 11:18 and 2 Tim. 2:25). Practically, this means that when God makes you aware of your sin, by whatever means, you must cry out to him with the assurance that he is the gracious and compassionate God who grants repentance to those who ask him for it.
Jesus’s repentance: Now if these promises of Scripture are not sufficient to motivate your heart to turn to the Lord with assurance that he will grant you repentance unto life, then you must think on the active righteousness of your Savior. Jesus’s public ministry began with his coming to John the Baptist for baptism. It is initially confounding why the son of God would need to come to John the Baptist for baptism, especially when we remember that John’s was a baptism of “repentance.” Why would one who never sinned need to undergo a baptism of repentance? John the Baptist effectively asked the same question, and Jesus responded that it was “necessary to fulfill all righteousness.” In other words, undergoing a baptism of repentance fulfilled the active righteousness that we needed to be saved. Not only did Jesus have to fulfill all the Commandments in our place, he even had to repent in our place.

Discussion Questions:

Which of the marks of true repentance was most challenging or convicting to you?
What is one way you can apply the marks of true repentance to your relationship with God this week?
Which of the motives for true repentance was most compelling to you?
What is one way you can respond to the good news of this passage today?

Big Idea:

Obadiah conveys God’s passionate opposition to unbrotherliness because it is deadly and can lead to damnation. We must especially love our brothers and sisters because Christ died not only to save us but to make us a covenant family.

The Deadly Progression of Unbrotherliness

While “unbrotherliness” is a cumbersome word, it most clearly describes the sin Obadiah is confronting. Someone might not understand “covenant infidelity,” but anyone who has a sibling or even a very close friend knows what unbrotherliness is! It is when someone who is very close to you genetically or relationally disrespects you. We must also understand that sin is always progressive. In this case, it began with passivity. When Jerusalem was being attacked, the Edomites “stood aloof.” The next step of the progression was to “look down” as in looking down one’s nose with despising patronage. It is to consider oneself better than the one being abused. The third step was mockery. The Edomites had so divorced themselves from their brothers that they felt superior enough to mock them in their tragedy. The final step for the Edomites was actually waiting at the crossroads for those Judahites who escaped from the city and mercilessly cutting them down with the sword.

The Ultimate Judgment of Unbrotherliness

Against this grave sin, God threatens judgment, which will lead to repentance among his elect and damnation on those who refuse. If you have been convicted by the sin of unbrotherliness in your own life, you should be encouraged, because warnings work to bring about repentance in the hearts of those who belong to the Lord. Repent, and do so knowing you still belong to Him. For those who continue in unbrotherliness, God promises damnation. Heaven is for the family of God, only for those who have been “given the right to be called children of God.” So anyone who has God’s DNA (“Christ in us the hope of glory”) loves their brothers and sisters in Christ. Those who refuse to love demonstrate that they are not God’s sons and daughters and will not therefore be found in heaven.

Discussion Questions

Can you think of a particular sin in your own life or someone else’s for which a clear progression can be noted? What is the opposite of this deadly progression? How has Christ demonstrated true brotherliness to us?
Read Matthew 25:31-46. Is there an instance of unbrotherliness in your own life for which you were convicted? How can you repent of this both before God and man?
How might the fact that God judges the sin of unbrotherliness have been encouraging to the original readers of this passage? What implications does it have for us?

Big Idea:

Pride is at the root of all sin, and God says that of all the sins, pride is that which He hates the most. If pride is the most evil of all sins, then we must know its sources and solution.

Sources of Pride

Someone has said, “The opposite of faith is not doubt but certainty.” The opposite of faith is setting your heart and mind on any thing other than God. The reason pride is so offensive to God is that it looks at all of His good gifts, rejects Him as their source, and sets them up as objects of worship.

A. Strength: Strength, in this context, means trusting in your material and physical resources. That is, what do you trust in to keep you strong?

B. Friends: If you put your trust and confidence in friends, you will inevitably feel betrayed, and when you are, it will be a test as to whether your eyes are on Christ or not. If you are trusting Him rather than anything else—including people—when betrayal comes, it will not undo you. How do you know you are trusting your friends more than God? One indicator is a tendency to cut friends off when they let you down.

C. Knowledge: God says that if we do not first recognize that wisdom—God’s explanation of all facts—then all the rest of our thinking will be futile.

Solution to Pride

God provides a simple but profound treatment for our pride. He transforms our pride by bringing us down to the point that we are graciously forced to humbly trust in Him. We then become more useful vessels for His service. Soon after Solomon finished the temple, God made this promise to His people in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

A. Pray: The first step to humility is to get the Cross of Christ squarely before you and realize that your sin explains its blood and gore. Those desperate gasps by the Savior come from the weight of your sin. When you can no longer see yourself except through that cross, and when you can no longer view another Christian who has offended you or an unbeliever whose habits repulse you except through the eyes of the Cross, then you are growing in humility. The first step in growing in this humility is humbling yourself to ask God to do this work in you, acknowledging that you cannot will it yourself.

B. Seek God’s Face: To seek God’s face demands that we first condemn our own sin before judging anyone else's.

C. Repent: The realization of God’s favor is what ultimately results in a heart made humble by the Cross, a heart made humble by realizing God’s mercy, and a heart made humble to serve the Kingdom.

Discussion Questions

Sources of Pride:
What most often causes you worry, anxiety, or keeps you up at night?
Which of the three sources of pride exposed in this passage – strength, friends, knowledge – can you identify with most?
To help answer that question for yourself, consider how you typically respond to the thing(s) that cause you worry. For example: Do you resolve to do better, try harder, work more, learn more, sleep less, etc.? Or do you consider the connections with people you have who can help you? Do you rack your brain for a possible solution or new way of solving your worry?
Lastly, how have you seen these solutions fail you or others in the past?
Solution to Pride:
How does Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection provide the solution for the manifestation of pride – strength, friends, knowledge – that you identified?
Prayer is hard work, which must constantly be pursued. Take advantage of prayer meetings, attach your prayers to everyday events like sitting at a stop light or waiting on an elevator, or put an app on your phone to remind you to pray 10 minutes during each of the traditional “hours” of the day. What is one practical way you can commit yourself to prayer?
Spend time in prayer now, thanking God for His mercy in saving you and asking Him to work humility in your heart.

Amos 3:1-2
Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”Joel 2:1
Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,

Jonah 4:2bYou are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.Zephaniah 3:15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.

Micah 6:8He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Big Idea:

The Minor Prophets record the nearly 500 years of patience, encouragement, and empathy of God toward his hopelessly self-addicted people. At times he is “crazy angry” as he pursues them, but because of his “crazy love,” he refuses to let them off easy and perseveres until he gains a remnant whom he will forever call his people. The Minor Prophets call God’s people to do one thing—walk with the Lord. And the three reasons for doing so should be irresistible—because we are God’s gracious possession, he tenaciously pursues us, and he mercifully empowers us.

Possession (Amos 3:1-8; Hosea 2:2-8)

As is true of the rest of Scripture, the Minor Prophets must be rooted in Genesis, which records God’s initiation of his covenant with Abraham (Ge. 12:1-3). The covenant is just this simple: “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” That motif is repeated throughout the rest of Scripture as God unfolds the personal sacrifice it will require of him to make an unholy people his possession and the tenacity it will require for him to keep us as his people, while the devil wars against us and we continually stray. Therefore, a recurrent theme in the prophets is that God’s people are his blood-bought possession, and our wavering is all the more heinous because of our costly redemption.

Pursuit (Jonah 4:2; Joel 2:1-11)

Under King David’s leadership, Israel became a significant kingdom with far reaching borders, so when his son Solomon rose to power there was no where to go but up. And that is what occurred; Solomon’s wealth, wisdom, and power were world-renowned. But God warned that he would only sustain Israel’s unity and strength as long as Israel's heart belonged to the Lord. Specifically, he forbade Solomon to marry foreign women because they would rear his children as pagans, and true worship would disappear from the land over the generations. The threat was that if he did so, God would split the Kingdom and make her vulnerable to the surrounding nations. Solomon ignored God’s exhortation and married foreign women who raised idol worshiping sons, and the nation divided into two kingdoms in 931 B.C.

Power (Zephaniah 3:15; Micah 6:8)

So how will recalcitrant, hard-hearted, self-consumed sinners ever be turned back? God must do it. But why would he? Why would he not just wash his hands of us and be done with the trouble? After all, he has been pursuing ungrateful sinners since the creation of the world! Isn't he tired of it? Why does he persevere? Because he has promised to make a people for himself. And because he has promised, he will ensure that there will be a numberless host who will praise his grace forever. So he will keep conquering hearts until his plan has been accomplished.

Discussion Questions

Possession: What are some of the motivations for us to live faithfully in our covenant relationship with God? What are some of the negative consequences for not living this way?
Pursuit: What does this point reveal about what our hearts are prone to do, especially when we experience material wealth, comfort, and security? Why do you think that is? Are you able to see any instances of this in your own life? What does God’s response reveal about his character? How have you seen God pursue you?
Power: In view of the fact that we belong to God and he relentlessly pursues us to restore our relationship with him, how are we to respond? What guidance do Zephaniah 3:15 and Micah 6:8 offer? What might this look like practically in your own life?

1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” 3 Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” 6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Big Idea: The focus of Scripture, the very purpose of all history, is the revelation of the love of God in Jesus Christ. That love is revealed in this passage through Christ’s judgment on sin as well as His marriage to you.

By Judging Sin (vv. 1-5)

As counter-intuitive as it may sound, the first reason disciples of Jesus Christ will praise their Savior throughout eternity is that He judges sin. While someone caught for a crime may initially be grateful for an authority who lets it slide, eventually, that same person will realize that such a leader makes for a chaotic culture. While justice sometimes stings us when we do wrong, in the end it should be welcomed because it provides safety to the weakest, reward to the innocent, and joy for the repentant. Jesus loves all His image bearers too much not to punish sin. His love is proved by keeping us from self-destruction. This is why God is praised for His judgements that are “true and just” in verse 2. At the return of Christ, all His saints will finally, fully be who they were always meant to be. God’s truth and justice will have been shaping them bit by bit into more of that image while they await Christ's return, when the true image will be realized.

God’s standards for judging sin are His truth and righteousness. That Christ upholds truth and justice for His abused followers should warm our hearts to love Him. God has amply warned that mistreatment of His people will be one of the three major reasons he destroys the world (Rev. 18:23). No matter how history has been revised, of what you have been falsely accused, how hidden the stories of the persecuted have been—God remains the guardian of the truth and will ensure that it is established eternally. His righteousness will be the standard against which all thoughts, words, and deeds will be measured. His righteousness will further be revealed as the only explanation of every righteous act and that which must be substituted for our sinfulness to even make it possible to live in His presence. This is the only New Testament passage in which “hallelujah” occurs, reminding us that it is a unique praise reserved for the final victory of righteousness over evil (vv. 1, 3, 4, 6; cf. Ps. 106, 111-13, 117, 135, 146-50).

God’s strategy for getting sinners from their former bondage to the devil in the city of destruction, through a dangerous world, and into the kingdom of heaven is called salvation. We have mistakenly come to refer only to our initial conversion as salvation. But the Bible calls the whole redemptive plan of God "salvation." Isaiah referred to the strategy by which God walks us through the dangers of this world into heaven as the “walls of salvation” (Isaiah 26:1). Those walls are made up of pastors, youth directors, teachers, parents, peers, legal authorities, institutions, all the various means of grace, spouses, siblings and thousands of other "building blocks" that serve to keep us on the narrow road of Christ. Sometimes it hurts to bump into these walls, but the alternative is to go over the edge and onto the other road, the wide road, that leads to destruction. God’s goal for His elect is for each one to be brought home to heaven; the highway of His salvation is walled, for our protection and prospering, all the way to the celestial city.

Consider/Discuss:

Can you think of any times where judgment for sin (“getting caught”) in your life or someone else’s life turned out to be a good thing? How does this illustrate Jesus’ purpose for judging sin?
By Marrying Sinners (vv. 6-10)

Here we encounter the most beautiful picture in all of Scripture of the love of Jesus for us, His people (Is. 54:5-7; Mt. 22:2; Ep. 5:32). Despite who we have been and who we remain, Jesus dares to betroth himself to us (Hos 2:19). He chose us knowing we had nothing to offer Him, and He is taking all of redemptive history to prepare a great celebratory feast to announce to the whole cosmos that we are His bride.

John grasps for similes to describe the deafening shouts of those gathered in Heaven as Christ celebrates the final redemption of His bride the Church. He calls to mind the loudest phenomena He has experienced in creation—the triumphant shouts of an uproarious crowd of people, a mighty waterfall, and terrifying peals of thunder. He combines all of these in a desperate attempt to convey how loud and triumphant the worship in Heaven will be.

Why this unprecedented, deafening celebration in Heaven? Because of what is being revealed about the manner of God’s salvation of His Church. All redeemed humanity, all the angels of heaven, and all creation will revel in God’s beautification of sinners such as us. Of course, we will all be overjoyed that the “marriage supper of the Lamb has come,” but we will be even more amazed at the readiness of the “Bride.”

Years ago, my friend Kim, a physician in Philadelphia, was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of liver cancer. Soon after diagnosis, this once vibrant, athletic, brilliant young woman showed the signs of this devastating disease wreaking havoc upon her body. However, something dramatic and unheard of occurred in the middle of her battle: She got married! A man whom she had known for several years came back into her life and said, “I want to marry you.” During the proposal in her hospital room, Kim took his hand and put it on one of the tumors now protruding from her body and said, “Do you feel that? That is going to kill me. Do you still want to marry me?” He said, “Yes! I am going to marry you. Will you marry me?” That is love! I can guarantee you that she never questioned that her husband loved her and was committed to loving her—come what may.

You and I have been loved even more extravagantly than that by God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ. By keeping His love in the forefront of our minds, we will never cease to worship Him.

Consider/Discuss:

Can you think of a beautiful wedding ceremony you have attended (perhaps even your own) where the image in this passage was particularly vivid? What are some of the practical implications for your life when you consider how beautiful earthly marriages and wedding ceremonies are meant to image your covenant relationship with Christ?

1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. 3 For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; 5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. 7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’ 8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. 14 “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!”

15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, 16 “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! 17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”

And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?”

19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”

21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; 22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, 23 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”

Big Idea: Over and again in this book, we have seen Jesus beckoning to His children. While He denounces sin with the harshest of words and threatens evil with the most terrifying of judgments, He stretches out His arms to His children so as to say, “Come out from among those other loves which only wage war against your soul. Come to the one who truly loves you” (4-5). John identifies three reasons—all arising from self-love—that God will destroy the City of Man at the Last Day: the love of money, sorcery, and persecution of the righteous.

Money

According to Revelation 18, the primary evil for which God will judge the world is the love of money. This fierce judgment promised on economic idolatry is startling to most of us in this era because we have become so comfortable with materialism. But it is not a new thought in our study. On numerous occasions, John has alluded to the fact that Roman idolatry had more to do with economic gain than true spiritual devotion. Worshiping the Emperor’s image did not require a sincere heart, but securing federal funds for your city required worshiping the Emperor’s image! Participation in idol feasts did not require you to be a true believer, but it was required participation if you wished to remain a member of your professional guild. Therefore, John says that taking the mark of the Beast often looks like blending in in and hiding your identity as a Christian in order to prosper financially.

Consider/Discuss:

Are there any areas in your life where you are tempted to spiritual compromise for material gain/security? What is something challenging regarding materialism/the love of money for you personally?
Sorcery

The second evil God will finally defeat is sorcery (φαρμακεία), which is descriptive of the devil’s methodology. Here John reminds his readers that modern societies succumbing to sorcery stand no more chance of escaping judgment than did Old Testament Babylon (Is. 47:9; Na. 3:4). Sorcery is any strategy by which the devil advances his agenda, which is to do whatever he can to hinder the gospel’s advance. This includes experimentation with tarot cards, Ouija boards, obsession with burial grounds, research of Satanic spells, drug and alcohol abuse, and pornography (which is most common). There is nothing inherently powerful about any of these practices, but the devil is a spiritual terrorist, and if he can convince you that these things hold power, he will use them to abuse you.

Consider/Discuss:

Have you thought of each of these things as sorcery before? If not, how does seeing them as tools of the devil change your perspective?
Persecution

The final reason the devil’s forces will be judged is because of the Christians they have persecuted and killed. Our comfort as Christians is that when we suffer for Christ, Jesus suffers with us. When Christ intercepted Saul on his way to Damascus to kill Christians, He asked, “Saul, why do you persecute me?” He comforts us by saying, “Precious in his sight is the death of his saints.” And He assures us with the promise: “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you” (2 Th. 1:6). In our text God promises to repay our persecutors “double” for all their sins (18:6).

Consider/Discuss:

Have you or someone you know experienced persecution for following Christ? What motivation enables you to continue to follow Christ faithfully in the face of persecution?

If you could not fail...
Revelation 17:1-18

[1] Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, [2] with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” [3] And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. [4] The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. [5] And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” [6] And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

When I saw her, I marveled greatly. [7] But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. [8] The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. [9] This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; [10] they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. [11] As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. [12] And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. [13] These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. [14] They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

[15] And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. [16] And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, [17] for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. [18] And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” (ESV)

Big Idea: Throughout this book, we have learned this basic lesson—Jesus wins, and his followers will win with him because He loves us. The Spirit uses three words to describe the followers beloved by King Jesus who will celebrate victory over evil with Him at the end of history: called, chosen and faithful. Together those words explain how no one can ultimately fail who follows Christ.

Chosen (vv. 1-7, 14-17)

The word translated “chosen” is eklektos. Elsewhere in the New Testament it refers to the elect, those God predestined to eternal life before history. The Bible makes much of God’s sovereign choice of us because it overwhelms us with how much he loves us. The longest hymn of praise to God for his love for sinners is in Ephesians 1. Paul praises God the Father, “for he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” And why did He choose us? Because we were good or because he foreknew we would be wise enough to choose Him? No, it was “in love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (4-10).

Consider/Discuss:

What are some of the implications of the fact that God chose you to be His own, despite anything you have or have not done?
Called (vv. 8-14)

Although it is the first word John uses to describe disciples, we look at “called” (kletos) secondly because it is the next thing that happens chronologically in the life of someone God chooses. Those whom God chose before the foundation of the world, He irresistibly calls to Christ for salvation. First look at the miserable state of those who do not follow Jesus. They are ultimately unknown because their names are “not written in the book of life from the creation of the world” (8). That means they are destined to eternal death. The “beast” represents every person, worldview and movement opposed to Christ and inspires most every political government in the history of the world. How very different is the calling God issues to those He has chosen. Having loved us before the creation of the world, He calls us to live in the experience of His Fatherly love (1 Jn. 3:1; Jude 1), knowing that because of His love, everything that happens to us is for our good (Ro. 8:28-30).

Consider/Discuss:

What difference does it make for the way we can view pain, struggle, disappointment, suffering, longing, etc. when we know that we have been called by God to be His very own?
Faithful (vv. 6, 9, 14, 17)

Finally, John says it will be Christ’s “faithful followers” who celebrate His victory alongside Him over the Evil One. The word πιστός (“followers”) is supplied by the translators and means “trustworthy, dependable or reliable.” It primarily describes something or someone that can be trusted. John teaches that faithfulness requires three things. First, it requires a “mind of wisdom” (9). Wisdom describes a Christian’s mind trained by God’s word and catechized theologically (Pr. 2:6; 1 Co. 2:7). Second, faithfulness requires confidence in God’s sovereignty. In v. 17, John affirms that the devil is God’s devil. Though He is never the author of evil, He overrules evil in such a way that it accomplishes “his purpose” and “fulfills his word.” The third and most important requirement for faithfulness is to go to Jesus first for it. Paul commands us to “put on the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ep. 6:16), because “the “Lord is faithful, and will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one” (2 Th. 3:3).

Consider/Discuss:

Which of the three requirements for faithfulness most resonated with you? Why?

Revelation 16:17-21

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (ESV)

Big Idea: John is emboldening Christians of every age to live in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ who will conquer all evil spirits, decimate every evil system, and provide eternal satisfaction for his followers.

Spirits (vv. 17, 21)

The seventh bowl of judgment promises the utter defeat of all demonic powers. We have already understood from 16:13 that the devil (“dragon”) carries out his mischief through “demonic spirits” who empower leaders (“kings throughout the world”) to disseminate an anti-Christian worldview (“beast”). These demonic spirits can enable people to do amazing things, even “perform signs” which can influence fence straddlers to follow them. If Christians take their eyes off of Christ and look at these apparently “successful” leaders, they can be intimidated or grow despondent to the point that they compromise their loyalty to Jesus. The most important thing to remember is that the devil’s final defeat is assured. You must never be cowed, intimidated or overwhelmed by his terroristic threats or activities. He fights as he does because he is a desperate loser. His outlashes can be unpleasant and painful, but they are ultimately no match for the Greater One that lives within you as a Christian. And God’s promise remains that if you “resist him, he will flee” (Ja. 4:4). Resist him in prayer. Resist him by reading the Word. Resist him by asking others to help you in the fight. Resist him by commanding him to flee.

Consider/Discuss:

What are some practical ways you can live “defiantly” against the devil’s attacks by resisting him?
Systems (vv. 16, 19)

The second encouraging promise from King Jesus is that he will destroy all sinful systems. “Babylon” represents all the world’s systems that attempt to defy the Lordship of Christ (11:8 and 14:8). As Americans, we are accustomed to thinking of sin individually; that each person commits individual sins. However, we do not tend to think of sinful systems; that there are economic, governmental, and societal systems that generate sin—whether intentionally or simply by nature of being corrupted by sin.

Consider/Discuss:

What are some results of systemic sin that you can perceive here in Memphis? As a practical first step, how can you incorporate praying for God’s kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven” into your prayer life, that these systems might be eradicated?
Satisfaction (vv. 17-18)

Finally, we can be encouraged in knowing that the final Judgment will bring Christians everywhere a sense of deep satisfaction due to the fact that, once and for all, God’s righteousness will be vindicated, we will be free from all sin—both our own sin and the sin of others that afflicts us and other image-bearers of God.

Consider/Discuss:

How do you see “inbreakings” of God's final victory in the present day?

Revelation 16:1-7

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.

The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say,

“Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was,for you brought these judgments.For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,and you have given them blood to drink.It is what they deserve!”And I heard the altar saying,

“Yes, Lord God the Almighty,true and just are your judgments!” (ESV)

Big Idea: Through John, Jesus shouts, "No!" to our favorite sins to enable us to say a better "Yes!" with our lives to His sovereign grace.

Say "Yes" to Courage (vv. 1-3)

The first bowl calls us to say “no” to blending in and “yes” to courage. We are able to ascertain this meaning because of what we have already learned about the “worship of the beast.” In John’s immediate context the “beast” was the Roman Empire, used by Satan to hinder the work of the gospel. Sometimes the Romans did that by actively persecuting Christians, but Satan’s most effective strategy was to pressure Christians to blend in with the rest of the culture.

They didn’t have to recant their faith or believe that the Emperor was a god; they just needed to go with the flow of their culture and not draw attention to themselves. The result was that gospel didn’t advance in individual lives or society at large. By sidelining these Christians, the devil accomplished more than he would have by killing them.

If you are blending in, you must hear the warning of God’s voice, which speaks loudly in v. 1. In Scripture, whenever there is a “loud voice from the temple,” it is for the purpose of bringing judgment on those who have broken covenant with God, especially by persecuting his disciples (Rev. 6:6; 9:13; Is. 66:6). The good news for the believer in Christ is that even when we fearfully blend in—just as Peter did. Jesus restores us by being our eternal advocate with the Father so that when we stand before him, he will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The opinions of other people are temporary and have no bearing on our eternity. God’s opinion of us makes us who we are.

Consider/Discuss:

Can you think of something you do or don't do around certain people so that you don't draw attention to your faith?
How might Jesus advocating for you and giving you a firm identity embolden you not to blend in but live courageously?

Say "Yes" to Contentment (vv. 4-7)

The second and third bowls call us to say “yes” to contentment and “no” to materialism. The second and third bowls parallel the second and third trumpets but are more explicit and bring more complete judgment. The second trumpet brought “blood like that of a dead man,” but the second bowl leaves “every living soul dead.” Whereas the third trumpet turned the waters “bitter,” the third bowl turns the waters to blood.

Since commerce on the sea was the great engine of Rome’s economic success, these bowls promise complete economic devastation coming to those who have “stuff idolatry” (13:16-17; 18:17, 19). On the other hand, every suffering, every persecution, every worry, every fear, and every intimidating force in your life will be put in its place when you really believe God totally loves you.

Consider/Discuss:

Do you idolize stuff? Here are some questions to diagnose "stuff idolatry": How much of your private thought life is spent thinking about acquiring or keeping stuff? What percentage of your income is spent on accumulating unnecessary stuff for life versus given for the gospel's progress? How upset do you become when your stuff is damaged, lost, or stolen? How protective are you with your stuff when someone needs it more than you?
How has God proven that he will provide for you? How might an eternal perspective help with "stuff idolatry?"
How might Jesus advocating for you and giving you a firm identity embolden you not to blend in but live courageously?

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
Revelation 15:1-8

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,O Lord God the Almighty!Just and true are your ways,O King of the nations!Who will not fear, O Lord,and glorify your name?For you alone are holy.All nations will comeand worship you,for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. (ESV)

Big Idea: Because we will be blessed with rest from all our enemies, we must patiently endure and faithfully keep his commands.

Confidently Endure (vv. 1-4)

First, John urges us, as he did these Roman Christians, to endure. To endure with confidence, we need two assurances as God's people. First, we need to be assured that all that is wrong will be made right; complete justice is coming. Second, we need to be assured that we are going to make it to the end and participate in the final song of victory.

A. Complete Justice:

John says that when these seven bowls have been poured out, God’s wrath will be “completed.” The use of the number "seven” (God’s number, often used to signify completion) reinforces the perfection and total fulfillment of the justice (Lv. 26:21). That there are seven angels conveys that there will be more than enough divine power to conquer all evil. The seven bowls of plagues would signal to the Jew that God will unleash all the wrath necessary to liberate his people once and for all from the dominion of evil.

A. Final Song:

John inspires us again with the promise that those who are “victorious over the beast” will rejoice in that Day of completed justice. We have already learned that victory is living in loyalty to Jesus. Victory is refusing to compromise your allegiance to Christ by blending in with everyone else. Those who persevere to the very end in their loyalty to Christ will sing the “song of Moses.” This will not be a new song but one that believers have sung throughout all of redemptive history.

Consider/Discuss:

1) How might evil and injustice keep us from enduring? Can you think of any specific examples of how an awareness of sin and brokenness (both internal and external) can result in spiritual exhaustion, tempting one to give up?

2) What good news does this passage have for those discouraged by evil?

Faithfully Keep Commands (vv. 5-8)

Not only must we wait patiently for Christ to bring his complete justice on all evil, we must live faithfully in the meantime. We said above that key to enduring will be remembering, but how do we remember? The reason the faithful Jew only needed the first couple of lines to remember this long song of Moses is that he sang Exodus 15:1-18 every Sabbath evening in synagogue worship (NIV Study Bible). The Church has always worshiped corporately morning and evening. There were morning and evening sacrifices throughout Old Testament history (Ps. 92) and when the synagogue emerged, Jews gathered to read the Scriptures, confess their sins, and sing praises to God every Sabbath morning and evening. This pattern of bookending the Lord’s Day with corporate worship contributes mightily to endurance and faithfulness because it cuts deep gospel grooves in the mind and heart.

A. Judgment on the Beast:

So we come full circle in this passage: the judgment of the beast and the justification of the saints. “Golden sashes” represent Christ’s kingly role and the judgment he will sovereignly execute on his enemies. “Shining linen” represents his priestly role and the ultimate salvation he will bring to his followers.

B. Justification of Christians:

Our glorious perfection is not merely our individual perfect moral conformity to Christ but also execution of righteous judgment on rebels. We will be so perfectly conformed to the image of Christ that we will not be able to tolerate the existence of unbelief, so in union with Christ we will participate in judgment.

Consider/Discuss:

1) Can you think of an example of how something you heard, read, or learned from corporate worship helped you endure in following Christ?

2) Is corporate worship a priority in your/your family's life? Are there changes you need to make to make corporate worship more of a priority? Are there barriers that are currently keeping you from this?

The Judgment Could Save Your Life
Revelation 14:14-20

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia. (ESV)

Big Idea: By revealing to us the terrors of Judgment in contrast to the beauties of heaven, this passage drives us to the love of God who provided his Son as a sacrifice to save us from hell.

Threat (vv. 17-20)

It seems most consistent with the rest of Scripture to see this as two harvests. It contrasts the harvest of God’s redeemed people with the harvest of unbelievers for Judgment. In this scene, judgment occurs “outside the city.” The enemies of God will be destroyed outside Jerusalem (Joel 3:2, 12; Zech 14:4-5) and absolutely rejected by Him. This is why Jesus went outside the city to redeem us (He. 13:12). Those who have been become righteous through Christ will come into the city while unbelievers will remain outside (Re. 21:9-27). Therefore, hearing the warning and turning to Christ is how Judgment can save your life!

Consider/Discuss: Can you think of a scenario where you or someone you know shared a difficult or challenging truth for the good of another person, as God does in this passage? What does God's warning reveal about His character?

Comfort (vv. 14-16)

We now know that the beginning of the passage describes that time when Christ will gather his people to himself when he returns. To the believer, this is the ultimate comfort. The Judgment Day means rescue for us, not punishment. The Judgment Day means vindication of all that is righteous, not shame. Realizing that now can save your life. Through this passage, Jesus wants to lead you off the way that leads to death and onto the path that leads to life. If he has frightened you with these threats of Judgment, it is only because he loves you so much that he does not want you to experience it. He would rather you be in heaven. If you receive Christ's life, death, and resurrection in your place, committing your life to him in response to his giving of his life for you, then you will delight in the anticipation of his return, rather than dread it.

Consider/Discuss: Beyond your personal assurance of salvation, what other assurance(s) does God’s judgment of sin give us? Can you think of any specific circumstances, people, or scenarios where the promise of God's judgment of sin tangibly changes/shapes your view of this circumstances, person, or scenario?

Following the lamb wherever he goes
Revelation 14:1-5

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless. (ESV)

Big Idea: From eternity past, God determined to save you through the crushing substitutionary sacrifice of His Son. What response does eternally sacrificial love require? It requires nothing short of cross-like love for Him.

Stand Wherever He Stands (v. 1)

If Christ is your savior, your future is secure because your redemption has been accomplished. In other words, if you are in Christ, you are a part of these 144,000 whom God has chosen to save. This text’s direction to Mt. Zion gives us great assurance. Why was Mount Zion so important throughout the Old Testament, and why is it so important in Revelation? Because it was there that the Lamb was slain once for all to make us His people.

Consider/Discuss: If your eternal future is secure in Christ, how might that change how you view your future in this life? How might this embolden you to stand with Christ wherever he stands?

Sing Whatever He Sings (vv. 2-3)

The song described here is one God has sung over His son, Jesus Christ, for all eternity, proclaiming through it the worthiness of His son. And because Jesus knew He was fully secure in the Father’s love, He came to earth, suffered, and died for us. Since there has never been a time when the Lamb was unconscious of being slain for sinners, there has never been a time when Christ has not been loved and praised by His Father. In Christ, we are fully secure in God’s love as well. In other words, when we trust in Christ, He puts this song in our mouths, too.

Consider/Discuss: What is the proper response of someone who is fully secure in God’s love?

Sanctify Whatever He Sanctifies (vv. 4-5)

This simply means that you will consider holy whatever God considers holy. Like many biblical writers, John uses a shorthand reference for all the commandments. As a pastor, he knows with what sins his people struggle most, so he likely mentions those predominant ones: sexual immorality and lying. Jesus did a similar thing with the rich young ruler who asked him how to get into heaven. He didn’t list all the commandments, just a few, until He got to the one that was the young man’s stumbling block—covetousness. So John tells these Romans living in an immoral and deceitful culture that those who truly embrace the love of God in Christ will live in sexual purity and honesty. When you realize that God has suffered loss from all of eternity in order to redeem you, then keeping His commands will no longer be burdensome to you.

Consider/Discuss: What area of your life might Jesus be calling you to sanctify, or make holy in His sight? What aspect of the gospel can motivate and enable you to do this?

Battling the Beasts IIRevelation 13:11-18

[11] Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. [12] It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. [13] It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, [14] and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. [15] And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. [16] Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, [17] so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. [18] This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. (ESV)Big Idea: We must be wise, because…

God’s Word Provides Tests for Prophets (vv. 11-15)

Jesus warned us that the devil will cause deceivers to arise within our community. So we cannot rely on our church walls, membership, or even ordination to protect us from deception. For the sake of the community, we must each take responsibility to be on guard against deceivers.

Parodies: The devil is a master of forgery. Detecting “abnormal” thoughts, words and deeds requires a trained eye and a finely tuned mind. That is achievable for every disciple of Christ who faithfully uses the means of grace God provides.
Looks: The devil’s deceiver looks as meek and mild as the Messiah. Lamblike, his presence is not threatening.
Speaks: Their speech eventually becomes authoritative, commanding respect from the gullible. They speak like the dragon, who is that “old serpent” (12:7). Remember how he spoke to Eve? His words were smooth and subtle. He merely planted a thought through a simple question, “Did God really say you may not eat of any tree in the garden?”
Acts: Then, to make those subtly deceptive words even more appealing, the devil accompanies them with convincing signs. When Moses commanded Pharaoh to let his people go, magicians were able to imitate most of his signs by their illusions (Ex. 4:17, 30; 10:2; 11:10; cf. 7:11; Da. 4:37). Deceivers can produce impressive results through relational manipulation, mind games, or accounting schemes.
Profile: God so loved us that he ensured the Church would always know which books belonged in the Bible, and those were only books written or sponsored by the Old Testament Prophets and New Testament Apostles. The Mosaic profile for every true author of Scripture involved four non-negotiable standards. These remain useful for discerning between true and false teaching/teachers:
Rejection: The true prophet never tells God’s people to follow other gods besides the Lord (Dt. 13:1-11).
Prescription: True prophets also tells God’s people to “walk after” the Lord (Dt. 13:4).
Consistent: True prophets only teach what is consistent with what has already been revealed (Dt. 18:17-20).
Prediction: Every author of Scripture was verified by the performance of a miraculous sign usually conducted in a public setting and widely attested to by eyewitnesses (Dt. 18:21-22).

Consider/Discuss: What is a prevalent teaching or belief that fails this test that you have noticed recently? How might it fool people by being a parody? How does this profile of true teaching expose it as a lie? If you are confident that you have the truth revealed in Scripture, how might that enable you to engage in dialogue in a constructive way?

God’s Word Provides Tenacity for His People (vv. 16-18)

There has been a great amount of conjecture about the number 666 in this passage. As is usually the case, the Bible interprets itself. John explains “it is the number of a man.” Any Jew would have understood, and by now we should as well, that 7 is the number most often used to refer to God’s perfection and the fullness of his grace. Though made in God’s image, just a little lower than the angels, man is not God, so a number just short of 7 understandably symbolizes man’s inferiority to God. We have also learn in Scripture that when anything is doubled or tripled it is for emphasis. Therefore, three sixes symbolize something that is intensely man-centered.

Greatness: From Genesis to Revelation this is how God’s word defines true greatness: God is greatness (Dt. 10:17); no other god is (Ps. 77:13). Even unbelievers must begrudgingly admit his greatness (Mal. 1:11). Because he is greatness, his love, mercy, works of creation and redemption are greatly to be praised (Psalm 57:10; 69:13; 89:1; Psalm 111:2: 136:4). Great is his faithfulness (Lam. 3:23). His Son Jesus is the great Shepherd of his people as well as our great high priest (Micah 5:4; He. 13:20). Jesus, our Redeemer, is also the King of the greatest Kingdom with the greatest and most glorious laws—laws which make human beings flourish (Is. 9:7; Is. 42:21). Therefore no nation or individual can be great without acknowledging God as great, receiving salvation from Christ, and living in obedience to Christ.
Riches: From Genesis to Revelation this is how God’s word defines riches: God is richness and has revealed himself in the greatest treasure of all, Jesus Christ (Ro. 2:4; Col 1:27; 2:2). His kindness, forbearance, patience, grace, and inheritance are the most valuable riches in the universe (Ep. 1:7; 1:18; 2:7; 3:8, 16). When one lives as if Christ is the greatest treasure, he will gain true riches: the riches of wisdom (Pr. 3:16; Ro. 11:33); humility, honor, life (Pr. 22:4); a good name (Ps. 22:1). And those riches will overflow into his home and to his children (Ps. 112:3).
Freedom: From Genesis to Revelation this is how God’s word defines freedom: True freedom is only found in the presence of God (Ep. 3:12). And you can only live in God’s presence by accepting Christ as the true Savior (Jn. 8:32). Then, by his Spirit, he will come and dwell with you and liberate your will from sin’s domination (2 Co. 3:17; Ro. 6:18, 20, 22; Is. 61:1; Rev. 1:5). Only then is your will set free to walk in the freedom of obeying Christ (Ps. 119:45; Ga. 5:13; Ja. 1:25; 2:12; 1 Pt. 2:16; 2 Pt. 2:19; Ga. 2:4; 5:1; Jn. 8:36; Ro. 8:2). One who lives freely in Christ is liberated from the love of money (He. 13:5). He is free to live obediently under earthly authorities because he knows Christ is his greater king (Ro. 13:3). He freely serves others in the name of the gospel, because Christ served him first and continues to do so (1 Co. 9:1, 19). And he is free from the fear of death (He. 2:15), because Christ has deposited in his heart a testimony of the glorious freedom he will perfectly and eternally enjoy in heaven (Ro. 8:21). Simply put, freedom is to be captivated by the love of Jesus Christ.

Consider/Discuss: What competing definitions and displays of greatness, riches, and freedom do you find at work in our culture? How does God’s Word expose their fallacy? Practically speaking, how is believing false conceptions of these things detrimental in people's lives? In other words, what is the "fruit" of believing false ideas about greatness, riches, and freedom?

Big Idea: We can be the kind of people who finish well when we know that God has defeated the devil in the past, is defeating him in the present, and will finally triumph over him in the future.

I. Past (vv. 12:1-9)

By now we have become accustomed to the concept of time in Revelation—everything is present in the mind of God and only past, present or future from our perspective. It is essential to maintain that orientation in this passage, which, from our finite perspective, describes events that occur in various eras, including 1) before or at the beginning of creation, 2) during the time of the Old Testament, 3) between Christ’s past ascension and future second coming, and 4) after the close of history. Again, it is critical to remember that the point of Revelation is not to provide a prophetical codebook for interpreting current events. The purpose of Revelation is to assure the Church that the One whose kingdom she is advancing—the Lord Jesus Christ, the King himself—wins.

Consider: How might this overarching narrative enable you to live faithfully for King Jesus in particularly difficult episodes or seasons of life?

II. Present (vv. 12:12-13:1)

No one should understand there to be a theological divide between the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is one, cohesive story written in three languages. So verses 12 and following of our text do not tell a different story about God protecting his Church from the devil’s attacks. It is the same devil, attacking the same Church, protected by the same God, because the Church is preaching the same message—God's salvation through Christ. The Bible ties itself together thematically. Just as God protected the Old Testament church, he "takes care" of the Church now.

Consider: Do you sometimes think of the Old and New Testaments as theologically different from, or even in opposition to, one another? If so, how, and why might that be? What difference does it make to read the Old and New Testaments as one continuous, cohesive narrative?

III. Present (vv. 12:10-11)

Finally, the Spirit provides John a preview of the Great Assize, the Great Judgment Day when all evil will be utterly defeated. He repeats the announcement of the final arrival of the Kingdom we heard in 11:15. Of course, this does not mean that Christ is not ruling now; he is. It just means that his "authority," though resisted and rejected by many today, will one day become obvious and undeniable, with every creature in heaven and on earth submitting on bended knee to Christ the King.

Consider: Can you think of a time in your life when having something to look forward to in the future changed the way you lived in the present? How does that principle carry over to living faithfully in the present in view of our confident hope of Christ's future return?

Revelation 11:1-14

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.

Big Idea: We must persevere as disciples, because the Spirit gives us the power, the resurrection power of Jesus in persecution, and God’s public vindication of us.

I. Power (vv. 1-6)

The first reason we must persevere as disciples is that the Spirit provides all the power we need for every battle against evil in this life. The Spirit’s power is represented by the two olive trees fueling the two lampstands, representing our witness.

Consider: What challenges to witnessing for Christ cause you discouragement? How does the Spirit’s power enable you to continue to witness faithfully?

II. Persecution (vv. 7-10)

“Now when they have finished their testimony” clearly points us forward to that time when the Church has completed the Great Commission (Mt. 24:14). There will be a day when someone preaches the gospel to the last person God has chosen to save. Our text explains that Jesus will not come at that moment; there will be a period of total war against the Church led by the Antichrist.

Consider: We should not be surprised when we face persecution. The Bible tells us to expect it.

III. Public Vindication (vv. 11-14)

At the conclusion of this relatively brief horrific end to history, God will ruin the party for the wicked by raising the martyrs to life. Wishing for the annihilation of all memory of Christianity, the “beast” will refuse to bury the corpses of the Christians lying in the public square. But what he intends as an act of ignominy, God will transform into a declaration of victory. In the spot where they lie, God will raise them to life.

Consider: How does God’s public vindication and resurrecting power enable Christians to persevere in the face of persecution?

Revelation 10:1-11

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” (ESV)

Big Idea: Because the gospel is the ultimate explanation of all reality, we must receive and proclaim it.

I. We Must Receive the Gospel (vv. 1-7)

The good news of redemption in Jesus Christ explains all reality, so we must receive it. If we do, we will live with a true perspective on past history, we will live authentically in the present and with hope for the future.

A. Past (v. 1): Before God created the world he planned to save a people through the death of his Son (13:9). Through his holy angels he executes his will on the earth in human history. The angel in this passage comes with a cloud, rainbow, sun, and fiery pillars. The cloud represents God’s presence; the rainbow reminds us of his promise in Genesis after the flood; and the sun conveys that this angel has been in presence of Jesus and the Father who are infinitely powerful.

B. Present (vv. 2-3, 5-7): The gospel also makes sense of the present. Presently God is working out his plan of saving his people by applying the accomplished work of Christ to them. Planting his feet on land and sea represents his power to cause his message of salvation to go forth regardless of human, natural or spiritual opposition. Specifically, God’s redemptive plan is to save diverse individuals from every tribe, tongue, people and nation and unite them in one church.

C. Future (v. 4): Finally, the good news provides a confident perspective for the future because it tells us Jesus rose victorious to rule and reign until the end of history. God himself speaks (“voice of the seven thunders”) and prevents John from writing down what he heard about the end of time. While God reveals everything in Scripture we need to know for life in this world, there are some things that will remain concealed until a set time in the future.

Consider: How might understanding that God is actively working redemption at all times help you to put circumstances and events in your own life in a new light?

II. We Must Proclaim the Gospel (vv. 8-11)

The gospel is not just an acceptable worldview among many or a strategy for coping; it is the truth, the reality, the meta-narrative of life and the cosmos. We know it only because God has graciously revealed it to us through the Christ of Scripture. Receiving this infinitely valuable revelation obligates you to share it with others. The only debt you owe for receiving the gospel is the debt of giving it away.

A. Everywhere (v. 8): John returns to the image of the angel standing on the land and sea. Remember it conveys that God intends for the gospel to go everywhere and no force can stop its forward advance. Now he tells us that God has dignified us by including us in the spread of the gospel. By commanding us to “go and get the scroll” he tells us to proclaim the gospel everywhere.

B. At all times (vv. 9-10): This is essentially the point John is making with the image of eating the gospel (Ezek. 2:8; 3:1–3): you must take it in to the point that it becomes a part of who you are. Your life must be a demonstration of the gospel to others.

C. To all people: The final proof that the gospel is inside you and working its way out is that you are always moving toward people who are not like you. We must be approaching different-looking, different-spending, different-living people in order to take Christ who is inside you to them. It is not the gospel you are living and speaking, if it is not a reconciling gospel.

Consider: Which of these imperatives about proclaiming the gospel resonated with you most? How can you practically be obedient to this call in your life?

Revelation 8:3–13

And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!” (ESV)

Revelation 9

And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.

In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.

Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (ESV)

Big Idea: We must pray because the Father dignifies us by including us in the causation of his work.

I. The Power of Our Prayers

We must pray because Christ ensures that our prayers accomplish his Father’s redemptive plan. He dignifies us by giving us access to the controls of Providence.

A. At the altar: First, we are taken to another important piece of furniture in heaven. There is an altar in heaven that was physically represented on earth in the Temple (Ex. 30:1-10; He. 8:5; 9:28).

B. Of all the people: Next, notice that he uses all the prayers of God’s people, not just those of pastors or priests (1 Kg. 18:42-45; Ja. 5:17-18). These are not just the prayers of those who pray the most or those recognized to be the most active in the church. These are all the prayers of God’s people made in Jesus’ name.

C. Then the angel: The next phrase should cause your heart to leap. “Then the Angel” follows the description of our prayers. That is once our prayers are conformed to God’s, his angel pours them out on the earth so that they cause the will of God to be executed in human history!

II. The Secret to the Success of Our Prayers

We must be motivated to pray because the gospel guarantees their success.

A. Welcome: The secret to the success of our prayers is symbolized by incense (5:8). Incense is used in some worship traditions to convey the beauty of God’s presence. But in this case, the sweet smell of incense rises to the nostrils of God. The Bible says that God delights in the prayers of his people. God welcomes our prayers because he loves us. That’s the primary reason our prayers are successful with him.

B. Atonement: Another reason our prayers are successful is that they are atoned for (21:18, 21; Ps. 141:2; Ja. 5:16). Gold is the color of perfection. To say that something meets the “gold standard” is to say that it is as good as it can possibly be. So these prayers that have been interpreted by the Holy Spirit made in Jesus’ name and have found their way into this golden bowl being offered up before God represents that these prayers have been perfectly conformed to the will of God. The secret to the success of our prayers is the same as the reason why any of our obedience or good works are found to be acceptable to God.

C. Angels: The final reason our prayers are successful is that God assigns his holy angels to carry them out on earth. First he has assigned “another angel” at his altar to receive all prayers and bundle them together for his review. Then by Christ’s direction, that angel pours out the prayers as assignments to other angels to execute (10:1; 18:1).

III. The Goal of Our Prayers

Finally, we must pray because God’s goal for our prayers is mercy.

A. Severity: Now we finally come to the trumpets of judgment. As with the seals and later with the bowls of wrath there are seven trumpets. The first four trumpets mentioned in this chapter have to do with the physical harm God promises to bring on those who refuse to submit to his Son as Lord and Savior.

B. Mercy: But remember these are not bowls; these are trumpets. Trumpets in the Bible provide warning. They warn when an enemy is approaching to call people to ready themselves. These trumpets are not bringing judgment they are warning of what kind of judgment is coming.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

What conceptions or beliefs about prayer were challenged by this passage?
Which of the three points above most motivated you to pray? Why?
What is your current prayer routine? How might you recommit yourself to prayer by establishing a plan, place, time, etc. for prayer?

Revelation 7:1-17

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (ESV)

Big Idea: If you want hope for this world and the next, you must cling to the gospel which seals, saves and serves.

I. Saves by the Son’s Blood (vv. 10-14)

The high point of this passage occurs in the middle, just where you would expect a Hebrew author to put it. Everything revolves around the throne where the slain Lamb sits. John makes sure we understand that the absence of fear and shame in the presence of God is only explained by the “blood of the Lamb.”

A. From fear (vv. 10-12): These Christians in heaven worship the Lord with childlike abandon because the blood of the Lamb has removed all fear. Their white robes signify their justification, the exchange of Christ’s righteous record exchanged for their sinful record on the cross. The blood of the Lamb also removes fear of the future. Remember we learned in 5:14 that “Amen” will be the last word of history. When God’s whole redemptive plan has been worked together for the praise of his glorious grace and every person, creature and angel—good and bad—have been forced to admit it, then the final “Amen” will be spoken.

B. From shame (vv. 13-14): The blood of the Lamb not only saves from threatening external forces, it saves from threatening internal forces. If the devil cannot intimidate you from the outside by physical harm or material deprivation, he will try to cripple you on the inside by jailing you in your shame.

II. Serves by the Father’s Mercy (vv. 15-17)

The final lines of this passage are as beautiful as any in Scripture. No heart should remain hard after reading that the God of the universe will stoop to mend the bodies and spirits of each of his children at the end of history. The utter humility we witnessed with Jesus washing his disciples feet will be eclipsed by the stunning humility of the Father, Son and Spirit bowing before us to soothe our fears, bind our wounds, and wipe away our tears.

A. Physically (vv. 15-16): Every physical pain, trauma, deformity and deprivation will be taken away once and for all. God’s promises are not only spiritual. He promises to supply his people’s basic needs in this life.

B. Emotionally (v. 17): Physical healing is certainly a welcome promise but if each of us is honest we will confess that the greatest pains are emotional. In his sermon on this text, Charles Spurgeon imagines that God keeps three different bottles of our tears: one for disappointment, sin, and betrayal.

III. Seals by the Spirit’s Love (vv. 1-9)

The first explanation for a Christian’s hope that he will “stand” on the Judgment Day while all those who have neglected the Lord will be laid waste is that he has the “seal of the living God.” Whether in the ancient world or today, a seal does three things—it preserves from tampering, ensures ownership and certifies a document’s genuineness.

A. Preserves (vv. 1-3): By saying that God has set a seal on us, John is assuring us that God preserves us from ultimate spiritual destruction (cf. 9:4; 14:1). God never promises to spare us from physical pain, emotional trials or even death. But everywhere he promises to preserve believers from the fires of judgment and eternal destruction.

B. Owned (vv. 4-8): Next God’s sealing shows his ownership of us. Owners always count and value what they possess. A good businessperson regularly inventories his stock, counts his stock, and measures his supplies. God conducts a roll call of all those whom he has sealed to make sure none is missing. What will appear to be numberless to us, will have been numbered by God (5:9; 7:9; 10:11; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; 17:15).

C. Genuine (v. 9): Sealing also proves that we are the genuine children of God and genuinely belong in heaven. John changes the metaphor a bit by describing believers in heaven as those “wearing white robes.” Later we will learn that they are white because they have been “washed in the blood of the Lamb” (14).

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

Which of the three main points above gave you the most hope? Why did that point especially resonate with you?
What does passage have to say about who you are?
How should you live in response to this?

Revelation 5

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals,for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for Godfrom every tribe and language and people and nation,and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,and they shall reign on the earth.”

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,to receive power and wealth and wisdom and mightand honor and glory and blessing!”

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lambbe blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Big Idea: Because Christ leads the plan, we must . . .

I. Save those Tears (vv. 1-5)

The scroll pictured here contains God’s plan of redemption. There was a similar scroll in Ezekiel, but it only had writing on one side, because Jesus had not yet come. This scroll has writing on both sides, because Jesus has come to complete God’s plan. John weeps because no one has yet been found who can open the scroll. The elder says to John, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” As Christians whose hope is in Christ, we are given permission to weep, but we are never those who weep hopelessly, because God’s plan is still being completed in Jesus Christ. We are those who weep with hope because the conquering lamb will answer your prayers.

II. See the Throne (vv. 6-8)

Now it becomes very evident to John why he must save those tears, because God’s redemptive plan will be fulfilled in Jesus in a manner he could never have dreamed of. God will do so much more for us through Jesus than we even need! His grace is always greater than our sin. John describes as “seven horns” (power), “seven eyes” (known plan) accomplished by the “seven spirits” (Holy Spirit). John assures his present readers that this Holy Spirit “[has been] sent out into all the earth.” That is he was sent in the past but is still bringing salvation to God’s elect from every, tribe, tongue and people (Acts 1:8). When we see the throne, we are empowered by the Spirit to live with a courageous faith.

III. Sing the Theme (vv. 9-14)

Finally, because Jesus is carrying out the redemptive plan of God, we must sing that theme to one another and to back to him. Herein is presented a theology for saying a hearty “Amen” at every appropriate occasion, especially in corporate worship. Every time we say “Amen” at the end of a prayer or a song or during a sermon we are anticipating that day when the final “Amen” will be shouted. We are saying, “this prayer is advancing us toward that goal,” “this kind of song will be sung on that day,” “this truth will be finally validated by every creature.”

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

What is something that is so grieving or challenging to you recently that it causes you to weep and wonder what God is doing? How does seeing Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s plan help you to grieve with hope?
What is something that intimidates you? How does the understanding of the power of the Holy Spirit enable you to live courageously instead of fearfully? What motivation does this passage give you to pray?
How does the finality of the “amen” shouted provide hope when our circumstances tempt us to doubt if God’s plan is really being done?

Revelation 4:1-11

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Big Idea: God’s throne is a supreme power center that is invulnerable to attack. In fact, its power and authority are so secure that its doors are opened to all visitors; even the devil himself has been admitted. This is the throne room of God, which John was invited to tour.

I. The Sovereign Judge (vv. 1-5)

The initial impression we get from looking at this throne is as a judgment seat.

A. High (vv. 1-2): God’s throne is high above all things like a judge’s seat behind a dais, towering over everyone else in the courtroom. The voice, like a trumpet, authoritatively commands John to enter; it is not merely an invitation. In the Bible, trumpets announce the Lord’s presence. This Judge is absolutely sovereign to the end that he can reveal what will “take place” in the future because he has ordained that it “must.”

B. On (v. 3): Seated on the throne is the Sovereign Judge who is not identified until v. 8 as “the Lord God Almighty.” His power is also combined with truth. The stones only reinforce what we know from other Scriptures too, that the transparent truthfulness of Christ makes him beautiful in the sight of believers.

C. Surrounding (v. 4): Reinforcing this courtroom imagery are 24 other thrones with 24 elders wearing crowns. Twenty-four represents the unity of God’s Old Testament people, headed by 12 patriarchs, and New Testament people, led by 12 Apostles. They picture the fulfillment of God’s promise that his followers will someday be enthroned and share the duties of judging the world with Christ

D. From (v. 5): “Lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder” are reminiscent of Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19:16) where God revealed himself to Israel as the great Lawgiver. And the “seven torches” identified as the Holy Spirit are reminiscent of Pentecost, when the Spirit empowered the Apostles to preach the gospel in everyone’s language as with tongues of fire. Going forth from the throne then is the gospel which is the good news of salvation from judgment if it is believed, but the bad news of condemnation if it is ignored or rejected.

II. The Sovereign Redeemer (vv. 6-11)

The other impression we get from looking at this throne is a Judge turned Redeemer.

A. In Front (vv. 6, 9-11): There is a lot happening in front of the throne! For one, there is a “sea of glass, clear as crystal.” A tumultuous sea is often the biblical image for the sinful chaos of the world. That is the kind of “sea” that will be “no more” in heaven (Rev. 21:1). But there will be this perfectly calm sea. Its proximity to the Holy Spirit who is also “in front” of the throne reminds us that he is that agent of the Godhead who brings order out of chaos as he did at creation (Ge. 1:2). Only now he does so by applying the redemption purchased by Christ to us as the “firstfruits” and then ultimately to the whole creation (Ro. 8:23).

B. Encircling (v. 3): Encircling the throne is an emerald colored rainbow. Ezekiel received this tour of God’s throne room many years before John and saw the same encircling rainbow. Why a rainbow? The Noahic covenant was sacramentalized by a rainbow (Ge. 9:13-17). By that sign God promised he would never destroy the earth again by water; he would preserve the earth as an arena in which he would carry out his work of saving a people for himself (cf. Rev. 11:18). Sometimes just called a “bow,” the phenomenon in nature looks like a weapon at rest rather than drawn on an enemy. In other words, it is a symbol of God’s mercy. God is enthroned amidst his mercy. Specifically, his Son bearing the wounds of his loving sacrifice is enthroned in the glow of mercy.

C. Underneath (vv. 6-8): Though awkwardly expressed, the text basically says that the throne rests atop these four seraphim, whom Ezekiel eyed as well (1:1-21). Basically, these creatures face four directions so as to execute Christ’s directives throughout the earth. They probably represent the work of all God’s angels. “Full of eyes” means they carry out the will of a Savior who knows and sees all things.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

If God is revealed as a sovereign judge, what need does this expose in us?
What supply is made for our need in this passage?
What image is given to prove that, in Christ, our enmity with Christ is no more?
What implications might that have for the way you think about how God views you?
What image provides security that God is working out his plan?
What implications might this have for the way you view challenges and setbacks in life?

Due to a power outage, audio has been taken from a previous sermon at First Presbyterian Augusta.

Revelation 3:14-22

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Big Idea: In this passage, Jesus tells us really bad news. He identifies us with five very uncomplimentary words: wretched, poor, pitiful, blind, and naked! However, if you will acknowledge they represent your condition, you will experience the greatest news in the universe.

I. Wretched

What leads someone to this condition of being wretched, poor, pitiful, blind and naked? It begins with forgetting who Jesus is. As we have observed in the previous six letters, Jesus opens each letter with an applicable attribute. In this case, he calls himself “The Amen.” Most likely an allusion to Isaiah 65:16 in which God twice identifies himself as “The Amen.” In our text, Jesus not only equates himself with the Godhead, he tells readers of his sovereign authority to validate and effect everything he promises in this passage to do. That will be very, very good news to those who commit to him as Savior and Lord and very, very bad news to those who refuse to commit or “decommit." Our response must be the one we learned in Revelation 3:3: remember the gospel, obey the gospel by believing it, and then you will repent.

II. Pitiful

Next Jesus calls himself the “witness, the faithful and true one.” It is no accident that “witness” and “martyr” are the same word in Greek (ὁ μάρτυς). As the “slain Lamb” (5:6), Jesus provides the standard for anyone who would consider himself a witness in Revelation (2:13; 11:3; 17:6). There is ultimately no validity to one’s witness, unless he has suffered and still loves Jesus. The ultimate apologetic for the witness of the Apostles was that each one suffered, most sealed his testimony with his own blood. Elders continue the function of apostles—not in terms of revelation or working miracles—but in terms of shepherding the flock of God with the word of God. It has been my observation that no one remains an elder of a healthy church unless he suffers significantly.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

Did either of these uncomplimentary words resonate with you in a particular way? Why so?
What does this letter have to say to that condition?
What is the good news of the gospel you can receive, if you will admit your need?

Revelation 3:7-13

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’"

Big Idea: This is the second letter in which Jesus tells us, “Hold on!” But as we have seen in each of these studies thus far, we are merely called to hold on to Christ who has already taken hold of us. We must hold on to the person who holds us with his message and assures us of our future.

I. The Person (v. 7)

Jesus reminds us that he is “holy and true.” These qualities only occur together twice in the New Testament, once here and once referring to God in Rev. 6:10 (“faithful and true” occur together in 3:14; 21:5; 22:6). Together they assure us who are as vulnerable to Satan’s attacks as these Philadelphians, that we have in the person of Jesus all we need to endure to the end.

A. Holy: Identifying himself as holy is first a claim to divinity. Over 20 times in his prophecy, Isaiah distinguishes the only true God by calling him “holy” (Isa. 40:25; Hab. 3:3). So by calling himself the “holy” one, Jesus equates himself with the godhead. Not only does Jesus claim this for himself, even the demons recognize it to be true (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34; John 6:69). Like God in the Old Testament then, Jesus expects his people to be holy as he is holy and no book in the New Testament surpasses Revelation in conveying that expectation.

B. True: Christ is not only holy, he is true. It is one thing for someone to claim divinity, it is another to assert reliability. Philadelphia was littered with temples to gods that claimed to be real and possessing divine power, but none of them asserted those qualities in order to say effectively, “Do not be afraid. You can trust me.” Like every other attribute of God, his truthfulness is an expression of his goodness.

II. The Message (vv. 8-10)

The second assurance that God holds us securely in Christ is the message of the gospel itself.

A. Welcomed: The first beautiful characteristic of the gospel is its welcome to all nations and races. One reason this group of Jewish people in Philadelphia is called “a synagogue of Satan” is that they were refusing to allow Gentiles into the church.

B. Loved: In fact, Jesus not only calls such an attitude a heresy sponsored by Satan himself, he promises cosmic humiliation. The day will come when he will force all who have asserted such racial superiority to bow at the offended Gentile Christians’ feet and Jesus will publicly prove to the whole world that he loves them.

C. Preserved: Finally, Jesus promises to preserve us through trials. Verse 10 could sound like some will be spared tribulation. But Jesus actually promised that in this world we will have trials (Jn. 17:15). So the only conclusion that we can reach in comparing Scripture to Scripture is that he is promising that we will be preserved through the fiercest of trials and the Judgment itself (Ac. 18:9-10).

III. The Future (vv. 11-13)

Finally, Jesus urges us to hold on because he is “coming soon.” In view of eternity, his coming to judge the world at the last day will be “soon” (2:16, 25; 22:7, 12, 20; cf. Zech. 2:10). For one to whom a “thousand years is as a day,” any date in future human history will be “soon.” But we have also observed that Jesus promises to come for special missions in the intervening time, “like a thief” (3:3). For those who walk with Christ, Jesus’ coming at any time is welcomed, because he comes to bless us and not to curse.

A. Honored: Those who love Christ “love his appearing” because whenever he shows up it is to honor his disciples. No matter how we are humiliated and dismissed in this life, Jesus will “crown” us as his “co-heirs.” Therefore, he urges us to stay close to him when we are being persecuted or tried or reviled lest those spiritual or human forces who oppress us cause us to quit and forfeit our crown of victory.

B. Named: Furthermore, Jesus promises to name us with every title necessary for dignity (cf. 14:1; 22:4). The “name of my God” is the assurance of a lineage because God is now your Father as he is Jesus’ Father. The “name of the city of my God” provides dignified roots and history. And Jesus “new name” is an allusion to that role he will have as Judge of the nations when his redemptive mission is finished. Including us in that new name means that we are destined to rule with him.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

Which of the attributes of Jesus most resonates with you and what response does that attribute require from you?
What part of the message is the best news to you in this season of life? Why?
How do you see aspects of honor and shame play out in our culture/sub-culture and what good news does this passage have for that?

Revelation 3:1-6

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Big Idea: Whether you are waking up from spiritual torpor or already walking with the Lord, you must constantly return to the very basics of what Jesus has done for you.

I. Wake Up The primary issue Jesus raises with the church in Sardis is that they are spiritually dead. It seems that these Christians are “dead” because they are just going through the motions in serving the Lord. Their worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship and works of mercy are perfunctory. There are two things these Christians – and us – are called to when we find that we have been going through the motions.

A. Strengthen: First, these Christians are called to “strengthen what remains.” In other words, just because we have previously done things in a perfunctory way or done them with imperfect motives, does not mean that we must quit doing them. Instead, they must be done with a heart full of love for Christ. They must be done in grateful response to Jesus.

B. Remember: The only way to reinvigorate our hearts to live and serve in this way is to “remember what we have received and heard.” In the Bible, this is always a reference to the message of the gospel, what Jesus did to save us.

II. Walk Jesus says that there is a remnant in Sardis who still “walk” with him. That is, are his constant companions who stay close by even when it is unpopular to be seen with him. They are not occasional friends but loyal and devoted ones. A Christian whose “works are complete” is one who is never ashamed of being associated with Jesus. Constantly remembering what he has done for you will compel you to stay near him in obedience and stand with him even when it seems like the whole world is ridiculing you.

A. Away from “Christians”: Jesus compares those who walk with him to priests wearing white unsoiled garments. John has already told us in chapter one that Jesus’ loving sacrifice made us to be a kingdom of priests and Paul explains that our primary priestly duty is to take the gospel to unbelievers so they can be reconciled to the Father. By his own example, Jesus teaches us that such priestly ministry for our lost friends and neighbors begins with a heart of love and compassion for them, which compels us to “sanctify” ourselves. That is, we set ourselves apart in holy living so that we might pray effectively on their behalf as well as hold out to them an attractive alternative to the life they are living (Jn. 17).

B. Toward Your Name: If you have been blending in with the crowd and soiling your garments to make them look like everyone else’s then Jesus holds out this invitation to repent. He says that even if you are near the end of your life, there is still the possibility of walking with him in “garments of white.” It will be by repenting now and overcoming at the end.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

As you survey your own heart, are there any ways in which you have been living/serving in a perfunctory, “dead” way or with impure motives?
What lead you to engage in those ministries or programs in the first place? In what way does the gospel motivate you to strengthen what remains?
Are there any areas in your life in which you may have allowed yourself to compromise because it was easier to fit in than “sanctify” yourself?
What assurance does the gospel give you that you will be forgiven and transformed if you repent?

For Further Study: The book referenced was Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love (Focus Publishing, 2008).

Revelation 2:18-29

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Big Idea: We need “a fiercer delight and a fiercer discontent” with the world as it is.

I. Threats

Unlike the anger of the gods of the day that resulted in misfortune, Jesus’ anger comes from love. He is angry that people are living in a way that is beneath their dignity as those who bear the image of God. He is angry because those he created to be kings and queens are allowing themselves to act as animals and thus defacing the beauty of life as he designed it.

II. Promises

Bronze feet represented a sure foundation, so Jesus had sufficient strength to make good on whatever he promised. That they were burnished also conveys how beautiful his character is lying behind every command. To submit to Christ is not to cower before some repulsive sovereign. Submission to Jesus results in a more beautiful life.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

Are there any ways in which you sometimes view God’s rebuke as a hindrance to your joy rather than a loving correction back to the life he designed for you? What might you not be believing that causes you to view his rebuke that way? What specific area of your life most often feels that way?
How do God’s promises in this passage coincide with his threats to make the letter good news?
Can you think of an example when you have become angry with someone out of love for their well-being? How does that example illustrate God’s love for you?

John 20:11-29

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Big Idea: Jesus’ resurrection is relevant to our lives, because it provides hope for our despondency, courage for our disconnectedness, and faith for our disillusionment.

I. Despondency

Despondency is the result of thinking people or earthly forces, or circumstances can overpower the Lordship of Christ. But the resurrection proves to us that the world matters to God. N.T. Wright has written:

The message of the resurrection is that this world matters! That the injustices and pains of this present world must now be addressed with the news that healing, justice, and love have won. If Easter means Jesus Christ is only raised in a spiritual sense—[then] it is only about me, and finding a new dimension in my personal spiritual life. But if Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead, Christianity becomes good news for the whole world—news which warms our hearts precisely because it isn't just about warming hearts. Easter means that in a world where injustice, violence and degradation are endemic, God is not prepared to tolerate such things—and that we will work and plan, with all the energy of God, to implement victory of Jesus over them all.

II. Disconnectedness

The disciples were terrified after Jesus’ death, because they were in danger of being persecuted and evil killed because they were followers of Jesus. The resurrected Jesus came to them personally and provided peace through his presence, purpose through his commission, and power through his Spirit which was to come.

III. Disillusionment

Thomas was reluctant to believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead. He said, “Unless I see ... I will never believe.” Jesus corrects his unbelief. This cannot be a rebuke of the hard-headed disciple, because the others have only believed after seeing Jesus too. It is rather a promise to readers of the account that we can be as blessed as Mary, the disciples and Thomas. Without seeing or touching Jesus, the resurrected Christ can restore hope, courage, and faith.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

Which of these three perspectives – despondency, disconnectedness, and disillusionment – resonated with you most? Why?
What relevance does the resurrection have for that perspective? How did this passage impact you personally?
What is one way you can respond to this reality?

And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: “The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” (Revelation 2:12-17)

Big Idea: In this letter, Jesus lays down two ways his disciples must overcome because the battle belongs to him: professing him with their mouths and taking up our cross daily.

I. Profess with Your Mouth (vv. 12-13)

Pergamum was a city with considerable access to knowledge, healing, and political and social influence. There would have been much pressure in Pergamum to disown Christ either by overt denial or mere passivity. As a city that had gained favors from Rome for committing sacred spaces to emperor worship, it surely felt like Satan was “enthroned” there. Surrounded as they were by a culture wholeheartedly committed to honoring Caesar as lord, Christians could have concluded that Satan was the “ruler of the world” (Jn. 14:30). Everything in the Christian faith would have been out of step with Pergamum’s values.

II. Take Up Your Cross Daily (vv. 14-16)

Jesus turns from these words of commendation to words of condemnation, which are just as applicable to our Church today. As courageous and articulate as this church was with her verbal profession, she had a remarkable cognitive dissonance. Though willing to go to the stake for her doctrine, she tolerated sexual immorality and material avarice. This church was forging a bond between orthodox Christian beliefs and a morally compromising lifestyle.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

What are some specific areas where you find your Christian beliefs “out of step” with the beliefs and practices of those around you?
Are there opportunities for you to profess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord even if it might cost you in some way? How is Jesus both the model and motivation for living this way?
It can be subtle the ways we may be very intentional about our doctrine yet pay less attention to our personal holiness. Are there any ways the Spirit brought conviction to you in this regard? If so, how?
The beginning of verse 16 is short and hopeful. After naming the specific sin, John writes, “therefore repent.” The good news of the gospel is that if you are guilty of living contrary to the doctrine you carefully hold, Jesus gives opportunity to repent. Spend time praying and asking the Spirit to reveal sin in your life and enabling repentance.

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’" (Revelation 2:8-11)

Big Idea: All Christians will face some level of persecution in their lives. Three truths about your King and Savior will keep you sane and help you endure during tribulation: he knows you intimately, he is with you in tribulation, and he will raise you from the dead, never to die again.

I. Knows Intimately (v. 9)

For Smyrna, a church being cruelly persecuted, they needed to know that Christ is sovereign. He possesses the distinctly divine quality of being eternal; he is the “First and the Last” (cm. 1:8). So knowing the end from the beginning, Jesus certainly knows their present sufferings. He specifically knows their “afflictions,” “poverty,” and “slander.” Jesus was not merely aware that the Smyrnans were suffering, he had known it before time began and he even felt the pain of it as one who was one in flesh with them.

II. Present in Tribulation (v. 10)

John’s words become more ominous as he warns believers that they may even be imprisoned for their faith. Jesus clarifies that the devil is directly responsible for the incarceration. And he even explains the devil’s agenda; it is to “test” the believer. The Smyrnans are provided the confidence that while the devil will test them by putting them in prison, King Jesus will ensure their success. It is his presence that guarantees a believer’s endurance through suffering.

III. Raises Incorruptibly (vv. 8, 10-11)

This letter ends with the same condition as most of the others: the one who “overcomes” will experience heaven. This shows us the necessity of perseverance. The Bible teaches that salvation is conditional upon obedience to the very end of life. However, we must understand this as an instrumental condition rather than a meritorious one. Meritorious conditionality would mean that by being obedient you earn heaven, that God owes you heaven because you have purchased it by your self-discipline. That is clearly against Scripture and offensive to the notion of grace (Ga. 2:21). But an instrumental condition merely describes something that must happen in order to assure a certain end. It doesn’t matter how the condition is met, it just has to occur to accomplish the desired result. So our salvation is contingent on an instrumental condition and that condition is met by Christ in our place.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

What is an example of persecution you have personally experienced or have observed in the life of someone else?
Which of the attributes of Jesus resonated with you most from this passage?
What implications does this attribute of Jesus have for you? In other words, how is that attribute good news for you specifically?
What is one way you should respond to this good news about who Jesus is for you?

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ (Revelation 2:1–7)

Big Idea: The Lord Jesus Christ combines truth and love in one person. To abandon either is not just to deny Christianity, it is to deny Christ. Because Jesus is Lord, we must overcome. . .

I. With Truth

Jesus begins with a commendation for the church at Ephesus. He knows they have been faithful in the past to defend the truth of the gospel. Paul had warned these Ephesian elders that false teachers would come among them (Ac. 20:29). And Jesus had alerted the Church to the reality that false teachers are seldom obvious. They are like “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Mt. 7:15). False teachers are often favorite pastors or close friends or even family members. No matter the relationship, the Lord said that every teacher’s doctrine must be tested (1 Th. 5:21; 1 Co. 14:29; 1 Jn. 4:1). The false teachers apparently found a way to compromise with idolatry and immorality (2:20-21; cf. Ac. 15:29).

II. In Love

As pleased as Jesus had been with the Ephesians’ doctrinal fidelity, he is not pleased with them now. Apparently their focus on rooting out false doctrine had created a culture of suspicion to the point that they have run out of brotherly love (2 Jn. 5). William Barclay said, “the eagerness to root out all mistaken men had ended in a sour and rigid orthodoxy.” So essential is this mark of love that Jesus grants the world the right to dismiss our own profession and even our message if they do not see us loving one another. In fact, this passage shows us that a church that fails to love will have its lampstand removed if it does not repent. In other words, it will no longer be a true church of Jesus Christ.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

Do you tend to emphasize truth or love in your relationships with others? Why so?
How does Jesus embody both truth and love perfectly?
What will it look like for you to hold these two in better balance in your own life?
Who is someone you know who embodies both truth and love well?

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (ESV)

Big Idea: The sovereignty of God and the love of God are two apparently contradictory thoughts John stitches together for suffering Christians in Revelation. By his own example, he tells us that we can only affirm both as we hear and see them woven together in Jesus.

I. Listen (vv. 9-11)To be convinced that suffering or disappointment do not conflict with God’s love requires listening regularly to God’s word. That listening involves not merely reading the Bible but especially listening to it preached within corporate worship.

A. Suffering Witness (v.9) The first reason one should feel compelled to accept the whole Bible and the New Testament in particular is that the men who wrote it suffered for their testimony. Most of them lost everything including their lives for recording what they did (2 Co. 11:23-29).

B. Spirit's Inspiration (v. 10)By “inspired” we mean that the Bible itself teaches that its words have been “breathed out” by God (2 Ti. 3:16). Rather than dictating, God “carried along” his authors, incorporating their unique personalities, experiences, vocabulary and training so that while the result is exactly what God intended, the Bible also has a human feel (2 Pt. 1:20-21). The Bible is also infallible. Because the Bible is God’s word, it carries inherent authority and is unfailingly true.

C. Superior Textual Record (v. 11)Two primary tests are used to discern an ancient text’s reliability and accuracy. There are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Additionally, there are 10,000 more in cognate languages, that is, copies of Greek manuscripts in languages very closely related to Greek. By means of these 15,000 manuscripts, scholars have identified every textual variant and have by consensus been able to determine the original reading in most situations. See the chart below for a comparison with other ancient works.

II. Look (vv. 12-20)The vision of Jesus we see here shows us at least four things about him.

A. With the ChurchThe earthly temple was a replica of heaven, so John sees Jesus walking among the lampstands, each of which represents a Christian congregation. This picture indicates how immediately attentive Jesus is to us. Not only is he with us on earth through his Spirit, we are spiritually with him in heaven (Col. 3:2).

B. For the ChurchThe vision of Jesus we see here shows us at least four things about him.

1. Divine: He is first one who shares the distinguishing characteristics of God. “Son of Man” together with the ascription of “glory” in 1:6 identify Christ as the divine Messiah anticipated in Ezekiel 1 and Daniel 7.

2. Priest: His long robe is reminiscent of the Old Testament high priest’s vestments (Ex. 28:4; 29:5).

3. Prophet: His “white hair” represents the wisdom he conveys to us as he reveals to us everything we need to know for life and salvation (Lev. 1932; Pr. 16:31; cf. Pr. 8).

4. King: The golden sash around his chest was worn by kings not priests. This King will come for us with overwhelming power like a conflagration (cf. 2:18) and with the offensive weaponry of a warrior.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:• What is an example of something that makes suffering seem to be at odds with God’s love?• How does the suffering of the writers of God’s Word help affirm its validity?
• In what way does God’s Word demonstrate his love?
• Which characteristic of Jesus was most comforting to you?

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (ESV)

Background: Revelation represents a genre or category of literature in Scripture called “apocalyptic” or “eschatological,” which has to do with the end of the world. Most likely, John, the apostle of Jesus, wrote Revelation during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (AD 81-96). He was writing down the Revelation given to him by the Holy Spirit to Christians who were undergoing immense persecution for their faith.

Outline: Revelation can be divided into six sections: a prologue (1:1-8), an epilogue (22:6-21) and four visions, each of which is signaled by the phrase “in the spirit” (1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). In addition to the prologue and epilogue, each vision contains a comforting promise as well as the condition which must be met by the follower of Christ to experience it.

Big Idea: Regardless of how many details we will not understand about Revelation, there is one point that will be absolutely clear by the end of the book—King Jesus is coming and in that day he will distinguish between those who were ashamed of him and those who were not. But this much will also be clear, if you really understand his attributes as a King you will want him to be yours.

I. First Vision: The King Who Teaches (1:9-3:22)
Consisting of seven “letters” to churches in Asia Minor, the first vision reveals Jesus is present in local gospel-centered congregations and teaches his people there what they need to know as his subjects.

A. Comfort: Presence (2:7)The comfort is that no matter what enemies one faces or what one loses in this world for following Christ, God will provide eternal life. Specifically, in the letter to the Church in Ephesus, he promises “the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in paradise (2:7).

B. Condition: Perseverance (2:7)This is a comfort which will only be experienced by those who “overcome” or “persevere” (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). This is a condition with the propensity to be crushing until we realize that Jesus perseveres on our behalf so that in our union with him, we persevere too.

II. Second Vision: The King Who Protects (4:1-16:21)This whole vision centers around God’s throne where the Lamb of God is seated now. Following that description of the throne in chapters 4-5, there are three sets of seven: seven seals (6:8), seven trumpets (8:7-12), and seven bowls (16:3).

A. Comfort: Resurrection (12:6)At the end of each of these scenes there is an earthquake (4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18). Hearkening back to the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19:16), the earthquake symbolizes the earthly arrival of God’s redemptive power from heaven.

B. Condition: Courage (12:11)
The conditions for experiencing that protection, to be on the victorious side of the battle against the “dragon,” are given in 12:11. First, is to be under the “blood of the Lamb” which is to seek Christ’s atonement for your personal sins rather than trying to outweigh them with good works. Second, is publicly to bear testimony that you are a follower of Christ.

III. Third Vision: The King Who Liberates (17:1-21:8)The third version contains the climax of the book: the coming of Christ and the utter defeat of Satan.

A. Comfort: Vindication (19:17-20:3)Now we understand from this vision that there will be a mission to Christ’s resurrecting us. We will be raised to be an army! We will join Christ in the defeat of his and our foes. We will ride forth with him in battle and afterwards be seated on thrones with Christ to judge the devil himself and condemn him to his own hell.

B. Condition: Obedience (19:7-8)An invitation comes to every human being to attend the “wedding supper of the Lamb” which of course is the eternal celebration in heaven. those who accept Christ’s invitation to join him in heaven, begin preparations now to meet him unashamed. They dress in “fine linen bright and clean” which John explains parenthetically symbolizes “righteous acts.”

IV. Fourth Vision: The King Who Celebrates (21:9-22:5)The last chapters of the book are the first chapters of eternity.

A. Comfort: Heaven (21:1-8)When Jesus has gathered all of his children home, defeated all his enemies, and reversed all the curses following Adam and Eve’s first sin, he will throw an eternal party! It will be everything and more that hell is not: joy, plenty, and unfettered celebration with Christ. God’s singular covenant mission will finally be realized: “He will be our God and we will be his people.”

B. Condition: Trust (21:27; 22:17)Who will be there? “Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” They are the ones who have answered the invitation and proven it by their pursuit of purity in life.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:1. What is something new you learned about the book of Revelation?
2. Which of the comforts listed above resonated with you most?
3. What response does the condition corresponding with that comfort merit from you now?

Peace with God can alone bring peace to an individual life. The peace of God alone is powerful enough to stop warring factions. God’s peace alone can enable us to live in peace with those who disagree with us or even hate us. Peace with God through Jesus Christ alone can indescribably guard our hearts and minds in the midst of these intersecting global crises. That peace and the way to obtain it are pictured for us in these descriptions of this little gold table in the Holy Place, just outside the Holy of Holies and in front of the ark of the covenant.

I. The Table Itself: Step 1—God’s purpose: peace and life
The first step to peace with God is realizing God has a purpose for you—he loves you and wants you to know peace and have eternal life. This fact is written all throughout scripture. Here are just two places: “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1) and “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The very existence of a table obviously intended for dining in the presence of God makes that point. Only friends sit down together for a pleasant meal.

II. The Table’s Location: Step 2—The Problem: our separation from God
The table represented separation, because it sat outside the Holy of Holies. If you do not know peace with God, the second step toward that relationship is to realize you have a big problem—you are separated from God by your sin. The problem of estrangement you are feeling is not merely emotional, it is real. Out of the sinful nature you were born with and by the ways you continue to disobey God’s commands you have declared yourself God’s enemy.

III. The Table’s Utensils: Step 3—God’s Bridge: the cross
The utensils, especially the cups were for ceremonial cleansing purposes, for libations. God is so determined to have a peaceful relationship, he has made a way for us to be reconciled through the cross of his beloved Son. The Bible says: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5) and “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

IV. The Table’s Bread: Step 4—Our Response: receive Christ
Elsewhere the Bible explains the obvious function of the table was “for setting out the consecrated bread” (2 Ch. 29:18). We must trust and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and give up all further attempts to gain favor with God through our own merit. Peace with God can only be received.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

What did you learn about the function and meaning of the table in this passage?
Which of the four steps to peace with God resonated with you most? Why?
What is one way you were motivated to respond by this passage/sermon?

For Further Study: For more on the four steps to peace with God, see Billy Graham, Peace with God.

We must meet God’s demands, because he is the highest authority. The ark of the covenant reveals five attributes of God and each one implies a duty for us. I. Holiness of God
The ark was constructed of wood but covered by gold, a symbol of God’s holiness. Because God is holy, he demands that we be holy (Lv. 19:2; Mt. 5:48). To be holy is to be committed to thinking, saying and doing everything he commands and turning away from everything he forbids.

II. Faithfulness of God
In Exodus 16, God fed his people with bread from heaven called manna. To help his people remember his constant faithfulness, he commanded, “Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt” (16:32). After the ark was constructed, this jar of manna was kept in the ark. Samuel’s parting words to his people reminded them, as so many prophets did, that the only proper response to God’s faithfulness is to be faithful: “Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you” (1 Sa. 12:24).

III. Sovereignty of God
The cherubim and the space above them illustrated that God reigns in absolute sovereignty above all creation. God is frequently described as being enthroned above the cherubim (2 Kg. 19:15; Ez. 1:5-11, 13, 14; Ps. 99:1; 80:1; Rev. 11:19). Inside the ark was also a testament to God’s sovereignty—Aaron’s staff. The Aaronic priesthood was pointing to Jesus the perfect priest who as the sovereign Son of God humbled himself to redeem us. Is there an implied command for us? Jesus himself said there is, “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:25-29).

IV. Justice of God
The most important artifacts placed in the ark were the two stone tablets upon which God had etched the law. This mutual, covenantal relationship between God and his people is described generically in Scripture as “just” or “righteous.” The Bible says justice as applied to human relationships has five characteristics which offer infinitely better answers to the concerns spanning the spectrum between care for the individual and care for humanity as a whole. Those five facets are: 1) Voluntary sharing of resources; 2) Dignity and equality for every human being; 3) Corporate responsibility; 4) Individual responsibility; and 5) Advocacy for the marginalized.

V. Mercy of God
The lid on the top of the box was called the “mercy seat.” On top of that lid were the cherubim symbolizing the throne of God. Once a year on the Day of Atonement the high priest would slay a goat and pour the blood all over the mercy seat (Lv. 16). God contaminated the beautiful image he had constructed of himself with the blood of an innocent victim in order to cover the even more repulsive record of those who sinned against his grace. Jesus illustrated what God intended more vividly with the story of the Pharisee and the Publican. While the Pharisee looked at the Publican and tried to justify himself in contrast to that “sinner,” the tax collector did not even look up. He only cried out to the Lord, “have mercy on me a sinner” (Lk 18:13).

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

Which of the attributes of God illustrated by the ark resonated most with you? Why?
What implications does that attribute of God have for who you are?
How can you respond to that attribute of God with your life?

For Further Study:
For a full explanation of the 5 categories of biblical justice, see Timothy Keller, “A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Race Critical Theory,” https://quarterly.gospelinlife.com/a-biblical-critique-ofsecular-justice-and-critical-theory/.

Our natural response to fear and anxiety is fight or flight. It takes intention to respond in any other way. God’s commandment to keep the Sabbath Day is a primary way to find both certainty and rest. I. Certainty (Exodus 31:12-13, 17a)Setting aside the Lord’s Day for worship will refocus us away from fears onto certainty.

A. God’s Word: Through Moses, God set up the standard by which all future revelation would be discerned. Every writing prophet or apostle had to teach in continuity with Moses and have it confirmed by a miracle. That means the Bible you hold in your hands is the actual word of God. The promises it makes, the standards it sets, and the reality it describes could not be more reliable than if Christ himself were to sit beside you and speak those words audibly to you. We must give God’s Word first place in our lives when it comes to discerning what is right, good, and true. As you observe your patterns throughout the week, where is your primary source of truth coming from and how much time are you giving it?

B. God’s Love: Psalm 92:1-2 begins, “A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night. One of the reasons we worship morning and evening is that believing that God loves us is not our natural disposition. We need to be reminded. In the Sabbath, God has given us an entire day within which he reminds us of his love. Think back to an experience where you were fearful or anxious. How would a belief in God’s love affect that experience?

C. God’s Salvation: When we rest from our work on the Sabbath, we are reminded of God’s grace. How? Because God gives us 7 days of provision for 6 days of work. In other words, it is a picture of the gospel. We get what we could ever earn by our own merit. Do you struggle to stop working? Why might that be? How can you trust God in this way?

II. Rest (Exodus 31:14-16, 17b)
Resting on the Lord’s Day requires three things…

A. Ceasing: The focus here should be, “What draining activity (because of the Fall) does my loving Father give me permission to cease on this day in order to rest physically and be refreshed emotionally? How would you answer that question? Is there a way you can put this into practice?

B. Embracing: Embracing means we must be intentional. Prepare ahead, especially on Saturday so that Sunday can be the special gift intended. Those who have seen the Sabbath throughout the centuries as a gift and not a burden have typically been intentional in prayerful and prudent preparation. Are there any specific ways you can prepare both physically (around the house) and spiritually for the Lord’s Day so that you can derive the full benefit from it?

C. Feasting: This is an invitation to do that which refreshes and refuels you. Maybe it’s being in creation. Maybe it’s reading for hours on end. Maybe it’s riding your bike. What is it for you?

For Further Study:
The outline of the second point is owing to Marva J. Dawn, Keeping the Sabbath Wholly: Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, Feasting.

God uses us to advance his kingdom in the city, as we… I. Live (vv. 1-6, 8-9) II. Seek (v. 7) III. Pray (v. 7)

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

What did you learn from this sermon/passage?
What implications does this have for who you are are a follower of Jesus?
What is one way you can respond?

Because God is both transcendent and immanent, we must constantly be humbled to remain dependent on the presence of Christ. I. Transcendence (vv. 29-30)
Moses’ face shone because he had been in the presence of God. And it was not merely a glistening hue like a sunbather lathered up with tanning oil, the Hebrew intensely describes light bursting forth in rays from Moses’ face. Knowing: how would you describe God’s transcendence to someone who had not heard this sermon?

When the Israelites saw this phenomenon, they knew Moses’ face represented the transcendence of the almighty and holy God and they presumed it meant devastating judgment was on its way from him. So they ran! Being: what does this Israelites’ response tell us about who we are in relation to God?

As long as you are trying to deal with life and all reality in your own resources, you will live with a constant fear of God’s presence which will sometimes be a mere nagging and at others an overwhelming panic. Even if you are a disciple of Christ, when you are running from obeying the Lord, his presence will be haunting to you. Even if you are a Jesus follower, as long as you have your eyes fixed on the problems of life and looking to yourself or some other source in this world for the solution, your fears will be magnified because God stands in your way to force you out of those vain pursuits. God is transcendent and it is appropriate to be intimidated by him and even shrink away from him in terror, especially if you are trying to take his place. Doing: how should you respond to God’s transcendence?

II. Immanence (vv. 31-35)
As there often is in God’s word, a gracious conjunction follows a grim scene, “But Moses called to them. . .all returned, and Moses talked with them.” Yes, Moses’ face shined as evidence he had been in the glorious transcendent presence of God, but there was a gracious additional reason. The Lord wanted his people to know he was drawing near with his grace. Knowing: what is significant about God’s immanence coupled with his transcendence?

Paul would later explain that one reason Moses’ veiled his face was to shield the people from discouragement as the brightness waned (2 Cor. 3:13). When the glow on his face disappeared, it meant he had to return to the tabernacle to receive further revelation. Through subsequent generations, God clarified in various ways the Messiah was yet to come. Finally, in Jesus we beheld “the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14?). Being: how does Christ demonstrate God immanence and why is that good news?

In 2 Cor. 3:7-11, Paul theologically applies what is happening in this story. First, the law Moses wrote was an expression of God’s glorious grace because it provided directions for the tabernacle which would represent God’s presence among them (7). But it was infinitely surpassed by the revelation of salvation in Christ (8). That salvation specifically provides righteousness through Christ (9), direct access to the Father in prayer (12, 13), a new mind to understand reality (14-15), and the initiation of transformation into the likeness of Christ (17-18). Doing: how should you live in response to God’s immanence?

The presence of the Lord is better than life itself (cf. Ps. 63:3), so we must stay near to him through... I. Repentance (vv. 1-6)
What do you do when God hides his face? What the Israelites did—repent furiously. Repentance is always a good idea, no matter the situation because our hearts are constantly wandering. But sometimes repentance requires radical steps tangibly representing new choices. This is what the Israelites did by stripping off their gold jewelry. Not only was it the gold from their ears by which they made the calf (cm. Gen. 35:2-4), jewelry represented joy in the Ancient Near East even as people here wear jewelry to a celebration. Spontaneously they stripped away these symbols of celebration to show the Lord they were deeply heartbroken.

II. Prayer (vv. 7-13)
Whereas the Israelites withdrew and mourned, Moses took action and pitched a tent in God’s presence. Apparently this wasn’t the first time, Moses had to camp out before the Lord on behalf of the stiff-necked Israelites. Moses says he “used to” indicating he had to do it often (7). This is model intercession. It’s the way we must pray for each other. Don’t wait until people are worthy of being prayed for before you ask God to be merciful. Be thankful to Jesus, he doesn’t make that the same condition of his prayers for you and me! Just as repentance is always appropriate, praying for mercy is always appropriate to. Be honest with the Lord, “These children ... my parents ... my students ... my pastor ... my elected officials ... my fellow citizens don’t deserve it, Lord, but please draw near to them.”

III. Mercy (vv. 14-23)
Now Moses again proves he is the anticipation of Jesus by his full identification with his people, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (15). Moses so completely unites himself to his people that he will not accept the gift of God’s presence for himself if it doesn’t include his people—“If you withdraw from my people, you withdraw from me.” This is a love the world does not know. It is to say, “These people in this family, this church, this city are mine, and no matter how ‘unworthy’ they become, I will love them and plead God’s grace for them.”

Questions for Reflection/Discussion: 1. What did you learn from this passage? 2. What does this passage show you about what it means to be united to Jesus? 3. How does God’s grace revealed in this passage motivate you to respond?

The whole Bible, including this passage, tells us only Jesus can deliver us from the danger we are in, so we must turn to him. I. See Imperfectly (vv. 1-5)
Idolatry causes us to see imperfectly. We can make tragically flawed conclusions based on our faulty and limited perspective. Therefore, we must trust that Jesus tells us what is accurate about life and our world even if it doesn’t make sense to us at the time.

II. Act Impatiently (vv. 6, 21-25)
When God does not act according to our schedule, the way we “see” things should unfold, we act impatiently.

III. Suffer Eternally (vv. 7-20, 25-29)

Judgment: When God makes Moses aware of the Israelites’ rebellion, he refers to them with the same derision they referred to Moses, “this people” (9). The Lord was furious with his people to the point he threatened to annihilate them and recreate a covenant people through Moses (10).
Intercession: Where did Moses learn to pray the way he does in this passage? From the same Lord he learned righteous anger. By the Spirit, he was able to look into the New Testament and by faith love Christ more than his own welfare. Of course this is what Jesus did for us. Moses and Jesus show us that battling idolatry will involve our bearing the sins of those around us. Anger does not defeat idolatry, stepping into the fray, interceding with passion, and sacrificially receiving blows from the idolaters as we strive to spare them from God’s wrath is our highest honor.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

Can you think of a situation recently wherein retrospect, your limited vision caused you to form incorrect conclusions about God and reality?
Can you think of an example where you have acted impatiently, because things did not seem to be going as you thought they should?
What does this passage teach you about the way our limited vision and impatience are connected with idolatry? What about the judgment we deserve for idolatry?
What does this passage teach you about the way Jesus took the judgment we deserve for idolatry? How does Jesus’ love for you motivate you to trust God when your vision is limited and wait for God’s timing when things are not going according to your vision?

Amid the detailed description of the priests’ clothing, we find the calling of every believer and the supply of all we need in Christ. There are two ways we can try to present ourselves to God.

I. By Holiness
The only way we will avoid God’s judgment is by holiness. Our moral bankruptcy is only highlighted by the garments prescribed for the priest. While the people were not required to dress like the priest, the personal holiness graphically represented by his clothing was required. God called every member of the community to be a priest in terms of personal holiness (Ex. 19:6).

Shoulders (vv. 1-14): the priest bore on his shoulders the welfare of the people of Israel. He was not only responsible for their right worship, but their relationships with one another, their public health, and their economic needs. To be holy before the Lord requires holistic caring for our neighbors. To love them so selflessly, their burdens become our own.
Chest (vv. 15-30): No one is quite sure what the Urim and Thummim were. Their description is not as important as their place on the priest’s body. They were to be “on Aaron’s heart” because he bore their “judgment on his heart before the Lord” (29-30). This was not just a job for the priest.
Robe (vv. 31-35): The image here is that the priest only survives in the presence of God on behalf of others because he is robed in righteousness. To be holy is to sanctify oneself on behalf of others.
Head (vv. 36-41): The high priest’s turban was distinguished by a gold plate inscribed with the words, “Holy to the Lord.” This plate born on Aaron’s forehead sacramentally reminded him of his grave responsibility to intercede on behalf of his people. To be holy is to bear the cross for our brothers and sisters, especially by interceding for them in prayer.
Hidden (vv. 42-43): Through the decoration and detail of temple worship, the Lord was teaching his people he is beautifully pure to his core. By requiring the priest to “gird his loins” was to remind the priest and his people they were to be pure not only sexually but in all the secret places of one’s life and heart. To be holy is to have every secret place in one’s life open to the holy eyes of the Lord.

Which of these priestly functions do you most naturally gravitate toward? Which of these was convicting to you?

II. By Christ
These standards for holiness are impossible to attain. We need a Savior who will protect us from God’s judgment and make us legally holy by substituting his righteousness on our behalf. However, we also need him to make us personally holy because “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Christ is our great high priest who not only provides that substitution but makes us priests.

Shoulders (Luke 15:5): When we reflect on Christ constantly bearing us up ever so tenderly and generously, we will be motivated to bear our neighbor’s burdens. And being carried on
his shoulders, we will have the divine resources to enable us to do it.
Chest (Revelation 1:13): In Revelation 1:13, John sees Jesus moving in and out among the churches, scrutinizing their motives, and across his chest, his heart, is a golden sash, not just revealing what is true inside, that his heart is as pure as gold, but reflecting outside, before the Lord, that his heart is pure for our sakes.
Robe (Revelation 19:8-9): The fine linen representing the righteous acts of the saints was given her to wear, this passage says. Admission to the wedding supper of the lamb is not something we gain through our own righteous acts but by receiving the righteous acts Christ performed in our place.
Head (Colossians 1:18): Our minds are futile in their thinking (Romans 1). We don't think properly about the world, others, or even ourselves. We let other’s estimation of us or our own failures determine our identity rather than thinking accurately about Jesus’ new identification of us. He is our head, which not only means he is our Lord, but he is also our source of life and identity.
Hidden Place (Hebrew 9:22-25): Finally, we need not only Jesus’ outward covering, we need him to replace the most hidden and shameful parts of our heart with his righteousness. The Bible says our consciences are evil. Every motive of our heart is twisted. Christ, according to Hebrews 10:22, must take out our heart and replace it with his. He must give us a true heart, sprinkled clean that we might worship him.

Which part of the armor of God fulfilled for us in Christ was the best news to you? How did you see the gospel in this passage?

“Aaron’s Drest” by George Herbert
Holiness on the head,
Light and perfection on the breast,
Harmonious bells below, raising the dead
To lead them unto life and rest.
Thus are true Aarons dressed.

Profaneness in my head,
Defects and darkness in my breast,
A noise of passions ringing me for dead
Unto a place where is no rest.
Poor priest thus am I dressed.

Only another head
I have, another heart and breast,
another music, making live not dead,
without whom I could have no rest:
In him I am well dressed.

Christ is my only head,
My alone only heart and breast,
My only music, striking me even dead;
That to the old man I may rest,
And be in him new dressed.

So holy in my head,
Perfect and light in my dear breast,
My doctrine tuned by Christ, (who is not dead,
But lives in me while I do rest)
Come people; Aaron's dressed.

God becomes our God through Christ, so we will live as his people. His people worship in response to grace, obey his words in gratitude, and rest on his welcome provided by Jesus. I. Worship (24:1-2, 9-11, 15-18)
As God’s people, we worship him in response to his grace.

Knowing: Before there is any reference to obedience to commands, God invites the leaders, representing the people, into his presence to worship. And worship is the last act mentioned at the end of the chapter. Worship, implicitly in response to the grace of redemption, frames the whole chapter, just as it frames the whole legal code.

Being: One cannot truly receive and reflect on grace without being driven to worship, driven to corporate worship in particular because the redeemed person cannot be satisfied with his or her lone voice praising his or her Savior.

Doing: Then one cannot view the generosity of God’s mercy, justice and faithfulness without being compelled to extend it to others. Do you tend to view corporate worship as a legalistic duty or a response to grace? What do you think contributes to your viewing it this way?

II. Words (24:3-4, 7-8, 12-14)
As God’s people, we obey his words in gratitude.

Knowing: After worship, Moses repeats all of God’s “words” to the people. All of this legislation is not referred to as “laws” but as “words.” This is clearly an allusion to what is revealed in Exodus 20, which is not referred to in Hebrew as the Ten Commandments, but rather the Ten Words (dabar). This is a gentle reference. Even the Hebrew reference to the commands of Scripture torah is a gentle word. It’s more accurate to translate it as “instruction” than “law.”

Being: One Old Testament scholar once wrote, “these are not ‘laws’ to ‘serve as rules of action, but the rights, by which the national life was formed into a civil commonwealth and the political order secured.’”

Doing: Do you tend to view God’s instruction as something he has given to rob your joy or so that life might go well with you? What would it look like to truly believe God’s law is for your good?

III. Welcome (24:4-6)
As God’s people, we rest on his welcome provided by Jesus.

Knowing: Jesus was the one to whom many thousands of sacrificial animals pointed, but his was the once for all sufficient sacrifice to take away our sins. We are very familiar with that legal provision for us, the need for the imputation of Christ’s righteousness in place of our sins to justify us before the bar of God’s justice.

Being: Unlike the burnt offering, the sacrificial animal was slain not to be cremated but to be eaten as a meal with God. Just as a burnt offering revealed God’s self-sacrifice to satisfy justice, a peace offering represented God’s provision for a reconciled relationship. God himself was the host of the meal.

Doing: Do you tend to view your relationship with God in only legal terms (i.e. guilty, not guilty) or in relational terms wherein he welcomes you as a guest to a feast? What contributes to this view and how does this passage shape your view of relationship with God?

Because Jesus redeems us body and soul, we must seek flourishing for all those around us. I. Work (21:2)
Our work is always framed by 1) remembering we are God’s treasured possession, 2) worshipping God in grateful obedience, and 3) responding by serving others with our work.

Knowing: The translation “slaves” in this passage may not be the best translation for our modern understanding. This passage is not referring to chattel slavery but is more akin to what we would call employees, or even debtors to another person.

Being: Our primary motive for the way we work and the way we treat others must be the grace of our redemption. Worshipful gratitude must guide everything we do, say and think. Before giving them a single directive for how they are supposed to live, he reminds them he has redeemed them from their harsh treatment in Egypt to be his “treasured possession” (19:4-6).

Doing: As Christians, we are in the business of finding what is broken around us and getting to work repairing it. Is there any form of brokenness in your current vocational field you can seek to bring flourishing to?

II. Freedom (21:2)
As Christians, we are also in the business of bringing the freedom the gospel brings to places where we observe bondage (e.g. addiction, sex slavery, labor).

Knowing: No bondsman could remain indentured permanently. He could only remain in such a relationship for a maximum of six years or until the Year of Jubilee, whichever came first.

Being: This shows God’s heart for the most vulnerable in society. His gracious laws show his determination to protect and provide freedom.

Doing: Do you have co-workers or neighbors who are in bondage to sin in any way? Do you have skills and/or resources that might enable you to help others be free both spiritually and physically/financially? What opportunities do you have to bring gospel freedom to other people’s lives?

III. Dignity (21:3-11, 23:10-11)
God’s directives for life are designed to bring dignity to all people, especially women and children.

Knowing: Foreign prisoners and immigrants were to be afforded the same protections as Jews. If a Jewish master killed a foreign slave, he could lose his life as well. Any slave would also win full emancipation as well for any bodily injury, like losing a tooth or eye, suffered at the hand of his or her master (Ex. 21:20, 26-27).

Being: Marriage between slaves was recognized as sacred (Lv. 19:20-22). If because of poverty a family was forced to “sell” their children for food, it was for the child’s protection not to become a cheap laborer. Girls were especially to be afforded protective care and treated with the same dignity as a married woman. If the master of the house mistreated the girl in any way, he would breach the “contract” and she would be afforded freedom (Dt. 21:14).

Doing: How does God’s love and care for all people shape your own view of others? How does this shape your view of his law?

Regardless of what we cease doing or start doing, we will not depart from these essentials—discipleship, outreach, and worship. On the threshold of this long list of laws for the newly formed nation of Israel, God mandates these three essential duties for the people of God. Discipleship, outreach and worship apply the essence of the law to love God and neighbor.

I. Discipleship (v. 22)
Knowing: The way God revealed his word to Moses on Mt. Sinai set the standard for how every other book of Scripture would be included. By visible, felt and audible signs God confirmed to thousands of witnesses the word he was giving to Moses to write down was his own.

Being: As if the revelation through Moses as God’s intermediary were not enough, we have the even greater confirmation of Jesus Christ. God not only spoke from the heavens, he came down from heaven, took on a body, spoke his word for life and salvation in person, died to atone for our sins, and was raised to life to make it ours.

Doing: Jesus’ great commission to us was not to make converts, but disciples. “All authority on heaven and earth” was given to him by his Father in order to commission us to “go and make disciples, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” To be the Church of Jesus Christ requires us not only to explain what the Scriptures say but hold one another accountable to do what it says. How can you be involved in the work of discipleship in your life?

II. Outreach (v. 24)
Knowing: Let’s start with the clearest part of the verse, “I will bless you.” As disciples live Christ-like lives, God blesses them. This does not mean that God rewards us for being obedient, as if we can earn his blessing. The Scriptures are clear this would not be grace, but an obligation by God to pay us for serving him (Gal. 2:21).

Being: So our text says, God must “come” to us in order to bless us. Jesus had to come to us in order to save us and make us pleasing to the Lord. The new life of obedience we live is only explained by our union with Christ and his Spirit living out his life in us (Ga. 2:20).

Doing: We are to imitate this love by loving others sacrificially. Jesus said, “They will know you are Christians by the way you love one another.” What will it look like for you to love your neighbors sacrificially?

III. Worship (vv. 23, 26)
Knowing: There is nothing more important than worship. It is the reason the world exists, to “declare the glory of God.”

Being: Worship is the “primary purpose” of every human being, “to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.”

Doing: This passage shows us 6 things about the importance of worship.

Here - we are people of place
How - worship is regulated by God’s Word
Humble - we are creatures who must come humbly before God
Holy - we must enter worship with the desire to be made holy as God is holy
Him - worship must be Christ-centered.
Humanitarian - only true worship of God leads to loving service of others.

How can you be committed to worship?

For further study:
For the article mentioned at the beginning of the sermon, see Andy Crouch, “Leading Beyond the Blizzard: Why Every Organization is Now a Startup,”

Motivation and enablement for obedience to the Lord in the Old Testament are no different from that in the New Testament, and it is proven in the preface to the Ten Commandments.

I. The Lord The most obvious reason to obey God’s commandments is that it is God who gave them.

Knowing: “I am the Lord,” he says, using that sacred, stunning name YHWH by which he first revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush. “I am that I am” is derived from that name. In saying this, he was declaring his absolute uniqueness, absolute sovereignty, and aseity—his total self-sufficiency.

Being: As our Creator each of us is born with a covenant obligation to obey the Lord. We owe him obedience as an act of gratitude for bringing us into existence.

Doing: John Calvin called the guiding work of the law its “third use.” While he compared its “second use” to a whip that drives us to Christ for conversion, he compared the law’s third use to a lamp, which guides our feet along the safest path. Which of these metaphors for the law generally describes how you think about the law?

II. Your God When the Holy Spirit weds us to Jesus we are restored to the loving covenantal relationship God always intended for his image bearers.

Knowing: God described his intention for the law from the very beginning in positive terms. He called them “words of life” (Dt. 32:47). When Moses brought the laws to God’s people, he urged them to obey them "so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess" (Dt. 5:32-33; Dt. 30:19).

Being: Instead of the laws being our enemy any longer, they become our Father’s household rules for healthy, happy, and fulfilling living.

Doing: God’s law not only mitigates the harm we can bring on ourselves, it prescribes a way of life that tends toward flourishing. Which of these purposes of the law define the way you generally view it?

III. The Redeemer The third and most obvious reason to obey the Ten Commandments is Christ is our Redeemer.

Knowing: Before God gives his people these commandments, he reminds them how much he loves them. In effect he says, “If you doubt I want what is best for you, remember I brought you out of Egypt. And remember I did so with the blood of an innocent victim foreshadowing the blood of my Son, my precious lamb, I would someday sacrifice finally for all my people.”

Being: Each commandment finds an even fuller expression of God’s love personified in Jesus.

Doing: How do you see God’s love personified in Jesus in each of the Ten Commandments? What scriptures show you this?

We must trust the Bible as God’s Word because…

I. Narrated (vv. 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 19, 21, 24) The Bible is verbally narrated by the Holy Spirit.

Knowing: The first reason we can trust the Bible is God spoke it. It can be too easy to glide over the words, “The Lord said. . .” But to do so impoverishes us. This is remarkable!

Being: That the Lord of heaven and earth would go to such lengths to speak to us with language we can understand should melt our hearts with love.

Doing: To be intellectually honest in approaching Scripture requires one of only three possible choices, 1) admit the Bible is God’s word and submit to its authority; 2) admit the Bible is God’s word and rebel against its authority; 3) deny the Bible’s claims to be God’s word and reject it altogether.

II. Confirmed (vv. 11, 13, 16-20) The Bible is objectively confirmed.

Knowing: God loves us so much he not only made sure his word was written down for us in language we can understand throughout the ages, he confirmed it was from him by objective signs appealing to our senses.

Being: But God was doing more than just confirming Moses’ authority to inscripturate God’s word to the Israelites at that time. He explained to Moses he was providing these phenomenal signs so “the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe you forever” (v.9). Through this event with Moses, God defined for the coming ages how a prophet’s words would be accepted into Scripture, or canonized. For a prophet’s words to be accepted as divinely authoritative for all times, required “eyewitness testimony of God’s approval of a writer of Scripture by a credible number in the community” (Robert Vasholz).

Doing: Is this not a beautiful display of the Father’s love! He so cares for your comfort and instruction, he stooped and accommodated himself to our frail faith by providing objective, eyewitness testimony to the veracity of what he wrote down for us. And often the biblical writer confirmed the ultimate truth of what he wrote by his martyrdom. In view of this, we must ask ourselves if we take the Bible as seriously as God is about confirming it to us?

III. Fulfilled (vv. 10, 14, 22) The Bible is personally fulfilled in Jesus.

Knowing: Moses and Aaron consecrated themselves in order to be the emissaries of God’s word to his people and the people had to be consecrated to receive it. While it is not specified in our text the coming ceremonial laws will clarify that consecration, setting apart as holy, will only occur by shedding the blood of an innocent victim. Remember just a few chapters before we studied was necessary to consecrate a firstborn son—slaughtering a lamb.

Being: Clearly, God was telegraphing to his people that ultimate confirmation of his word would require the shedding of blood. However, more would be needed than confirmation to make it possible for God truly to call us his fought for, treasured possession, crowned and holy. He would have to provide the perfect sacrifice to consecrate them. His Word would have to become flesh to provide atonement for our sins in order not merely to confirm his word but conform us to his Word. It would cost the Father his Son and the Spirit would have to apply the accomplishments of the Son’s blood to us and the Son would have to unite us to himself that we might be regarded as God’s very sons and daughters.

Doing: This is the song we will sing into all of eternity, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain” (Rev. 5:9). We will only be able to sing it there in heaven because Jesus sealed our salvation with his blood. In view of how intentionally and sacrificially God has confirmed his Word to you, how can you give it even higher authority and value in your life?

To become a citizen of the people of God means drawing near to Jesus, and when you draw close to Jesus, you must grow closer to others and around a mission that brings shalom.

I. Redemption (vv. 1-8) After his many powerful works of redemption in the face of ungrateful and faltering faith, God tells his people how he expects them to live.

Knowing: The Lord reminds his people of four things he has done for them that should endear them to him forever: he fought for them; he carried them; he crowned them; and he treasured them.

Being: These are four things he does for us too. They should make it unthinkable for us to disobey him.

Doing: Which of these four things that God does for his people most resonated with you and motivated you to obey?

II. Revelation (vv. 9-13) Another motivation to obey a gracious God is the revelation he provides.

Knowing: God humbles himself to speak directly to us. And even more humbly, he provides objective confirmation that this is indeed his word. It is personal, confirmed, and holy.

Being: God personally accommodates himself to reveal his will for us in a way we can understand. God’s revelation proves his love for us by the way he confirms its reliability in ways meaningful to us as creatures. Finally, to keep God’s revelation out of love requires regarding him as holy.

Doing: What is the most meaningful way God reveals himself to you that motivates you to obey him?

Because the gospel is the best news, we must embrace and share it.

I. Share (vv. 2-8) Knowing: In our text, the Spirit has recorded patterns for sharing and embracing the gospel. We learn them by unpacking the verbs:

Lived (vv. 1-6): The first and most important way to share the gospel is by living it. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro had “heard of all that God had done for Moses and Israel.” That is, he had heard about the mighty things God had done in Moses’ and Israel’s lives.
Went (v. 7): Moses went humbly to meet his father-in-law and deferentially bowed to him and kissed him. Not only did Jethro ask about Moses’ welfare, Moses showed interest in his life as well.
Told (v. 8): Moses clearly explained the gospel to Jethro. How? By telling him “all the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake.”

Being: We must not wait for unbelievers to come and ask us about our faith, we must go to them. We must go to them as true servants, considering their needs as more important than ours. We must seek out their felt needs and meet them practically.

Doing: Which of these three patterns for sharing the gospel resonated with you most? What is an area of your life where the way you live before others can demonstrate the gospel? Who is someone you can move toward more in order to share the gospel with them? How can you become better at sharing what God has done in your life through the gospel?

II. Embrace (vv. 1, 9-12) Knowing: Our goal in sharing the gospel with someone who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus is for them to embrace it.

Heard (v. 1): Jethro heard what God had done. This wasn’t an incidental bit of news for Jethro; it was a transformational hearing.
Rejoiced (v. 9): Jethro’s reaction to Moses’ compelling testimony is emotional. “Rejoiced” is an accurate translation but it is insufficient to convey the power of Moses’ reaction. Literally, Jethro’s “skin tingled” when he heard Moses’ testimony.
Blessed (vv. 10-12): So what should you do next? Just what Jethro did. He turned his back on all other gods and became a follower of the one true God. It is not irresponsible to say he embraced Jesus because what most impressed him was God had delivered the Israelites from Egypt and we know from Jude 5, that was Jesus.

Being: We must share the gospel by sharing how God has saved even people like us, and plead with people to believe and be saved as well. It is too good of news not to share this way.

Doing: Think of the people with whom you are trying to share the gospel right now. How can you not only tell them the good news but plead with them to embrace it?

This text shows us three specific ways we can live a life greater than self-promotion. To live a life that gets a name for God, you must…

I. Fight only the Lord’s battles (vv. 8-10) Knowing: Genesis 3 reminds us that Satan brings the battle to us. Like the Amalekites, Satan and others may fight cheaply, but we must always fight the way God directs.

Being: For one, we must fight in a way that displays that God is the one who gets the victory. Also, James 4:7 gives us the promise that if we do not give up in our fight but “resist the devil…he will flee” from us.

Doing: Can you think of an example of something in your life that might be your personal battle but not God’s battle? What would be an example of something in your life that is God’s battle?

II. Let everyone know how weak you are (vv. 11-13) Knowing: This text tells us that Moses is the one who wrote this down. Therefore, we see that Moses is admitting his own weakness and inability to keep his arms held up.

Being: We too must be quick not to promote ourselves but to point to Christ as the one who fights for us. Moses’ hands lifted up convey prayer, which conveys dependence on God.

Doing: How can you depend on God this week?

III. Brag on Jesus (vv. 14-16) Knowing: We have already seen in multiple places in Exodus that Moses is pointing us to Jesus. When we see Moses on top of the mountain with his hands raised, we see Jesus ascending the hill to calvary to fight our battle against sin.

Being: We must admit that any success we have in this life can only be attributed to God’s grace and to Jesus fighting on our behalf. Someone has said, “The victory had nothing to do with the men in the valley and everything to do with the man on the mountain.”

Doing: Are there things in your life for which you are tempted to take the credit? How can you attribute these to Jesus? How can you brag on Jesus to others?

In this passage, the Israelites are asking, “is the Lord among us?” God shows that he is among us in at least three ways.

I. We Accuse Him (vv. 1-4) The first exhibit we can enter into evidence that God is among us is that we accuse him.

Knowing: The very fact we bring accusations against him, proves we believe he is there. What prompted the Israelites’ anger is another occasion of thirst. This is no small problem. Dehydration in the desert is a constant threat. They needed water constantly.

Being: As great a problem as the water shortage was, the greater problem was their inability to remember the Lord’s miraculous provision just days before. Instead of going to God and asking for his provision, they go to God and accuse him.

Doing: Is your reflex in times of need to express frustration to God or to ask for his provision? If you have grown to a place where you quickly ask for provision, how has God strengthened your faith to enable you to do this?

II. He Condemns Our Sin (v. 5) God also makes his presence known among the Israelites, and us, by condemning sin.

Knowing: Moses also grows frustrated with God and complains about the people. On this occasion, God does not rebuke Moses but rather tells him to pick up his staff as his gavel of justice and gather his elders as a jury.

Being: God’s directives to Moses clearly pronounce his condemnation of their sin. He does not apologize for failing to have bottled waters waiting for them at a place whose name (Rephidim) meant “rest.” The Bible says not only does the creation testify everywhere to God’s presence among us condemning sin, but our consciences being imprinted with God’s law secretly affirm we deserve it.

Doing: Think about the last time you found yourself “putting God on trial.” What sin was God revealing in your heart through that experience?

III. He Takes Our Punishment (vv. 6-7) God proves most convincingly that he is among us through Jesus.

Knowing: God puts himself on trial. We know this from two prepositions in this passage: “before” and “on.” First, God says he will stand “before” Moses and the people. This is the position of the guilty offender. God voluntarily makes himself the accused. Secondly, he says he will place himself “on” (‘al) the rock. By doing so, he fully identifies with the rock.

Being: Paul plainly explained “the rock was Christ” (1 Co. 10:4). So while the Israelites’ sin is condemned, God becomes the guilty party in Christ and allows himself to be struck with the rod of his judgment so that justice was upheld but the people were spared.

Doing: Meditate on the implications this has for who you are in Christ. How does this image of the rock being struck in judgment and bringing forth water have significance for your union with Christ?

Because God is our Creator-Redeemer, we must rest in the assurance of his present provision, past faithfulness, and future promise.

I. Present Provision (vv. 21-26) By providing a Sabbath, God teaches his people how to rely on him as a benevolent king.

Knowing: By providing his people’s daily needs as he did, God taught them the daily rhythms of work and rest that he instituted at creation.

Being: The verbs Moses uses to describe God’s inauguration of the Sabbath are instructive: God finished his work and rested; he blessed the day and made it holy (2:1-3). These are not dour words or concepts. Finishing, resting, blessing, sacramentalizing are words conveying satisfaction, enjoyment, approbation, and an intentional desire to make a day delightful (Collins, Genesis, 70-71).

Doing: The Sabbath is a day of delight on which we are reminded Jesus came to bring us into his rest. In what way(s) can you intentionally use the Sabbath to trust in God’s daily provision?

II. Past Faithfulness (vv. 27-30) By looking back to God’s past faithfulness, we are sanctified to live freely as his children.

Knowing: Despite God’s gracious intentions, the Israelites refused to trust God would supply their bread every day. So, they tried to stockpile some just in case. Here is an example of the insanity accompanying distrust of God. While holding miraculous bread in their hands, they placed more trust in their own hands than in the God who worked the miracle.

Being: Without harshness, he compels (even forces) us to rest. Our text says right after he rebukes them with the same terrifying words he spoke to the Egyptians, he said, “’See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath’. . .so the people rested on the seventh day.”

Doing: This is the point God wishes us to see in the Sabbath. The reason he commands us to rest on the Sabbath Day is to remind us and prove to us that he provides seven days of supplies for six days of labor. How can you use the Sabbath to reflect on God’s past provision, enabling you to enjoy the rest he provides?

III. Future Promise (vv. 31-36) God not only provides for us in the present and reminds us of his past faithfulness, he graciously assures us that he will provide in the future.

Knowing: Finally, the Lord gave Israel an objective symbol of his future reliability. Moses was to put an omer of manna in a jar to be kept with the Ark of the Covenant (“the Testimony”) for the next forty years. It would be reasonable for God to say his word should be enough, but he displays his sensitivity to our weakness by providing an objective sign by which to affirm to his people he will always be faithful to his promise.

Being: This manna preserved in a jar has been superseded by Jesus Christ, the bread of life (John 6:35), who assures us of an eternal rest from all further attempts to win favor with God through trusting in him. How might your striving to be accepted by God be preventing you from receiving the rest God provides?

Doing: It is only when we intentionally stop and acknowledge that Christ has done everything necessary for our acceptance with God that we can receive the blessing of rest.

For Further Study: * See the article referenced in the sermon, “Bring Back the Sabbath” by Judith Shulevitz. * Listen to Brett Powell’s evening sermon on the Westminster Shorter Catechism questions regarding the Sabbath: “Rest Yourself before Your Wreck Yourself.”

Because the Lord blesses us when we deserve judgment, we must love him.

I. Grumbling There are 4 marks of grumbling as a result of “redemptive amnesia” in this text, 3 explicit and 1 implied.

Knowing: The marks of grumbling in the Israelites’ lives—and ours—are dissatisfaction with what the Father has currently provided for us (vv. 1-3); displacement, that is, shifting blame from one party to another (vv. 6-8); hoarding his blessings because we don’t trust him to supply in the future (v. 20); and thanklessness, a failure to acknowledge the way God provides and blesses (Romans 1:21).

Being: To grumble is to say to God, “I wish you were not my God; in fact, I wish you were dead.” It is to say to the Heavenly Father what the prodigal son effectively said to his father: “I wish you were dead so I could get my inheritance, spend it the way I wish, and live by my own rules.” Do any of these marks of grumbling resonate with you more than the others? How so?

Doing: Consider the negative emotions you have experienced most frequently recently. What happened? Why did you feel that way? Use this self-reflection to help answer the question above.

II. Grace God’s response to the Israelites’—and our—grumbling is breathtaking. There are at least 3 indicators of God’s incredible grace in this passage.

Knowing: God demonstrates his grace despite his people’s grumbling through extravagant blessings of sweet tasting manna and the delicacy of quail (vv. 4-6, 12); personal presence—the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud (vv. 9-11); and daily bread—God provided everything they needed each and every day (vv. 13-19).

Being: Such grace is unfathomable! Can it possibly be true that God meets our sin with overwhelming grace in Jesus Christ? That’s what Paul taught. Contrasting the representative roles of Adam and Jesus, Paul said, “But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. . .[W]here sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:15, 20).

Doing: Meditating on ways God has poured out his grace to you despite the fact we don’t deserve it causes us to love him more. Can you think of instances in your life where you received better than you deserved? What are some current examples in your life of ways God has blessed you that perhaps you have not thanked him for?

The Israelites were suffering from a kind of “redemptive amnesia.” They forgot the way God provided for them in the past. Their circumstances merited a response from them just as they do for us today.

I. Physical Deprivation (vv. 22-23): Humble Yourself In times of physical deprivation, we must humble ourselves.

Knowing: The most obvious form of healing we need from God right now is physical. The psalmist says God “remembers we are but dust,” meaning he has compassion on us because he made us like the rest of creation to be entirely dependent on him (Ps. 104).

Being: Often it is only when one of those lifelines is threatened or cut off and we have no ability to repair it ourselves that we turn to the Lord. And our attitude tends to be like Israel’s, “Why are you doing this to me?” “If you are good, why are you allowing this to happen?” Have you found yourself asking questions similar to these recently?

Doing: This crisis must humble us so we will look up to the Lord for healing for our physical needs. Let us humble ourselves before the Lord by first looking back at the history of our lives and conclude God has always provided for us.

II. Spiritual Ingratitude (vv. 23-25): Pray In times of spiritual ingratitude, we must pray.

Knowing: Whenever the Israelites encountered hardship, their default was not to reflect on everything their heavenly Father had generously provided in the past. Their default was almost always to assume the worst about their leaders and ultimately doubt the goodness of God.

Being: In our pride, sometimes we can assume the highest good in life is our comfort and satisfaction. And the moment anything disappoints us, we ask, “How could God allow this to happen to me!” The question we should ask is, “Given my neglect of Jesus, why has God allowed my life to go so well for so long? Given my sin nature and the universal rebellion of humankind, why does God allow any pleasure in the world?”

Doing: In times of hardship, the Israelites didn’t look back to God’s past provision, they only looked at their present circumstances. What are some specific examples of God’s provision for you in the past? Pray and thank him and ask him to bring these to mind in the future.

III. Volitional Rebellion (vv. 26-27): Turn from Wicked Ways In times of volitional rebellion, we must turn from our wicked ways.

Knowing: The final verses clarify that healing their wills was God’s purpose for “showing” or teaching the people to follow him as Moses did. If they lived in conscious dependence on the Lord’s word, they would be like Moses who was like a tree planted by streams of water that gave forth its healing fruit at the right time (Ps. 1).

Being: The Israelites needed what we need, not only physical healing and spiritual healing, but volitional healing. We need our wills, our hearts, changed so we will obey God instinctively, not just when he threatens us. Their next destination certainly proves the kind of redeeming God we have. The Lord led them to Elim with twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. We shouldn’t allegorize these numbers. The emphasis is on its extravagant abundance. This is Yahweh-Rophe being Rophe, the Healer.

Doing: Jesus personified this prodigal grace when he stood up in Jerusalem among those rebellious Jewish religious leaders who were trying to arrest him and cried, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (Jn. 7:37-38). How can you practically go to Christ for fulfillment this week, allowing his abundant provision for you to compel you to turn from ingratitude?

Jesus’ resurrection is relevant for our lives today, because it brings… I. Courage for the Frightened (vv. 1-5) God provides courage for the followers of Jesus in the midst of their fear.

Knowing: When Mary Magdalene and the other women and arrive at the tomb, nothing is as they expected it to be: the stone is rolled away, Jesus’ body is gone, and they encounter angels. Luke says they were frightened” (v. 5). Of course they were. Could any combination of circumstances be more frightening at that time?

Being: There are also many reasons for us to be frightened. We face an unknown and unseen virus which exposes weaknesses in our bodies we didn’t even know we had. We are frightened for the health of our loved ones. We are frightened about our economy and our jobs. We are frightened of how unprincipled people will take advantage of us in a time of critical shortages. What is causing you fear right now?

Doing: Jesus’ resurrection infallibly proved him to be the Lord, the victor over death and thus the King over all the earth. Courage comes from trusting in Christ in the midst of fear. We must put our trust in Christ when we are afraid, because he has overcome death and this world which is broken by sin.

II. Hope for the Lost (vv. 6-7) Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is proof that God keeps his promises.

Knowing: To remove all doubt, the angels declare, “He is not here, but has risen.” These words would only make sense to the women because they knew Jesus raised people from the dead while he was alive. What the angels said next included a promise even more mind-blowing than the fact that their beloved Jesus was no longer dead: “Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and the third day rise.” It is in this sentence we find a relevant promise—hope for the lost.

Being: Everything in his life, death, and resurrection occurred because God determined it would. This provides us hope, because Jesus is proof that even when seemingly bad things happen to God’s people, God is still at work to accomplish his good plan.

Doing: Are there any circumstances in your life right now tempting you to think God is not in control, or at least uninterested or uncaring? What promises from God’s Word can you cling to in this time?

III. Dignity for the Irrelevant (vv. 8-12) Jesus’ death and resurrection bring dignity to those who feel irrelevant or have been told they are irrelevant.

Knowing: The fact that the first testimony to Jesus’ resurrection was born by women is a revolutionary event in this first century context. The testimony of a woman was generally disregarded in the first century, especially in a court of law. Jesus’ female disciples figure prominently in the final days of his life and the earliest moments of his resurrected life. They remained with him at the crucifixion long after his other disciples fled in fear (Mk. 15:40). They followed his body to its place of burial (Mk. 15:47). And women were first to see the empty tomb and hear the declaration by the angels, “He is risen” (Mk. 16:5-6).

Being: How is Jesus’ resurrection of real relevance to your life today? If someone has told you for whatever reason you are irrelevant, Jesus has a different assessment of you and his is the only one that matters. No one but the Lord Jesus, King of the universe and Judge of all the earth, has the right to declare whether someone is relevant or irrelevant. If you are his disciple, he not only says you are relevant, he declares you to be a son, an heir, who someday will reign with him.

Doing: Have you had or do you currently have feelings of irrelevance? How do Jesus’ death and resurrection and the dignity he gives to these women give you dignity?

The words “thank you, God” should be the essence of our response to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I. Attributes (vv. 1-15) We must thank God for his attributes, because they relieve us from intimidation.

Knowing: Moses indicates the end of each stanza with the repetition of God’s most holy name, YHWH, translated “O Lord” and repeated twice in each final couplet (6, 11, 17). That name was special to Moses because it is the name by which God introduced himself to Moses in the burning bush when he called him to be Israel’s liberator. That name also conveys one of God’s noncommunicable attributes (that is, an attribute humans can never imitate)—his eternality.

Being: This refrain tells us when you remember God’s attributes, it produces gratitude. When you fix your eyes on who God is first, it always puts life in proper perspective. The reason the people were afraid on the other side of the Red Sea is they were only looking at the Egyptian charioteers behind them and that deep, vast sea ahead of them. When they looked down, their problems looked big and God looked small. But when they looked up, God looked big and their opponents were defeated.

Doing: Have your eyes been set on your circumstances more than on God lately? In what practical way(s) can you set your eyes back on God, specifically his attributes?

II. Vengeance (vv. 7-11, 14-16) We must thank God for his vengeance, because it assures us he will fight for us.

Knowing: To be falsely accused is to stand in need of a champion. To be wounded by someone with malice aforethought is to stand in need of a judge. To be robbed of a loved one by a disease ultimately introduced into this world through the devil’s deceit of our first parents is to long for the day when Jesus will bring a sword of judgment, when the Lamb will turn wrathful, when Christ will cast death, the devil and hell itself into the lake of fire (Dt. 1:30; Jg. 4:14; 2 Sa. 5:24; 2 Ch. 20:17-18).

Being: It may seem offensive at first to think of God as a God of vengeance, but when you have been wronged by someone, you do not want a nice champion, you want a champion who can get vengeance. God is described as that champion in this passage - a “man of war” (v. 3).

Doing: Are there any enemies or wrongs in your life right now? How can you entrust these to God rather than dwelling on them and becoming anxious or depressed?

III. Redeemer (vv. 13-17) We must thank God, because he is our redeemer, which proves his steadfast love for us.

Knowing: Finally, we see two of the most beautiful words in the Bible translated “steadfast love” and “redemption.” The first word (hesed) is one we have discussed often and will be especially highlighted when we get to Exodus 33 and 34. There God revealed to Moses, even after the golden calf incident, that his essential nature is hesed. The whole story of redemption, everything concerning the gospel, is implicit in that one word hesed.

Being: You can describe the gospel this way, “God loves sinners.” This is implied when Moses sings, “You have led in your steadfast love the people you have redeemed.” God could not have led and endured with the people of Israel had his Son not been slain in his eternal decrees from the foundation of the world. Because Jesus has been slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8), his redemption applies equally to the Israelites before the cross and to us after the cross.

Doing: Have your current circumstances caused you to question God’s love for you? How does this passage prove his love remains even when circumstances speak to the contrary?

Because, in Christ, we can expect great things from God, we must attempt great things for God. I. Expect great things from God We must expect great things from God because he is sovereign over human hearts (vv. 17-18), false gods (v. 24), and all of creation (vv. 16, 19-28).

Knowing: The folly of the Egyptians’ hard hearts is demonstrated by the fact that they pursued the Israelites even after God had worked such mighty acts to deliver them. God also shows himself to be sovereign over false gods, as the parting of the Red Sea puts an ironic twist on an Egyptian legend that said an Egyptian priest had once parted the Red Sea to find a piece of jewelry. Finally, God shows his sovereignty over creation by parting the waters to allow the Israelites to go through safely and closing the waters on top of the Egyptians to defeat them.

Being: The sovereign works God accomplished were to deliver the Israelites, but they were also for us. In preserving the Israelites, God was preserving the line of Jesus, our redeemer. God has been moving Heaven and earth to save you since the time of the Exodus!

Doing: This passage reveals the fear of evil people, evil forces that can draw us away from God, and the danger of living in a fallen world. Which of these fears resonates with you most right now? How does God’s sovereignty and goodness demonstrated in this passage deliver you from that fear?

II. Attempt great things for God Because we can expect great things from God, we must attempt great things for God. Specifically, we must go and believe.

Knowing: Moses is crying out to God in panic, even while he is assuring the people, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (v. 14). God does what someone experienced in lifesaving sometimes has to do: He yells at him to wake him out of his panic, “Go forward.” God provides. God fights for us. God protects but oftentimes as we are going.

Being: The Israelites were saved in the same way we are and we are saved in the same way they were—by grace through faith in Christ. God told the Israelites to join Moses and he promised to the do the rest. This is the way Paul explains it. He says they were “baptized into Moses in the cloud and the sea.” “Baptized” means they were united to Moses, so they lived. Paul goes on to say they “ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:2-4). It is the same thing we have observed throughout our study of Exodus: “Jesus…saved a people out of the land of Egypt [and] afterward destroyed those who did not believe” (Jude 5).

Doing: In what way(s) can you attempt great things for God, especially in the midst of this pandemic?

For Further Study: * For more on William Carey, see Sam Wellman, William Carey: Father of Missions (1997). * For other references in scripture regarding Jesus as the one leading the people out of Egypt, see Luke 9:31; John 5:24; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4; Hebrews 3:3; and Jude 5.

The apostle of Peter is writing to the church at Rome where Christians are experiencing great trials. They are being persecuted in various ways. I’m sure some of them are beginning to doubt their faith, so Peter is writing to encourage them and explain to them that their suffering serves a purpose in God’s plan. God is going to use this suffering to strengthen their faith, to prove to them and through them the reality of the gospel. Here is what he says toward the beginning of the letter.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:6–9).

When I read this passage, I remembered a phrase that I have seen in the writings of D. Martin Lloyd Jones, who was a famous preacher of the Westminster Chapel in London for many years. He was a medical doctor turned preacher. Many of us have found great encouragement from his preaching, either as we’ve read it or listened to recordings. I remembered a phrase he used often to describe the way our faith is proved to be true. He talks about the acid test of the Christian life.

You may remember from chemistry that an acid test was used in the old days to see if a piece of medal was gold or some other kind of base medal. So, the chemist, or the one doing the testing, would drop some nitric acid on the piece of medal, and if it dissolved quickly, then they knew it was not gold, because gold dissolves much less readily. That acid applied to that piece of medal either proved that the medal was gold or some lesser medal, something that wasn’t worth anything.

So, Martin Lloyd Jones was asking, “what is the acid test of the Christian faith? What is that certain test when applied to us, reveals that we really are Christians?” So, I found a sermon that he had preached called “The Acid Test of the Christian Profession,” and it was really special to me, because he preached it in 1969 at McIlwain Presbyterian Church in Pensacola, FL at the Pensacola Theological Institute. It’s at that Pensacola Theological Institute that I really came to understand the reformed faith. That was a special conference to me (although I was there later than 1969 when Martin Lloyd Jones preached).

Apparently on that particular occasion, a hurricane was headed toward Pensacola. In response, they moved the meeting from the evening up to two o’clock so that Lloyd Jones could preach, and people could hunker down in their houses later on. That’s amazing in itself that they still met to hear the word preached even though a hurricane was headed their way. Lloyd Jones changed his sermon and he preached on this idea of the acid test of the Christian life from 2 Corinthians 4. In his sermon, he asked some questions about this acid test.

First, he asked, “is it orthodoxy?” Is the real test of the Christian that he or she believes the right things? Well that can’t be, because we know that even the devil believes, and the demons believe and shudder (James 2:19).

Second, he asked, “is it morality? Is it doing good things?” Of course, we all know people who do good things who don’t believe in Jesus. Jesus himself said that the day is coming when many would come to him proclaiming many good things they had done, but “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Although both orthodoxy and morality are important, it can’t be just those things.

Third, he asked, “is it experience? Is it the person who says, ‘I’ve been born again? I know I’m a Christian because experienced a born-again experience.” It can’t be that either, because every religion claims experience. If experience was the only test of faith, then every faith would be true.

Lloyd Jones concluded that the acid test of the Christian faith is given away in the time of testing and trial. That’s the point Peter is making here. He says this suffering is “necessary” (v. 6). That was a great encouragement to Charles Spurgeon. In the old King James, instead of “if necessary,” it said “if needs be.” Spurgeon, who battled depression and anxiety his whole life, read that on one occasion when he was battling anxiety and depression and he was comforted by the fact that God saw this suffering as something that was necessary in his life. It was necessary to do something. And that something was to reveal the deeper reality of the presence of Christ.

Might I suggest that this suffering we are currently going through – this panic, this pandemic, this time when we’re facing shortages, financial trials, sickness, quarantines, even death – is not something that catches God off guard. It’s something that he, from all eternity, foreordained as necessary for the revelation of the glory of his gospel to us and through us. It’s an acid test. This suffering is an acid test to reveal whether we possess the gold faith of Jesus Christ or some imitation.

I also understand that some of you are thinking, “I’m really trying to believe but I’m really struggling. Maybe I’m not a Christian.” Maybe you’re beginning to doubt your salvation, because you are anxious and worried and depressed. I battle anxiety myself, so I know what you mean. But I find encouragement in this passage for anxious souls, for weak faith. These sufferings are not testing how strong your faith is, the faith that you create (or muster up within yourself). This suffering reveals the faith that Christ has created in you, or not.

Here is how you can tell if Christ has created faith in you. Peter says, “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (v. 8). In other words, when you can believe, when you can rejoice, and when you can love him. in the midst of trial, you may know that in you has been worked an inexpressible faith, a joy that is indescribable and is filled with glory. That is, it is a visitation of the Heaven that awaits you. Let me suggest that if these kinds of things are occurring in you, as anxious as you are, as worried as you and I are about the future, we may know that Christ lives in us.

The first question is, “do you believe?” This is the reason we “exercise our faith muscles so strenuously in corporate worship. It is to prepare for times like this. The reason we repeat the Apostles’ Creed so much is so that in times like this, we can say it. Can you say, “I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of Heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord. Perhaps you can but only faintly, with trembling lips and shaking hands. If you can say, “I believe” instead of saying, “I don’t believe anymore because of this suffering,” then your faith is true. And you only do believe, because Christ has enabled you to.

Secondly, can you rejoice? Perhaps you’re thinking, “I’m not really happy about anything right now.” Well can you sing a hymn, or even just hum it. Can you sing, “when peace like a river attendeth my soul, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, ‘it is well with my soul.’“ Can you sing, “great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father.” You may be singing it with tears but you’re singing it! You’re rejoicing with a joy that is inexpressible, indescribable, one that must have come from Heaven to you.

Finally, do you love him? Perhaps you respond, “yes, but I’m still worried.” But can you say with the psalmist in Psalm 18, “I love you, O Lord, my strength” (v. 1). If you’re not saying, “I hate you. I don’t want anything to do with you. I reject you,” if you can say, even with faltering lips, “I love you, O Lord, my strength,” then this suffering has caused your faith to shine forth as gold, because this suffering is an acid test. Only those who are in Christ pass it.

Perhaps you have taken those tests and concluded that you aren’t a Christian. There is an easy solution to that. God in his mercy, but this pandemic has pushed you to the end of your resources. You thought that you were taking care of yourself. You thought that you could save yourself. But now you realize that you are no match for the things in this universe that are out to kill you. Jesus stretches out his arms to you and says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).

Brothers and sisters, I hope this is an encouragement to you. You see, when that faith that is tested by suffering and can endure is experiential. That faith that is proven to be gold in suffering is moral. That hope purifies us (1 John 3:3). And that faith is true; it’s orthodox. It’s the only faith. It’s the only truth. And we would never be as convinced of it had we not gone through this suffering. And those observing us would not be nearly as convinced that the gospel is true if they did not see us continuing to praise God even from the dust.

May God protect us, strengthen us, and use us to give an answer, an explanation for the hope that is within us to a very hopeless world. I love you Second Presbyterian Church. And I thank you for loving me and my family. I consider it the greatest privilege to be your pastor at this time in history. God help us, and may the Lord get a name for himself.

Lord Jesus, please draw near to us, as the great shepherd of our souls. bear us up in your arms and on your shoulders. Cause us to know in a fresh way that God our heavenly father loves us. Would the Holy Spirit pour out his love in our hearts that we might be assured of hope and convinced that nothing, nothing in this world or in the world to come is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. in his name we pray, Amen.

Discussion Questions:

Consider getting together virtually with a few friends and discussing some of the questions of the “acid test” together.
How are you struggling during this time? What is worrying you? How does God seem to you right now?
What reassurance have you gained from scripture and/or other believers? What (if any) songs/hymns have helped you rejoice?
Share prayer requests and pray for one another.

Christ calls us to live courageously because he is with us.

I. With us in Trauma (13:17-18)
We must live courageously, because Christ is with us in trauma.

Knowing: The Israelites could have made it to the Promised Land in less than two weeks, but God shepherded them patiently, gently, and mercifully by taking them on a different route, because they were a people who had been abused for generations.

Being: This is the same Father you have too if Jesus is your Savior. He holds you accountable for the sinful choices you make, but he also has compassion on you as his image bearer who has been traumatized by the devil, a sinful world system in general, and perhaps evil people in particular.

Doing: No one understands and cares for your trauma as God does, and he will lead you tenderly to the place of your healing if you let him. In what way(s) can you allow God to lead you through very difficult things you have experienced in your past?

II. With us in Death (13:19)
We must live courageously because Jesus is with us in death.

Knowing: Joseph believed God’s promise that he would bring his people to the Promised Land, so he extracted a promise from his family on his deathbed to carry his remains with them so he could be buried with his people in Shechem (Josh. 24:32).

Being: A Christian’s death is not the end of his evangelism and discipleship ministry. Don’t speak negatively of the body God has crafted for you in his image. It is that body God united to Christ and will raise at the last day and place back on this remade Promised Land.

Doing: In what way(s) can you intentionally make preparations for your own death so that your funeral bears witness to the gospel?

III. With us in Front (13:20-22)
We must live courageously, because Christ leads us.

Knowing: The Lord knew that such a traumatized people who had been forbidden to make their own decisions for four centuries needed more intimate assurance and more direct leading. Therefore, God led them personally in the form of a cloud they could see by day which transformed into a pillar of fire they could see and feel by night.

Being: In what ways do you wish God would lead you as clearly as he did the Israelites? Remember Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit. He told his disciples it was to their advantage for him to go away, so the Holy Spirit could come and live inside them (Jn. 14:17). The Holy Spirit is with us constantly.

Doing: This is how we find guidance—by living consciously in his presence at all times. By reading God’s word and praying daily, by staying in community with other believers also seeking the Lord, and by being faithful in corporate worship you will do the Lord’s will in the everyday affairs of life and also be ready to make big moves when he does.

IV. With us in Between (14:1-14)
We must live courageously because Jesus is in between us and our enemies.

Knowing: Chapter 14 appears to undercut everything we have observed thus far. God’s next set of instructions seem to indicate he has either lost his mind or has capriciously turned cruel like one of Egypt’s gods. The Israelites find themselves backed up against the sea with Egypt’s army pursuing them.

Being: God explains his strategy—to prove conclusively to the Egyptians he was the one true God. Not only was this essential to prove God’s glory to the Egyptians, it was necessary for the Israelites. They were so panic stricken by the approach of the Egyptians “they rebelled” against Moses (Ps.106:7b) and wanted to return to the familiarity of their captivity in Egypt (14:12). Moses commands the weak-kneed Israelites, “Do not be afraid! Stand firm. . .be still.” God is constructing confidence in a traumatized people by giving them a front row seat to watch him defeat the Egyptians once and for all—they will not lay eyes on Egyptians again.

Doing: What challenges or situations are you facing in your life that you feel inadequate to face? How can you “be silent” and allow the Lord to fight for you in this situation?

—
For Further Study:

The book referenced at the beginning of the sermon is called With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Skye Jethani
The catechism referenced in point two of the sermon was the Heidelberg Catechism’s first Lord’s Day question and answer:
- Q: What is your only comfort in life and death?
- A: That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Because Jesus is getting us out of bondage, we must constantly lead our followers to him as the only way out. I. By Words
We must lead our followers by retelling the same message that has saved us.

Knowing: As the Lord had instructed in reference to the Passover, this ceremony for redeeming the firstborn was to be used as a catechizing aid for children. A firstborn child would inevitably ask what was going on, and when he did the parent was to explain (presumably in the hearing of the whole family) that this had been done for him.

Being: When we tells others about Jesus, we are not telling them how they can clean up their lives or trying to persuade them that we have exemplary lives to follow. We are simply repeating the same good news that we were saved by ourselves.

Doing: Perhaps the most important job of each member of our church is to pass the gospel on to the next generation. In what ways (whether you have children or not) can you retell the good news to the next generation of worshippers at 2PC?

II. By Relationship
We must believe we are loved because God has redeemed us.

Knowing: The firstborn son of a family represented the whole family’s identity, security and future. He was the father’s future hope of carrying on the family name. He was the mother’s future security if her husband predeceased her. He was the protective guardian of his sister’s and the executor of their future inheritance. God’s ultimate purpose in crafting traditions around a father passing blessings on to many through a redeemed firstborn son was to demonstrate objectively the best news of all. As both Lamb and Son, the Second Person of the Godhead provides eternal blessings of salvation to all the elect. This is the representative principle God wove into his creation.

Being: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, out of their love for each other, decided before history to share their loving relationship with us. The Father so loved us, he sent his Son. The Son so loved us he laid his life down for us. And the Spirit so loves us he leads us out of bondage to sin, death and the devil.

Doing: Showing our children, friends and loved ones the way out will mean staying in the boat with them during their periods of rebellion and incarnating the pursuing love of our Shepherd. Can you think of particular circumstances where you can remain with someone to demonstrate Christ’s love to them, even when they may not show you love or respect in return? How does the gospel enable you to do this?

I. Who’s in and who’s out?The Syrophoenician woman in this passage is a cultural outsider but we see that God reaches out to the outsider to bring them into his kingdom. How can you practically be the kind of person who reaches out to those who likely feel like an outsider?

II. What does it take to be an insider?The Syrophoenician woman becomes an insider, not by proving she belongs but by giving up her rights and placing her faith on Jesus. How might we be unwilling to give up our rights and how might that keep others from feeling welcomed into our community?

III. How does God respond to the posture of an insider?Every single one of us is called to participate in the Great Commission. What was most impactful for you from the World Missions Conference? Are there any new ways God called you to participate in the Great Commission this past week?

Acts 10:9-24 shows us that we must value all humanity. Through prayer and listening to God, we are able to have our hearts and minds restored to God’s view of humanity.

I. Prayer

Prayer helps us relinquish control to God; it slows our busy minds; and it shows us a transcendental reality beyond our comprehension.

II. Listening

Prayer also puts us in a place where we can listen and hear God’s voice as we commune with him.

III. Restored View of Humanity

In Peter’s case, God revealed to him that his faith had less to do with what he was eating and more to do with who he and others were serving.

Discussion Questions 1. What is one thing going on in your life or your heart right now that you can take to the Lord in prayer? 2. How can you spend time this week pulling away from your busy schedule and listening to God? 3. Are there any ways this passage revealed to you a need for your view of other people to be restored to the way God’s views them?

Hebrews 11:8-16 | Seeking a Better Country Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions We are all longing for a better homeland than the one we know. God calls his people to the homeland they were made for.

I. Call
This passage is commenting on God’s call to Abraham in Genesis 12. God called Abraham to a new place, made promises to him, and showed him his purpose for his life.

II. Journey
Throughout the journey, God shows us that his promises remain true despite how our circumstances may point to the contrary. God gave Abraham Isaac, which means “he laughs.” God turned Sarah’s laughter of unbelief into the laughter of belief by giving Abraham and Sarah the son he promised them all along.

III. Reward
In Mark 10:29–31, Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” No sacrifice we ever make for Christ will ever be worth comparing to the reward he gives us freely.

Discussion Questions

What is the call God makes on the life of all Christians? What specific ways has God called you to serve his kingdom in your life?
What circumstances in your life tempt you to disbelieve that God’s promises are true? What proof has God given you in the past that he remains faithful to his promises?
In what ways does obeying God’s call on your life feel like a sacrifice? How is Christ proof that God is working for your good despite how circumstances may suggest otherwise? If you were ultimately made for a better country, what does that mean for how you ought to live now?

Matthew 6:9-15 | Connect with God's PeopleSermon Recap & Discussion Questions The Lord’s Prayer implies an organic, a directional, and a relational connection between God’s people.

I. Organic (v. 9)
As God’s people, we are not simply a collection of individuals; we are a connected body of believers. We must relate to one another based on the righteous character of God.

II. Directional (vv. 10-11, 13)
Although everyone in the body of believers comes from different places, we are all headed in the same direction - God’s kingdom. On this journey, God provides everything we need, even if only enough for that day.

III. Relational (vv. 12-15)
Our objective relationship with God never changes, in Christ. However, if we are living in sin, it does change the subjective experience of our relationship with God. This also true of our relationship with others. As those who have been forgiven much, we must be those who forgive much by extending forgiveness to others.

Discussion Questions 1. In what ways has Jesus connected himself to us? How can you live as part of the body of believers?

How is Jesus proof of God’s provision for us? How can you practically trust God to provide for a specific need in your life?
How has God forgiven you your sins in Christ? How can you extend forgiveness to someone in your own life to begin repairing a relationship?

Exodue 2:1-10 | The Marks of a MediatorSermon Recap & Discussion Questions When God’s people are in distress, God hears, cares, remembers, and acts to redeem them through Jesus Christ our mediator.I. Timeless Problem

This passage, and the Bible as a whole, show us that no matter how much Egypt is oppressing, God is blessing. We too are oppressed by our own Pharaohs: success, materialism, lust, technology, legalism, and cultural and political orthodoxies. God does not simply come to improve the lives of his people in Egypt; he comes to deliver his people out of Egypt.

II. Priceless Solution

The narrative of Moses’ birth is the narrative of the birth of a mediator. He was born in the midst of his people’s circumstances, lived under the curse of death, and came out of death victorious. The reason we have a way out of our bondage is because God a found a way in to it. Seeing that Jesus is a mediator and knowing that God is making us like Jesus gives us an identity as God’s people and a mission toward those around us.

Discussion Questions 1. Which of the “Pharaohs” mentioned most resonated with you? 2. In what ways did Moses’ birth narrative reflect the birth of Jesus and point us forward to Jesus? 3. How can you be a mediator for your neighbors, city, etc.? 4. How can your life give a foretaste of the glory you are destined for?

Exodus 12:14-28 | What Do You Mean By This Service?Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions We must remind one another of the best news: celebrating liberation, loving the lamb, and committing to liturgy.

I. Liberation (vv. 14-20)
Unlike other sacred observances that would pass away as God progressed in his redemptive plan to the final provision of Jesus Christ, the Passover is established as a lasting ordinance (Ex. 12:14, 17, 24). The noun derives from the verb “to remember.” God knows regardless of how much he does for us, we have a sinful disposition to forget him. Therefore, he reminds us of his grace with a feast.

II. Lamb (vv. 21-27)
Grace also calls us to love the lamb of God. We love the lamb of God, because the lamb of God had to be sacrificed for our sins.

III. Liturgy (vv. 27-28)
God not only chooses nobodies to make them somebodies; he gives them the same Gospel message for everybody. If you belong to Christ, you are honored not only to have been visited, but to be commissioned with dignity to carry the good news to the nobodies around you.

Discussion Questions 1. What point from the passage and/or sermon resonated with you most? Why?

How does the Passover - what we now celebrate as the Lord’s Supper - serve to remind you that you are free from the dominion of sin and able to say no to it?
How does the Lord’s Supper prove to you that all your sins can be forgiven?
How can you commit yourself to take part in the liturgy of the Lord’s Supper more consistently this year so that you can be regularly reminded of God’s grace and his love for you?

Luke 2:8-20 | The Ordinary People of Christmas: The ShepherdsSermon Recap & Discussion Questions God chooses nobodies, makes them somebodies, and gives them a message for everybody.

I. Nobody (vv. 8-9)

Shepherds were outcasts in their society. They were denied all civil rights, not allowed to fulfill judicial offices, and forbidden to testify as witnesses. Furthermore, they were labeled as “sinners” by the religious leaders of the day. They were nobodies to the people around them. But these nobodies were important to God. He had made them in his own image and he wanted to glorify his grace by making them his worshipers and heralds.

II. Somebody (vv. 10-12)

These lowly shepherds were the visited. They were at the top of God’s short list to hear the announcement of Christ, because he delights in making somebodies out of those who properly recognize themselves to be nobodies. The world had been waiting for hundreds of years for the announcement of this Savior and aside from the most obvious ones who needed to know, like Jesus’ immediate family, these despised shepherds were the first to hear the news!

III. Everybody (vv. 10-11, 17-20)

God not only chooses nobodies to make them somebodies; he gives them the same Gospel message for everybody. If you belong to Christ, you are honored not only to have been visited, but to be commissioned with dignity to carry the good news to the nobodies around you.

Discussion Questions 1. In what ways might you sometimes feel forgotten or marginalized by others? 2. How does the dignity given to the shepherds demonstrate the dignity and value God also gives to you in Christ? 3. What was the message the angels came to proclaim to the shepherds? How might your own life and message to others better embody the fact that the gospel is not a set of rules to be obeyed but “good news of great joy for all the people”?

If you want to live the way God wants you to live, and if you want to live forever, you must ask Christ to move into your heart and make you righteous and accept the substitution of his sinless record for yours.

I. Uncommonly Kind (Matthew 1:18-20)

The righteousness the Holy Spirit had worked in Joseph enabled him to be uncommonly kind toward Mary.

II. Unquestioningly Obedient (Matthew 1:20-25)

Joseph’s unquestioning obedience can only be explained by the miracle of grace in his heart.

III. Undauntingly Protective (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23)

Joseph’s call to obedience would not get easier. Joseph had to protect his new son and wife. Once again, there is no record of Joseph’s hesitation or questioning. Undaunted, he steps into danger to protect those entrusted to him.

Discussion Questions 1. What part of the sermon and/or passage resonated with you the most? 2. In what ways is Jesus the perfect example of the three attributes listed above? 3. Where might God be calling you to extend uncommon/undeserved kindness to someone in your life? 4. Where are you being challenged to obey God in your life right now? How is God’s goodness displayed in this passage and how can that compel you to obey? 5. Is there someone or a group unable to protect themselves that you can step in to help provide protection for? 6. How is the fact that Joseph was an “ordinary” man encouraging to you as you seek to be faithful in these ways?

Luke 1:46-55 | The Ordinary People of Christmas: Mary Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions Mary magnified God, because she saw her and her people’s needs so clearly and thus recognized how God’s attributes of mercy and might would meet them all.

God is Merciful (Luke 1:46-48, 50, 53-55) Before any of the disciples wrote their Gospels, Mary announced to her world the kind of Savior her son would be. This poor woman who lived under the oppression and tyranny of evil Herod, proclaimed to her fellow prisoners that a Messiah was coming who would mercifully release them. Specifically, this passage shows us that God shows mercy to the undeserving; the searcher (vv. 46-48); those who fear him (v. 50); the helpless (v. 53); and wanderers (vv. 54-55).
God is Mighty (Luke 1:49-53) God’s might makes God’s mercy the more appreciable, because we realize that with it God could have annihilated us in our sin. But because God is merciful, his might only reinforces our redemption because it assures us of the power that not only has secured and maintains our salvation but promises complete redemption of our whole world. Specifically, this passage shows us that God Exalts the humble (vv. 49, 52, 53); Humbles the proud (vv. 51, 52); and Wins the battle (vv. 51-54).

Discussion Questions 1. What part of the sermon and/or passage resonated with you the most? 2. Was there a category of those to whom God shows mercy that resonated with you the most? Why so? 3. How is God’s might and the way he uses it different from the way we typically think about might/strength in our world? How is this good news for you? 4. What realization gave Mary courage? How does this apply to you as well?

Exodus 12:1-14 | Starting OverSermon Recap & Discussion Questions In discussing how we properly take the Lord’s Supper, the Westminster Shorter Catechism says we must examine ourselves for “repentance, love and new obedience” (Q.97). Those three themes are anticipated in God’s institution of the Passover, one of his ways of convincing us over and over again that we are his beloved children.

I. RepentanceThe Passover reminded the Israelites to repent of living as slaves, because it was the beginning of their calendar year and the first observance of Passover was the first time in over 400 years they would be living free from slavery. The Passover also reminded them to offer holy lives to the Lord (cf. Lv. 22:20-22). Each household large enough to consume a whole lamb was to select the best one-year old male specimen from its flock of sheep or goats. Later in the chapter, God tells the Israelites to light a candle and remove every bit of leaven from their homes (15), a symbol of searching for and removing sin from every dark corner of their lives. The Passover also reminded them to repent of selfishness, as they were to entrust their best lamb to God as a sacrifice.

II. LoveLove was demonstrated in the Passover by the Israelites by eating the whole lamb. By doing so, the worshiper was ingesting God’s provision of a substitute. By uniting himself or herself with the prescribed meal, the worshiper was uniting himself or herself with the Lord. The Israelites who ate the Passover declared their love for the one true God who had defeated all the false gods on their behalf and was freeing them from their bondage. The Passover also demonstrated God’s love to the Israelites, as the lamb pointed them to the atoning sacrifice God was making and would make through Jesus for their sins.

III. New Obedience

As God had provided materially for the Israelites through their neighbors’ silver and gold jewelry, now he is providing spiritually and emotionally for their journey toward the Promised Land. By obediently keeping the Passover, they will be equipped to obey the Lord in their long journey. So what does the Lord give his people in the Passover to equip them for that long journey of obedience? The same he gives to us. . .himself. As the Lord supplies all we need for salvation from shame, fear, and guilt, he supplies all we need for living in new obedience.

Discussion Questions 1. How do you generally think about the Lord’s Supper? (Does it become rote? Do you feel unsure about its purpose? Do you look forward to it?) 2. Read Genesis 4:4; Genesis 22:1-19; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7. How does scripture connect the Passover to Jesus? How is the Passover connected to the Lord’s Supper? 3. How is the Lord’s Supper a reminder and demonstration of your union with Christ? What implications does your union with Christ have for you? (your past, your success, your future, how God feels about you) 4. Why could the Israelites entrust their best lamb to God? What implications does this have for us?

The Exodus of the SonExodus 11:1-10 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions Through God’s Son, we become God’s sons. If you commit your life to Christ, he will not merely raise your body to life, he will openly acknowledge you as a son of God as genuinely as Jesus is.

I. From Slaves to Son

When God originally commissioned Moses to liberate his people from Egypt, he put it in familial terms: “Then say this to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, ‘Let my son go, so he may worship me” (Ex. 4:22-23). The Exodus then is the story of God’s liberating his “son” Israel from their slavery to live freely and happily in his love.

II. From Sin to Son

As Christ the Son of Man hung on the cross, he carried out the plan he, the Father and the Spirit made before creation. On the cross God “made him to be sin for us.” God imputed the guilt of our sin to Jesus. God leveled all his judgment on him. This judgment was rightfully due to us, but Jesus took it so that we could be pardoned from our sin.

III. Sons in the Son

The climax of the Father and Son’s excruciating emotional pain is marked by Jesus’ cry, “My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?” The pain of the cross for both the Father and the Son was not the legal transformation of an innocent citizen into a condemned criminal. The pain of the cross was the estrangement of the Son from the Father. Jesus was being forsaken by God so that we could be adopted into God’s family. God preserved his son in the Exodus so we could be saved; God punished our sin in his son so we could be forgiven; and God temporarily abandoned his son so that we could be adopted.

Discussion Questions 1. The fact that God preserved Jesus in the Exodus proves that God has been working to redeem you for all of history. What assurance does this give you about God’s love and provision for you? How does this help put the things you are currently facing in perspective? 2. Pastor George said that anger points us to what someone loves. Think about a time you got angry recently. What made you angry? What does that say about what you were loving at the moment? Now think about God’s anger toward Pharaoh. What does this show about God’s love? What does that say about God’s love for you? 3. Do you ever struggle to believe God really loves you? Read Romans 8:14-16. What do these verses say about God’s desire to convince you that you are his child? How does this demonstrate God’s love? 4. How do these three different examples of God’s love (preserving you throughout history, his anger, and your adoption) help you to believe in his love for you? What is a verse or passage you could memorize this week that the Spirit can use to remind and assure you of God’s love?

Plague of DarknessExodus 10:21-29 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions We must look up to God for light, because we need it desperately and Jesus supplied it sacrificially.

I. Our Need for Light

Most striking is the statement that the darkness could be “felt.” This palpable darkness in Egypt was absolute, oppressive, and claustrophobic. The miraculous nature of this plague is further emphasized by the fact that the Egyptians could not even make light. Apparently not even a flame could be lit. Humanly, this experience was utterly terrifying, even to a king who thought he was a god. The plague of darkness was theologically devastating but infallibly proved Egypt’s gods were nothing and that the true God had not only defeated their gods but was punishing the Egyptians for giving glory to them that belonged to him alone.

II. Jesus’ Supply of Light

Jesus experienced darkness on the cross when “the sun ceased to shine” (Luke 23:45). Just as suddenly as the darkness came on Egypt did the guilt of all our sin come on our faultless Christ. The most devastating of all Jesus’ sufferings on our behalf was his abandonment by the Father. Jesus screams, “Why hast thou forsaken me?” Now the complaint Jesus uttered preemptively through the sons of Korah becomes existentially his, “the darkness is my closest friend” (Psalm 88:18).

Discussion Questions 1. Our need for light:
a. Can you think of a time when you experienced literal darkness? Where were you? What was it like? How did it feel?
b. Have you felt some of those same feelings in a spiritual and/or emotional sense? Were there any particular circumstances that brought these feelings?
c. Was there anything from the sermon about our need for light that particularly resonated with you? 2. Over Human Hearts:
a. What were the different ways Jesus supplies our need for light mentioned in the sermon?
b. How is Jesus’ provision of light demonstrated in the passage in Exodus?
c. What is our appropriate response to Jesus’ supply of light? What is one practical way you can apply this?

Your Arm's Too ShortExodus 9:8-12 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions The plague of Boils reminds us that God is sovereign, so nothing seen or unseen is any match for him. To persist in rebellion against him will eventually result in God’s punishment. However, to surrender your heart to him will result in comprehensive renewal and spiritual victory even over the powers of darkness.

I. Over Evil Spirits (Exodus 9:8-11)

The conflict in Egypt was never merely between Moses and Pharaoh. God was defeating Egypt’s gods and demonstrating that their gods were powerless to save them. As Numbers 33:4 says in commentary on Exodus, “On their gods also the LORD executed judgments.” We must be realistic, too, about the unseen but no less real forces affecting our lives. However, we must also rely on Christ’s sovereignty over those evil forces and go to him alone to be delivered.

II. Over Human Hearts (Exodus 9:12)
This passage also demonstrates that Christ is sovereign over human hearts. He alone can give the gift of faith and repentance. Up until this point, the Bible tells us that Pharaoh had hardened his own heart against God, but in this passage, it says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. These passages are not at odds with one another; they simply demonstrate a truth we see explained in Romans 1. That is, when people continually harden their hearts toward God after he has provided opportunities for them to repent, he eventually “gives them over” to what they want. Only the grace of Christ can prevent us from becoming as evil as we possibly can be.

Discussion Questions 1. Over Evil Spirits:
a. Are there ways in which you might sometimes minimize the reality that there are spiritual forces of evil at work in the world?
b. How might attributing everything to simple human cause and effect blind you to the devil’s schemes as well as to Christ’s power?
c. Is there any specific circumstance in your life currently where it’s possible the devil is using to sideline you?
d. Will this involve stepping out in faith, knowing that God empowers his people to advance against evil? Or will this involve acknowledging your inability to control the circumstance and giving it over to God? 2. Over Human Hearts:
a. How does this passage demonstrate the need to stay sensitive to the Spirit’s working in your heart to bring you to repentance?
b. What does this passage show us about those with whom we share the gospel?
c. How does Christ’s sovereignty over the human heart give you hope?

The InvestigationExodus 9:1-7 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions We must trust in God alone, because he always disciplines out of mercy and protects out of love.

I. God is Judge: disciplines out of mercy (vv. 1-3)

Even in this fifth plague, God demonstrates his mercy. This is only the fifth plague, but it is the seventh time God has warned Pharaoh, giving him a chance to repent. Furthermore, other places in the Bible, such as Jeremiah 18:7, show us that when we repent, God relents his judgment. Although it at times seems harsh, God disciplines because he loves us even more than we love ourselves, so he disciplines us to turn us from that which is self-destructive. Even when our suffering has not been brought on by our own sin, repentance is always appropriate, because repentance is turning to God.

II. God is Protector: protects out of love (vv. 4-7)

Verse 4 says that the Lord will put a division (or literally, “redemption”) between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. Jude 5 shows us that this redemption is Jesus Christ: "Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.” With the same hand that he exercises judgment on those who will not repent, God also exercises protection for those who do repent. When Herod issued a decree to kill all male babies after Jesus’ birth, Jesus’ family fled to Egypt. Jude 5 shows us that Jesus leads his people out of Egypt. It shows us that Jesus enters into whatever we experience and leads us out of it. It also shows us that whatever the reason is for our suffering, it can’t be that Jesus doesn’t care. He has proved his love by experiencing all the suffering we experience so that we could be saved. His suffering gave us the chance to repent.

Discussion Questions 1. Disciplines out of Mercy:
a. To what do you generally attribute your suffering? (ex: personal sin, lack of God’s goodness, etc.)
b. If God disciplines us out of mercy, how can this change our perspective on his discipline?
c. Read Jeremiah 18:5-10. What must we do when God disciplines us? 2. Protects out of Love:
a. What generally keeps you from repenting?
b. How does Jesus’ suffering demonstrate his loving desire for you to repent?
c. How does God’s protection give us assurance in the midst of suffering?

Take Your StandExodus 8:20-32 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions We must live without compromising our commitment to Jesus Christ, because he promises flourishing life, provokes courageous worship, and provides redemptive grace.

I. Promises Flourishing Life (vv. 20-24)

Our text clearly states that God spared the Israelites of this plague of flies. Later he saves his children from losing livestock, breaking out in boils, crop devastation by hail and livestock, locusts, and death of the firstborn. Likewise, when Moses prayed for the frogs to be removed he refers only to ‘[Pharaoh] and your houses, your officials and your people”(8:9). Moses does not ask for the frogs to be removed from the Israelites. Clearly, even in this oppressed condition, God made his children’s lives more pleasant overall than that of the Egyptians.

II. Provokes Courageous Worship (vv. 25-28)

When God commanded Moses to confront Pharaoh, he literally said, “Go to Pharaoh and stand your ground.” This whole narrative is ultimately about the glory of God. Pharaoh has asserted himself in the place of God and God is demanding his proper place in the lives of his people as well as in Pharaoh’s estimation. Because every human being is crafted in the image of God, everyone worships. And because God alone is worthy of worship and has the sovereign authority to insist on it, he will ensure that by the end of your life you acknowledge him alone—either willingly or unwillingly.

III. Provides Redemptive Grace (vv. 23, 29-32)

Israel never did anything to attract God’s favor above the nations. Even after God heard their prayers and sent Moses to rescue them, they initially rejected Moses and asked to remain in their slavery. Despite their unworthiness, God pursued their redemption. In this passage, Moses uses that very word “redemption” to explain how a holy God can choose to make a sinful people his own and love them as his very own children. What we have translated, “I will distinguish between my people and your people” literally reads, “I will set a redemption between my people and your people” or“ I will put a deliverance between My people and thy people.” To treat the Jews with favor required making them worthy of it by applying to them protection they did not deserve.

Discussion Questions 1. Promises Flourishing Life:

How does this passage demonstrate that God promises flourishing life for his people?
Read Psalm 73.
In what ways do you find yourself sometimes feeling like Asaph in verses 1-16? What is the good news he discovers?

2. Provokes Courageous Worship:

How does Pharaoh try to convince Moses and the Israelites to compromise their worship?
One of the ways we can sometimes compromise our worship is by failing to make corporate worship a weekly priority? Are there any ways this is true in your life? How so?
Read Deuteronomy 7:7-9. What is the reason Moses responded to Pharaoh by refusing to compromise the Israelites’ worship?

3. Provides Redemptive Grace:

How does God make it clear that he is choosing to redeem his people (v. 23)?
Perhaps we sometimes think of worshipping God in legalistic terms. However, Isaiah 1:29 says, “For they shall be ashamed of the oaks that you desired; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen.” This means that failing to worship God is to choose that which is second best. In other words, we are settling for less than God promises us and robbing ourselves of joy.
Are there any ways this changes your perspective on worshipping God in all you do?

Our Primary PurposeExodus 7:25-8:15 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions The second plague is a graphic and tragic portrayal of what it looks like for human beings to dedicate their lives to anyone or anything besides God revealed so graciously through Jesus Christ.

I. Glorify God

On the one hand, God struck a severe blow against Pharaoh and the Egyptians because they were giving glory to other gods which belonged to him alone. On the other hand, they brought this blow on themselves by attempting to live contrary to the order of God’s creation. Even if it is necessary for God to strike you with a severe blow it is always conditioned by his mercy. It is intended to save you from yourself and bring you into real life with him. The frog was worshipped in Egypt as a god. By making frogs misery for the Egyptians, God demonstrated that anything we glorify before him will only make us miserable and will never fulfill.

II. Enjoy God

When you completely give over your life to Christ, you get it back in an infinitely more joyful form. The Egyptians imitated the miracle by producing more frogs. It doesn’t matter how they did it, either by witchcraft or trickery, the point is they made things even worse. A real miracle would be to remove the frogs, but sin and the devil always exacerbate misery. When we insist on living for ourselves rather than “lose ourselves” for Christ and the gospel we irrationally choose a life of misery rather than joy.

Discussion Questions 1. Was there anything specific from the sermon that resonated with you? 2. Glorify God:
a. Isaiah 42:8 says, “I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other.” How does God demonstrate that he will not give his glory to anything/anyone else through this plague?
b. How is it good news for Christians that God acts in this way?
c. Are there any ways in which you sometimes seek the glory that belongs to God for yourself? If yes, how so? 3. Enjoy God:
a. In what way(s) did the Egyptians try to retain control in this passage? How did God show those ways were futile?
b. Are there any things in which you struggle to give control to God? Do you truly believe God can and will give you joy in it?
c. What good news is there in Psalm 16 regarding joy?

Nothing Before MeExodus 7:14-24 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions The first plague demonstrates the tragic consequences of disregarding God’s commandments and celebrates the blessings of obeying them as a gift of grace.

I. The Lord (Exodus 7:14-19)

God eventually forces every person to acknowledge that he alone is the Lord. Lord is that name that conveys God’s utter sovereignty and self-existence. David especially loved this title for God. In fact, he added a redundant name to emphasize God’s utter superiority, “Sovereign Lord” (Adonai Yahweh). It’s like saying “Unsurpassed God.” David uses this combination five times in the Psalter to relieve disciples of fear of every enemy:

Death - Psalm 16:2
Man - Psalm 68:20
Lost reputation - Psalm 109:21
Injustice - Psalm 140:7
The future - Psalm 141:8

II. Our God (Exodus 7:23-24)

Rather than repent and “cry out to the Lord,” the Egyptians turned to their own devices to “provide cisterns” for themselves. This is not the only time in the Bible this image is used. Jeremiah relayed the Lord’s assessment of Judah’s rebellion this way: “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:13).

III. Redeemer (Exodus 7:20-22)

Worship occurs in response to redemption. When we turn our backs on beautiful and free grace, the redemption we try to produce for ourselves is grotesque and costly. We have moved from the lowest to the highest motivation for obeying God. You should obey him at the very least because he is the Lord. A higher motivation is to obey him because he has crafted you with dignity and desires a relationship with you. The highest motivation is to obey the Lord God because he has redeemed you through the sacrifice of his only Son.

Discussion Questions 1. The Lord (14-19): Of the 5 fears listed, which resonates with you the most? What good news does the Psalm connected to it and this passage have for you? 2. Our God (23-24): What other “cisterns” do you find yourself going to? What are the blessings God has provided you instead? 3. Redeemer (20-22): Do you find yourself ever trying to “redeem yourself”? How so? How do we see the gospel in this passage? What good news does this passage have for you?

What If I Can't Believe?Exodus 6:1-12 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions

This passage gives us hope for the times when it seems impossible to believe.

I. I Will (Exodus 6:1-8)

Between verses 1-8, God says “I will” seven times. Altogether these declarations convey three promises by God to his people: redemption, possession, and liberation.

A. Redemption
God promises redemption, saying, “I will bring you out” (6); “I will free you” (6); and “I will redeem you” (6).

B. Possession
God promises possession, saying, “I will take you as my own people” (7) and “I will be your God” (7).

C. Liberation
God promises liberation, saying, “I will bring you to the land” (8), and “I will give it to you as a possession” (8).

II. I Can’t (Exodus 6:9-12)

Despite these seven “I will’s” spoken directly by God, the Israelite leaders can’t believe it. We too are unable to believe God unless he gives us the gift of faith.

A. Discouragement
The Israelites could not believe because of the 430 years of slavery they had toiled under and the new pressure to produce their quota of brick without Egyptians supplying them with straw

B. Cruel Bondage
Discouragement was the emotional result of their slavery. Moses adds “cruel bondage” as a compassionate reminder that the Israelites’ slavery had hindered their faith as well.

III. I Did

Jesus personally accomplished the redemption God promised. He makes seven “I am” statements in the Gospel of John that correspond with God’s seven “I will” statements in this passage.

A. Redemption
Jesus accomplished the redemption God promised, saying, “I am the door” (John 10:9); “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12, 9:5); and “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).

B. Possession
Jesus accomplished the possession God promised, saying, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11); and “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)

C. Liberation
Jesus accomplished the liberation God promised, saying, “I am the true vine” (John 15:10); and “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35, 48).

Discussion Questions 1. Which of God’s promises do you find it most difficult to believe? To help discern this, you might ask yourself what makes you anxious, depressed, hopeless, fearful, etc. most often. (For example, if you find yourself often becoming anxious about money, it may be that you struggle to believe God will provide everything you need). 2. What do you typically do when you find it difficult to believe in God’s promises? 3. What current circumstances or past experiences might make it hard for you to believe in God’s promises? 4. If belief is a gift from God, what is one thing we should always do when we find ourselves struggling to believe? 5. The Word of God is called “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17), so when we memorize scripture, we “arm” the Spirit to work in our hearts. What promise from scripture can you memorize to arm the Spirit to help you in times of unbelief?

I. Speak the Truth (Exodus 5:1-3)

By Moses’ spoken word on behalf of God - “let my people go” - Pharaoh is eventually defeated and the people eventually believe. We have been given this same gospel word.

a. Presuppose the Truth

Moses and Aaron relayed what God said - “thus says the Lord” - to Pharaoh, demonstrating to us that we must begin with God’s Word when speaking the truth and speak in the confidence of His word rather than our own.

b. Stand on the Truth

The only way to be courageous in the face of intimidation or difficult circumstances is to put your trust in God’s Word.

II. Prove the Truth (Exodus 5:4-9)

God proves two things through us when we follow Him despite our suffering.

a. His Power

Those whose eyes are trained on God’s redemptive plan to conform us individually to Christ and bring all enemies under His feet will conclude that God allowed things to get harder in order to demonstrate His redemptive power more irrefutably.

b. His Goodness

God has proved His goodness to us by drawing near to us to save us even at the ultimate cost to Himself. This proves the seemingly counterintuitive truth that God is good despite suffering.

Discussion Questions

Do you ever find yourself surprised when you suffer? Why do you think that is the case?
What lies do you tend to believe when you are suffering? (i.e. you are doing something wrong, God is displeased with you, you don’t have enough faith, etc.)
What is the true purpose for your suffering?
In what ways did the sermon demonstrate to you that your suffering is ultimately for your good?

The Mouth of God Exodus 4:27-31 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions

In order to save us, Jesus had to enter into our world. In response, we must enter into the lives of those around us and speak words of hope, peace, and love found in the gospel.

I. The Word of Hope

In order for Moses to deliver a word of hope to the Israelites, he had to be among them and begin to understand them, just as Jesus did for us. In the same way, we must seek to understand the people and places God places us in and step into those situations with a word of hope, knowing the Holy Spirit is with us and will give us the words we need to say at the right time.

II. The Word of Peace

Donald Grey Barnhouse reminds us that “The devil was in Egypt. The devil was ruling Egypt. Behind Pharaoh there was Satan.” We must realize that each person we come in contact with is in spiritual warfare. We have the word of peace found in the gospel that frees people from their bondage to Satan. As ambassadors of Christ, we must represent him by speaking that word and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to make it effective.

III. The Word of Love

Sometimes love can be demonstrated through righteous anger. God demonstrates his love for his people by becoming angry at their harsh slavery and using Moses and Aaron to deliver them. He also demonstrates his love for us by drawing near to us in Jesus Christ. He is not remote and detached; he is close and personal. In the same way, we must demonstrate our love for people by showing up in their presence and then by speaking the word of love found in the gospel.

Discussion Questions 1. Take a moment to reflect on the nature of the words that you speak on a typical day. There are generally two categories of words we speak: 1) those necessary for getting our work done, 2) those we speak by choice. With that in mind, how would you characterize:

1) the way you speak the words necessary to getting your work done (think about things like body language, tone, attitude, etc.)?

2) the content of the words you speak by choice? 2. Read 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. What does this passage say our calling as Christians is? If that is the case, what does this mean for the words we speak? Besides the words we speak, what is the most important thing we can do to represent Jesus? 3. What do you think is the primary thing that keeps you from representing God with your words more consistently? What does the gospel say to this hesitation? 4. Read Luke 12:11-12. What encouragement does this give you when you enter into a situation where you feel anxious about what to say and/or how to say it? 5. If each person you come in contact with is engaged in spiritual warfare, how might this change the way you view that person and the things they say and do? How might that shape the way you respond and the words you speak? 6. Perhaps we could characterize our words in two more categories: words of reaction and words of response. Words of reaction are characterized by self-preservation and a desire to be in control. Words of reaction might actually be not speaking at all — “shutting off.” Words of response are characterized by love and a desire to represent Christ. Think about the benefits you receive from being united to Christ and how that might enable you to be someone who responds rather than reacts. Consider memorizing 19:14 this week.

Jesus' Solidarity with UsExodus 4:21-26 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions

Notice the parallel between Joseph taking his family to Egypt and Moses taking his to the same destination. Matthew 2:13-15 informs us that Joseph’s trek to Egypt and back with baby Jesus “fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’” Through this we see Jesus’ solidarity with us. Jesus is with us in our…

I. Captivity … to a fallen world

Jesus does not run from your brokenness, and he does not require you to be free of it before you can come to him. He became human and experienced the same suffering we experience and he now lives in us and through us in order that he might accomplish salvation for us.

II. Conflict … with spiritual forces of evil

Moses was so focused on judgment for Pharaoh he neglected the spiritual care of his own family. However, in spite of his neglect, God mercifully spared his son and provided a way to preserve his life. We are also in a spiritual battle (Eph. 6:10-12) and Jesus has overcome the spiritual forces of evil and united us to himself so that we also have victory.

III. Conquest … with Christ
In our union with Christ, we have the Holy Spirit who empowers us to that which Christ calls us to do.

Discussion Questions 1. Are there any aspects of your past, present, or your personality that you are often tempted to believe must be “refined” before Christ can redeem you from them? If so, what are they? Why do you feel they are “off-limits” to Christ? 2. Do you sometimes find yourself paralyzed by fear, frustration, despair, etc. over what God has called you to do? Why do you think that is? How does Jesus enable you to overcome this? 3. Read Romans 6:3-11 and Galatians 2:20. What do these passages teach you about union with Christ? How might you apply them to false beliefs discussed in questions 1-2?

A Debtor to GraceExodus 4:18-28 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions

In view of God’s gift of Jesus Christ, we must turn from our presumption on his grace and give thanks to him for his perseverance to preserve us.

I. Presumption

Moses seems all too eager to witness God kill Pharaoh’s firstborn son if Pharaoh will not let the people go (23). However, he is so focused on the judgment he feels Pharaoh deserves, he neglects his responsibility to circumcise his own son, which was the sign of the covenant he was supposed to confer on him. It was the Old Testament version of baptism through which the parents and community entrusted the child to God’s grace. In other words, Moses is so busy judging Pharaoh, he forgets he and his family need God’s grace just as much as Pharaoh does. There are two ways we tend to presume on God’s grace. Like Moses, we judge other people and do not acknowledge our own need for God’s grace. Or, we presume on God’s grace in thinking that our sin is too great for his grace to forgive.

II. Preservation

God demonstrates his grace even more powerfully to Moses by preserving him and his firstborn son. God uses Moses’ wife, Zipporah, to confer the covenant sign of circumcision on their son to preserve his life. All of Moses’ presumption on grace and lack of faith in God ultimately killed God’s firstborn son so that Moses could be forgiven and Moses’ own firstborn son could be spared.

Discussion Questions 1. Two primary ways we presume on God’s grace were mentioned. Which of them resonated most with you? How so? 2. When you presume on God’s grace by judging others or believing you cannot be forgiven, how does it affect your relationship with others? 3. How does the gospel free you from being judgmental as well as from overwhelming guilt? 4. Are there any areas/circumstances in your life where you can tend to act as if God is not sovereignly in control of all things? If so, how? 5. Whether you are a parent or a covenant parent (by virtue of your membership in the church), what does this passage teach you about how we must approach parenting?

The Quitters' ClubExodus 4:10-17 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions In this passage, Moses doesn’t teach us to obey; God commands us to bring our disobedience to him so he can cure it! We must take our disobedient hearts to God because ...

I. He Answers Ingratitude with Sovereignty (10-12)

Moses’ protest begins respectfully enough, “Pardon your servant, Lord.” However, it quickly turns accusatory, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue” (4:10). He was essentially saying, “you are to blame for my inadequacy because you made me. If you wanted me to do this job you should have made me with more gifts. We’ve been talking now for half an hour and you still haven’t made me eloquent! It is your fault I can’t answer your call!”

Notice how God answers. He reasons with Moses: “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” God gently reminds Moses of the “Creator-creature” distinction, that he is God and Moses is his dependent. He reminds him that he created the first man out of nothing and that he knitted together Moses’ mouth in his mother’s womb. That same mouth with which Moses expressed ingratitude and irreverence, God says he is able to rewire to speak boldly for the salvation of his people.

Furthermore, you can be assured that a Father who was willing to allow his only Son to die for your salvation, is one who allowed you to be the person you are because he has a great good to accomplish.

II. He Answers Insolence with Anger (13-17)

God graciously informs Moses that he will accommodate his felt need for someone more eloquent to speak on his behalf. He will send his brother Aaron to be his spokesman. God’s lovingkindness overwhelms his anger and he accommodates Moses’ weak faith. God’s anger will motivate us to obedience, not because we fear judgment, but because we dread the thought of angering our beloved Father.

Remember, Moses is writing these words. Why would he give such a bad report on himself? Why would he detail his doubtful, irreverent, impertinent, impudent, and recalcitrant response to God’s call? Because he was not writing a memoir, he was crafting a prophecy. Not only did Moses want to make sure in all his books that God’s grace alone received adoration, he wanted to make clear that he was not the Christ. Later God told Moses that he would raise up from the line of Judah “a prophet” who would “tell them everything I command him” (Deut. 18:18). Moses would appear on the Mount of Transfiguration to point to Jesus as the one he merely anticipated (Matt. 17:5). On Pentecost, Peter proved Jesus was that perfectly obedient prophet (Acts 3:20-23).

This is why Jesus said to his disciples (and us), “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). He is the one who is able to accomplish all that God commands so we must receive his strength rather than our own.

Discussion Questions 1. Is there a responsibility or call in your life that you often feel inadequate to fulfill? If so, what is it? 2. What particular shortcoming do you feel you have that makes you inadequate to fulfill this responsibility or call? Are you sometimes tempted to become angry or blame God for this shortcoming? 3. What do Moses’ shortcomings teach us about God’s ability to use imperfect people? 4. What does God’s love demonstrated through Jesus teach us about how our imperfections are a part of his good plan? 5. How can you practically lean into God’s strength to fulfill this responsibility or call in your life rather than continuing in self-sufficiency?

Signed, Sealed, DeliveredExodus 3:16-4:9 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions Because God, in his infinite humility, assures us of his promises through the means of grace, we must commit ourselves to experiencing those means of grace, primarily in corporate worship.

I. Promise (15-20)

God has made the same promises to us that he made to Moses.

A. Repetition Proves Faithfulness (15-17):

In his kindness God ensured that every word he spoke was written down so his people would always know what he promised. Not only did he write down everything he said, but he ensured that every time a promise was fulfilled, the original promise was repeated word-for-word.

B. Unbelievers Will Believe (18):

The first promise God provides is that he will make believers of the people to whom he sends Moses. God calls us only to announce his good news. It is not our responsibility to make people believe.

C. Enemies Will Becomes Friends (21-22):

This is an unexpected reversal of hostility. These Egyptians who were formerly willing to kill Israelite children are now showering them with gifts! Through this, God shows his justice, demonstrating that he will ultimately make up for every wrong suffered.

D. The Evil Will Remain Evil (19-20):

The fact that Pharaoh remained hardened to God reminds us that no one will come to faith without Christ’s sovereign intervention.

II. Fulfillment (1-9)

God gives many incredible promises to us, but due to our lack of faith and circumstances in our lives, it can be difficult to believe in those promises. Of all people, God should be able to say, “take my word for it.” However, he not only gives us his word, he graciously bears with us in our unbelief and gives us proof.

A. Brings the Dead to Life (1-5):

Not only did the miracle of turning Moses’ staff into a snake demonstrate God’s ability to make alive something that was dead, it immediately showcased his sovereignty over Egypt, which imagined its supreme God as a cobra.

B. Cleanses the Unclean (6-7):

By inducing leprosy on Moses’ hand and then healing it, God showed his power to cleanse the unclean.

C. Destroys Evil (8-9):

Turning water to blood and not reversing it displays God’s ultimate purpose to destroy evil once and for all.

Discussion Questions 1. In what ways does corporate worship help assure you of God’s promises? (Look through the bulletin from this past week to help answer this) 2. Are you sometimes tempted to treat corporate worship as a legalistic duty rather than a means by which God gives you grace? If so, how? 3. Are there any steps you need to take to be more committed to attending corporate worship? 4. Reflect on experiences you may have had where God assured you of his promises. How did he assure you?

The Mustard Seed's FaithExodus 3:10-15 | Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions God equips us for what he calls us to do.

I. Strength for Weakness (10-12)

When God called Moses, Moses responded with three reasons why he could not do what God called him to do. Moses’ protest is answered with seven attributes of God.

A. Self-sufficient (2): The fact that the bush was burning but not consumed shows that God is totally self-sufficient.

B. Holy (5): By directing Moses to remove his sandals because the ground on which he was standing was holy, God impressed on Moses that he was entirely other.

C. Covenantal (6): God names Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because they were all unfaithful to him yet he remained faithful to them.

D. Redemptive (8): God promised to deliver the people from their harsh slavery.

E. Sovereign (10): God did not need Moses’ help to deliver the people but he had sovereignly orchestrated his life in order to prepare him for this call.

F. Merciful (7, 9): God moves to save his people because he sees their “affliction” and “oppression” and hears their “cry” for help.

G. Immanent (8, 10, 12): God always accompanies his commands to be strong and courageous with the promise “I will be with you.”

II. Credibility for Inexperience (13-15)

Another excuse we can use for not obeying God’s call is inexperience. The presupposition of such thinking is that we can only do what we can imagine ourselves doing, rather than acknowledging that the God who calls us is infinitely resourceful and delights to reveal himself by doing the impossible through weak people.

A. Definition:

God answers Moses’ question concerning who he should tell the Israelites sent him with, “I AM,” which can literally be understood as “I cause to be.”

B. Practical Atheism:

This is a condition we can easily find ourselves in. We could call it practical atheism: living as if there is no God while professing that there is. Practical atheism is revealed by fretfulness, habitual sin, anger, frantic desperation, and moral compromise.

C. God’s Self-Definition:

For Moses, this name was not a philosophical puzzle to be solved; it was the power he needed.

Discussion Questions 1. In short, how does God answer our needs? 2. If all of God’s attributes include his personal concern for us, where must we turn when we are distressed, anxious, weak, worried, etc.? 3. Is there any call on your life for which you feel incapable? How do God’s attributes supply your need? 4. Are there any ways in which you may be functioning as a practical atheist? What results does this bear in your life? How can you turn from this self-sufficiency to God’s sufficiency?

The Call | Exodus 3:1-9Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions Because God is merciful, he redeems weak, sinful people to play a part in his cosmic plan of redemption.

I. Preparation God prepared Moses his entire life to accomplish his most important task: to die pointing the people forward to the Promised Land (Cf. Deuteronomy 34:1-12).

II. Promise God calls Moses into his service by reminding him of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

III. People God is the God of sinners. He uses tragically flawed people – like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses – to accomplish his purposes.

Discussion Questions 1. When you think about your own legacy, what do you think about? How can you begin now to ask the Lord to prepare you to point to Jesus with your life? 2. We now see the fulfillment of God’s promise in Jesus Christ. How does that good news encourage you to do what God has called you to do? 3. What encouragement does it give you that God uses tragically flawed people?

Going Deeper 1. What will it mean for you to finish your life well? 2. We said that God uses tragically flawed people, but it might even be more accurate to say that he especially uses tragically flawed people. Why is this the case and what flaws in your own life can/does God use?

His Story of Redemption | Exodus 2:11-22Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions In the last study, through Moses we were introduced to the concept of a personal redeemer. In this passage we encounter the crafting of a personal redeemer and our personal redemption.

I. Acknowledge Need (11-14)

In Luke 5, Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (32). All people are sinners; the difference is whether or not they acknowledge it.

A. Death:

Pharaoh claimed to be a god. However, verse 23 tells us he died, demonstrating that he, along every other person, must face the reality of death and their need for salvation.

B. Deliverance:

We all have a need to be defended against evil and to defeat evil. However, we do not have the resources to accomplish either. We need to be enlightened by the wisdom of Christ and empowered by the Spirit of Christ to battle the evil around us.

II. Accept Supply (24-25)

No matter how great your needs are, God’s supply of grace is infinitely greater. These two verses demonstrate God’s abundant concern and supply for our need: God heard, remembered, looked, and was concerned!

A. Intellectual

God supplies our need intellectually by remembering his covenant, a covenant he had made with the Israelites’ forefathers, a covenant he would never break.

B. Emotional

The word “know” here is used in a few different ways in the Bible: foreknowledge, empathy, and intimacy. In fact, Revelation 13:8 tells us the lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. There has never been a time when God’s heart has not been breaking for the loss of his son, so he knows our pain as well.

III. Gratefully Respond (16-22)

If only God can redeem and if only God redeems infallibly through his faithfulness to Jesus, the only thing left for us to do is respond with gratitude.

A. Groan:

It was not for God to leave his people as slaves in Egypt for a time. It was merciful to force his people “groan” and “cry” to the Lord because they finally recognized that only God was sovereign enough in his grace to rescue them from the most powerful nation on earth. Cruelty would be allowing his children to persist in the delusion that they saved themselves and didn’t need their Redeemer.

B. Imitate:

From all eternity, Jesus planned his trip to get close to us and promises never to leave. It should be a small thing then for us to stay a little longer with someone who needs a drink of cold water from Jesus for the first time or the thousandth time.

Discussion Questions 1. If you are a Christian, what enables you to freely acknowledge your need?
Acknowledging our need without accepting God’s supply may humble us but it will ultimately leave us hopeless? Why is it so important to accept God’s supply? 2. What is one way you can respond gratefully to God’s supply for your need this week?

Going Deeper 1. Is it easy for you to acknowledge your need before God and before others? If it is difficult, why do you think that is the case? 2. How does our corporate worship service model this pattern of Need, Supply, Response? How can you incorporate that model into your personal devotional life so that you experience the gospel consistently?

A Savior and Defender | Exodus 2:1-10Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions I. Person

God developed Moses as a person to teach his people who Jesus Christ would be.

A. Fully Human:

As a real person like the people he was sent to rescue, Moses could feel their pain and identify with their needs, just as Jesus can empathize with us (Cf. Heb. 4:15)

B. Miraculously Preserved:

Despite the devil’s best efforts to halt our redemption by killing Jesus and Moses soon after their birth (Cf. Mt. 2:15), God extraordinarily preserved them, and prepared them to become sympathetic shepherds.

II. Work

God gave Moses a specific work to do in his redemptive plan.

A. Purpose of the Big Story:

This, along with every other story of deliverance in the Bible, was intended to point to an infinitely greater meta-narrative—our redemption from every vestige of sin by Christ.

B. Purpose of the Little Story:

Not only do we see in Moses’s earthly work what Christ did and does cosmically for us, we encounter the faithfulness of God who reminds his people throughout the Old Testament that the Exodus provides indisputable evidence that he fulfills his promises.

Discussion Questions 1. Read Luke 24:27. How does this further prove that the entire Bible, even the Old Testament, points us to Jesus? 2. How might this change the way you read, understand, and apply Old Testament narratives? 3. What assurance and confidence can you find in in God in seeing how each of the smaller stories in the Bible (and even in your personal life) fit into God’s greater story of redeeming all things to himself?

Going Deeper 1. Is there another Old Testament narrative you can think of that points to Jesus? How does reading it this way change the way it applies to you? 2. Is there anything in specific going on in your life currently that causes you to question God’s plan and even lose hope? How does his faithfulness demonstrated from beginning to end of scripture restore your hope that he is “working all things for the good of those who love him”? What promise from scripture can you claim during this time?

Liberty to the Captives, Part 2 Exodus 1 Sermon Recap I. Social

Two childless slave women were more powerful than the richest, most politically powerful man in the world. It seems that Moses intentionally does not give us Pharaoh’s name, but he does give us the names of the midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. They disobeyed Pharaoh’s order because they “feared God.” These two women were so convinced of God’s infinite goodness, grace and love—even as slaves—they could not be intimidated by Pharaoh.

II. Spiritual

Every political, economic, and social system which oppresses human beings created in God’s image is directly inspired and controlled by Satan. Therefore, nothing is purely political, economic or social—it is spiritually directed by Satan or God. Therefore, we who have been made “more than conquerors” resting on the truth that “we are from God” and therefore “greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world” so that the “evil one does not touch” us as we participate with God in “reconciling all things” to Christ.

Discussion Questions 1. What encouragement can you find in the story of Shiphrah and Puah? 2. What does this story tell us about the way God works to accomplish his purposes? 3. How does being a child of God give you confidence when you feel oppressed by spiritual powers? How does this encourage you to live in his strength rather than your own?

Going Deeper 1. Are you sometimes tempted to only believe that God can liberate you from oppression but cannot use you to liberate others? What hope does this passage give you? 2. Is there anyone you know who may be living in spiritual bondage? How do you see this in their lives? What good news can you share with them?

Recommended Mission Partner Resources Adoption/Foster Care

Bethany Christian Services
Life Choices
Agape: Memphis Family Connection Center
Palmer Home for Children

Human Trafficking

Citizens for Community Values
Restore Corps

Homicide

Victims to Victory

Liberty to the Captives, Part 1Exodus 1:1-17 Sermon Recap Exodus shows us, in part, that the gospel is not only good news for our sin but for every part of our lives. Not only that, this good news turns us into liberators with God.

I. Political

The people of Israel were oppressed by Pharaoh and forced into harsh labor because he feared they would grow too strong as a nation and overthrow his rule. Exodus shows us that God is angered when people oppress his image-bearers. Despite any oppression we may face from others, we can have assurance that we have dignity and worth because Jesus thought us worthy enough to die for.

II. Economic

We discussed three things that contribute to keeping people locked in cyclical poverty (Michael Gerson, Unleashing Opportunity): 1) the word gap, 2) the graduation gap, and 3) predatory lending. Each of us has the good news of the gospel to encourage others with our words. Our church partners with multiple ministries to provide help in education. And we can provide merciful alternatives to the grossly unjust payday lending schemes that keep people locked in poverty. We can do these things, because we have been so abundantly blessed by God, we can afford to give away to others.

Discussion Questions 1. How does God prove to us that he values us and will act on our behalf when we are oppressed by others? 2. How does God dignify us in his mission to bring liberty to those in economic captivity?

Going Deeper 1. Are there any ways in which you might inadvertently be communicating to others that they must meet certain standards in order to be accepted? Are there any ways in which you feel cut out from certain groups? What good news does the gospel have for you in either case? 2. List some ways in which God has blessed you. List some ways in which God has used you to bless others and reflect on the joy it was to minister in that way. Are there any other ways you can be a blessing to others this week?

Sermon Recap & Discussion Questions

I. Servitude to Sin (6)

God offers us rescue from servitude to sin.

A. Liberation:

God has mercy for his image-bearers and will always move against oppressive powers that dehumanize those who bear his image.

B. Redemption:

Jesus came to earth to become our kinsman-redeemer.

II. Freedom through Service (7-8)

Your past bondage to sin does not disqualify you from serving in God’s kingdom.

A. Adoption:

God adopts us into his family and fully identifies with us as our Father.

B. Possession:

God liberates and redeems us so we can live in an infinitely better country.

Discussion Questions 1. Why does God rescue his people from servitude to sin? 2. What does it mean that Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer? In what way has he now made us kinsman-redeemers as well? 3. What does it mean to be adopted into God’s family?

This very long text describes the beginning of Paul’s first missionary journey and the official offer of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Specifically, the focus is once again on the power of the Word of God to transform lives by its presentation of Christ (vv. 5,7,12,46,48,49). Such power moved Katherine Hankey to exclaim, “I love to tell the story . . . the message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.” While most of us here today know that old, old story called the Gospel, even we have a tendency to forget what its central message is. You might be freshly surprised today to remember what it promises.

1. For Some Who Have Never Heard (4-12)Sergius Paulus was a man who had never heard the good news of forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. While he was not the first Gentile to be converted, he was the first in Luke’s record to come to Christ with no religious background whatsoever. Who was this man and what did it take to reach him? The answers to these questions provide insight for reaching the lost. They should also be encouraging to you if you do not personally know Christ.

A. Who: Who was this man Sergius Paulus? Luke informs that he was proconsul of Cyprus. That was a position akin to the governor of a state. This description, by the way, reinforces the accuracy of Luke’s account. Consider the history of Cyprus’ rule. This little island off the coast of Turkey was annexed by Rome in 57 BC. After Rome brought the settlement up to their standards, Cyprus was assigned in 55 BC to the province of Seleucia which comprised the southern coast of Turkey. Twenty-eight years later Cyprus was made a separate province ruled by the emperor through an imperial legate. By 22 BC Cyprus’ rule changed from the imperial legate to its own proconsul, who served under the Roman senate. Therefore, by the time of Paul’s visit, the ruler would have been a proconsul and not a legate. This was Sergius Paulus whom Luke identifies with the proper title.[1] The important implication of this information for our purposes is not just Luke’s accuracy, but the fact that Paulus is a powerful man in the Roman government.

One did not become a powerful man in Rome by niceties. For one climbing the corporate ladder in Roman government, “backstabbing” was more than a metaphor! (“Et tu, Brute?”). The Romans in power were not known for their delicate dealings with people. Remember what John the Baptist told Roman soldiers who came to him for baptism, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely” (Lk. 3:14). Though it is just conjecture, it is probably reasonable to say that Sergius Paulus destroyed some people physically and emotionally to get where he was. Can you identify? There may not be any physical murderers here but I would guess there are some here who have hated bosses, some who have wrecked their children’s self-confidence, and others who have killed their spouse’s self-esteem. What do you need to hear from me today? That you are OK? No, don’t you want to hear what this man Sergius wanted to hear—this man who seemed on the outside to have it all together but who on the inside was empty and guilty? And what did he hear? That through Jesus Christ sins can be forgiven (38). That the blood of Jesus does what no amount of law-keeping can ever do, justify—make perfectly righteous in the eyes of God (39). My friend, I don’t care what you have done, if you come to Christ for salvation today, your sins will be forgiven and you will be called “a righteous person.”

B. What: But what is required in getting that message to those who need it? Notice first that you must relate that message to others by the power of the Holy Spirit (4). Success in conveying this good news is not related to your personal charisma or expert delivery. Success comes from the Spirit conveying power to you to speak. Notice that proclamation is the primary strategy for spreading the Gospel. It always has been. The single most effective method of evangelism—from the early church until now—has been telling someone else in a personal way that Jesus is the answer to his or her need.[2] And it is the Spirit who fills us with power to do so. He must because we are often afraid. At times we are even unwilling. Remember, Paul and Barnabas were members of a people who had been severely oppressed by the Romans—they would have been tempted to withhold the Gospel from someone they wished would go to hell. And not only does the Spirit give power to speak, he fills us with even more power after we speak that we might do it again (52).

II. For Those Who Know It Best (13-52)

The rest of this chapter is the record of Paul and Barnabas taking the Gospel to religious people who have heard the good news from the Old Testament for their whole lives. While it was not as clear in the Old as it is in the New, it was clear enough. Sergius Paulus was hearing the Gospel for the first time; they were being reminded of it. No matter how many times you have heard the message of forgiveness in Jesus Christ, you need to hear it again.

A. Pursued in History: Perhaps I have confused you with that statement that the Gospel is declared in the Old Testament. You say, “I don’t read anywhere that it says that Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins.” No it doesn’t say that, but it does say that God “announced the gospel” to Abraham by declaring that he would send grace through Abraham to redeem a people as his own and laid all of the groundwork for finally accomplishing that feat in Jesus Christ (Ga. 3:8). That is the point that Paul makes in his sermon. Let me explain it to you. Remember, some time ago as we were studying Peter’s sermons I said that a man named C. H. Dodd demonstrated what he called the New Testament kerygma, a fancy Greek word for “sermon.” He showed that there are a few basic points made over and over in the New Testament sermons. We see all of those points here:

Continuity with the Old Testament (24) – John the Baptist, as the last OT prophet, announces that Jesus is the Messiah promised by the Old Testament prophets.
Cursed (27-29) – By his trial and crucifixion Jesus proved to be the one who was cursed for our sin (Dt. 21:23). Further, his burial proved he became sin for us and suffered the curse of death.
Resurrection (30,31) – His resurrection proved his life justified our sins and accomplished our adoption and sanctification.
Justified (38,39) – Those who receive Christ by faith are justified by his righteousness.

Those are not new points to you. What is a new thought perhaps is that a similar kerygma can be found in the Old Testament. There are a few basic points about God’s pursuit of us in redemption which are repeated over and again. Paul lists them here:

Patriarchal (17): God found Abraham and made a covenant with him.
Exodus (17): God came to the Israelites in Egypt and led them out.
Wilderness (18): God protected the Israelites and led them through the desert.
Conquest (19): God fought for the Israelites and gave them the Promised Land.
Judges (20): God pursued the Israelites through the judges during their most intense period of rebellion.
Monarchy (21,22): God built up his people as a light to the nations for the first eighty years of the monarchy.

What I want you to hear is that God has been pursuing his people from the beginning of time, and you are one of those people. The Bible makes it clear that when God came after Abraham he was coming after you (Ga. 3). You have been a pursued person. He pursued you through the desert, through the period of the judges, through the New Testament and into your personal history.

B. Pursued Now: And God continues to pursue you and apply grace to you. Further, the covenant means he is pursuing your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren through you.

Luke reinforces the tenacity of God’s redemptive pursuit in several ways. First, he explains that faith is a gift of grace: “all who were appointed for eternal life believed” (48). These Gentiles came to faith because God elected them, brought the Gospel to them, and then enabled them to believe. Another reinforcement is the example of John Mark (Barnabas’ cousin) who left Paul and Barnabas in Pamphylia (13). Later that desertion will drive a temporary wedge between Paul and Barnabas. While Ramsay argued that John Mark left because he wanted to reach Pamphylia, it seems clear that Mark deserted the missionaries for less than spiritual reasons.[3] Whatever the reason, God pursues and restores John Mark such that he becomes one of Paul’s most trusted fellow workers (Co. 4:10; 2 Ti. 4:11; Phm. 24; 1 Pt. 5:13). Finally, Paul’s turn to the Gentiles (46) reminds us that it is only temporary in order to make the Jews jealous and draw them to Christ in even greater numbers—a revival so dramatic that Paul calls it “life from the dead” (Ro. 11:15). The point is that God never gives up.

[1] Bruce, 246.

[2] Cf. Michael Green, Evangelism in the Early Church and ?, To Spread the Power.

[3] St. Paul the Traveler, 94-97.