Hope Baptist Church: Recent Episodes
Hope Baptist Church
Weekly sermons from Hope Baptist Church in Manchester, Maine. Enjoy God, Embrace People, Experience Growth.
Scripture: Isaiah 11 and 12 I. You have hope of a coming king. A. Who is this branch of vs. 1 who would bear fruit? Jesus. He is a shoot from the stump of Jesse, King David’s father. God had made a great promise to King David in 2 Samuel 7:12-13: “When your days are…
Scripture: Isaiah 8:11—9:7 I. As a Christian of faith, you live with a distinct trust. A. King Ahaz of Judah gets some bad news in Isaiah 7:2: “Syria is in league with Ephraim.” The heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. But…
Scripture: Isaiah 6 I. When you have a fresh encounter with God, you know God as king. A. In Isaiah 6:1 we read the historical setting for Isaiah’s encounter with God. King Uzziah of Judah had died that year. Everything feels uncertain and insecure. And what does God do for Isaiah? He gives Isaiah a…
Scripture: Isaiah 5 I. God’s heart breaks when we don’t produce good fruit. A. By grace God had given Israel a good land. God had left nothing undone for His people. God expected good fruit to come from His people. But the vines only yielded wild grapes (vs. 2, 4). Literally, Judah produced stink-fruit. Judah…
Scripture: Isaiah 1 I. You regain God’s gracious privileges by repenting of political sins. A. Isaiah prophesied to 4 different kings of Judah (vs. 1). Isaiah begins by telling Judah what is plain to everyone: our country is broken. Judah has rebelled against God (vs. 2). They have sinned. They of all people, the ones…
Scripture: Titus 3:1-2 & 9-15 Do Good Works Outside the Church Submit to Authorities “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.” (v1) “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist…
Scripture: Titus 3:3-8 I. The good news begins with bad news about you. A. Paul goes straight into the bad news about you in Titus 3:3. He lists seven characteristics of Christians before their conversion to Christ. You might call this list the slimy seven. In summary, without Jesus our relationship with God was a…
Scripture: Titus 2:11-15 Grace Redeems “For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people.” (v11) “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) “Our great…
Scripture: Titus 2:1-10 I. You live a wonderful life by discipling other Christians. A. Paul ends Titus 1 by talking about the rebellious false teachers in Crete (Titus 1:16). Paul opens chapter 2 by writing to Titus, “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” This is teaching that leads to spiritual and…
Scripture: Titus 1:10-16 I. You need leaders who will silence rebellion. A. The rebels in the church of Crete are described in vs. 10. They were actively spreading false teaching in the church (vs. 11). Disorder then had entered the church. They deceived the people in the church by giving the impression that they were…
Scripture: Titus 1:5-9
I. A quality leader is marked by good character.
A. Titus was in charge of putting others in charge in the church in Crete (vs. 5). Verses 6 and 7 say a leader must be above reproach. He must be a man of integrity. He must have a good reputation for living a Christian life. And the first references that you should check for potential elder-pastors in the church would be his wife and children. The church is God’s family – God’s household. The elder is called God’s steward (vs. 7) – the overseer of God’s household. The way that a man leads his family will tell you a lot about how he will lead God’s family, the church.
B. The good character of a potential leader in the church is seen in six positive virtues in vs. 8. Notice here that Paul does not tell Titus to look for skills in leaders. He tells Titus to look for character. Character is far more important in church leaders than skill. Do you possess the character described in Titus 1:6-9?
II. A quality leader is not marked by bad character.
A. The bad character to be avoided is found in vs. 7: “He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain.” All these character qualities are immediate red flags which disqualify someone from leadership. Money is a big idol, and Jesus said in Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
B. Skills that are used for selfish ends become destructive. People with skill are effective leaders. But if that skilled leader does not have godly character there is a good possibility that this leader will eventually crash and burn and the church will crash and burn with him. In recent church history there have been too many examples of pastor-elders who have become bullies in their churches – the violent people of Titus 1:7.
III. A quality leader teaches and defends God’s truth.
A. We have seen in verses 6 and 7 that a quality leader must be above reproach in his character. Now we see in vs. 9 that a quality leader must be above reproach in his doctrine. A pastor-elder must hold firmly to the truth that the church has always taught for 2,000 years. And if there are those in the church who contradict the doctrinal truth found in the Bible, the pastor-elder must confront and rebuke those false teachers. Are you humble enough to receive a rebuke? Are you loving enough to give a rebuke?
Application:Pray that Hope’s leaders would be Titus 1 leaders and that you might be such a leader.
Sources:The letter to TitusCommentaries by Andreas Köstenberger, Robert Yarbrough, Tim Chester and Denny Burk.
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) Why is godly character so important in church leaders? How does leadership in your family translate to leadership in the church?
2) Why does Paul emphasize character over skill in church leaders? Are there any other red flags you can think of that would disqualify someone from church leadership?
3) Since knowing and teaching God’s Word are so important for leaders, how well would you say you know the Bible? Are you loving enough to give a Christian a rebuke?
Scripture: Titus 1:1-4
I. You need God for a wonderful life.
A. Paul uses the word God ___ times in the first four verses of his letter to Titus. Paul is obsessed with God. If you want a wonderful life, God needs to be at the center of your heart. God is called Savior twice in this passage. In verse 3 God the Father is called God our Savior. Then in vs. 4 we read about Christ Jesus our Savior. We were in danger of suffering God’s judgment and death, but God chose to save us.
B. Titus 3:5: “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus died for our sins, and we were saved. How then do you feel about God and Jesus who saved you? We in the church have been chosen to be saved by God. We are God’s elect (Titus 1:1). How does it make your heart feel to know that you have been chosen by God for salvation?
II. You need faith in God for a wonderful life.
A. The first purpose of Paul’s ministry in vs. 1 was for the sake of the faith of God’s elect. Paul would preach (vs. 3) to everyone, confident that those God had chosen would respond with faith. All of us have been commanded to tell other people the good news about Jesus. Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
B. To be saved then you need to have faith. But this faith is not faith in faith. Our faith has definite content to it. Our faith is based on knowledge of the truth (vs. 1). Faith is based on knowledge of the truth about God. Faith in God gives you hope of eternal life (vs. 2). Life on this earth is not all that there is. Beyond this world is another world. What you do today on this earth has eternal implications for the world to come. What a wonderful life!
III. You need godliness for a wonderful life.
A. The second purpose of Paul’s ministry according to vs. 1 was godliness. It was for the purpose of the church knowing the truth about God. But this knowledge was not an end in itself. Knowledge about God must lead to godliness. A godly life is a life of mature Christian character. A godly person lives in a close relationship with God through prayer and Bible reading and worship and fellowship, and a godly person lives a moral and righteous life that pleases God. A godly life will necessarily be a changed life.
Application:Eternal fates are sealed through your witness and your godly lives.
Sources:The letter to TitusCommentaries by Andreas Köstenberger, Tim Chester and Robert Yarbrough
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) You are what you love. Do you agree or disagree? How will love for God affect the way that you live?
2) Where does the power come to share your faith in Jesus? Who are you praying for to put their faith in Jesus?
3) Who is growing in godliness through your life and ministry? Who are you praying for that he/she will grow in godliness?
Exodus 32:1-20 | John 18:15-18, 25-27; 21:15-19
In a Time of Waiting, Who Should You Follow?
“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, ‘Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’” (Exodus 32:1)
“One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter has cut off, asked, ‘Did I see you in the garden with him?’ Peter again denied it.” (John 18:26-27)
When nothing seems to be happening, remember what God has done!
In a Time of Wanting, Who Should You Follow?
“And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go down, for your people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I have commanded them.’” (Exodus 32:7)
“Peter was grieved because (Jesus) said to him a third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep’. (John 21:17)
When you can’t see God, realize that God sees you and loves you!
In a Time of Wandering, Who Should You Follow?
“As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.” (Exodus 32:19)
“Follow me” (John 21:19)
When you don’t know the way, respond by following God!
Scripture: Exodus 25:1-9 | John 1:14-17
I. You experience God living in you by stirring up your heart.
A. How could Israel know God was living among them as they made their journey toward Canaan? A tent that was called the tabernacle. Before God would live in this tent, His people would need to provide the materials for the tent. Who would give toward God’s home? Only those whose hearts were moved (vs. 2). If you want to experience God living in you today then, you need a heart that is regularly stirred up with love for Him.
B. Sometimes our hearts get cold, don’t they? When you have a cold heart, you are more likely to act yourself into a feeling than you are to feel yourself into an action. If you do the actions of love, the feelings will come back again. If you have no sense in your heart that God loves you, you will conclude God is not living in you. So, stir up your hearts to do the loving actions toward God which will remind you again of how much God loves you and you love God.
II. You experience God living in you by costly giving.
A. God wanted the people to give some costly gifts for his tent (vs. 3-7). In Genesis 2:12 we read a description of what was found in the Garden of Eden: “And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.” When the people saw the tent where God lived, He wanted them to look back. He wanted them to look back to the paradise of Eden when God first lived with His people on earth.
B. The tabernacle tent then pointed back to Eden, but it also pointed forward to our true home which would come through Jesus who would tabernacle among us (John 1:14). While we wait for heaven, where is God living now? He lives in us in the person of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
III. You experience God living in you by detailed obedience.
A. The whole point behind this tent is found in Ex. 25:8: “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” God wanted to live with His people on earth. The tent needed to be made according to God’s exact specifications (vs. 9) so that we might learn how we can live in relationship with our good and holy God. But we don’t follow God’s commands and rules just because we love rules. The rules are a means to an end. And the end is a relationship with God. We maintain that relationship through Christ’s blood shed on the cross for us.
Application:Continue to experience God living within you by trusting that Christ paid for your sin.
Sources:The BibleCommentaries by D.A. Carson, Tim Chester and J.A. Motyer & “The Lamb of God” by Nancy Guthrie.
Sermon Discussion Questions1) What can you do to stir up your heart for God in times when your heart is cold? What are some actions of love for God that you might do this week?
2) What costly gifts has God given you? When you give a costly gift to someone, how does that make you feel about that person?
3) Why is obedience so important to God? How can we stay close to God even when we fail to obey His commands?
Scripture: Exodus 24:1-2, 9-11 | John 20:11-18
I. You can go home again because Christ died for you.
The story of Easter opens with Mary Magdalene, at Jesus’ tomb. Mary sees Jesus risen from the dead in vs. 14 but she doesn’t recognize that it’s Jesus. Who does she think Jesus is (vs. 15)? The gardener. Jesus’ tomb then is located within a garden. In the Easter story, we have a death, we have angels, and we have a man and a woman talking in a garden on the first day of the week. And we also have all these elements in the story of creation.
We read about the angel’s role in protecting the garden of Eden from Adam and Eve after their sin in Genesis 3:24: “(God) drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” It’s the blood (Exodus 24:8) that allows us to get close to God. It’s the blood of the sacrifice that lets us go home to God after our exile from Him.
II. You can go home again because Christ rose and ascended for you.
The fact that Jesus was risen from the dead was made clear to Mary in John 20:16. But there was one more phase of Jesus’ exodus journey that he had to complete before he could go home to heaven: the ascension (vs. 17).
Why was it such good news for Mary and the disciples that Jesus was ascending to heaven? We see what Jesus planned to do after his ascension from John 14:2-3: “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Jesus is getting your home ready for you.
III. You can go home again because God wants a meal with you.
Sharing a meal together expresses belonging to one family and sharing one life. This is what God wants more than anything with you. In the exodus story, at the top of Mt. Sinai, God wants a meal together with the leaders of Israel (Ex. 24:9-11). And on the night before He died, Jesus shared a meal with His disciples and told them what He was looking forward to in the future in Luke 22:15-16: “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” What does Jesus really want? He wants to eat a family meal with you. He can’t wait until everyone in His family comes home to share a meal with Him.
Application:Come home to God by confessing sin, believing that Christ died for you, and turning from sin.
Sources:The Bible Commentaries by D.A. Carson, T.D. Alexander, and Tim Chester. “Exodus Old and New” by L. Michael Morales, “Echoes of Exodus” by Alastair Roberts and Andrew Wilson
Sermon Discussion QuestionsWhat are some of the common elements in the stories of creation, the exodus, and Easter? How would you sum up the story of the Bible in a sentence?We celebrate Christ’s resurrection at Easter and His defeat of death. Why should we also celebrate Jesus’ ascension? How is a meal with God a good picture of salvation? How can you share more meals with God on a regular basis?
Scripture: Exodus 19:1-6 | John 14:15-17
I. You are saved to be God’s treasured possession.
A. In Exodus 19 God reminds Israel that he had already saved them in the past. Notice the tense of vs. 4. It is the past tense: “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians.” Israel was to obey God’s Law after they were saved so that they might enjoy the benefits and privileges of God’s people. God sees not just Israel but you in the church as His treasured possession.
B. Peter writes to the church in 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” When God looks at the church, He sees a treasure! He sees royal property. Isn’t that incredible? God saved you so that you could be God’s prized treasure.
II. You are saved to be a kingdom of priests.
A. God is making an incredible promise to Israel. Every Israelite is to have a royal status. And every Israelite is to have a priestly status (vs. 6). As kings, Israel would take on the role that God gave to Adam and Eve to exercise dominion over the earth. And as priests, every Israelite would have access to God. And as a kingdom of priests, Israel was supposed to represent God to the world through mission. The world was supposed to be able to see the glory of God in Israel.
B. Jesus said in John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” We enjoy communion with God only by keeping His commandments. This is not a legalistic way to earn your salvation. Keeping God’s commandments is the grace of God at work in your life, making you holy and happy in God. And it is the Holy Spirit that Jesus speaks about in John 14:17 who gives you both the willingness to obey God’s commands and the power to obey those commands.
III. You are saved to be God’s holy nation.
A. Israel is supposed to be holy like God is holy (vs. 6). Revelation 5:9-10: “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 God from 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.” Jesus died for you so that through His death the people of every tribe and language and people and nation might know that God is the LORD. Jesus saved us from the nations for the sake of the nations who still need Jesus.
Application:Let’s be witnesses of our holy God to the nations in the days to come.
Sources:The BibleCommentaries by T.D. Alexander, D. A. Carson, J.A. Motyer, and Tim Chester. “The Lamb of God” by Nancy Guthrie.
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) How did Israel experience being God’s treasured possession? What has God done in your life to show you that you are God’s treasured possession?
2) What does the reference in 1 Peter 2 to Exodus 19 tell you about the connection between Israel and the church? And how does the reference to Exodus 19 in Revelation 5 help you understand what it means that the church is a royal priesthood?
3) Why did God save you? What does God want you to do now that you have already been saved? Do we have to do those things in order to be saved?
Scripture: Exodus 17:1-7 | John 7:37-44
Move on From the Wilderness of Sin
“All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD. . .” (Exodus 17:1)
“So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him . . .” (John 7:43)
“Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” (James 5:9)
Come to the Lord who Stands Before You
“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb.’” (Exodus 17:5-6)
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me. . .” (John 7:37)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Receive the Living Water
“. . .and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” (Exodus 17:6)
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believe in him were to receive.” (John 7:38-39)
“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)
Scripture: Exodus 14:19-31/John 5:19-24
I. Your story is about leaving darkness for light.
A. The story of Israel being saved from Egypt comes in 3 sections referring to the time of day: dusk (vs. 19-20), night (vs. 21) and morning (vs. 27). Israel then escapes darkness and death and moves into the light of freedom and life on the other side of the Red Sea. Egypt’s end is the darkness of night, covered over by the waters (vs. 28). But Israel left the darkness coming out of the sea toward the rising sun. The power of Egypt then was no match for the power of God.
B. Your story, like Israel’s story, is about leaving behind a great enemy. In our case, the enemy is not Pharaoh but Satan. Satan attacks God’s people with lies, sorrows, battles, terrors and testing just like Pharaoh attacked Israel. All these attacks from Satan leave our world dark. But God steps into every Christian’s story to lead you away from Satan and sin and darkness and into the brightness of the Promised Land.
II. Your story is about leaving destruction for a new creation.
A. The story of exodus is the story of creation all over again. God brings light on Israel in Ex. 14:20 – an echo of what God said at creation in Gen. 1:3: “Let there be light.” Then in Ex. 14:21 the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind (the same Hebrew word as the word Spirit). Gen. 1:2 says that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” The waters separate to create dry land at the Red Sea just like at creation (Gen. 1:9).
B. Over and over in the Bible, water represents judgment and destruction. Jesus was not saved from destruction in water. In Mark 10:38 Jesus called his death a baptism, but it led us to a new creation. The Apostle Paul connects the exodus and baptism in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2: “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
III. Your story is about leaving death for life.
A. Just like Moses plunged into the waters of the Red Sea and all who followed him emerged on the other side unharmed, Jesus plunged into the waters of death so that following Him we might pass through death unharmed into resurrection life (John 5:24). Hebrews 2:14-15: “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
Application:Rejoice that you have already passed through the waters of death in Jesus.
Sources:The BibleCommentaries by T.D. Alexander, D.A. Carson, Peter Enns & Tim Chester“The Lamb of God” by Nancy Guthrie/”Exodus Old and New” by L. Michael Morales
Sermon Discussion Questions:
1) What kind of darkness in your life have you left behind now that you are following Jesus? The light protected Israel from Egypt. How has God’s light protected you?
2) What are some echoes of the creation story in Genesis 1 that you see in the Exodus story? In what ways have you become a new creation since your conversion?
3) In defeating death at the cross, what else did Jesus defeat? If Jesus is victorious over death, then what do we need to be afraid of?
Scripture: Exodus 13:17-22 | John 8:12-14
I. God’s light will lead you to a place of testing.
A. Why did God have Israel take the scenic route home? “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt” (vs. 17). Israel had been slaves for 400 years. They had no trained army. Nor was their faith in God strong enough to handle a battle. Israel needed to be made stronger through the testing of their faith. God led Israel by a miraculous light. The light changed its appearance by day and by night from a pillar of cloud to a pillar of fire (vs. 21-22).
B. By the time we get to Exodus 14 it must have seemed like God had led Israel into a trap. The Red Sea was in front of them. And then Pharaoh and Egypt pursued them from behind. Why did God lead Israel here? Because the truth is this: God helps those who cannot help themselves. And God helps His people when there is nothing they can do, no chance for escape. God leads you to difficult places to test your faith just like He tested Israel’s faith at the Red Sea.
II. God’s light will lead you to a place of dependence and trust.
A. Moses tells the Israelites to simply depend on God (Exodus 14:13-14). Trust God. That’s the plan. There was nothing Israel could do. And there was nothing Israel needed to do. Do nothing. Be a spectator. Watch God win the battle over your mighty enemy for you. God will fight for Israel. God and God alone will save Israel. Are you in a place where only God can save you? Why? To gain glory for His Name. To show you His salvation. To grow your dependence on Him.
III. God’s light will lead you to Jesus.
A. “The salvation of the LORD” (vs. 13) is “Yahweh-Yeshua” in Hebrew. Moses said then, “You will see Yeshua.” The Hebrew name Yeshua in English is Jesus. Moses told Israel, “You will see Jesus.” The salvation of God is bound up in a person and that person’s name is Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). How does Jesus lead you today? Through the person of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
B. The pillar of fire led Israel to life. It led Israel through the Red Sea and to the other side. The light would not let them die. And this is what Jesus does for us. John 5:24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” And Jesus is the messianic great light that was promised in Isaiah 9:2: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”
Application:Rejoice in the presence of the light of the world that leads you home.
Sources:The Bible“The Lamb of God” by Nancy Guthrie | Commentaries by D.A. Carson, T.D. Alexander, and Tim Chester
Sermon Discussion Questions
Why is it exciting to think that the God of the pillar of fire still guides us today by the Holy Spirit?Does God always lead us to places we want to go? Why is it good that God leads us to these difficult places?What is the significance of the fact that Jesus said “I am the light of the world” at the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles? What was Jesus trying to get across to his listeners about His identity?
Scripture: Exodus 12:21-23 | John 1:29-36
I. We are saved through judgment.
A. We see who is going to be judged in the Passover in Exodus 12:23: the Egyptians. God said Israel was his firstborn son (Ex. 4:22-23). God told Pharaoh and Egypt to let his son go to worship Him. If Pharaoh did not let God’s firstborn son go, Egypt’s firstborn son would die in judgment. God judged Egypt for her sins on Passover night. But God also saved Israel on Passover night. God saves those who turn to Him through His acts of judgment. God’s salvation has always been and always will be accomplished through acts of judgment.
II. We are saved through a perfect sacrifice.
A. The people of Israel could not just slaughter any old lamb in obedience to the command of Ex. 12:21. Exodus 12:5 says: “Your lamb shall be without blemish.” When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said in John 1:29, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” Jesus never sinned. He was perfect. He was prophesied about in Isaiah 53:7: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”
III. We are saved through substitution.
A. The details of substitution are found in Exodus 12:3. The lamb would be substituted for the household, the lamb would die in an act of God’s judgment rather than the people. On the morning after the Passover, there would be a corpse in every home. The only question was would the corpse be a lamb or a person. It would be a substitution then that would save Israel. The lamb died in place of the people in the house. 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
IV. We are saved through faith.
A. What was the difference between life and death on Passover night? Exodus 12:23. “When he sees the blood… the Lord will pass over.” It was the blood of the lamb that made all the difference. The killing of a lamb and sprinkling the blood on the doorframes was an act of faith. The blood proved that the people in that house believed God. They believed that God’s judgment was coming and that the blood of a perfect lamb would save them. A Christian is saved because they have faith that the blood of Jesus Christ will protect them from God’s judgment and hell.
Application:Christians, look for signs of faith in your life. Non-Christians, put your faith in Jesus to save you.
Sources:The Bible“The Lamb of God” by Nancy Guthrie, “Exodus Old and New” by L. Michael Morales, Commentaries by T. Desmond Alexander, D.A. Carson and Tim Chester
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) What is Passover all about? How does it foreshadow what will take place in the New Testament?
2) Passover shows that Israel was redeemed not only from slavery. What else were they redeemed from? Was it only Egypt that was being judged for their sins on Passover?
3) How did Israel reveal their faith on the night of Passover? How do we reveal our faith today if we want to be saved from God’s judgment?
Scripture: Exodus 2:23-25 | John 8:34-36
I. Your Christian story is one of freedom from sin to serve God.
A. How does God respond to Israel’s groaning (Exodus 2:23)? God cares. “God heard… God remembered… God saw… God knew” (Exodus 2:24-25). Jesus’ response to those who say they are free is, “Actually, you are not free. You are really a slave. You are a slave to sin (John 8:34).” You are a slave to sinful patterns of behavior and to endless cycles in your life of guilt and regret. And you are enslaved in a world where other people constantly sin against you. Until you see yourself as a slave to sin, you will never see your need for a Savior.
B. Jesus has come to set you free from sin and death (John 8:36). You are no longer controlled by sin. It no longer enslaves you. Jesus has set you free. You are not free to do whatever you want. Jesus says you are now free to serve God. You are now free to do what you ought to do. You are free to please God with your life. True freedom is freedom to be the slave of God. Exodus 4:22-23: “Then you (Moses) shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.”
II. Your Christian story is one of freedom to go home.
A. God remembered His promise to the people of Israel (Exodus 2:24). That promise is found in Genesis 12:1-2: “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” God would give Abraham’s descendants a land of their own, a home. This home would be the Promised Land. God is the hero of all our stories. So, God gets the glory in all our stories. God remembered His promises to Israel. And that was all that mattered.
B. God takes action to save His people in Exodus 3:7-8. Our salvation is never about who we are and what we can accomplish. Our salvation is about God and what He has accomplished. Jesus’ death freed us from sin (John 8:36). And one great day, Jesus is going to bring us home. John 14:2-3: “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” The Bible is the story of God leading us out of slavery to sin to the place where we are back home with God.
Application:Jesus has freed you from sin so you can go home to heaven. Rejoice!
Sources:The BibleCommentaries by D.A. Carson, T. Desmond Alexander, Alec Motyer, Tim Chester.“The Lamb of God” by Nancy Guthrie, “Echoes of Exodus” by Alastair Roberts & Andrew Wilson
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) In what ways are we slaves to sin? How did Jesus set us free from our slavery to sin?
2) How are the stories of Moses and Jesus similar? How is Moses’ salvation story a preview of Jesus’ salvation story?
3) When God remembers you, what does that necessarily lead to next for God? Who is always the hero of your salvation story?
Exodus 12:33-36 | John 12:32-34
God’s Salvation Means Leaving Something Behind
Slaves to Egypt
“The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead” So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders.” (Ex. 12:33-34)
“Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it.” (Psalm 105:38)
Slaves to Sin
“Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36)
God’s Salvation Means Gaining Something Valuable
The Treasure of Egypt
“The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.” (Ex. 12:35-36)
“Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.” (Psalm 105:38)
The Treasure of Jesus
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32)
Scripture: Genesis 2:18-25 | Ephesians 5:25-33
I. Marriage is about your spouse.
A. Your focus in marriage is not about yourself and meeting your own needs. Your focus is on your spouse. The fact that Eve is a helper (Genesis 2:18) means that by definition she is not in this marriage to focus on herself. God created her to help her husband. Eve is a helper just like God is a helper. She is not inferior to Adam. Deuteronomy 33:7: “Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him in to his people. With your hands contend for him, and be a help against his adversaries.” And Adam does not focus on himself either. He focuses on the excellency of his wife (Genesis 2:23). What Adam lacked, Eve supplied.
B What was God’s intention for Adam and Eve in their marriage? Unity (Genesis 2:24).Two selfish me’s learn to think like one unified us in marriage. God commands husbands in Ephesians 5:25 to love their wives, as Christ loved the church. Jesus sacrificed Himself for His church and sought to beautify His bride (Ephesians 5:26-27). Husbands are beauticians. Wives are construction managers who build up their husbands into godly men as they obey the command to respect their husbands (Ephesians 5:33). Build up your husband at every opportunity.
II. Marriage is about Jesus.
A. Husbands and wives not only need to look outward at their spouses. They also need to look upward. Because the reality is that your marriage is about Jesus (Ephesians 5:31-32). God created the universe not just for Adam and Eve and their marriage. God created the universe for the marriage of Christ and His church. Human marriage then is about the marriage of Jesus and His bride the church. Marriage is supposed to be a picture of Christ’s love for the church. It is through your marriage that people will see the goodness and love of Jesus.
B. Any two people who get married are spiritually broken by sin. And part of being broken by sin is being self-centered. What can heal my marriage? Paul gives the secret (mystery) of marriage in vs. 32. Marriage only works if we follow the pattern of God’s sacrificial love for us in Jesus. If you do for your spouse what Jesus did for the church in the Gospel, the rest will follow in your marriage. The gospel tells us we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe but at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared to hope.
Application:In the Gospel, God empowers your marriage to look like the marriage of Jesus and the church.
Sources:The BibleTimothy Keller “The Meaning of Marriage,” Christopher Ash, “Married for God,” and Ray Ortlund, “Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel.”
Sermon Discussion Questions
Why is focusing on me and my needs a bad idea within marriage? How do we see Adam and Eve focusing on the other in their marriage rather than on themselves?What is the job of the husband in marriage according to Ephesians 5? And what is the job of the wife? Where does the power come from to live this way?What is human marriage a picture of (Eph. 5:32)? What makes marriage work according to Ephesians 5?
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
I. Living together doesn’t make sense to God because it is sexually immoral.
A. 1 Corinthians 5 describes an unusually perverse living arrangement. In verse 1 we read about a man in the church who has his father’s wife. In verse 1, Paul calls this behavior sexual immorality. And in vs. 9 he says that this couple is sexually immoral. In the Bible, sexual immorality is any sex outside of the boundary of marriage – including sex before marriage by those who are living together.
B. There is so much immorality that you can’t avoid it as you relate to people in this world (vs. 10). But here’s what you can do, Paul says. You can tell a sexually immoral man that he cannot be part of your church. You can tell such a man, “We refuse to be associated with you. The church of Jesus is a pure and holy church. And you are not living a pure and holy life. You have not repented of your sin. So, we cannot have you as part of our church.”
II. Living together doesn’t make sense to God because it hurts your church family.
A. Notice the family word that Paul uses in vs. 11: “But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality.” This man who was living with his stepmother was calling himself a Christian brother. But Paul said, “You have to make clear to your community that this man is not acting like a Christian. He is hurting your church family’s witness. Remove him from your church family until and unless he changes.”
B. Jesus talked about what a church family should look like in Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
III. Living together doesn’t make sense to God because it calls for judgment.
A. Paul speaks about God’s judgment on those who live together in vs. 12-13: “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” The people in the church have escaped God’s judgment. And we want other people to escape God’s judgment as well. That is why we tell people within the church who are living together before marriage, “Don’t do it. Get married as soon as possible so that you can escape the judgment of God.”
Application:Be pure in your sexual behavior so that you might be a light in the world.
Sources:The Bible“Pure” by Dean Inserra and “Married for God” by Christopher Ash
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) What does the Bible consider to be sexually immoral? How should a church respond to people within the church acting in a way that is sexually immoral?
2) How does living together before marriage hurt a church’s witness? How is living according to the Bible’s sexual ethics a beautiful and attractive thing?
3) What is the goal of removing someone from church membership? What was the outcome in the case of the Corinthian church? See 2 Cor. 2:5-11.
Scripture: Psalm 72 / Matthew 2:1-6, 11
I. We need the righteousness and peace and prosperity of King Jesus.
A. In the first two verses of his prayer for Solomon, King David prays twice for Solomon to rule with justice and righteousness. David’s prayer for Solomon to crush the oppressor (vs. 4) went far beyond Solomon’s ability as king to completely defeat evil. This prayer could only be answered in King Jesus. Right after Adam and Eve sinned, God made a promise to the evil serpent in Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
B. David prays that the kingdom of his son might last for as long as the sun and moon last (vs. 5, 7). He prays that his son’s kingdom might last forever. Why would David pray such a prayer? Because God had promised David a descendant who would rule forever in 2 Samuel 7:13: “He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
II. We need the worldwide rule of King Jesus.
A. David does not just want his son to rule forever. He wants his son to rule in all places (vs. 8, 11). David’s prayer for his son in vs. 8 is the fulfillment of God’s command to Adam in Genesis 1:28: “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
B. In Psalm 72:11 we see David’s prayer tie in with Christmas and the story of the wise men: “May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!” All nations were to serve David’s son. And the wise men who came from other nations did fall down before Jesus and worship Him in Matthew 2:11. The wise men tell us that Jesus came for Gentiles, for outsiders, for people that the religious people and the powerful hated. Jesus came for different races and for all people.
III. We need the blessing of King Jesus.
A. At the end of Psalm 72:15 David prays that blessings would be invoked for his son all the day. And in Psalm 72:17 David prays, “May people be blessed in (my son), all nations call him blessed.” This prayer sounds very much like God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3: “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Application:Receive the gift of Jesus and worship Him as your King.
Sources:The books of Psalms and MatthewCommentaries by J.A. Motyer, James Hamilton Jr., Allen Ross, Gerald Wilson & Christopher Ash
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) How do you think believers in King David’s day would have felt to sing this song about their king? Would they have been disappointed that their king did not live up to this song? Would they have looked forward to another king?
2) Why do you think it is so wonderful that Jesus rules and will rule over the entire world?
3) How might this prayer of King David for his son Solomon change the way that you pray?
Psalm 66 & Psalm 98
Come and See
“Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.” (Psalm 66:5)
“Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)
“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’” (Luke 2:15)
Come and Hear
“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.” (Psalm 66:16)
“Come, and see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ? Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony. . . They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’” (John 4:29; 39;42)
“(the shepherds) mad known the saying that had been told them concerning the child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.” (Luke 2:17-18)
Come and Sing
“Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things!” (Psalm 98:1)
“Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” (Psalm 95:1)
“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:20)
Scripture: Psalm 45
The King’s Victory(v2-5)
“In your majesty ride out victoriously” (v4)
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and hove come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2)
He is Your Savior
The King’s Throne(v6-7)
“But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have love righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.’” (Hebrews 1:8-9)
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)
He is Your Lord!
The King’s Bride(v10-15)
“All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. In many-colored robes she is let to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her.” (v13-14)
“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; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” (Revelation 19:7-8)
He is Your Bridegroom!
Scripture: Psalm 59
I. The king wins because he is strong.
A. At first, it appears like King David’s enemies are stronger than he is. Verse 3 says that “fierce men stir up strife against me.” The word fierce in this verse literally means strong or mighty. David says his enemies are like dogs (vs. 6-7). These are wild dogs that run in packs and look for prey. Saul had an army that was chasing David like a pack of wild dogs. But God is the God of armies (vs. 5), the one who has all armies, heavenly and earthly, at his disposal. The God of Hosts is totally unimpressed by your enemies. He mocks them. And He will help you win.
B. In vs. 9 David refers to God as my strength. See also vs. 16-17. God strengthened David for this battle with Saul’s army, and as a result David was going to win. King Jesus lived a similar life to the life of King David. Mark 3:2: “And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.” Jesus wasn’t afraid of His enemies. Why not? John 5:26: “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” Jesus says, “You can’t kill me. You can’t win. I am the source of life.”
II. The king wins because of God’s steadfast love.
A. David prays in vs. 10, “My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.” God loves David so God will keep all His promises to David and save his life. God’s love is steadfast. It’s always there. So David prays in vs. 13 that the defeat of the king’s enemies would be clear, public and unambiguous. The public needs to see according to vs. 13 that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth. God’s love will lead to victory for the king and his people.
B. The dogs come out at night to attack David (vs. 14). But David would still be alive in the morning. And when he woke up, David would be singing loud songs of praises (vs. 17). David would sing of victory because of the God who shows him steadfast love. Here’s what Jesus did in Colossians 2:14-15: “canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
Scripture: Psalm 57
I. The king and his people trust God’s promises under pressure.
A. David, the author of Psalm 57, was Israel’s true king. He had been anointed as king by Samuel in 1 Samuel 16. But by 1 Samuel 22 David has escaped to a cave as his hiding place from Israel’s rejected King Saul. God though was David’s real hiding place (vs. 1). Deuteronomy 32:11-12: “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions,the Lord alone guided him.”
B. God would send two of his agents to guarantee David’s safety in the cave (vs. 3): his steadfast love and his faithfulness. Steadfast love and faithfulness are translated with the words grace and truth in the New Testament. John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus has brought us God’s promised steadfast love and faithfulness. Trust Him.
II. The king and his people tell God about their pressures.
A. David’s pressures were very real. Saul really was trying to kill him. So what did David do? He prayed about his pressures (vs. 4 and vs. 6), and we should also. Saul used his tongue as a sword to slander David with the people of Israel (vs. 4). And Saul and his army set nets and dug pits as they hunted David down (vs. 6).
B. David is totally confident as he prays by faith that Saul will not be able to hunt him down. Saul will take himself down! David knew God is far more powerful than all the forces aligned together against God and God’s anointed king. David’s heart then is steadfast (vs. 7) as he prays about his pressures. His heart is strong in faith so he sings praises (vs. 9) to God.
III. The king and his people pray for God’s glory over all the earth.
A. There is a chorus in David’s song-prayer that he sings twice in vs. 5 and vs. 11: “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!” David was saying, “It’s not my pressure that’s important. It’s your glory that’s important, God. It’s your kingdom that you are establishing through me that’s important. It is you that is supremely important.” Jesus also prayed for God’s glory to be seen as He faced the pressure of the cross. John 17:1: “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.” And we in the church are the answer to Jesus’ prayer as we glorify God through our witness. Romans 15:9: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”
Application:Pray that God would make His name glorious as you live a faithful Christian life under pressure.
Sources:The PsalmsCommentaries by J.A. Motyer, Allen Ross, James Hamilton Jr., Gerald Wilson & Christopher Ash
Sermon Discussion Questions
What makes you doubt that what you believe is really true?What helps you to have faith in God’s grace and truth?Do you think it’s possible for you to have confident faith in a time of dark pressure? What makes it possible?
Scripture: Psalm 42 and 43
I. When you lose your joy, remember what God has done in the past.
A. The singer, one of the Sons of Korah, wanted to be in the house of God to worship God (Psalm 42:4). He wanted to be in Jerusalem. But he was far from Jerusalem. He was at Mount Hermon in the far north of Israel. And the singer of these Psalms had some enemies (Psalm 42:3, 9, 10). Because of these circumstances, the singer was depressed. Three times the singer sings the same chorus in his song: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?”
B. How did the singer get his joy back when he was down? We read in Psalm 42:6, “My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you.” He remembered worshiping God in corporate worship with God’s people at one of the three yearly feasts of the Jews. And that experience of worship for who God is and what He has done was incredibly satisfying to the singer.
II. When you lose your joy, recognize God’s love for you in the present.
A. Knowing the truth about God has neither changed his circumstances nor lifted him up from being down. His soul was still cast down (Psalm 42:6). It’s like the singer is saying, “I know it’s foolish to be down in light of who you are, God. But I am down!” But he keeps on praying until he gets his joy back. Persist in prayer.
B. The singer was terrified by the waterfalls he saw (Psalm 42:7). He felt like he was going over the waterfall since his soul was so churned up within him. He felt like he was drowning. What did the psalmist do in the present to get his joy back? Psalm 42:8, “By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.” God has steadfast love for us. Even in the midst of troubles, God still loves you. We can still praise Him.
III. When you lose your joy, wait expectantly for God to give you joy in the future.
A. The singer’s future had hope. “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” He prays for vindication (Psalm 43:1) and for God to send His light and truth (Psalm 43:3). The prayers are answered in Jesus. John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” When Jesus came to earth, He prayed these psalms. Matthew 26:38: “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” John 12:27: “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”
Application:Keep praying when you lose your joy. Expect God to save you and answer your prayer.
Sources:The book of PsalmsCommentaries by Allen Ross, James Hamilton Jr., J.A. Motyer, Christopher Ash & Gerald Wilson
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) Which of the emotions in Psalms 42 and 43 do you find most familiar in your life?
2) What difference does it make to you that Jesus echoed these prayers and songs in His own life?
3) How could these psalms help you the next time your soul is down?
Scripture: Psalm 23
I. The Lord my shepherd-king provides for me.
A. Perhaps, when David thought about how God had provided for all his needs as his shepherd (vs. 1), he thought back on how God had been a shepherd to Israel. Deuteronomy 2:7: “For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.” Israel lacked for nothing in the wilderness. And so did David.
B. This name Lord or Yahweh is the covenant name that God used to reveal Himself to Moses. The words Israel used when God kept His covenant promises are similar to David’s words in Psalm 23. Exodus 15:13: “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.” What God had done for Israel, God was now doing for Israel’s king David in providing abundantly (vs. 2).
II. The Lord my shepherd-king protects me.
A. God the shepherd in verse 3 leads David in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. God was directing David where he should go. He was leading David in the righteous way, which is the way home to God. Verse 4 reminds us that there is plenty of evil around us on this way. We will go through dangerous places where it seems like death itself is casting a shadow over us. But David said we don’t have to be afraid. We can be fearless because God is with us (vs. 4).
B. It is not just God the Father who is our shepherd. Jesus, the Son of David, is also our shepherd. Jesus says in John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Like all shepherds Jesus walks in front of His sheep. Jesus entered into the valley of the shadow of death before us. Because Jesus is our shepherd, He will lead us to the place where all God’s promises are realized, all needs met, and all fears gone.
III. The Lord my shepherd-king pursues me.
A. King David had been pursued for much of his life by a lot of bad guys. But do you know who else pursued David? The Lord pursued David (vs. 6). And no man chased David as persistently and as effectively as God did. The Lord is pursuing you to be close to you. Moses said to Israel in Deuteronomy 12:9: “for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving you.” Jesus is also leading you to a Promised Land. He is pursuing you so that you might spend eternity with Him in paradise.
Application:Rejoice that Jesus is providing for you, protecting you and pursuing you.
Sources:The PsalmsCommentaries by Allen Ross, J.A. Motyer, James Hamilton Jr., Christopher Ash & Gerald Wilson
Sermon Discussion Questions
What difference does it make to you personally to know that Jesus has gone through the valley of death for you?How does Psalm 23 make you feel about your future?If we pray this psalm for all of our brothers and sisters in the church, what kinds of things will we pray for the people in our church and in the broader Christian community?
Scripture: Psalm 22
The Suffering Savior was Forsaken by God (v1-2)
““And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli lema sabachthani” That is “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 22:46)
“For our sake, (God) made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
The Suffering Savior was Rejected by Men (v6-7, 12-18)
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3)
“They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisted together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. . . And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads” (Matthew 27:28-31, 39)
The Resurrected King Inspires the Worship of the Church (v22-26)
“I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” (Hebrews 2:12)
The Resurrected King Inspires the Witness of the Church (v27-31)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. . .” (Matthew 28:19)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Scripture: Psalm 20
I. You can pray with confidence when you pray for righteous causes.
A. Psalm 20:1 makes it clear that Israel needs God’s help at this time. Before a particular battle King David has gone to the tabernacle to pray. And while he prays to God at the corner of the altar for victory, Israel gathered in the courtyard to pray for him. The people prayed that God would accept David’s offering (vs. 3) and give to David the victory Israel needed. When can you pray with confidence? When you know that you are praying for God’s will.
B. When you know that you are praying not for the satisfaction of your individual desires, but that you are praying for the satisfaction of your king’s desires you pray with confidence. We are praying today not for King David, but for King Jesus. When Jesus is satisfied, we are satisfied. And when we pray for Jesus to be satisfied, we can pray with confidence. Notice the confidence of the people of Israel as they pray for King David in verse 5.
II. You can pray with confidence when you meditate on the nature of God.
A. You can have faith like David if you also trust in the name of the LORD our God (vs. 7). This name represented to Israel all that God was known to be, his nature and reputation, revealed in his acts. It refers to all of God’s attributes. The LORD revealed some of the attributes associated with His name in Exodus 34:6-7: 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.” When you pray, do you only tell God about your problems or do you tell your problems about God?
III. You can pray with confidence when you keep praying until the victory is won.
A. David was confident after he prayed. And the people were confident of victory as well after they prayed. But the people did not stop praying until the victory was won (vs. 9). It was not just David who prayed with confidence. It is Jesus (the anointed one of vs. 6) who prayed with confidence of victory. John 11:41-42: “And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’” And Jesus wants us to be confident in prayer. John 14:14: “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
Application:Have confidence in praying in Jesus’ name.
Sources:The PsalmsCommentaries by Allen Ross, James Hamilton, J.A. Motyer, Gerald Wilson, Christopher Ash
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) Why is it tempting to read Psalm 20 as if it were addressed primarily to us rather than King David and King Jesus?
2) How might realizing that the Psalm is addressed primarily to God’s King change your desires and change how you pray?
3) In what areas of your life do you need to put Jesus’ success and victory above your own?
Scripture: Psalm 11
I. When your world is threatened, you can choose flight.
A. At the end of verse 1 we see how King David was tempted. He is taunted by some wicked people who tell him, “Flee like a bird to your mountain.” Why was King David in such danger? Verse 2 says his enemies were mighty, and they were preparing to attack. These wicked men had put their arrows in their bows, and they were ready to shoot at David. David also felt threatened by what the wicked said to him in verse 3: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The foundations are the moral foundations of society. All was collapsing.
B. David opens his song in verse 1: “In the LORD I take refuge.” He would take refuge in God. God would be his shelter. God would protect him. David then was incredulous when the wicked suggested he fly away. How could he when the Lord was his protection? Taking refuge in Jesus means thinking about other people in a dark and scary world. Luke 9:23-24: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
II. When your world is threatened, you can choose faith.
A. David, as a man after God’s own heart, chose faith. When he was threatened, David remembered God’s character. First, David focused on God’s sovereignty. God is King (vs. 4). What can these wicked people do to him when God the king is watching over him? David also focused on God’s love for the righteous to strengthen his faith. One way that we see God’s love for the righteous is found in verse 5: the LORD tests the righteous. He proves the faith of the righteous and purifies that faith.
B. 1 Peter 2:23-24: “When (Jesus) was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” Jesus trusted God when he was threatened. He had faith in a God who judges justly. Finally, we can choose faith because of God’s justice. God will judge the wicked who threaten us (vs. 5). God is always on the side of the oppressed and the faithful, and God is always against the violent wicked who seek to further their own power and control.
Application:Keep the faith in your great God when you are threatened. Don’t fly away.
Sources:The book of PsalmsCommentaries by J.A. Motyer, Allen Ross, James Hamilton Jr., Gerald Wilson & Christopher Ash
Sermon Discussion Questions
Do you see similarities between your world and the world described in Psalm 11:1-3? How so?Have you been tempted to run when you are threatened? What empowers you to stand firm?Which attribute of God is the best encouragement to you to keep the faith in a time of testing and threats?
Scripture: Matthew 22:41-46
I. The Messiah is the Son of David.
A. At the close of Matthew 22, the Pharisees (vs. 41) are gathered around Jesus. Jesus asks them an academic question in vs. 42: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” Jesus is directing the religious leaders to the real issue that is the focus of their arguments with Jesus. The issue is the nature and identity of the Messiah. The Pharisees knew the prophecies about the Messiah in 2 Samuel 7 and Isaiah 11 and Jeremiah 23. All those prophecies gave the same answer about whose son the Messiah is. The Messiah is the Son of David.
B. The fact that the Messiah is the Son of David is confirmed in Matthew 1:1. And David was Israel’s greatest king. David loved God with all of his heart, and when David was king God blessed Israel greatly. He blessed Israel with victory in war. He blessed Israel with liberation from their Philistine enemies. If the Messiah is the Son of David, the Pharisees thought he will be just like David, Israel’s greatest king. After all, like father, like son. In Jesus’ day, those enemies were no longer the Philistines. They were the Romans. And so the Jews of Jesus’ day thought the Messiah would liberate Israel from the Romans. So, when the religious leaders in Jesus’ day looked at Jesus, they didn’t see a Messiah.
C. When you look at Jesus, who do you expect him to be? Is He Santa Claus? Is He supposed to give us a bunch of gifts and make us happy all the time? Or is Jesus a vending machine? Do you drop your prayer requests into the vending machine of Jesus, and out comes answered prayers for whatever you want? Or is Jesus just the Son of David who liberates His people and keeps them safe from all of their enemies? Jesus is much more than just the Son of David.
II. The Messiah is the Son of God.
A. Jesus agrees with the Pharisees that the Messiah is the Son of David. And in Matt. 22:43 Jesus asks a question to help the Pharisees see the implications of the fact that Jesus is the Son of David. Jesus Himself points out in vs. 45 that David is calling his son, the Messiah, my Lord. All fathers have authority over their sons. But in Psalm 110 David says that his son has authority over him. David’s son is his Lord. The only possible explanation that made any sense was that the Messiah had to be more than just the Son of David. He also had to be the Son of God.
B. The verse that Jesus quoted from in Psalm 110 makes it clear that the Messiah is the Son of God. Where is the Messiah seated according to Matt. 22:44? He is seated at the right hand of God. Someone who sits at the right hand of a king was seated in the position of highest privilege and authority. In this case, the Messiah seated at the right hand of God has privilege and authority that is second only to God the Father. He is then the Son of God. And the people of the church are destined to rule the world with Jesus. Ephesians 1:22-23: “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Jesus rules over everything for the church. We are going to reign with Jesus. We are going to rule over the new heaven and the new earth. We will rule on His behalf, by His power, under His authority. We are going to be kings and queens.
Application:Jesus is always more than you think He is. Jesus is the Son of God who loves you so much that He will rule the world with you.
Sources:The Gospel of MatthewCommentaries on Matthew by R.T. France, D.A. Carson and Craig Blomberg
Sermon Discussion Questions1) Jesus asked whose son the Messiah would be. What was the correct answer (Matthew 22:42)? So what kind of Messiah were the Pharisees expecting? What are some of the things we expect Jesus to be?
2) The questions Jesus asks in vs. 43-45 help us see that the Messiah must be more than just the Son of David. Who else must be Messiah be? How much power then does Jesus the Messiah have?
3) According to Ephesians 1:22-23, who is Jesus going to rule the world with? What does that say about how much Jesus loves you as a part of His church?
Scripture: Matthew 16:13-18
The Most Important Question
The Son of Man
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is? (v13)
“I saw in night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples nations, and languages should serve him; and his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
“He said to them, ‘But Who do you say that I am?’ ” (v15)
The God-Revealed Response
The Son of God
“And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (v14)
“Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’. And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’ ” (v16-17)
“. . . the high priest asked (Jesus), ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’ and Jesus said, ‘I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ “ (Mark 14:61-62)
The Rock-Solid Promise
The Son of Jonah
“And I tell you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (v18)
“You are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:19-20)
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“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)
Scripture: John 21:15-17
I. You know you love Jesus if you repent after you sin.
This conversation between Jesus and Peter in John 21 takes place after Jesus has been raised from the dead. On the night before Jesus died, Peter had denied even knowing Jesus. How painful this must have been for Peter. What must have been especially painful for Peter was what he said to Jesus when Jesus had previously told the disciples that all of them would fall away after Jesus was arrested. Peter’s response to Jesus is found in Matthew 26:33: Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” After Peter failed Jesus, the first question Jesus asks in John 21:15 is this, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”And when Jesus asked Peter the same question for the third time, John writes clearly about how Peter felt in vs. 17. We read there, “Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” Why did Jesus put him in so much pain? Because Jesus wanted to bring Peter to repentance for his sin of denying Jesus. Three times, in a public place, Peter had denied having anything to do with Jesus. And, so three times, in a public place in front of the other disciples, Peter said in front of everybody that he loved Jesus. Peter then repented. II. You know you love Jesus if you love the sheep Jesus loves.
Jesus asked Peter the same question three times: do you love me? And every time Peter answered yes, Jesus gave to Peter a mission to perform on Christ’s behalf. In vs. 15 Jesus says, “Feed my lambs.” In vs. 16 Jesus says, “Tend my sheep.” And in vs. 17, Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.” By giving Peter the chance to say to Jesus three times, “I love you,” Jesus was saying to Peter, “I forgive you for the three times that you denied me.” But Jesus not only forgave Peter. He also restored Peter to his place of ministry as an apostle in which He would take care of Christ’s sheep.In this conversation with Peter Jesus makes it clear how important love is. A leader in Christ’s church must love Jesus. And a leader in Christ’s church must love the other people in the church. This is true not just for leaders in the church. This is true for everybody in the church. But how can you love people in the church who hurt you? You can love your brothers and sisters in three ways: 1) Speak humbly. Speak, recognizing that you don’t know everything. And speak, recognizing that you might even change your mind on this particular issue. 1 Peter 5:5: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” 2) Listen. James writes in James 1:19: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” Be slow to speak and quick to listen. Listening equals love. 3) Respect other people as your brothers and sisters in Christ. When Peter wrote about evangelism, he said these words in 1 Peter 3:15: “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” Be respectful to non-Christians when you speak to them about Jesus, Peter says. Do you think we should be any less respectful in speaking to Christians about different issues? Application:There is nothing more important than loving Jesus. Do you love Him?
Sources:The Gospel according to JohnCommentaries on John by D.A. Carson and Richard Phillips
*SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS*
Why did Jesus ask Peter 3 times, “Do you love me?” What did Peter need to repent of in his relationship with Jesus? Why does repentance show that we love Jesus?What mission does Jesus give to Peter in restoring him as an apostle? What is the connection between loving Jesus and loving the people of the church?Of the three ways that we talked about loving our brothers and sisters in Christ (humility, listening, and showing respect), which do you need to work on the most? Have you seen positive examples of these three virtues in the church?
Scripture: Matthew 7:1-6
I. We see specks in others because we like to play God.
A. The word judge (vs. 1) has a wide range of meanings. Sometimes, we speak about judging in terms of evaluating or analyzing a person’s behavior. And sometimes we speak about judging in terms of a judge condemning someone in a court of law. Some kinds of judging are perfectly legitimate. So, what does Jesus mean then when he says in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not.” He means, “Don’t be judgmental toward people. Don’t be constantly looking down your nose at other people because you think you are better than them.”
B. There is only one judge who is capable of judging the people around you. God. Romans 14:10: “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” Unfortunately, we human beings like playing God. We like to act like we are God. But if you take on God’s role as judge, then God is going to treat you in the same way you treat other people. God will judge you in the same way you judge others (vs. 2).
II. We see specks in others because we are often self-righteous.
A. A desire for righteousness, which is a good thing (see Matt. 6:33), can breed self-righteousness. But when you become self-righteous in your own eyes, you become the central character in Jesus’ funny story in vs. 3-4 in which a man with a log in his eye tries to help someone with a speck in his eye. The only one with all the facts about people and situations is God. He is the only who can judge us perfectly. But when we judge others, we are often just being self-righteous.
B. What is the cure for being judgmental and self-righteous? Jesus shows us the cure in another story he told in Luke 18:10-14. The Pharisee in this story is the judgmental and self-righteous one. And where are his eyes directed? They are first on himself and then on others who he believes are less than him. The eyes of the tax collector though are on the ground. He wants to look at God, but He can’t. He knows he needs mercy. The tax collector then looked in the mirror and saw his need for mercy rather than looking at another person and going all judgmental.
III. We see specks in others because we are often hypocrites.
A. How often we criticize others when we have far more serious shortcomings in our own lives. Why? Honestly, it’s because we can be such hypocrites (Matthew 7:5). We conveniently forget about our own major sins when we look at the small sins of others. Think for example about King David in 2 Samuel 11. When the prophet Nathan confronted David for his sins of adultery and murder, he told David, “You are the man! (2 Sam. 12:7) You hypocrite! Your sin is so great, and yet you can’t even see it. You need to repent, to turn away from this great sin that you have committed.” Yes, other people do something wrong. And they need to be confronted. But let me look in the mirror first. Let me receive the mercy I need from Jesus first. Then, I can talk to someone else about their sin and point them to the mercy and righteousness that we all need from Christ.
Application:Look in the mirror and see your need for mercy and ask Christ for that mercy.
Sources:The Gospel according to MatthewCommentaries on Matthew by R.T. France, D.A. Carson and Craig Blomberg
Sermon Discussion QuestionsWhat kind of judging does Jesus say we should not do in Matthew 7:1? Who is the only one who can accurately judge another person?
Why is it easy for a Christian to become self-righteous? What is the cure for us when we fall into a pattern of self-righteousness?
How can we see our own hypocrisy? What did it take for King David to see his hypocrisy? Does Jesus’ teaching about not being judgmental mean that we should be naïve about people?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Matthew 9:27-31
I. You should respond with faith to Jesus’ authority.
A. Right before the blind men approach Jesus in Matthew 9:27, Jesus has just performed two astounding miracles out in the open (vs. 20 and 25). The blind men called Jesus Son of David. The Son of David was the Messiah. One of the prophecies about the Messiah was found in Isaiah 35:5-6: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” If Jesus is the Messiah, then, the blind men thought, He could heal our blindness. Wouldn’t that be great?
B. To call Jesus Son of David was really a remarkable expression of faith by the blind men. Even though they were physically blind, they really saw better – spiritually – than many others around them. But Jesus at this moment wanted to stretch their faith even further. He stretched their faith by asking a question (vs. 28): “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” Jesus then healed the blind men according to their faith. It was not the blind men’s great faith that would heal them. It was Jesus’ great authority that would heal them. Jesus then simply wants our faith.
II. You should respond by seeking deliverance through Jesus’ authority.
A. It is not just sickness that Jesus has authority over as Messiah and King. We have already seen in Matthew 9:25 that Jesus has authority over death. And in the previous chapter, Matthew 8, we see a few other things that Jesus has authority over. Jesus has authority over danger (Matt. 8: 24-26). And Jesus has authority over demons (Matt. 8: 28-34). Matthew in chapters 8 and 9 is simply giving examples of things Jesus has authority over in order to teach us that Jesus has authority over all things. There is nothing Jesus does not have authority over.
B. When you need to be delivered from some area of need in your life, what you should you do? Go to Jesus. Pray in faith to Him. And when Jesus does deliver you, what is the result? Not only does your faith increase. Your joy increases as well. Notice what happened when Jesus healed a paralyzed man. We read the result in Matthew 9:8: “When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.” When you see Jesus use His authority to deliver you from some threat or danger, what do you do? You rejoice.
III. You should respond with obedience to Jesus’ authority.
A. I am sure that the two blind men rejoiced when Jesus opened their eyes. What a miracle! What a gift – to be able to see! So, it must have seemed strange to the blind men when in Matt. 9:30 Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” Jesus wanted to keep his identity as Messiah a secret for a while longer. Did the blind men who had been healed obey Jesus? No. Verse 31 says, “But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.” The blind men probably did not understand the reason for Jesus’ command. But at all times we need to respond to Jesus’ authority and Jesus’ commands by saying, “Yes, Lord.” We even need to say “Yes, Lord” when we don’t understand the reason for Jesus’ command. That is living by faith in Christ’s authority. Faith is obedience.
Application:Respond to Christ’s authority by living by faith.
Sources:The Gospel according to MatthewCommentaries on Matthew by R.T. France, D.A. Carson and Craig Blomberg
Sermon Discussion Questions1) What has Jesus done in your life to show you that He has authority and power over all things? What is it that answers your prayers? Is it the amount of faith you have or is it simply the authority of Jesus to answer your prayers?
2) How are your needs an opportunity to grow in your faith in Jesus? Is there a need in your life that you should bring to Jesus in prayer this week?
3) Why is it a contradiction for us to respond to a command of Jesus with “No, Lord”? How does our obedience to all of Jesus’ commands show that we have faith?
Printable OutlineSermon OUtlineScripture: John 1:35-42
I. You should seek Jesus because you want to follow Him.
A. In John 1 we see John the Baptist handing off his ministry to Jesus. The last of the old covenant prophets stood face to face with the one who fulfilled all those prophecies: Jesus. Jesus notices that he is being followed. And in vs. 38 he says to the two disciples of John the Baptist, “What are you seeking?” Jesus is asking a question of two people who are in the beginning stages of wanting to follow Him as a disciple of Jesus. He is asking them a profound question. “What do you really want in life? What are you seeking by coming to me?” Sometimes, it feels like Jesus is not giving us what we want. But if we persevere in following Jesus, we discover that He is actually giving us something far greater than we could have ever asked for or imagined.
II. You should seek Jesus because you want to be taught by Him.
A. When Jesus asks the profound question, “What are you seeking?” the two disciples of John the Baptist respond. “And they said to him ‘Rabbi’ (which means Teacher).” The word rabbi literally means “my great one.” The two disciples of John then were saying, “Jesus, we are seeking you to teach us about God. We are seeking you to teach us about how God tells us to live.” If we seek to be taught from Jesus about how to live, where do we need to go today? His Word, the Bible. The benefit of reading the Bible is spoken about by Jesus in John 8:31-32: “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
III. You should seek Jesus because you want to live with Jesus.
A. Jesus had asked the two disciples of John the Baptist, “What are you seeking?” And the disciples say to Him in vs. 38, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” In this question, the disciples are saying that they have so much they want to learn from Jesus that it is going to take a long time for them to have all their questions answered. In fact, it is going to take so long, Jesus, that we might as well just move in with you. The word that is translated staying in verse 38 is translated with the word abide in John 15:4: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” Jesus wants people who are seeking to be as connected to Him as a vine is to a branch.
IV. You should seek Jesus because Jesus can make you into a new person
A. Notice what happens to Andrew after he spends one night with Jesus. We read in vs. 41-42, “(Andrew) first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ). He brought (Peter) to Jesus.” And notice what Jesus said to Peter in vs. 42: “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).” Jesus is telling Peter how he is going to change Peter’s life. Jesus sees how His salvation is going to completely transform Peter. Peter is going to be a new person because of his connection to Jesus. When you read the Gospels, you see that Peter is often fearful. But Jesus saw what Peter would become. Jesus saw that through living with him, Peter would become a rock of faith.
Application:Seek Jesus. There is nothing and no one greater. If you are seeking Jesus, you will find all of God’s good gifts for you.
Sources:The Gospel of JohnCommentaries on John by D.A. Carson and Richard Phillips
Sermon Discussion Questions1) What are you seeking from life? What are you seeking from Jesus?
2) How disciplined are you in Bible reading and prayer? What can you do to become more disciplined in these areas?
3) Do you believe that Jesus is making you a new person? How does this thought give you hope in your current situation?
Luke 1:26-38
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” (v37)
Faith is possible when you remember that
God is with you
And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’” (v28)
“Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means,God with us).” (Matthew 1:23)
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (Colossians 1:15)
You no longer need to be troubled
“She was greatly troubled . . . “ (v29)
Faith is possible when you remember that
God is for you
“And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.’” (v30)
“He (being God) chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:4-6)
You no longer need to be afraid
“Do not be afraid Mary . . .” (v30)
Faith is possible when you remember that
God is over you
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (v31-33)
“I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth. . . The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalm 121)
You no longer need to question why or how
“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be’ . . .”
Faith is possible when you remember that
God is upon you
“And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you: therefore the child to be born will be called holy- the Son of God.’” (v35)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses . . .” (Acts 1:8)
For nothing will be impossible with God
“Behold, I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”. (v38)
Sermon OutlineScripture: Luke 2:8-20
I. You respond in faith when you hear well.
A. The message of the angel to the shepherds is found in vs. 10-12. This is great news. It is news that would bring joy to all of the Jewish people. How did the humble shepherds respond to this news? They heard the good news well, and they responded with faith. They believed what the angel said. Verse 15 gives us the response of the shepherds. “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” The shepherds had faith that what the angel said was true. They went with haste (vs. 16) to see Jesus and meet Him. Another good example of hearing well is Mary, Jesus’ mother (vs. 19). She treasured the words the shepherds spoke about Jesus, and she pondered their words in her heart.
II. You respond in faith when you make peace with God and people.
A. In verse 14 we read, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” What kind of peace are the angels talking about? The Bible’s consistent teaching is that the most fundamental and important peace is peace with God. Peace comes to those with whom God is pleased (vs. 14). Peace comes when we receive God’s mercy. We need to believe then what Jesus has done to bring us peace with God. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Once you are at peace with God, you have learned how to love people without needing to be in control. The world needs less anger and more peacemakers. We have faith in Jesus when we live at peace with God and with other people.
III. You respond in faith when you lose your fear.
A. When the shepherds first came into contact with the angel in vs. 9, the glory of the Lord shone around them. This spectacular, glorious light let the shepherds know that they were in the presence of God the king. And when the shepherds knew they were in the very presence of God, what did they feel? They were filled with great fear (vs. 9). But what does the angel say to the shepherds in verse 10? Fear not! The angel goes on to say, “Don’t be afraid. I am bringing you a message that will drive out your fear and replace it with joy.” 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” When you know that you are loved by God, all the fear gets driven out of you. What replaces the fear? Joy. The joy of being loved by God.
IV. You respond in faith when you perceive the good news.
A. We don’t really use the word behold (vs. 10) these days. It’s a word that means to see or to look. The word behold is usually used when you are looking at something remarkable or impressive. Notice what the angel is saying in Luke 2:10. Behold, Jesus. Look at Him. Really see Him. Take the time to perceive how remarkable and impressive He is. If you will perceive how great Jesus is, then you will be free of your fear, and you will have joy instead. What makes Jesus so great? The good news that the angel announced in verse 10 is that Jesus is your Savior. You cannot save yourself. You need Jesus to save you. The angel also announced that Jesus is Lord. He is King over all things – including you and your life.
Application:You grasp the true meaning of Christmas when you put your faith in Christ as the shepherds did.
Sources:The Gospel of LukeCommentaries on Luke by Darrell Bock and David Garland“Hidden Christmas” by Timothy Keller
Sermon DISCUSSION Questions1) How well do you usually listen to people? To God? How do you know when you have listened well to a message from God?
2) The message of Christmas is a message of peace on earth. How does one gain peace with God? Does peace with God come from something you do or something you believe?
3) The shepherds first experienced fear in the presence of the angels and God. How did they lose their fear? And what were they given in place of their fear? Have you experienced the gift that the shepherds were given?
Scripture: Matthew 2
I. Since Jesus alone is king, Jesus is a threat to everyone who wants to be king.
We see how threatened King Herod felt when he was told about the birth of King Jesus. The wise men do find Jesus, but when they find him, they don’t go back to tell King Herod where Jesus is (vs. 12). How does the king respond to the wise men’s trick on him? Verse 16 says that King Herod “became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under.” Based on the size of Bethlehem at this time, this means that Herod murdered somewhere between a dozen and two dozen children.We see how threatened King Herod felt when he was told about the birth of King Jesus. The wise men do find Jesus, but when they find him, they don’t go back to tell King Herod where Jesus is (vs. 12). How does the king respond to the wise men’s trick on him? Verse 16 says that King Herod “became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under.” Based on the size of Bethlehem at this time, this means that Herod murdered somewhere between a dozen and two dozen children. II. Since Jesus alone is king, you need to put Jesus on the throne of your life.
Notice the words of the wisemen in verse 2. These wisemen were not Jews. But Matthew is letting us know that Jesus is not just for Jews. Jesus is for everyone. The wisemen said that they came to worship Jesus. They meant that they wanted to show public respect to Jesus as the newborn king of the Jews. They did not know that this baby king Jesus was also God. But the wisemen spoke better than they knew. Jesus was not just a human king worthy of respect. Jesus was also God worthy of our worship. Have I placed Him on the throne of my heart as my king?Notice the words of the wisemen in verse 2. These wisemen were not Jews. But Matthew is letting us know that Jesus is not just for Jews. Jesus is for everyone. The wisemen said that they came to worship Jesus. They meant that they wanted to show public respect to Jesus as the newborn king of the Jews. They did not know that this baby king Jesus was also God. But the wisemen spoke better than they knew. Jesus was not just a human king worthy of respect. Jesus was also God worthy of our worship. Have I placed Him on the throne of my heart as my king? III. Since Jesus alone is king, you need to trust in His power.
The story of Jesus’ birth makes you wonder what kind of king Jesus is. At first glance, He doesn’t look like a very powerful king. For the fourth time in Matthew 2 we see in vs. 23 that God fulfilled prophecy in the events of Jesus’ life. Clearly, if Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy about God’s chosen Messiah, He had the power of God behind Him. But the fact that Jesus lived in Nazareth – an unimportant town – tells us that Jesus was a different kind of king. God arranged things so that the king of the world would grow up in a town that the powerful religious leaders looked down upon. Why? Because God has a way of choosing towns and people that nobody else wants. God does this to teach us about salvation. Jesus came in weakness in order to identify with the weak and then save them by dying for their sins on the cross. But the second time that Jesus comes to earth as king He will come in power. And when Jesus comes again as king, He will powerfully end all evil without ending us. Application:Make Jesus your king today.
Sources:The Gospel of MatthewCommentaries on Matthew by D.A. Carson and Craig Blomberg“Hidden Christmas” by Timothy Keller
SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1) Why was the birth of Jesus such a threat to King Herod? Do you recognize how you are threatened by Jesus’ claim to be king?
2) If Jesus is indeed God and king, what does that mean for how I relate to Him? Are there some areas of my life where I am currently rejecting Jesus as King?
3) Why does Jesus appear to be such a weak king at times in the Gospels? What is the connection between His weakness on the cross and His power to save us? When Jesus returns to earth as King, will He return in weakness or in power?
SErmon OutlineScripture: Matthew 1:18-23
I. The fact that Jesus has two fathers means Jesus is God.
A. We first learn that Jesus’ father is God in vs: 18. We see there that God the Holy Spirit is the father. The human life growing in the womb of Mary was a supernatural miracle performed by God. This child, Jesus, is literally God. For the second time in three verses we read in vs. 20 that the Holy Spirit is the father of the child growing within Mary. We see this through the angel’s words to Joseph. The angel assures Joseph that Mary has not been unfaithful. He lets Joseph know that her child has been supernaturally conceived.
B. If God is the father of this child, what does that mean for the baby? We find out in verse 23 where Matthew quotes a prophecy from Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means God with us).” Who is Jesus? He is God. He is God with us. Jesus then is not merely a prophet telling us how to find God. Instead, Jesus is God Himself who has come to find us. He came down to us and did for us what we could not do. Jesus saved His people from their sins (verse 21).
II. The fact that Jesus has two fathers means Jesus is human.
A. In vs. 21 we read about God’s assignment for Joseph. The angel tells Joseph in that verse not to be afraid to take Mary as your wife. And if Joseph took Mary as his wife, he would also be taking Mary’s child, Jesus, into his home. The human being Joseph would then become the legal, adoptive father of Jesus. Because Jesus is human, He can represent all of us as human beings before God. Jesus as a human being could be and would be the substitute for us that we needed to pay for our sins.
B. What difference does it make in how you live your life today that God became a human being in Jesus? Every day we are to follow Jesus’ example in living a life of sacrificial love. Philippians 2:5-6: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” Also, I am to run to Jesus when I suffer. Hebrews 2:18: “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
III. The fact that Jesus has two fathers means Jesus is God with us.
A. The fact that Jesus is God with us is why Matthew quoted from Isaiah 7:14 in verse 23: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” Clearly, Matthew believes that the virgin in Isaiah 7 refers to Mary, and Immanuel in Isaiah 7 refers to Jesus. Sometimes prophecies in the Old Testament have two fulfillments. They are partially fulfilled in persons and events in the Old Testament. But then later a prophecy is fulfilled, or filled full as it were, more gloriously in the times and in the person of Jesus. God let Israel know that He was still with Israel in Isaiah’s day by saving Israel from their powerful enemies by the time that Isaiah’s fiancé had conceived a child in the natural way after marriage and that child had become a toddler. But how much more did God let us know that He was with us by sending us a child who more gloriously was actually conceived within a virgin?
Application:Because Jesus is with us, we can be near to God and we can have joy.
Sources:The Gospel of Matthew
Commentaries on Matthew by D.A. Carson and Craig Blomberg“Hidden Christmas” by Timothy Keller
SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1) Who do we see is the true father of Jesus in verses 18 and 20? And what does that mean for Jesus’ identity according to verse 23? What is the main reason Jesus came to earth according to verse 21?
2) What did the angel tell Joseph to do in verse 20? Joseph then became Jesus’ adoptive, human father. Why did Jesus need to be fully human as well as fully divine?
3) What is the meaning of Immanuel (verse 23)? And what does it mean for you that God is with you?
Covid QuestionnairesERMON oUTLINEScripture: Matthew 1:1-17
I. The message of Christmas is that the Gospel is good news, not good advice.
A. Matthew begins the Christmas story with a list of names. He lists many of the ancestors of Jesus. Why? He is grounding the person of Jesus in history. He is saying that Jesus is real. Jesus is not some fairy tale. And many of these ancestors of Jesus were pretty famous to the Jewish people. So, Matthew begins the Christmas story by saying Jesus is real. He is just as real as these other people that you know from history. If Matthew had begun the story of Jesus with “Once upon a time”, then he would have ended the fairy tale with a moral or with some good advice.
B. Matthew’s story ends not with a moral but with Gospel which means good news. The Gospel tells you not what you should do but what God has done. The Gospel tells you that Jesus entered the world in order to ultimately die on the cross to save you. You don’t need to do anything to save yourself. You just need to believe what God has done for you. Galatians 4:4-5: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
II. The message of Christmas is that the Gospel turns the world’s values upside down.
A. When you read the list of names in Matthew 1, most of the names have something in common. They are male. But it is very interesting that it is not just the fathers of Jesus that are listed. Five of the ancestral mothers of Jesus are listed as well: Tamar (vs. 3), Rahab (vs. 5), Ruth (vs. 5), Bathsheba (vs. 6), and Mary (vs. 16). Matthew deliberately recalls for his readers some of the most sordid, nasty, and immoral incidents in the whole Old Testament. Why? He is reminding us that Jesus came from a totally dysfunctional family for dysfunctional people.
B. Matthew is trying to tell us that God’s values are very different from our values. God is saying to us today, “It does not matter to me if you are a man or a woman. It does not matter to me who your family is. It doesn’t matter to me what you have done. It doesn’t even matter to me whether you have killed someone or committed adultery. If you repent of your sin and believe that Christ died for that sin, the grace and mercy of Jesus can forgive you and bring you into God’s family.” What is truly valuable is the mercy of God. It is God’s grace that is the true treasure.
III. The message of Christmas is that God may take His time, but He keeps His word.
A. When you read the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, it’s clear that the promise of a Messiah took years and generations to be fulfilled. The promise that God would send Christ began with Abraham (vs. 1). Jesus would be the fulfillment of all the hopes and prophecies of Israel. But how many years did Abraham live before Jesus? 2,000 years. God had promised Abraham in Genesis 12:3: “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” All families on earth, Jews and Gentiles, would be blessed through Abraham’s descendant Jesus who would come through the line of King David. 2,000 years is along time. It looked like God had forgotten His promise. It looked like no one was coming to save us. But then the Messiah, Jesus, came. You can’t judge God by your calendar. God may appear to be slow, but He never forgets His promises. Never.
Application:The meaning of Christmas is that God keeps His word to send a Savior for all of us. Trust Him.
Sources:“Hidden Christmas” by Timothy KellerCommentaries on Matthew by D.A. Carson and Craig Blomberg
sERMON dISCUSSION qUESTIONS1) What is the difference between good news and good advice? Why is the Gospel not good advice for us about what we should do? How instead is the Gospel good news about what God has done?
2) Would you have included the names of Jesus’ female ancestors in His genealogy if you were Matthew? So why did he do that?
3) Why do you think it takes so long from our perspective for God to keep His promises? What do we learn about God when He keeps His promise in a surprising way at a surprising time?
Habakkuk 3:17-19
“Even Though . . .”
Recognize Trouble
“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,” (v17)
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
“I Will . . .”
Receive Joy
“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (v18)
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2)
“Because God . . .”
Remember God
“God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” (v19)
“The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” (Psalm 118:14)
How can you remember God in the midst of trouble?
Read your Bible “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds.” (Psalm 77:11-12)
Spend time in prayer “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; . . . Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works he has done.”
(1 Chronicles 16:8,11-12)
Participate in a growth group “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.” (Acts 2:46-47)
Go to church regularly “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Please take a moment and answer these questions about your church attendance.
Covid Questionnaire
Sermon OutlineNovember 15, 2020
Scripture: Habakkuk 3:3-16
I. The glory of God comes in salvation.
A. “You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed” (vs. 13). Everything that God does in history He does for a reason. God always acts for the salvation of His people. And in order for Habakkuk to give the people of Israel hope for their future salvation, he told them to look back to their past. The places in vs. 3 refer to how God moved in bringing the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. Habakkuk then reminds Israel of her past to stir up a future expectation of salvation. “If God saved us from the Egyptians in the past, won’t He save us from the Babylonians in the future?”
B. And when God saves us, we see His glory. Usually, when you hear the word glory, you think of brilliant light. And that is what we see when God saves His people in Habakkuk 3. We read in verses 3-4: “His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.” What do we see then when God rises up to save His people? Glory, splendor, majesty, shining excellence, light, beauty. Of course, the primary way that God has acted in history to save His people is through Jesus. And how is Jesus described in John 1:5? “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Jesus is this brilliant, glorious light.
C. God not only shows His power over nature (vs. 4, 8, 11) when He saves. He also shows His power over the nations. In verse 7 we read about a few nations that God had saved Israel from in the days of the Judges. The fact that God saved Israel from powerful nations in the past gave Israel hope that God would save Israel from Babylon in the future. And the same thing is true for us. Listen to what Jesus taught in Matthew 24:30: “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
II. The glory of God comes in judgment.
A. “You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck” (Hab. 3:13). God will show His glory by coming in judgment for the enemies of God’s people. Habakkuk reminded Israel of how God displayed His wrath against the Egyptians (vs. 5). We will also see the glory of God come in judgment in another way according to vs. 6. God comes in glory, and He stands and looks at the people of the earth. And with His look, He takes the measure of the people.
B. What do you do when you know that it is you who have sinned and deserve God’s judgment? You remember who God is. Psalm 103:10-12: “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
Application:You will see the glory of God come with your own eyes. His glory will come in both salvation and judgment.
Sources:The prophecy of HabakkukCommentaries on Habakkuk by O. Palmer Robertson and Walter Chantry.Sermon by Alistair Begg
Sermon Discussion Questions1) What past events of salvation does Habakkuk refer to in order to encourage Israel regarding her future salvation? In what way is God’s glory described in Habakkuk 3?
2) How do we see God’s power over nature in Habakkuk 3? And how do we see God’s power over the nations in Habakkuk 3?
3) Why is the wrath of God a good thing? How is it possible for you to escape from the wrath of God?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Habakkuk 3:1-2
I. We should pray that God preserves life.
A. Habakkuk begins his prayer in verse 2 by saying: “O LORD, I have heard the report of you.” Habakkuk has heard the revelation that God has given to him about what is going to happen to Israel. He knows the destruction that is coming for his country. As Habakkuk thought about what God was going to do to Israel, he was afraid (vs. 2). Terror was approaching. But Habakkuk taught the Israelites how to pray in the midst of their fears. And the Jews would sing this song Habakkuk taught them while they waited for the Babylonian invasion.
B. The most famous verse in the book of Habakkuk is Habakkuk 2:4: “the righteous shall live by his faith.” No matter what stress you under, no matter what kind of judgments the hand of God brings upon your nation, God’s people are to live by faith in spite of their fears. We read in the middle of verse 2: in the midst of the years revive it. Or some translations put it, in the midst of the years make him live. Make who live? The person who is living by faith. Israel needed to pray that God would keep some of the nation of Israel alive in the midst of the coming disaster.
II. We should pray that God provides understanding.
A. The second prayer Habakkuk teaches Israel to pray in verse 2 is in the midst of the years make it known. In the midst of the years between God’s judgment of Israel through Babylon and God’s eventual judgment of Babylon, the people of Israel were to pray for understanding of God’s plan. After all, God’s plans are mysterious. The people would need to pray for an understanding of God’s plan if they were going to live by faith in these disastrous days. Understanding what God is doing is necessary for survival in a stressful time.
B. God answered this prayer of Habakkuk in Habakkuk 3. In the year 606 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon first conquered Jerusalem. But in that year God answered the first part of Habakkuk’s prayer by preserving the life of four young Jewish men: Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Notice how these four Jews were described in Daniel 1:4: “young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace.” They were quick to understand. Through these four young men, God gave prophecy to the Jews about what God was doing in their day in Babylon. God gave understanding to Israel about their days through these four young men.
III. We should pray that God remembers mercy.
A. Habakkuk taught the people of Israel to pray in Hab. 3:2: in wrath remember mercy. In the scary days after Babylon’s invasion, Habakkuk and the rest of Israel would be afraid. The word wrath in verse 2 indicates that this was a time of agitation and disturbance. It was a time when Israel was going to be shaken to its very foundation. Habakkuk told them to pray for God to pour out His mercy on His people. One place where God remembered to be merciful in the midst of pouring out His wrath was at the cross. God poured His justice and wrath on Jesus at the cross while we received God’s mercy because Christ died in our place.
Application:Remember to pray in stressful times according to the example of Habakkuk.
Sources:The prophecy of HabakkukCommentaries on Habakkuk by O. Palmer Robertson and Walter Chantry
Sermon Discussion Questions1) How did Habakkuk feel about what God was going to do to Israel? Just because we have faith in God, does that mean there will not be times when we are also afraid?
2) How should we pray when we are under stress? Does God always let us know why He is doing certain things? But can God help us to know what we should learn in our situation?
3) How can God be just and merciful at the same time? Do you remember to pray for God to be merciful when you sin?
Sermon Discussion Questions1. Why is it foolish to worship an idol? What are some modern idols that we worship today?
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In what way is an idol a teacher of lies (vs. 18)? How does an idol deceive the person who worships it?
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In what way does God want the proud to be silent before Him (vs. 20)? How does God want people of faith to be silent before Him? Who do you want to see become a worshiper of Jesus?
sermon outlineScripture: Habakkuk 2:18-20
I. The proud worship idols they have made.
A. The discussion about the folly of the worship of idols is begun in verse 18: “What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies?” God would give this same teaching about the futility of idols on the last night of Babylon’s existence when the prophet Daniel spoke to King Belshazzar of Babylon in Daniel 5:23: “but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven… And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.” Judgment then fell on the proud Babylonians because they worshiped false gods and they held the one true God in contempt.
B. The Babylonians’ idols were teachers of lies (vs. 18). Some human being had made the idol the Babylonians were worshiping. And yet they had turned around and put their trust in this work of their hands. They had given to this lifeless idol the power of a god. What a lie! What a delusion! In a nice turn of phrase at the end of verse 18 God calls the Babylonian gods speechless idols. These idols could be said to be dumb dummies. They are dumb in that they cannot speak. And they are dummies in that they know nothing. They are not alive so how can they know anything! God then mocks the Babylonians for their worship of a lie. They could have worshiped the one true Almighty God. But instead they worshiped a dumb dummy.
C. Idols are created things (vs. 18). God is the creator of all things. Idols don’t speak (vs. 18). God speaks to us. Idols don’t move (vs. 19). God is always on the move. Idols are bright and shiny things like gold and silver that are very attractive to us (vs. 19). But God is truly glorious. So, why would anyone worship an idol? We are in control of our own idols. If we make an idol, we can and do control it. But no one is in control of God. God is wild.
II. People of faith worship the Lord of all the earth.
A. The answer to the idolatry of Babylon and to the modern idolatries in America is found in vs. 20: “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” Some might wonder what the connection is between God’s being in his holy temple (vs. 20) and telling the Babylonians to be quiet. Isaiah 2:3-4: “And many peoples shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation.”
B. God gives Habakkuk a similar message to the one that Job received. Job was also someone who wrestled with God. After Job wrestled with God, listen to what Job did in response in Job 40:3-5: “Then Job answered the Lord and said: ‘Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.’” We are to be in silent awe of God.
Application:Will I be worshiping Jesus in heaven with my neighbor someday?
Sources:The prophecy of HabakkukCommentaries on Habakkuk by O. Palmer Robertson and Walter Chantry
SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1) What does Habakkuk choose to praise God for in vs. 12-13? Are there some aspects of God’s character you need to praise Him for in your difficult days today?2) Why is Habakkuk troubled by God’s decision to use Babylon to bring judgment on Judah (vs. 15-17)? What is the cause of his wrestling with God?3) Why is Habakkuk taking a stand on his watchpost (2:1)? What is he doing, and what does this indicate about his hope and expectations?
SERMON OUTLINEOctober 25, 2020
Scripture: Habakkuk 2:5-17
I. There are proud people who trust themselves.
A. The two kinds of people in the world are mentioned in Habakkuk 2:4: “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” God contrasts the puffed up and proud Babylonians with the righteous. The Babylonians loved their wine. But their wine would betray them (Hab. 2:5). In Daniel chapter 5 we read about how the Babylonian empire came to an end at a drunken party at the hands of the Persians. God’s last word to the Babylonians was a word of mockery: woe (verses 6, 9, 12, 15 and 19).B. Woe means great sorrow. In verse 6 we see God judge Babylon for their injustice. The Babylonians had stolen things which they had no right to take. They were so greedy (vs. 5). But suddenly (vs. 7) – when the Babylonians least expected it – it would be time for God to judge. In verse 9 we see God judge the Babylonians for trusting that their wealth could make them undefeated. They would have so much that they would be completely secure from all their enemies. They would be like an eagle sitting in a high nest. No one could reach them. Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”C. In verse 12 we see God judge the Babylonians for their cruelty. God told Habakkuk His prophet in vs. 13, “The Babylonians are building their empire for nothing. It will not last. It will be burned up in the fire of God’s judgment.” Then in verse 15 we see God judge Babylon for its immorality. The Babylonians liked their wild parties just as much as anycollege student. And they mocked their enemies when they saw them naked. But their drunkenness would lead to utter shame (vs. 16). God was going to make the Babylonians lie drunk and naked in their own vomit.
II. There are people of faith who trust God.
A. While the proud trust in themselves, people of faith trust in God. Habakkuk 2:4 says that the righteous shall live by his faith. We put our trust in God and live by faith in what He says. We rely on God completely to keep His promises. And one of God’s most wonderful promises is found in Hab. 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Yes, Israel would be in conflict with the proud Babylonians in the years to come. But this battle would not last forever. Babylon would be judged by God as all proud people are judged. And the victory would ultimately be given to people who trust in God.B. What has to happen first before the glory of God fills the earth? The proud like the Babylonians must be judged by God first. If people are going to see how beautiful God is, if they are going to see the glory of His holiness, all pride and wickedness must be judged first. Then the glory of the Lord will fill the earth as wickedness is defeated. Every time God makes this promise, He makes it in the context of judgment. Here in Habakkuk God is promising to judge the Babylonians before His glory fills the earth. In Numbers 14:21, God promises that all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD in the context of thejudgment of Israel. And He makes the same promise in Isaiah 11:9 in the context of judging the proud Assyrians. Once the proud are judged, people of faith see and rejoice in the glory of God.
Application:Jesus is always worth trusting because He is better than anything else you might trust.
Sources:The prophecy of HabakkukCommentaries on Habakkuk by O. Palmer Robertson, Walter Chantry, and Cameron Bucey
Sermon by Alistair Begg
SERMON OUTLINEHabakkuk 2:1-4
Watching for an Answer from the Lord“I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.” (v1)“But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7) Watching for the Lord’s answer doesn’t mean we know what the answer is, but rather, we know that the Lord knows what the answer is.
Waiting on the Promises of the LordThey are from God
“And the Lord answered me. . .” (v2)“no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21) They are clear
“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets . . .” (v2)“You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.” (Deuteronomy 27:8) They are important
“. . . so he may run who reads it.” (v2) They are certain
“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end . . . If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (v3) “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promises as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) Waiting on the Lord’s promises doesn’t mean we know when they will come true, but only that they will come true.
Living with Faith in the Lord“Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” (v4) “But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations. You will arise and have mercy.” (Psalm 102:12-13a) Living by the Lord’s faith doesn’t mean that there will be no pain, or trials or uncertainty in our lives, but only that how we live our lives and who we live our lives for never changes.
sermon discussion questions1. What does Habakkuk choose to praise God for in vs. 12-13? Are there some aspects of God’s character you need to praise Him for in your difficult days today?
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Why is Habakkuk troubled by God’s decision to use Babylon to bring judgment on Judah (vs. 15-17)? What is the cause of his wrestling with God?
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Why is Habakkuk taking a stand on his watchpost (2:1)? What is he doing, and what does this indicate about his hope and expectations?
sermon outlineScripture: Habakkuk 1:12—2:1
I. You pray in difficult days by praising God for who He is.
A. Habakkuk’s prayer started with praising God. Habakkuk didn’t know what God was doing. So, he began his prayer with what he knew was true about God. He held on to what he was confident of about God (verse 12). Habakkuk begins his praise of God by saying that God is eternal. God is the eternal King. He not only knows what is coming. He actually ordains (vs. 12) what is coming. He orders it from heaven. After praising God for being the eternal King, Habakkuk praises God for being both the promise-keeping God and for being the holy God.
B. He praises God by calling him in vs. 12, “O LORD my God, my Holy One.” Yes, God is perfect and pure. He is holy and righteous. So, He must punish Israel for her sin. But God is also LORD. This is God’s covenant name. He is the God who makes and keeps promises. This means, “We shall not die” (vs. 12). Yes, many Israelites would lose their lives in war to Babylon. But the nation as a whole would not die. Why not? Because God has made some promises. Habakkuk concludes his praise by calling God O Rock. God is a rock who gives firm footing.
II. You pray in difficult days by wrestling with what God is doing.
A. The wrestling begins in verse 13. Habakkuk knows for sure that God is holy. But God’s tolerance of Babylon seemed inconsistent with His holiness. So, what did Habakkuk do? Did he get angry with God and stop talking to God in prayer? No. He wrestled with God in prayer. Habakkuk believed that God was on the throne. God was the king over everything that was happening in Israel. And God was using Habakkuk’s prayers to accomplish His purposes in the world. James 5:16: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
B. We see why Habakkuk wrestled with God in verses 14 and 15. The Babylonians treated people like fish. The Babylonians bring all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net (vs. 15). And this is in fact historically true. The Babylonians would use hooks and nets that you would typically use on fish to take their captives into Babylon. Can you see why Habakkuk wrestled with God about using such evil people to discipline God’s chosen people? These cruel Babylonians not only treated people like fish; they also worshiped a false god (vs. 16).
III. You pray in difficult days by expecting God to answer.
A. Habakkuk closes his prayer in Hab. 2:1. Habakkuk realized that he had boldly said some things to God that maybe he should not have said. He argued that the means God was going to use to discipline His chosen people – the means of the Babylonians – were inconsistent with His holiness. Notice what Habakkuk did next after he prayed. He waited. He waited for God to answer him. And He expected God to answer him. Only God can clear up our confusion as to what He is doing in the world. So, we need to wait for His answer. And we need to wait with humility and hope. Do you know where all of your wrestling with God is leading you toward? Jesus. At the cross, God poured out all of His holy wrath against sin and evil. At the cross God entered into our suffering and experienced it Himself. But at the cross God also showed His mercy for His chosen people. By God’s mercy it was Jesus who suffered at the cross and not us.
Application:The prophecy of Habakkuk
Commentaries on Habakkuk by Walter Chantry, O. Palmer Robertson and Cameron BuceySermon by Alistair Begg
Sermon discussion questions1. Have you ever been surprised by how God has answered one of your prayers? Is it because you told God how to answer your prayer?
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What imagery does God use to describe the power of the coming forces? How does the Babylonians’ power compare to God’s power?
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Does it surprise you that God is sovereign over even the bad and sad events in our lives? How does the story of Ruth in the Old Testament help you to see God the king’s goodness even when He allows suffering in our lives?
sermon outlineScripture: Habakkuk 1:5-11
I. God uses a surprising instrument to answer our prayers.
A. Revival would not be the instrument that God would use to answer Habakkuk’s prayers. The Chaldeans, more commonly known as the Babylonians, would be the surprising instrument that God would use to answer Habakkuk’s prayers (vs. 6). God does not disagree with Habakkuk’s assessment of Israel’s wickedness. He shared Habakkuk’s concern for the lack of godliness and morality in Israel. But he did not share Habakkuk’s preferred means of fixing the problem: revival. No. God had a surprising means for dealing with Israel’s sin. The Babylonians.
B. Babylon had for years been a small state. But in less than 20 years the Babylonian army began to alarm both Assyria and Egypt, the two major world powers. In 605 BC the Babylonian army smashed the armies of both Assyria and Egypt at Carchemish. The Babylonians had seemingly come out of nowhere to be this world power. The second thing that must have been surprising to Habakkuk about God using the Babylonians to discipline Israel was that the Babylonians were morally worse than the Israelites (see vs. 6-11).
II. God uses a surprising intense judgment to answer our prayers.
A. Habakkuk’s prayer for Israel is found in verse 2. It was a prayer for God to save Israel. But Habakkuk would see Israel receive an intense judgment at the hands of the Babylonians which would eventually bring Israel to repentance and back to God. It was a judgment that was prophesied 100 years earlier. Isaiah 39:6: “Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord.”
B. Why was God going to judge His chosen people so intensely? Isn’t God a God of love? Yes. 1 John 4:8 says so. And God’s intense discipline is one of the ways that He loves His people. God uses any and all means necessary to bring His people back to Him. God will stop at nothing to bring those He loves back into a loving relationship with Him. That is how much He loves us! The heart of God for His children who are lost is found in Jesus’ words in Luke 19:10: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
III. God uses Himself to bring judgment on our lives and our country.
A. Notice in vs. 5 who God says is responsible for bringing this intense judgment against Israel. God says in the middle of that verse, “For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” Who is responsible then for the Babylonians defeating and destroying Israel? God is responsible. This was God’s plan. God was not just the King over the events that took place in Israel in Habakkuk’s day. God is also the king over every event that happens today. If God the King could stop bad things from happening, but He does not, doesn’t that mean that God is bad? Absolutely not! Lamentations 3:32-33: “Though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.” Does God sometimes grieve us? Yes. But God does not grieve us from His heart. God’s heart is good. He has an abundance of steadfast love for you.
Application:Don’t be surprised if God sends you either grief or joy in responding to your prayers. He is King!
Sources:The prophecy of Habakkuk
Commentaries on Habakkuk by Walter Chantry, O. Palmer Robertson and Camden BuceySermon by Alistair Begg
Sermon Discussion Questions1. What is Habakkuk’s complaint to God? Do you ever have similar complaints as you look at our society?
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Why does Habakkuk address God with His covenant name LORD (vs. 2)? What is significant about the prophet’s use of this name for God?
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Habakkuk needed to trust that God is the sovereign King at all times. How does trusting that God is king help you in your situation today?
SERMON OUTLINE Scripture: Habakkuk 1:1-4
I. Our problem is seeing the wickedness of God’s people.
A. The opening verse of Habakkuk says: “The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.” An oracle is a message that a prophet speaks to God’s people. Oracle also means a burden. It is a heavy spiritual weight. In this case, Habakkuk the prophet had to tell God’s people Israel that God was about to judge them. In verse 2 Habakkuk speaks about the sin of violence he sees in the people of Israel. The people of Israel are God’s chosen people. They are supposed to represent the holy God before a watching world. But what is Israel doing to one another? Hurting each other.
B. There was also injustice in Israel (vs. 4). The innocent and the helpless in Israel were victims of injustice. The legal system worked in behalf of the wicked rather than the righteous. How does Habakkuk respond to what he sees in Israel? Habakkuk gets into the wrestling ring with God. And he wrestles with God by praying. Notice the name Habakkuk uses for God as he begins his prayer in verse 2: O LORD. This is God’s covenant name. It is his promise-making and promise-keeping name. Habakkuk would ask God to keep His promises toward Israel.
II. Our problem is seeing God’s rule of the world.
A. If God is Lord, then He is King of the whole world. But if God is king over everything, that leads us at times to ask certain questions in our prayers. The two questions Habakkuk asks are how long and why. In verse 2 he asks the how long question. Habakkuk is wrestling with God over His timeline for action. God had promised Israel that if they disobeyed God, God would curse them. Deuteronomy 28:29: “And you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to help you.” How long would it be before God punished?
B. The second question Habakkuk asks God in prayer is why. We see that question in verse 3, “Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?” Sin and its consequences were clearly visible to Habakkuk all throughout Israel. Why was the holy God tolerating evil in His people? If your question begins, “God, I trust you, I just don’t understand you,” you’re in a good place to wrestle with God. God will wrestle with those who trust Him. Habakkuk was wrestling with questions over God’s timeline and God’s tolerance for evil.
III. Our solution then is to pray and trust God’s sovereignty.
A. Habakkuk is wrestling with the truth of God’s sovereignty as he prays. He prays, “God, you say you are LORD over all things. And you say you are completely holy and good. So, then why don’t you do anything about your chosen people’s sin and wickedness and injustice?” Habakkuk’s main prayer request is found in one word at the end of verse 2: save. Habakkuk’s prayer for Israel was, “God, save this country. We’re in a mess.” Habakkuk wanted Israel saved now. But God waited. He waited until Israel realized how dark was its sin. God waited until Israel realized how desperately they need God’s grace and a Savior. And then about 600 years after Habakkuk prayed for God to save Israel, at just the right time, God sent Israel – and us – a Savior. And at that time God gave us the Gospel mentioned at the end of Habakkuk 2:4: “But the righteous shall live by his faith.”
Application:God is on the throne. He will remember His own. His promise is true.
Sources:The prophecy of HabakkukCommentaries on Habakkuk by O. Palmer Robertson, Walter J. Chantry and Camden BuceySermon by Alistair Begg
Sermon Discussion QUestions1. How does the unity of the church make visible the invisible unity of God the Father and Jesus the Son? Can people see the love of the Father and the Son for each other based on looking at your relationships within the church?
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How much does God love you as an individual Christian? Are you able to grasp that God loves you with the same love that He loves Jesus?
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Have you seen how unity grows the church and how disunity hinders the growth of the church? How are you actively working to promote unity in our church?
Sermon OutlineScripture: John 17: 20-23
I. Our Christian unity reveals God to the world.
A. Jesus’ prayer for us is found at the beginning of vs. 21: that they may all be one. John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love then is the defining characteristic of the church. So, love is an important part of the unity that Jesus prayed for. But love is not the only thing Jesus prayed for with regard to the unity of the church. The unity of the church is also unity in the truth.
B. We are united in believing the truth the apostles taught (vs. 20). But we cannot and will not unite on every issue. So when we don’t agree with each other on a non-essential matter, we need to be humble. When we love those we disagree with, that is unity that is supernaturally produced. We also see the supernatural nature of our unity in vs. 21-22. In vs. 21 we see that the unity we Christians are to have is to be just like the unity between God the Father and Jesus the Son. We are to be one, Jesus says, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you. Our unity as Christians then reveals the unity of God to the world.
II. Our Christian unity reveals God’s love to us.
A. Jesus says something breathtaking about our Christian unity in verse 23. He says, “I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one.” He goes on to say to God the Father in this verse: “you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” What does Jesus mean in His prayer? He means that you as a Christian have been caught up in the same love that God the Father has for Jesus. God loves you with the very same love that He has for Jesus.
B. Matthew 25:40: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Your brothers and sisters in this church are so united to Jesus and to God, that when you hurt your fellow Christian, you are hurting Jesus. But the good news is this: when you do or say something good to your fellow Christians in this church, it is like you are doing or saying something good to Jesus. What an opportunity we have to experience God’s love for us as we do good for and seek the unity of our church.
III. Our Christian unity grows the church.
A. Two times in this passage Jesus speaks about how the church grows in size as a result of our unity as Christians. We read in verse 21 Christ’s prayer that we may all be one. For what purpose? At the end of the verse we read “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” The unity of the church is to be so compelling to the world, so inexplicable to the world without a supernatural explanation, that our witness as to who Jesus is only becomes explainable if Jesus truly is both one with God and one with His church. When the world sees our love and unity, some of the people in the world will believe the Gospel message that we show and tell. Jesus prays in vs. 23 that we in the church may become perfectly one “so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them as you loved me.” Our unity has an impact on the unbelieving world so our mission to make more disciples of Jesus relies in large part on our unity in the faith.
Application:
We need to enjoy and protect the unity of the church.
Sources:The Gospel of JohnCommentaries on John by D. A. Carson and Richard Phillips
Sermon Discussion Questions1. How does this passage help you think about how to relate to your church leaders? What are some practical steps you can take to be supportive to your leaders and to bring joy to them?
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What are some false teachings going around the church at large these days? Why do you think many Christians are unconcerned about false teaching?
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How are you encouraged today that Jesus suffered the judgment of God for your sins so that you might be saved? What are some ways that we can respond to that great gift?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 13:7-25
I. You survive and keep the faith by having a guide.
A. Verse 7: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” One thing then that will help you persevere in your faith in Christ is faithful and good teaching from the Bible. You also need a living example of the Christian faith who can show how to live as you journey toward heaven. It is advantageous to you if you have guides and pastors who have joy in serving you. Here are 10 things that would bring a pastor joy. All 10 things are drawn from this portion of Hebrews:
1) Pastors have joy when their people pray for them (vs. 18).
2) Pastors have joy when their people show up at church and small group to hear the Word of God taught (vs. 7).
3) Pastors have joy when their people reject false teaching and don’t read bad so-called “Christian” books (vs. 9).
4) Pastors have joy when their people trust in Christ’s sacrifice alone to save them (vs. 12) rather than in their own good works or another sacrifice.
5) Pastors have joy when their people find more joy in heaven than on earth (vs. 14).
6) Pastors have joy when their people are always praising God for something (vs. 15).
7) Pastors have joy when they see their people doing good and being generous to others (vs. 16).
8) Pastors have joy when their people do God’s will (vs. 21).
9) Pastors have joy when their people love one another and want to be with one another (vs. 24).
10) Pastors have joy when their people live in the free grace of God all the time (vs. 25).
II. You survive and keep the faith by avoiding false teachers.
A. The author of Hebrews says you need a good and godly guide to keep the faith. The opposite is also true. You need to avoid bad guides. You need to avoid false teachers (vs. 9). There is a similar warning that Paul gave to the church in Ephesus in Acts 20:29: “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” False teachers will enter the church. And what will those false teachers be like? Wolves. Wild animals. They will seek to destroy your faith in Jesus and lead you away from it.
III. You survive and keep the faith by looking at Jesus.
A. Heb. 12:1-2: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” We keep the faith then by looking at Jesus. We always keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. And who is Jesus? Verse 8 says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. We are reminded in verse 10 that “we have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.” The author of Hebrews is saying, “If you want to go back to the Old Testament animal sacrifices to make you right with God, you will miss out on the better sacrifice of Jesus. And only Jesus and His blood can make you right with God. So, keep your eyes and your heart on Jesus and not on lesser things. Jesus is always greater.”
Application:Keep the faith. Don’t fall away from Jesus. There is no one else like Jesus.
Sources:The letter to the Hebrews
Commentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study on Hebrews by Michael Kruger
Sermon discussion questions1. How does Hebrews 13 help you to re-think what hospitality means? What can you do to do hospitality better?
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What can people do to honor marriage and protect marriage?
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Why is money such a key test for our faith? How is your heart doing in regard to your love for money? How can you begin to fight this idol?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 13:1-6
I. You worship God by loving your Christian family.
A. If you have faith in Jesus, one of the things that changes about you after you have faith is that you love other Christians. Verse 1 commands us, “Let brotherly love continue.” The word continue reminds us of the theme of perseverance in the book of Hebrews. We are to persevere in our love. It is love for each other in the church that is the distinguishing mark of the Christian. John 13:35: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
B. How do I love my church family? What are some practical things I can do? One practical thing you can do is found in verse 2: do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers. By hospitality the author does not mean simply entertaining. It doesn’t mean inviting some of your friends from church over to your home for a meal. This hospitality is meeting the needs of people from your church who are outside of the people you know. Verse 2 says that these people are strangers to you right now. And these strangers have needs.
C. Another practical way that Christians were to love one another was by visiting them in prison. Verse 3 says, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” In the first century, Christians were thrown in prison just for being Christians. Today, love means visiting any Christian who is suffering. The key word in verse 3 is remember. Don’t forget those who are suffering. Love them. Visit them. They are part of your body according to vs. 3. And when one part of your body hurts, you are to hurt with them. You are to weep with those who weep.
II. You worship God by living a holy life.
A. We Christians are to live holy lives when it comes to the topic of sex. Verse 4: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” One way we honor marriage is by staying married and keeping our marriage vows. Matthew 19:5-6: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” And we honor marriage by avoiding adultery (vs. 4). And those who have sex outside of marriage are called sexually immoral. They will be judged if they do not repent by being kept out of God’s kingdom (see Galatians 5 and Ephesians 5 and 1 Corinthians 6 and Revelation 22).
B. We are also to live holy lives when it comes to the idol of money. First, notice what the problem is in verse 5. “Keep your life free from the love of money.” How do we fight our love for money? We fight greed with contentment. Verse 5 says we are to be content with what we have. We can be content because we know that God will provide for what we need every day. In the words of Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Application:Love your Christian family this week. And repent where you need to repent and receive God’s grace.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond Brown
Bible study by Michael Kruger
Sermon Discussion Questions1. Do you sometimes live like you still are under the old covenant law? How does this passage change your point of view?
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What about the heavenly Jerusalem excites you as you run toward heaven? How does knowing about heaven help you better run the race?
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How might this passage change the way you worship? Does your worship reflect the fact that God is holy?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 12:18-29
I. The wrong finish line for you is a place of fear.
A. The Hebrew Christians were tempted to fall away from their faith in Jesus and to return to their Jewish faith. They wanted to return to the old law covenant. But beginning in verse 18 the author reminds his readers that the old covenant law is not what they are running toward. He is writing about a mountain on earth Mount Sinai – the place where God gave the Law to Moses to pass on to the people of Israel. Notice what came with the giving of God’s Law at that mountain: fire, darkness, gloom, tempest or storm. The people were terrified!
B. The words of God were so terrifying that the people begged Moses to make it stop (vs. 19). The people were afraid that God was going to kill them at any moment. Even Moses, the leader and deliverer of Israel, trembled with fear when God gave the Law (vs. 21). So, the people were afraid. The people knew that God was holy and they were not. So, they had to keep their distance from God. There was a barrier between them and God. Here is the point the author is making: do you really want to go back there to the Law? That is the wrong finish line!
II. The right finish line for you is a place of joy.
A. The wrong finish line for you to run toward is the old law covenant represented by Mount Sinai where God gave the Law to Moses and Israel. So, what is the right finish line? It is represented by a different mountain according to verse 22: Mount Zion. Our finish line then that we are running toward is heaven. what is the atmosphere at Mount Zion in heaven? It is an atmosphere of extraordinary joy. This is the heavenly Jerusalem (vs. 22). It is the city of the living God so everyone who lives in that city is completely safe.
B. Because God is eternal, the city where He lives with His people is eternal. Psalm 125:1: “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.” This heaven is a place of joy. It is a place where innumerable angels are in festal gathering (vs. 22). The word festal means the celebration of a festival. God is still holy. But now I do not have to be afraid of God as my holy judge (vs. 23). I can rejoice because Christ’s sacrifice for my sin has made me righteous and made me God’s child (vs. 23).
III. The right finish line for you is a place of grateful worship.
A. The writer of Hebrews closes chapter 12 with one final warning to his readers. He begins vs. 25 by saying, “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking.” Listen! How will we escape if we reject the forgiveness that God offers us in Jesus? We will only be safe and unshaken if we listen to the warning that we need to run to Jesus and toward the finish line of heaven. If you do trust Christ and repent, you can rejoice in the great gift of salvation that God has given you (vs. 28)! And while we run toward heaven, we should be full of gratitude and worship. We are full of joy for what Jesus has done for us in forgiving us and in breaking down the barrier between us and God. We are now safe, protected by Jesus. We cannot be shaken by any word of judgment. But we are still in awe of our holy God as we worship Him (vs. 29).
Application:Do not run to the wrong finish line. Run to the finish line of Jesus and heaven.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
Sermon Discussions QUestions1. How does this passage change your perception of the trials in your life? How does it affect your view of God and His purposes?
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How are you responding to God’s discipline in your life in both good ways and bad ways? What are your successes and struggles?
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How is Esau’s example relevant to you? In what ways do you need to be careful about your own pursuit of pleasure?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 12:4-17
I. You endure because you are loved by God.
A. The author of Hebrews was writing to Jewish Christians who were enduring many earthly trials (see Heb. 10:32-34). Four times in verses 5-7 the author uses the same word: discipline. The church was being disciplined by God so that they might endure in their faith. Verse 6 tells us that the Lord disciplines the one he loves. God is our heavenly Father. And what do parents do with children they love? They discipline them. Verse 7 is probably the key verse in this passage that tells us what God is doing when He disciplines us: “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”
B. So many people seem to think that it is the people who have an easy, comfortable life without pain who are truly loved by God. But what would Hebrews 12 say to that? Maybe not! Maybe people who have less pain are people who are not God’s children and who are not being disciplined. God does not just discipline His children when they sin. He also disciplines them to help build endurance. This is why I think there is not only the picture of God as Father in Hebrews 12 but also the picture of God as athletic coach. In vs. 4 the author writes about your struggle against sin. The word struggle is a word that was used to describe boxing matches in the Olympic games in the first century.
C. God disciplines us by building our endurance so that we can keep our faith until the end of our fight, until the end of our lives. So, he trains you to make you a better fighter against your enemy. Because we have been trained, we do not give up. We keep fighting. And we receive the gain of victory over our enemy all because God has trained us. So, don’t resist the painful events God brings into your life. Those events are not a sign that God does not love you. Actually, the pain involved in endurance training is a sign that God loves you. Obey Heb. 12:12-13.
II. You endure because you want to see God.
A. There is a reward for all that you are enduring. We find it at the end of verse 14. There we are told to strive for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. We want to see God. When you see God, you see the one who by the power of just His Word created the whole universe. When you see God, you see the one who is more beautiful than the most majestic mountain. And when you see God, you see the one who has more love for you than anyone else. His love for you is measureless. This is why we Christians rejoice in the promise of Jesus in Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
B. Holiness is not optional for the Christian. If you want to see God, you need to be holy (Heb. 12:14). Christianity is a team sport. Therefore, we are to strive for peace (vs. 14) with everyone in the church, because we are all on a journey together toward heaven. So, how are your relationships with people in this church? As a negative example not to follow the author of Hebrews concludes this part of Hebrews 12 with the story of Esau. When Esau felt pain, he immediately looked for a worldly pleasure of some kind to take away His pain. And we Christians today will face the same temptation.
Application:Christians endure by knowing that God loves them and knowing they will see God.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner, William Lane, and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
Sermon Discussion Questions1. What sins do you need to lay aside in your life, so that you might better live out your faith?
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What parts of your life do you need to be less complacent so that you might better run with endurance the race set before you?
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In what practical ways can you better turn your focus to Jesus this week so that in living out your faith you might not grow weary?
Sermon OutlineHebrews 12:1-3
When you are weary, lay some things aside.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely.” (v 1a)
“Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)
When you are weary, run with endurance.
“let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (v1b)
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly. I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
When you are weary, turn your focus on Jesus
“let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God.” (v2)
“And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord save me.” (Matthew 14:25-30)
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases his strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31)
Discussion Questions1. How are you struggling today with the comforts and pleasures offered by the world? How does this passage help you be more willing to give them up?
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What challenges do you face today where God is asking you to believe when it doesn’t make sense? How does this passage motivate you to press on in faith?
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Do you think you are ready if serious suffering comes your way? What can you do today to help you be prepared to suffer?
Sermon outlineScripture: Hebrews 11:23-40
I. You have faith if you value Jesus more than you value the world.
A. In Hebrews 11:23-28 we read about the faith of Moses and his parents. Egypt was the wealthiest nation on earth in Moses’ day. As Pharaoh’s adopted grandson, Moses had access to prestige, status and incredible wealth. Moses had everything that the world said you should want. But even though Moses had it all, what did Moses do? Moses said no to the world by faith. Moses believed that the pleasures of this world are fleeting (vs. 25). Moses suffered the same rejection that Jesus the Christ suffered (vs. 26). Moses believed that if we choose to suffer with Christ, we have more pleasure than can be found anywhere in the world. Luke 17:33: “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”
II. You have faith if you believe when things don’t make sense.
A. In verses 29 to 31 we see three examples of God asking His people to do things which make no sense to us whatsoever. First, when Moses eventually led the Israelites out of Egypt, where did God lead the people? Verse 29 says that he led Israel to a dead-end at the Red Sea. Joshua and the people of Israel had faith, they obeyed God’s command, and they defeated the city of Jericho by marching around it for 7 days (vs. 30). Rahab was from Jericho but she bet her life on the fact that Israel would defeat Jericho (vs. 31). When we trust God in doing what makes no sense to us, God gets the glory. He gets the glory as the wise king who will do good for His children even when we don’t understand what He is doing.
III. You have faith if you see God do mighty things through you.
A. In vs. 32 through 34 we read about people who accomplished miracles by God’s power. Most of the people listed in verse 32 won great victories in battle. These weak and sinful people trusted God, and they saw God do great things as a result. Don’t think that you have to be perfect to be a person of faith. None of the people in Hebrews 11 were perfect. And yet, because they trusted God, God did incredible things through them. I have faith if I do good works – sometimes even mighty works – that flow naturally flow from a heart that trusts God. After we trust that Christ died for our sins, what do we understand? We understand James 2:26: “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
IV. You have faith if you suffer well for God’s sake.
A. Most Christians love the stories of faith in vs. 32-34. But then we get to verse 35, and we read about a different kind of faith. We read about a faith in vs. 35-38 that suffers well for Jesus. If you are suffering today, don’t think that means that you don’t have faith. Don’t believe the lie that Christians are people who should be living your best life now. It is wrong to believe that Christians don’t suffer because it directly contradicts what Jesus said in John 15:20: “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” If you are following Jesus in faith, then you are going to endure the same suffering that Jesus endured.
Applications:Which of these four marks of faith do I need to see more in my life? Pray about seeing that mark.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
Discussion Questions1. In what ways do you see your heart drawn away from heaven to the things of earth?
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Does the promise of heaven and the faithfulness of God give you the courage to live differently in this world? How?
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How does the faithfulness of Abraham and the others mentioned in Hebrews 11 give you hope and encouragement in your current situation?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 11: 8-22
I. Faith trusts God for the future even though it does not see the end from the beginning.
A. Hebrews 11:8: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going.” The writer of Hebrews is reflecting on what happened in Genesis 12:1: “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’” Abraham had faith that God would give him a land to inherit. He trusted God would keep His promise. So, he immediately obeyed.
B. If I had received this command from God, perhaps I’d say, “God, are you sure about this? It’s one thing to ask me to leave behind everything that I love. But I can’t see the end from the beginning in this adventure. I don’t even know where I’m going. Can’t you give me just a few details about this land you’re giving me?” That was not Abraham. Abraham trusted God. Abraham had faith that God had a good future in store for him even though Abraham did not see the end from the beginning as he left his home and family.
II. Faith trusts God for the future even if you lose the comfort and security of this world.
A. Abraham and Sarah did not die angry with God (vs. 13). They were not frustrated and doubtful that God would keep His promises even though they only had one descendant when they died and even though they did not possess the land of Canaan. They instead recognized that the complete realization of the promises was far away in the future. God was still faithful. They knew God’s promises would eventually come to pass. They took the long view that said that God is always faithful to His word.
B. Some of the Jewish readers of Hebrews thought, “I am really homesick. Let’s go back home to the Jewish faith.” These readers wanted to enjoy the comfort and security of this world that they enjoyed as Jews. And that’s when the author of Hebrews reminded the readers of the future-looking faith of Abraham and his family. They looked ahead to the future. We find out why they looked forward in vs. 16: “They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”
III. Faith trusts God for the future even in death.
A. Verses 17-19 tell us a story of a near death experience in Abraham’s life. How did Abraham obey God when God asked him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice? We find the answer in verse 19, “He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” Abraham was convinced that if he sacrificed Isaac, God would raise Isaac from the dead and fulfill his promises through a miracle. In verses 20-22 we look at what happened to Abraham and Sarah’s descendants Isaac, Jacob and Joseph and how they blessed their families on their deathbeds. Joseph had faith – a faith that trusted God for the future. Joseph’s faith said loud and clear: “Egypt is not my home. The promised land of Canaan is my home.” And you still have a future. God will keep His promises to you.
Application:Look forward to your future. Keep your faith in Christ and His promises.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
Discussion Questions1) Did you have any misunderstandings about faith before this message from Hebrews 11? How does this passage help clarify what faith really is?
2) Why do you think we are tempted to make good works the ground for our relationship with God rather than faith? Why do we try to approach God on our terms rather than on God’s terms?
3) Which of the three lessons about faith (Abel, Enoch, and Noah) do you need to hear the most today? How does this lesson encourage and challenge you?
sermon outlineScripture: Hebrews 11:1-7
I. Faith is a strong conviction in who and what you cannot see.
A. This definition for faith is seen in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is convinced that what the unseen God has promised will most certainly be fulfilled. Our faith is not in faith. Our faith is in God. There is no visible evidence then that what God has promised will come to pass. Faith is a deep, personal trust that God’s Word and Goda’s promise are true. The Old Testament saints that we will read about in the rest of Hebrews 11 won God’s approval (vs. 2). They pleased God by faith.
B. It is always trust that God is looking for from us. Trust in God communicates love to God. So, it is trust that God wants to see. You keep your faith by remembering that our faith is in things not seen. 2 Corinthians 5:7: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” There are some things you can’t see with your eyes. But those things are definitely real. One of the things that we didn’t see with our eyes but that definitely happened was the creation of the universe (vs. 3). We were not there to witness the creation. No one was there except God. Thus, we receive it by faith that God created the universe. But that does not mean there is no evidence of a Creator.
C. Our faith in what we did not see at creation can help us to have faith for what we cannot see in the future. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the assurance of things hoped for. I think the author is thinking here about the return of Christ. The fact that there is evidence for the creation that we did not see leads us to believe that there are also good grounds to believe that Jesus will return to earth. We can walk by faith and not by sight when it comes to our future.
II. Faith is lived out in the pilgrimage of our lives.
A. You are walking by faith with other believers from years gone by who lived out their faith. The first believer mentioned in Hebrews 11:4 is Abel. Abel’s offering flowed from his faith. We read Abel’s story in Genesis 4:3-4. Abel offered a blood sacrifice as a symbol that his sin must be paid for with blood. Abel lived out his faith in what would become the theme of Hebrews that we see in Hebrews 9:22: “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” True faith approaches God on His terms, not ours.
B. The second Old Testament saint who lived out his faith who is mentioned in Hebrews 11 is Enoch (vs. 5). Enoch walked with God (Gen. 5:22), and he never died. Faith is always directed toward a personal relationship with God. Enoch walked with God like you might walk with a friend. He walked and talked with God as a friend. The life of Noah (vs. 7) reveals that faith is obedient. Faith means following God even when things don’t make sense. God commanded Noah to build a 510-foot long ark on dry ground. Noah had faith in God’s promised warning of a flood. He had faith in the unseen. Do you? Abel, Enoch and Noah lived out their faith. And those three people reflect the order of the Christian life of faith. We first trust in the sacrifice of Christ like Abel trusted in the sacrifice of an animal, then we walk with God intimately like Enoch did, and then we obey God in all things like Noah did.
Application:Trust in God’s sacrifice. Walk with God. Obey God. This is the life of faith.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
sermon outlineScripture: Hebrews 10:32-39
You Have Been Enlightened with the Truth“But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened . . .” (v32a)
“the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.” (Ephesians 1:17-19)
More than knowledge . . . an awakening
You Have Struggled for Your Faith“after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction . . . joyfully accepting the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.” (v32b-34)
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)
“As for what was sown on the rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation and persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” (Matthew 13:20-21)
More than persecution . . . perseverance
You Have Compassion for the Lost and Hurting“sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison” (v33b-34)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-6)
More than sympathy . . . action
You Have Conviction for the Will of God“Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” (v35-36)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
More than a decision . . . dedication
Discussion Questions1. Is there evidence of real faith in your life by how you have responded to the truth of the gospel message? Tell someone about it!
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Is there evidence of real faith in your life by how you have endured a faith struggle? Tell someone about it!
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Is there evidence of real faith in your life by how you act toward others, serving and ministering to them? Tell someone about it!
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Is there evidence of real faith in your life by how dedicated you are to God and his will for your life? Tell someone about it!
Discussion Questions1) Do you have someone in your life who was an apostate? Do you sense the tendency in your own heart to drift from Jesus?
2) How can you tell the difference between a Christian struggling with sin and a Christian who might be headed toward apostasy? How does this passage in Hebrews help you know how to better help people caught in sin?
3) How does this passage help correct misunderstandings about the difference between the God of the OT and the God of the NT? How does the rejection of God’s holiness lead to so many other doctrinal errors?
Sermon OUtlineScripture: Hebrews 10:26-31
I. God’s judgment is more severe for new covenant apostates than old covenant apostates.
A. We see a description of the Hebrew Christians in verse 26. These Hebrew Christians had received the knowledge of the truth. What is the difference between these true Christians and the ones attending the church who eventually turn apostate? (An apostate is someone who seems like a believer in Jesus but is not.) Apostates who fall away from their supposed faith in Jesus, were never truly Christians. And apostates receive the same judgment as the wicked (vs. 27). The author does not expect the Hebrew Christians to become apostate and be judged (vs. 39).
B. The good news is that true Christians will not become apostate. True Christians, like the Hebrew Christians, will listen to the warnings of the Bible as it is read and preached. As true Christians, they will necessarily persevere in their faith. The warnings of the Bible are one of the means by which believers are preserved in their Christian faith. Examine yourself regularly with this question: Am I really a Christian? This passage in Hebrews is telling us that real Christians listen to the warnings about the judgment of God.
C. If you deliberately rebelled against God in Moses’ day, you would receive the death penalty (vs. 28). But verse 29 says that falling away from Jesus will lead to an even more severe penalty. The punishment will be eternal, spiritual death. The argument is from the lesser to the greater. Revelation 14:10: “He also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.”
II. God’s judgment means there is no hope of forgiveness.
A. The old covenant of animal sacrifices did not work (vs. 4). Those sacrifices did not bring you the forgiveness from God you need. Only Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross can give you forgiveness. So, he warns again those tempted to apostasy in vs. 26, “If we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” Jesus is the only sacrifice that works. Jesus is the only Savior.
B. This passage in Hebrews 10 speaks of two truths that our culture has clearly forgotten. The first truth is that God is the kind of God who judges sin. See verse 30. Verse 27 says that His judgment is a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. And verse 31 says: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” The word fearful means terrifying. If you stand before God on Judgment Day without Jesus, you will be terrified. Jesus is the only one who can save you before a holy God. The second truth our culture is that Christ’s blood is truly precious. By shedding his blood for you, Christ has taken the judgment you deserve. 1 Peter 1:17-19: “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
Application:Don’t reject Jesus. Instead, rejoice in Jesus. He took the judgment you deserved.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
Discussion Questions1) Are you confident that you can draw near to a holy God? How has this passage helped you to gain confidence?
2) How important have doctrine and theology been in your life? Are there places where you are wavering about what you believe? How can this passage help?
3) How is your church involvement right now? Even if you need to stay home because of health concerns, are you still reaching out to others in church? How does this passage motivate you to improve and grow in church involvement?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews
I. You respond to Jesus as your great high priest by drawing near.
A. Before the author of Hebrews tells his readers how to respond to his teaching, he briefly reminds them of two key doctrines he has been focusing on. First, he reminds the readers in vs. 19-20 that Jesus is a better sacrifice than the animal sacrifices that were offered in the tabernacle. Jesus gives us access to God. We have such eternal access to God because we have a great high priest in Jesus (vs. 21). All three responses to these doctrines about Christ’s person and work in Hebrews 10 begin with the two words: Let us.
B. Verse 22 gives us the first response of “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” Because of who Jesus is and what He has done on the cross we should draw near to God. We can draw near to God in this way because our hearts have been sprinkled clean by the blood of Jesus (vs. 22). And our bodies have been washed with pure water at our baptism which symbolizes the complete forgiveness of our sins (vs. 22). Ezekiel 37:27: “My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
II. You respond to Jesus as your great high priest by holding fast.
A. The whole letter of Hebrews has been an encouragement to hold fast to Jesus. So, now, in vs. 23 the author tells us: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.” Hold on then to the doctrinal content of your faith. We persevere, we hold fast, through clinging to the doctrines from the Bible that the church has always taught. The author of Hebrews is teaching that doctrine matters.
B. You will be tempted to waver in your faith (vs. 23). So, what does the author of Hebrews say you need to do in response to the doctrine and truth about Christ as our great high priest that he has been teaching for many chapters? Hold fast to it. Cling to Christ and what the Bible teaches about Christ. Don’t believe the lie that doctrine and truth are irrelevant. No! Christian doctrine and truth are essential to hold fast to if you are going to persevere in your faith and make it to heaven one day. Satan wants to separate you from true doctrine so that you will fall away from Jesus. But God is holding fast to you: “For he who promised is faithful” (vs. 23).
III. You respond to Jesus as your great high priest by encouraging others.
A. The last response to the truth that Jesus is your great high priest is found in vs. 24-25. It is not just holding fast to the truth of the Bible that will bring you home to heaven. There is something else you need. You need other Christians to encourage you. It is so easy in this world to become discouraged. We need others to lift us up when we are down. Because we get so easily discouraged, we read in vs. 25 that we are not to neglect meeting together. One way that we encourage one another is to stir up one another to love and good works (vs. 24). In better times, we Christians can grow stale and spiritually lazy. We need another Christian to stir us up to start doing good for others. And one thing we should always be doing is loving another. Jesus taught in John 13:35: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Application:Do all you can to stay true to Jesus and encourage others to stay true to Jesus.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
Discussion QUestions1. How does this passage help you understand the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament? How does Christ speaking through the Psalms (verse 5) change your view of the Old Testament? Why do believers need to understand this?
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How might this passage change the way you view the Lord’s supper? Why is Christ’s physical body so important for our salvation?
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How does this passage show Jesus as both Lion and Lamb? Do you think you have a balanced view of Jesus as both of these things? What can help us get a better balance?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 10:1-18
I. The bad news is that nothing you do brings forgiveness from God.
A. Animal sacrifices which were required in the law given through Moses are called a shadow of the reality to come (vs. 1). God required these animal sacrifices, but this sacrificial system was designed by God to be only temporary. Something better was coming that could truly bring us forgiveness. These repeated sacrifices could never bring us final forgiveness with God according to vs. 1-2. Verse 1 says that these sacrifices never make perfect those who draw near to God. What does the author mean by perfect? He does not mean sinless. He means clean or forgiven.
B. Verse 14 says, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” The offering of Jesus on the cross has made us clean and forgiven for all time. Christ’s sacrifice has removed our guilt from us. We are fully forgiven because Christ died for our sins on the cross. We didn’t do anything to make us forgiven. Christ did all the work. The author asks a logical question in verse 2. If animal sacrifices had brought you final forgiveness from God, then would you need to offer those sacrifices anymore?
C. That does not mean that the animal sacrifices accomplished nothing. Verse 3 says that these sacrifices were a reminder of sins. “It was my sin that caused this animal to be sacrificed and die. I need a Savior.” Our desperate need for a Savior is also pointed out in verse 4. “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Impossible! Animal sacrifices cannot bring you forgiveness. Every effort that you make to please God by yourself is never enough. We need a better sacrifice and a better Savior.
II. The good news is that what Jesus did on the cross brings forgiveness from God.
A. We see the difference between animal sacrifices and Christ’s sacrifice in vs. 5. It’s the body of Jesus that will pay for our sins. It’s the body of Jesus, sacrificed for us, that will finally bring us forgiveness. See also verse 10. For this reason, Jesus said to his disciples as he passed out the bread at the Last Supper in Luke 22:19: “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” It was His body, broken for us, that would bring us forgiveness from God. We know that the priests in Moses’ day could not bring full forgiveness because of what we read in verse 11. The priests’ work was futile. It never stopped. It never came to an end because they could never bring us final forgiveness by their sacrifices.
B. Verse 12 says that when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. This is the fulfillment of what David had written about Jesus the Messiah in Psalm 110:1: “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’” The right hand of God is a position of power and judgment. Jesus is now waiting for the last act in the story of our redemption. At the end of the story Jesus returns to earth to save His people and judge His enemies. Jesus is both Savior and Judge. He is both lamb and lion. The Holy Spirit assures you that your sins are really forgiven (vs. 15). The animal sacrifices did not bring about final forgiveness from God and access to God. But when Jesus was sacrificed on the cross, our sins were finally and fully forgiven.
Application:Don’t trust in your good works. Only Jesus’ sacrifice can bring you forgiveness from God.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
Discussion Questions1. What is it about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that makes you want to worship him today?
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What words would you use to describe how you feel when you remember that Jesus is presently advocating on your behalf in heaven? What does it make you want to do in response?
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What parts of your life, that you might otherwise be overwhelmed with, are you able to have peace and joy because Jesus (your Savior) offers you an eternal inheritance?
Sermon OutlineHebrews 9:23-28
He has Appeared as Our Sacrifice
“(Christ didn’t enter the holy places) to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he hasappeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (v25-26)
“You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.” (1 John 3:5)
Look back to the time of Jesus and consider his sacrifice. What is your response?
He is Appearing as Our Advocate
“Christ has entered not into the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” (v24)
“Christ Jesus is the one who died, more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)
“If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1)
Turn your attention toward heaven and consider how he stands on your behalf. What is your response?
He will Appear as Our Savior
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ having been offered to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (v27-28)
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11-13)
Think about the hope you have of a certain future with God in heaven because Jesus is your Savior. What is your response?
Discussion Questions1) Which parts of your inheritance in Christ are you most looking forward to? How are some of those blessings present in your life already?
2) In what ways might you have downplayed the seriousness of your sin? Or how might you have downplayed the seriousness of God’s holiness? How does this passage address those issues?
3) How does the blood of Jesus and the work of Christ change your motivation for obeying God? How does it empower your good works differently than the Old Testament law?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 9:11-22
I. You need Jesus’ blood – not the blood of animals.
A. Animal blood could not give you access to God or remove your guilt. But when Christ appeared as a high priest (vs. 11), then things changed. Things changed because Jesus’ blood was better than the blood of animals. Verse 15 makes it clear that Jesus’ death redeems us from transgressions. It brings us forgiveness for our sins. God could not forgive us without blood because of what is written in vs. 22 – one of the most important verses not only in the book of Hebrews but in the entire Bible. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”
B. God has always taken our sin this seriously. Genesis 2:17: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Every single sin we commit must be punished. Someone must die to pay for my sin. Either I will die to pay for my sins. Or Christ will die to pay for my sins. When Jesus instituted the new covenant at the last supper, he said almost exactly the same thing that Moses said in vs. 20. Jesus said this, “This is MY blood of the covenant” in Matthew 26:28. Jesus’ blood is far better than the blood of calves and goats. It brings us final and full forgiveness.
II. Jesus’ blood came from a perfect person and was sprinkled in heaven.
A. The blood of the animal sacrifices was taken into the earthly tabernacle of the Israelites made with human hands (vs. 11). But this earthly tabernacle was only a picture of the heavenly tabernacle. And the tabernacle in heaven is not a tent or a building. The tabernacle in heaven is simply the presence of God. Jesus then did not take the blood of His sacrifice on the cross to a building on earth. He took His blood into a better location – into the presence of God in heaven.
B. Jesus’ blood was more precious than animal blood. Animals had to be repeatedly sacrificed in the old covenant to bring people a temporary forgiveness from God. But Jesus was sacrificed once for all (vs. 12), and with that sacrifice His blood secured forgiveness of sins for His people forever. Verse 14 says that Jesus offered himself without blemish. Jesus was perfect. The animals that were sacrificed were without a physical blemish or scar. But Jesus was without a moral blemish. He never sinned. That is why His blood was so precious to God.
III. Jesus’ blood gives you what you need for your past, present and future.
A. What has Jesus’ blood done for your past? Every sin I committed in the past is now forgiven and forgotten by God because of Christ’s sacrifice. What does the blood do for your present? The sacrifice of Jesus frees us from our guilty conscience in the present (vs. 14). You can now live in confidence that you are completely forgiven already. And so you can serve God with joy today (vs. 14) out of gratitude for all that Jesus has done for you in forgiving your sins. And what of your future? Verse 12 says that your life does not end with death. You have an eternal redemption. Not only that. You have an eternal inheritance according to vs. 15. You have a treasure waiting for you that cannot be taken away from you. No matter what happens to the stock market, your treasure will always be there, waiting for you in heaven. In that place, you will live under the rule of a perfect King in a perfect world of love.
Application:Jesus’ blood has forgiven your sin, brought you near to God and given you a rich inheritance.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Tom Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
Discussion Questions1) How does Hebrews 9 help you see that Christ is present even in the Old Testament? What features of the tabernacle stood out to you and why?
2) Does Hebrews 9 change the way you think about the unprecedented access Christians have to God? What does more confidence look like (or not look like) as we come into God’s presence?
3) In what ways have you sought to alleviate a guilty conscience? How are you encouraged today to find that solution only at the cross?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 9:1-10
I. Jesus is a better sacrifice because old covenant worship focused on an earthly place.
A. We read about that earthly place in Hebrews 9:1. This tent/tabernacle had two sections or chambers to it that are described in verses 2-5. First, there was an outer chamber, the holy place, that we read about in verse 2. Then, beginning in verse 3, we read about the second chamber of the tabernacle which is called the most holy place. The ark of the covenant inside the most holy place was the symbol of God’s throne. God ruled the world and His people Israel from this location. And God met with His people in fellowship at this earthly location.
B. But the message of access denied was communicated by the layout of the tabernacle/tent. Ordinary Israelites had no access to God. There was one restriction after another that prevented the people from reaching God under the old covenant worship system. How has Jesus changed all of this? Matthew 27:51: “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” Because Jesus died for your sin, He has turned the message of access denied into a new message of access permitted. You now have full and free access to God wherever you are.
II. Jesus is a better sacrifice because old covenant worship focused on an earthly priest.
A. Old covenant worship said that only a few priests from within Israel could get somewhat close to God at the earthly location of the tabernacle. Old covenant worship then focused on an earthly priest who descended from the tribe of Levi. We read in verse 6 that the priests go regularly into the first section of the tabernacle. Then in verse 7 we look at the work of the high priest. In that verse we see that only the high priest goes into the holy of holies, and he but once a year. Why was access denied even to the high priest? Because even the high priest was a sinner.
B. It was because of the sinful nature of even the high priest that God gave this message to Moses in Leviticus 16:2: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.” Contrast this message with the one God gave us after Jesus was sacrificed for us in Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
III. Jesus is a better sacrifice because old covenant worship focused on an earthly sacrifice.
A. What was the result of the old covenant worship system which sacrificed animals for the sins of the people? We read the result in vs. 9-10. Do you know what animal sacrifices could not do? Those sacrifices could not get rid of our guilty conscience. The guilt would remain even after the animal sacrifice was made. Why? Because an animal sacrifice cannot bring the full forgiveness of sins. If you want full forgiveness and the removal of guilt, you need the sacrifice of a spotless human being not a spotless animal. Jesus was that spotless man who brought us full forgiveness through His death on the cross. But under the old covenant system of worship, all those earthly sacrifices merely pointed forward to the time of reformation (vs. 10). The time of reformation is the time of the new covenant. It is the time when Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins brought us full forgiveness of sins. It is the time when Jesus finally removed all of our guilt from us.
Application:Don’t be afraid. Come near to God with whatever need you have. Your God will not deny you.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Tom Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
Discussion Questions1) In what ways do you struggle with keeping God’s law only on an external basis? How does this passage help you?
2) How does the new covenant actually make us (perhaps unexpectedly) better law-keepers? What does that say about the role of grace in our lives?
3) How does the rejection of God by Israel help you handle rejections in your own life? How does God’s persistent pursuit of His wayward people encourage you today?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 8:6-13
I. The old covenant with God was faulty.
A. In verse 6 the author says that since Jesus was a greater high priest, therefore, the new covenant that Jesus brings is also better. What is this old covenant that the author is talking about? It is the covenant that God made with His people Israel through Moses (see vs. 9). What was the nature of this covenant between God and Israel? We see that God made this covenant with Israel after He had saved them from slavery in Egypt by His grace. How should people respond to this grace of God that saved them? Theyshould obey God’s Law.
B. But there was a problem with the old covenant that we discover in verse 7: “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.” The old covenant made with Israel was not faultless. It was defective in some way. This does not mean that the old covenant was bad, sinful or wrong. It just means that the old covenant could not accomplish what it promised. It could not bring you as God’s people the greatest blessing God wanted to give you: salvationfrom your sins.
C. And the reason the old covenant was defective was because the people of God, Israel, were defective. We read in verse 8, “For he finds fault with them.” Israel had not kept their part of the covenant. They rebelled. They loved and worshiped idols. So, by the time of the prophet Jeremiah, it was clear to everyone in Israel that this old covenant wasn’t working. In those days Jeremiah prophesied that God would bring a new covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34. The old covenant was temporary and pointed to a new covenant that would be mediated through Jesus.
II. The new covenant with God is not only new but better.
A. We see three new things in the new covenant. First, we see a new power in verse 10. When God gave the Law in Moses’ day, it was written on stone tablets. It was external to the people, not internal. It focused on commands which caused many Israelites to participate in the covenant only outwardly as a matter of duty. In the new covenant God’s law is now written on our hearts. So, we actually want to keep God’s law. We obey God not just out of duty but because we want to. Now it is our delight to obey God because God’s law is on our heart.
B. Second, we also have a new people in the new covenant according to verse 11. In the old covenant, the people of God were a mixed community. Israel under the old covenant was composed of both believers and unbelievers. So, the unbelievers within Israel were constantly encouraged to know the Lord. But in the new covenant, the new Israel, the church, consists of people who all know the Lord. Another prophecy about the new covenant is made in Ezekiel 36:26-27: “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” Third, in the new covenant we have a new priest (vs. 12). We need a new priest who would offer a new sacrifice to bring us genuine and lasting forgiveness. Jesus is that new priest.
Application:Rejoice because the new covenant has brought you full forgivenessand given you a new heart.
Sources:The letter to HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Tom Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study on Hebrews by Michael Kruger
Discussion Questions1) Do you ever struggle with doubts about whether the work of Jesus is really able to save you? How does this passage provide reassurance?
2) What are some of the “sacrifices” you offer to God to try to gain his favor and love? How does this passage help you fight that temptation?
3) How does the final, completed work of Christ allow us to obey Him and serve Him more freely?
Sermon OUtlineScripture: Hebrews 8:1-6
I. Jesus is a better priest because He offers a better sacrifice.
A. The priests in the Old Testament who were descended from the tribe of Levi had 3 main duties in their job description. Number 1 they made sacrifices. Number 2 they brought the blood of thesacrifices to the location of God’s presence. And number 3 they waited for the result of their sacrifice. They waited to see how effective their work had been. The priests from the tribe of Levi offered animal sacrifices so that sins might be forgiven. But can an animal really be a substitute for you? No. You need a human to represent you before God. For this reason, we read in Hebrews 10:4: “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
B. We need a human sacrifice who perfectly obeyed God to take away our sin. And Jesus is that perfect sacrifice who offered Himself and His blood up to God for us on the cross. We read about Jesus’perfection last week in Hebrews 7:26: “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.”
II. Jesus is a better priest because He serves in a better location.
A. We learn about the location of where Jesus serves as a priest in Hebrews 8:2. Jesus is “a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.” Earth is not ultimate. It is heaven that is the ultimate. It is heaven that is greater in every way. The tabernacle was a temporary place that pointed forward to something greater – the true tabernacle in heaven where God lives and where Jesus serves as our great high priest. See also verses 4 and 5. Jesus went into heaven with the sacrifice of His blood, into the very presence of God.
B. Whose ministry is greater: the Levite priests who serve in a tent on earth or Jesus who serves as a priest at the right hand of God in heaven? Hebrews 9:24: “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” Jesus has done for us what no other priest could do: enter into heaven itself. The earthly tabernacle is an inferior reflection of the real tabernacle in heaven. You want a priest who serves in the location of heaven.
III. Jesus is a better priest because He produces a better result.
A. What was the result of Jesus’ offering of Himself on the cross for our sins? We find the result in an ordinary word in Hebrews 8:1. It is the word seated. “We have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven.” Jesus sat down next to God in heaven after He died for our sins and was resurrected and ascended into heaven. What is significant about the fact that Jesus sat down? Jesus’ priestly work on the cross fully accomplished our salvation and brought us forgiveness from God. Jesus offered his sacrifice once for all when He offered up Himself (Heb. 7:27). The result of that one sacrifice on the cross was that we were fully and freely forgiven when we put our faith in Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, he said these words of good news for us in John 19:30: “It is finished.” No more sacrifices needed to be made. The result of Jesus’ sacrifice was complete and total forgiveness.
Application:You can be good with God if you trust that Christ your priest died for your sins.Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Tom Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
Discussion Questions1) How do your inadequacies highlight the imperfection and weakness of a set of rules like the Old Testament Law as the standard for salvation?
2) In what ways have you struggled to not fall back into living according to a set of rules as the basis for your acceptance from God?
3) What has Jesus done as our high priest which no other representative before or after him could do?
4) What can you do this week to show that Jesus really is greater than everything else in your life?
Sermon OUtlineHebrews 7:11-28
The Law was ImperfectBecause the Priests were Imperfect (v11-14)“Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?” (v11)
1) The ministry of the priests was temporary
“The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office.” (v23)
Jesus’ ministry is permanent
“(Jesus) holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.” (v24)
2) The sacrifices of the priests were temporary
“(the) high priests, to offer sacrifices daily” (v27)
Jesus’ sacrifice is enduring
“he has no need to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself” (v27)
3) The priests, themselves were sinful
“Those high priests, offered sacrifices daily first for his own sins and then for those of the people” (v27)
Jesus is sinless
“For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.” (v26)
The Law was Weak Because the Priests were Powerless to save (v15-22)“For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness.” (v18)
1) The priests were weak
“For the law appoints men in their weaknesses as high priests” (v28)
Jesus is powerful
“he became a priest not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily decent, but by the power of an indestructible life.” (v16)
2) The priests were not based on an oath of God
“For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath.” (v20)
Jesus was the promised messiah
“And it was not without an oath. But this one was made a priest with an oath by one who said to him, The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, You are a priest forever. This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.” (v20-22)
3) The law could make nothing perfect
“for the law made nothing perfect”. (v19)
Jesus has been made perfect forever
“but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.” (v19)
Discussion Questions1) Do you feel like you read the Old Testament as if it were really about Jesus? How does this passage help you do that better?
2) How does this passage remind you of the importance of noticing every detail in the text? How does it reassure you that the Bible is divinely authored?
3) How does Christ being both priest and King at the same time encourage you today? In what ways do we need Jesus to fill each of these roles?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 7:1-10
I. Jesus is a priest forever like Melchizedek.
A. We are introduced to Melchizedek in Hebrews 7:1. He was a real person in history. He was “king of Salem, priest of the Most High God,” (who) “met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him.” We read this story in Genesis 14 when Abraham, the father of the Jews, defeated the kings who had captured Abraham’s nephew Lot and then rescued Lot. If Melchizedek is such a minor character in Genesis, why does the author of Hebrews take such great interest in it? Because Melchizedek is a type of Christ. He points forward to Jesus (vs. 3).
B. How does Melchizedek point forward to Jesus? Hebrews 7:1 says Melchizedek was king of Salem. And the Hebrew name Melchizedek literally translates according to verse 2 to mean king of righteousness. So, Melchizedek is a king. And Jesus is a king (Hebrews 1). Melchizedek was also a priest (verse 1). He was the priest of the Most High God. In Hebrews 5:6 we see the author make a comparison between Melchizedek and Jesus as priests. The author quotes from Psalm 110:4 and says of Jesus, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
C. Melchizedek is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life (vs. 3). Hebrews is not saying that Melchizedek did not have a father or mother. The point is that his father and mother and his genealogy were irrelevant to his being a priest. Later in the Old Testament, priests had to come from the tribe of Levi. But that didn’t matter for Melchizedek. Nor did it matter for Jesus. Melchizedek’s birth and death are not recorded in Genesis, symbolizing that he was a priest forever (vs. 3). Melchizedek was just a symbol pointing forward to Jesus. Jesus is the real thing. Jesus really is a priest forever. Because Jesus is resurrected from the dead, he continues as a priest forever unlike the Levite priests who died.
II. Therefore, Jesus is greater than the Old Testament Levite priests.
A. The first word of verse 4 is the word see. He is saying to his readers and to us, “Look at Melchizedek! See how great He is! And more importantly, since Jesus is a priest from the order of Melchizedek, see how great Jesus is.” We see how great Melchizedek is in that Abraham gave this priest a tenth of all that he won in battle (vs. 4). Verse 5 says that the descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law (that is the Old Testament law) to take tithes from the people. God commanded the other 11 tribes of Israel to take 10 percent of their earnings and give that money for the support of the Levites so that they could serve God and the people full-time in the temple.
B. Melchizedek, who was not a Levite, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises (vs. 6). Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham to Melchizedek. Abraham represents his future descendants including Levi. Levi was, so to speak, in the body of his ancestor Abraham when Abraham met Melchizedek. So, in effect the Levites tithed to Melchizedek. Melchizedek then must be greater than Abraham. And he must be greater than the Levites who descended from Abraham. And therefore Jesus, a priest in the order of Melchizedek, must be greater than all of the Old Testament Levite priests.
Application:Jesus is a greater priest. Don’t look for salvation in anyone besides Jesus.
Sources: The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Tom Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study on Hebrews by Michael Kruger
Discussion Questions1) In what ways do you see people struggling to trust God and His Word today? How are you personally struggling to trust God’s Word?
2) How does this passage help to reassure you that God can be trusted completely?
3) How are you doing in waiting patiently on the LORD? What would waiting patiently look like in the week ahead for you?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 6:13-20
I. You need an anchor because you struggle with doubting God’s promises.
A. The author of Hebrews gives us the example of Abraham (vs. 13) from the book of Genesis assomeone who was tempted to doubt God’s promises. In Genesis 12:1-3 we see three greatpromises God had made to Abraham: “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from yourcountry and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your namegreat, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and himwho dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall beblessed.”
B. If you were Abraham, what would have been going through your mind when you received thecommand to sacrifice your son Isaac in Genesis 22? He would have doubted God’s goodness.And he would have doubted that Isaac’s descendants would become a mighty nation. ButAbraham continued to trust that God would keep His promises. And God did keep thosepromises to Abraham. And He will keep His promises to you.
II. But you have great reasons to trust His promises.
A. The first reason to trust God’s promises is that God backs up His great promise to take us tothe Promised Land of heaven with an oath (vs. 17). Second, we can trust God’s promises becauseof God’s character. Verse 18 reminds us “that by two unchangeable things, in which it isimpossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to holdfast to the hope set before us.” God does not lie. If God ever lied, He would at that moment ceaseto be God. God cannot lie. It’s impossible for Him to do that. God always keeps His Word.
B. There is a third reason that we can trust God’s promises: God has given us His Son Jesus.Verse 19 says that we have a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain. On GoodFriday when Jesus died on the cross the thick, heavy curtain in the temple that separated peoplefrom the holy of holies where God’s presence was symbolized was torn in two. The tearing ofthat curtain said that we as Christians now have complete and open access to God. Our sins nolonger separate us from God. Whenever we are in trouble in this life, we can ask God for help.
III. So be encouraged to hold fast to the anchor of your hope.
A. The world will tell you it is foolish to hold fast to God’s promises. In verse 15, we read, “Andthis Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.” How long did Abraham have towait before God kept His promise? 25 years. God will not keep His promises on our timetable.He will keep His promises according to His perfect timing. Who are the heirs of the promise Godmade to Abraham (vs. 17)? You. God promised to multiply Isaac’s descendants into a greatnation. And God has promised to the church that we will multiply until one day in heaven wewill see according to Revelation 7:9-10: “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne andbefore the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying outwith a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Application: Hold fast to the hope set before us (vs. 18). Look forward to the day you will be with Christ.Sources: The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Tom Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study on Hebrews by Michael Kruger
Discussion Questions1) Have you known friends or family who have fallen away from their faith in Christ? What impact has that had on you?
2) When you look at the fruit in your life, where are you encouraged that God is at work? Where are you discouraged?
3) How does this passage help you see that perseverance is a necessary part of the Christian life? What are some practical ways you can be earnest in your faith in the months to come?
Sermon OUtlineScripture: Hebrews 6:4-12
I. If you fall away from Christ and His church, you will face judgment.
A. An apostate is someone who once seemed to be a Christian, who was a part of a visible church and did the things that Christians do, but who one day rejected Christ, turned away from the truth taught in Christianity and left the church. Apostasy is described in the first words of Hebrews 6:6: and then have fallen away. Apostates fall away in the sense that they abandon the gospel of Jesus Christ and its privileges. The privileges that the readers of the book of Hebrews had received are described in verses 4 and 5.
B. The author gives his Christian readers a serious warning. He says that it would be impossible (vs. 4) for them if they fell away into apostasy to restore them again to repentance (vs. 6). Why? Verse 6 says that these apostates would be crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. If you were to turn your back on Jesus, you would be saying that Jesus is nothing special. You don’t need Jesus to save you. You would be just like the people in the crowd on Good Friday who mocked Jesus while he was being crucified.
C. In Hebrews 6:7-8, the author gives a picture from farming. It is a picture of the consequences of apostasy. He writes in verse 7 about land that has received refreshing rain. The author is saying, “You have been given great privileges from God. Therefore, you should produce good fruit in your lives and persevere in your faith.” But what happens if the rain produces only thorns and thistles? Verse 8 says that such land is worthless and about to be cursed and will finally be burned. This is a picture of what will happen to those who are apostate: judgment.
II. If you are a true Christian, you will produce good fruit.
A. Up until verse 9 of Hebrews 6, the author has been giving a serious warning to those who were tempted to fall away from Jesus. But in verse 9, the author changes his tone. He moves from warning his readers to encouraging his readers. He was confident that they were truly saved. And he encourages his readers with the good fruit that he sees in their lives. You know you are a Christian because of the fruit your life produces. Look at three of those fruits that your life produces in verse 10.
B. The first fruit of the Christian has to do with your work. Is your life a life of service to God and God’s people? The second fruit of the Christian is an affection for God. We read in verse of 10 of how the readers have love that they have shown for His name. The readers of Hebrews did not work for God merely out of a sense of duty. No. They really loved God in their hearts. Nothing meant more to them than the honor and glory of God’s name. The third fruit of the Christian is serving the saints. The readers of Hebrews were practically taking care of other Christians’ needs. The readers are finally told that the Christian life is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. So, he says in verse 11, “we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end.” Don’t give up in the race. Don’t fall away from Christ. Be earnest. Take your faith seriously and persevere. Perseverance is necessary in the race so that the hope of salvation that you have now will be realized in heaven one day.
Application:You need warnings and encouragements if you are going to finish the race of the Christian life.
Sources:The letter to the HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Tom Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study on Hebrews by Michael Kruger
Discussion Questions1) What actions are you currently taking that show that you are excited to hear from God? What is the next step for you as you seek to grow in your excitement?
2) In what ways have you shared God’s truth over these weeks of social distancing? Who in your life needs for you to reach out to them today to share the hope of God?
3) In what aspects of your life have you seen spiritual growth over the past few years? What steps do you need to take to grow closer to God today?
4) How do your actions show that you value your relationship with God? Which areas of your life do you need to change to live a godlier life?
Sermon OutlineHebrews 5:11-6:3
Excited About Hearing God’s Truth“. . .since you have become dull of hearing”. (v11)
“We also thank God constantly for this that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Examine your heart today. How enthusiastic are you about hearing from God?
Eager to Share God’s Truth“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.” (v12)
“What you have heard from me, in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
Examine your life today. How faithful are you in sharing the hope of God with others?
Earnest to Grow in God’s Truth“You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature.” (v12-14)
“I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it”. (1 Corinthians 3:2)
“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow into salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2)
Examine your progress today. How much growth are you currently seeing in your relationship with God?
Experienced in Practicing God’s Truth“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (v14)
“Train yourself in godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8)
Examine your actions today. How devoted are you to living out your relationship with God?
Discussion Questions 1) Have you put your faith in Jesus as the sacrifice who paid for your sins? Have you repented of your sins?
2) How does it encourage you that Jesus as your great high priest took on human flesh and suffered with you?
3) Do you think that obedience to King Jesus is optional for those who want to go to heaven? Why or why not?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 5:1-10
I. Jesus is a great priest because His offering brings forgiveness of sin.
A. Hebrews 5:1: “For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” We read three truths in this verse about priests. 1) A priest is chosen. A priest did not volunteer or apply for the position. 2) A priest acts on behalf of men. Priests had to be human beings so that they could represent human beings before God. 3) A priest offers gifts and sacrifices for sins. Sacrifices were offered by the priest on behalf of the people so that their sins might be forgiven by our holy God.
B. At his trial the innocent one Jesus is treated as the guilty one in order that the guilty ones may be treated as the righteous one. When you have faith that Jesus died on the cross for your sin, you are forgiven. You are allowed access into the presence of God because of your great priest Jesus. In the words of 1 Peter 3:18: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”
II. Jesus is a great priest because He suffers with us.
A. According to Heb. 5:2-3, one of the characteristics of the high priests in the Old Testament was that they had to experience a fallen world troubled by weakness. Hebrews 5:7 makes it clear that Jesus lived out his perfect obedience to God as our priest in the anguish of all human experience. That suffering was a regular part of His life that culminated in His tears before God on Holy Thursday in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed with all his heart that he would not have to go to the cross. He was in agony.
B. Jesus prayed that he would not have to experience the cup of the cross. How did God the Father respond to Jesus’ prayer? Verse 7 says that Jesus was heard because of his reverence. Jesus’ prayer was heard. But was it answered? Many would say no. It appeared like God did not save Jesus from death. But did God ultimately answer Jesus’ prayer? Praise God, yes! The answer was Easter! God raised Jesus from the dead. God did ultimately save Jesus from death as verse 7 says. He saved Jesus after He suffered.
III. Jesus is a great priest because He is the King who saves us.
A. We see what kind of priest Jesus is in verse 6: “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” Melchizedek first appears in the Bible’s story in Genesis 14. Psalm 110:1-2 says: “The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!” King David is predicting in this psalm that God will send another king to save His people. This king would also be a priest. Psalm 110:4 says, “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” And who is this eternal priest-king who was to come? It’s Jesus! He is the priest who was chosen by God for His mission to be sacrificed for our sins on Good Friday. And He is the King who rose from the dead on Easter Sunday and now rules the world at the right hand of God. He is the King who saves us.
Application: Come to Jesus, your priest and king, with faith and repentance. Sources: The letter to the Hebrews Commentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond Brown Bible study by Michael Kruger
Although we cannot be together please take time to discuss these questions as a family and/or with a group of people. We would encourage you to discuss in groups through the use of video chat. It is important that we continue to have fellowship as the body of Christ.
Discussion Questions 1) Why do you need Jesus to represent you before God? Have you asked Jesus to be your representative and Savior?
2) What struggles are you facing today? How do Jesus’ struggles as a human being and His sympathy for you help to encourage you?
3) Why can you be confident to approach God’s throne in prayer at any time? What keeps you from praying? How does this passage give you confidence to pray?
Sermon OUtline Scripture: Hebrews 4:14-16
I. Jesus is a greater priest because He has the power to help us.
A. We know that Jesus has the power to help us because of where Jesus is today. Jesus passed through the heavens (vs. 14). After Jesus died and was resurrected, Jesus ascended into heaven. God vindicated Him and exalted Him to the highest place after the resurrection. Jesus is now at the right hand of God. He is in the very presence of God, in the place of all authority over the universe. He has all the power and authority of God. And as your priest, He can represent you and your needs to God the Father. He can intercede for you to God Himself.
B. The Levites went into the temple to do their work. But the high priest was only allowed to come into the holy of holies in the temple one day a year. But where did Jesus go after He offered Himself? Jesus didn’t go into a manmade building. Jesus went to heaven itself. And Jesus sits next to God 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Who then is greater? Hebrews 7:25: “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”
II. Jesus is a greater priest because He cares for us in our need.
A. Jesus is not only the Son of God. He is also a human being. And because Jesus is human that means according to verse 15 that we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. Therefore, we have a high priest who can relate to us. He has been where you’ve been. He knows exactly what you are going through because He has gone through it Himself. What do you have in Jesus? You have a deep well of sympathy that never runs dry. No matter how much pain you are in Jesus understands. Jesus cares.
B. One way that Jesus met our needs is found in the last three words of verse 15: yet without sin. Jesus was severely tempted by Satan throughout His lifetime, yet without sin. Jesus never once gave into temptation. He never sinned. If Jesus sinned, He could not be the perfect sacrifice that we need to pay the penalty for our sin. We need Jesus to be perfectly obedient in order to be a pure sacrifice in our place. If Jesus had sinned even once, He could not save us. Everything in our salvation hangs on Jesus being sinless.
III. Jesus is a greater priest because He cleanses us to give us access to God.
A. Jesus was a different kind of priest from every other priest. He was without sin. Not only could Jesus represent us as a human being. His perfect obedience allows His righteousness to be credited to our account. In the words of 2 Corinthians 5:21: “ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” On the cross Jesus gave to us His perfect righteousness in exchange for our sin. If you trust that Christ died for you, you are completely clean. You are as righteous as Jesus before God. Verse 16 tells us one of the implications of the fact that you have been made clean by Jesus through faith in Him. Because you are now righteous, you have complete and total access to God. You don’t have to be afraid that God won’t listen to your prayers. You don’t have to pledge to do better and try harder before you pray to our holy God. You can come confidently before God today.
Application: God cares. God can help you. Jesus as your high priest proves this is true.
Sources: The letter to the Hebrews Commentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond Brown Bible study by Michael Kruger
Although we cannot be together please take time to discuss these questions as a family and/or with a group of people. We would encourage you to discuss in groups through the use of video chat. It is important that we continue to have fellowship as the body of Christ.
Discussion Questions:1) Is there a Bible verse that you are currently disobeying or ignoring? Do you see the danger of disobedience?
2) How should we study the Bible differently because we know that we meet the living presence of God when we read it? How might this change the way we hear the Bible preached?
3) What are some steps you can take to make sure that you are learning, receiving and listening to God’s Word?
Sermon Outline Scripture: Hebrews 4:12-13
I. God’s Word is greater because it is personal.
A. Before we look at how God’s Word is personal, let’s look at the crisis the author of Hebrews was addressing. The crisis was over the souls of the readers of this letter. In Hebrews 4 the author talks about the rest that God wants his readers to enter, the rest of heaven. And he urges them to enter that rest by reminding them of how the Israelites in the Old Testament had missed out on the rest that God wanted them to experience: the rest of the Promised Land of Canaan. Don’t be like the Israelites in Moses’ and Joshua’s day (vs. 11). Obey God’s Word. The salvation of your soul depends on believing and obeying God’s Word.
B. In what way is the Bible living (vs. 12)? When you read the Bible, there is a person who reveals Himself in it: God. You encounter the living God every time you read the Bible or hear it preached. Let’s read what God Himself says to you today in this season of suffering from Romans 8:38-39: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
II. God’s Word is greater because it is powerful.
A. We read in Hebrews 4:12 that the word of God is living and active. Active in verse 12 is a translation of the Greek word energes from which we get our English word energetic. The Bible is energetic. It is powerful. It does things. The Word of God is effective in accomplishing everything that we need. Can you think of some powerful things that God has done by His Word? There is nothing else that has the power of the Word of God.
B. We are tempted to think that the Bible is just okay. It’s a good thing to read the Bible. But Satan tempts us to think that the Bible is not enough. What we really need in this crisis is money. What we really need is some human expert to guide us. We need something really powerful. We need something more than the Bible. Are you tempted today to give up on the word of God and turn to other things? If so, I want you to remember this morning that there is nothing more powerful than the Word of God.
III. God’s Word is greater because it is penetrating.
A. Hebrews 4:12 says that the Word of God is “sharper than any two -edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God’s word has the penetrating power of a sword. The Roman two-edged sword that was used in Jesus’ day could even pierce through armor. The Bible can penetrate the hardest object on earth: the human heart. The Bible exposes the things inside our hearts that deceive us and harden us and keep us from believing. Isaiah 58:6-7 are penetrating verses: “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
Application: Commit yourself to believing God’s Word and His promises.
Sources: The letter to the Hebrews Commentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond Brown Bible study by Michael Kruger
Although we cannot be together please take time to discuss these questions as a family and/or with a group of people. We would encourage you to discuss in groups through the use of video chat. It is important that we continue to have fellowship especially during a time like this.
Discussion Questions1) Are you sure you will enter into the rest of heaven? Why or why not?
2) How does this passage change the way you read the Old Testament story of Israel? Can you see how the Old Testament is relevant to you today?
3) How does Hebrews 4 help you see that effort and striving are good and necessary parts of the Christian life? In what ways can you fight for your faith today?
Sermon OutlineScripture: Hebrews 4:1-11
I. What is the rest God offers to His people?
A. Originally, God’s promised rest referred to the Promised Land of Canaan. In Hebrews 4:7-11, the author quotes from King David’s words in Psalm 95:7-11. And in Psalm 95 David was giving a history lesson. The lesson was from the days of the great Jewish heroes Moses and Joshua. God judged rebellious Israelites for their hardened hearts (verse 7), and they were not allowed to enter the good Promised Land of Canaan. This Promised Land of Canaan is a picture of the ultimate Promised Land and of the ultimate rest that Jesus could provide: heaven.
B. The rest that the writer of Hebrews is referring to in Heb. 4:1 is obviously not the Promised Land of Canaan. It must be a different rest that he wants his Christian readers to enter. And it is in fact a greater rest that he is offering to his readers. This greater rest is revealed in verse 8: “if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.” If you want to enter into the Promised Land of heaven, you need a second Joshua to lead you there. You need Jesus. The Hebrew name Joshua in Greek is Jesus. Jesus then is the greater Joshua.
II. What is this rest like?
A. This is another way of asking, “What is heaven going to be like?” Heaven is going to be joining God in His heavenly Sabbath. We read in Hebrews 4:4: “For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.’” God rested from His work in the sense that He was finished with the work of creation. The work of creation was done. So, God rested from His work. In the same way that God has rested from His work, when we join God in heaven we also will rest from our work. Look at verse 9-10.
B. When we get to heaven, we will rest from the trials of this life here on earth. There will be no more pain in heaven. There will be only joy. Revelation 21:3-4: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’”
III. How do we enter this rest?
A. This is the most important question you could ever ask yourself, “How do I enter into the rest of heaven?” The first answer might surprise you. Fear. See verse 1. The people in Moses’ and Joshua’s day heard the good news about the Promised Land (vs. 6). But they disobeyed God and did not enter. Be afraid that the same thing might happen to you. The second answer of how we enter into the rest of heaven is through faith (vs. 2-3). You need faith that Jesus died for you. The third answer of how to make sure that we will enter into the rest of heaven is to fight. Verse 11: “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” Striving involves energy and effort. We know that we are not saved by our good works but only by the work of Jesus on the cross. That is entirely true. But although we are not saved by our efforts, the Christian life still involves effort.
Application: Keep your eyes on the finish line of the rest of heaven when you get weary.
Sources: The letter to the Hebrews Commentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond Brown Bible study by Michael Kruger
Jesus isGreater Than Our Rebellion
We were Slaves
“Wasit not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?” (v16)
“Saytherefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you outfrom under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slaveryto them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts ofjudgment, I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and youshall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under theburdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you in to the land that I swore to giveAbraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession.”(Exodus 6:6-8)
What caused our slavery? – Our Rebellion
“Weknow that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sinmight be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.For one who has died has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:6-7)
We are Prone toWandering
“With whom washe provoked for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell inthe wilderness? (v17)
“Whydid you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestockwith thirst?” (Exodus 17:3)
What causes our wandering? – Our Rebellion
“So you must consider yourselves dead to sinand alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortalbody, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin asinstruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those whohave been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instrumentsfor righteousness.” (Romans 6:11-13)
We are PromisedRest from Slavery and Wandering
“Andto whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to thosewho were disobedient? (v18)
“Mypresence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)
“Butnow that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves ofGod, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternallife.” (Romans 6:22)
What gives us rest? – Submitting to Jesus
“Come to me, all who laborand are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
How canwe find rest?
We examine our hearts (v12)We help each other (v13)We share in Christ (v14)
March 8, 2020
Pastor Travis Armstrong
Hebrews 3:1-6
Jesus is God’s Representative
“Consider Jesus, the apostle” (v1)
Moses said, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11)
Jesus said, “Everything written about he in the Law of Moses and the Prophets must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44)
Moses said about Jesus, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers- it is to him you shall listen.” (Deuteronomy 18:15)
Jesus is Our Representative
“Consider Jesus, . . . the high priest of our confession” (v1)
God said to Moses, “If you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5)
Jesus said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:20)
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:11)
Jesus is the Builder of the Church
“(Jesus) was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. “ (v3)
Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)
Jesus is the Son of God
“Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son.” (v5-6)
God said about Moses, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses, he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth.” (Numbers 12:5-8)
God said about Jesus, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)
“We are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope” (v6)
Jesus is greater than our problems, our finances and our time.
March 1, 2020
Scripture: Hebrews 2:14-18
I. Jesus wins for you by becoming a human high priest.
A. What leaps off the page in verse 14 is that Jesus is fully human. Jesus also had flesh and blood, just like you do. Jesus is both fully human and fully God. If you believe that Jesus is only human or only God, you believe heresy. Jesus must be both God and human to save you. Jesus had to become one of us so that He might represent us before God. The Jews had someone represent them before God once a year in the Holy of Holies. And what was the name of that representative? The high priest. See Hebrews 2:17.
B. The practice of the high priest representing the people of Israel before God once a year is mentioned in Leviticus 16: 32-34: “And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement… And he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” Jesus is just like the Jewish high priests. Jesus represents the people before God and offers a sacrifice that would bring atonement and forgiveness of sins to all the people who had faith in Him as their representative.
II. Jesus wins for you by defeating death, Satan, and sin.
A. In verses 14-15 we find an answer to the question: why does it matter that Jesus represents us? As our representative, Jesus can die in our place. Jesus came to solve our greatest problems: the problems of sin and death. And how does Jesus win over death for us? Through his own death. Death is only defeated through death: Jesus’ death on our behalf as our representative. Death has been defeated because Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. Jesus defeated death on Easter Sunday, and now we no longer have to fear our own death because we too will be raised from the dead by Jesus our representative.
B. Jesus also defeated the devil who has the power of death (vs. 14). When God created the world, it was completely good. There was no death because there was no sin. But when the devil enticed Adam and Eve to sin, Satan gained the power of death over human beings. And from that moment at the beginning of human history, Satan and God were locked in a battle over humanity. God prophesies in Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” There would be a war between Eve’s eventual offspring, Jesus, and the serpent Satan. Satan bruised Jesus’ heel when Jesus went to the cross. But Jesus crushed Satan’s head.
C. In order to defeat death, Jesus had to deal with the cause of death, sin. He had to defeat sin first. We see how Jesus defeated sin in verse 17. What does propitiation mean? God hates sin because He is holy and good. Something then needs to happen to satisfy God’s wrath over our sin. That something would then make God propitious or favorable toward us. That something that makes God view us favorably is a sacrifice of propitiation: the death of the fully human Jesus, our representative, on the cross for our sins.
Application:Worship Jesus: your great high priest. There is no one greater. He always wins.
Sources:Commentaries on Hebrews by Tom Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible Study by Michael Kruger
February 23, 2020
Scripture: Hebrews 2:5-13
I. God’s plan for humanity was for them to be greater than angels.
A. Hebrews chapter 2 beginning at verse 5 returns to the subject of angels. The author says that it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come. Well, if it’s not angels who will rule the world in heaven, who will? Human beings. We will sit on thrones, and we will rule. Right now, human beings are lower than the angels. But what is our destiny as humans? We are destined for glory and honor. Everything in creation is to be subject to human beings (Heb. 2:7-8).
B. King David in writing Psalm 8 (quoted in Hebrews 2) was thinking back to what God said about human beings in Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” It was human beings, not angels, that were made in the image of God! And we were made to rule God’s world. In God’s plan we human beings were to be so much greater than angels.
II. But humanity has rebelled against God which led to a broken world.
A. In the second part of Hebrews 2:8 the author gives a reality check: “Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.” If it was God’s plan from the beginning for human beings to rule the world, then why aren’t they? Because of the rebellion and sin of Adam in Genesis 3. We were designed for glory. But that glory has not become a reality in human history. Instead, human history is littered with the wreckage of destruction and death.
III. But Jesus, the perfect human, represents us and restores us to God.
A. The Gospel is found in Jesus. Notice how everything changes in Hebrews 2 with the introduction of the name Jesus in verse 9. Humanity is not ruling the world. But there is one human according to verse 9 who is ruling the world. Jesus. Jesus the ultimate human is on a throne with a crown ruling the world. Jesus fulfills the plan and the destiny of God for humanity. Jesus represents us as human beings for God. We see at the end of verse 9 that Jesus tasted death for everyone who has faith in Him. He is our representative.
B. Do you know what’s great about having someone represent you? What is true of your representative is true of you. What is true then of Jesus is true of you. When Jesus died, you died. All your debt to God for your sin has been paid. It has been paid by Jesus your representative. Verse 9 says He was crowned with glory and honor. Jesus fulfilled the destiny of the human race. He rules on a throne. And one day we Christians will also be seated on thrones. Jesus was made perfect through suffering (vs. 10). We know that Jesus was perfect. In what way then was He made perfect? He grew in holiness through testing and through suffering. Jesus then in a sense became who He already was. He became holy as He suffered on this earth. And the same is true for us. We are being sanctified, made holy (vs. 11). We are already holy and righteous because Jesus is our representative. But we have to become who we are already are.
Application:God made us to reign on thrones in heaven. Be holy as you get ready to reign!
Sources:The book of HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
February 16, 2020
Scripture: Hebrews 2:1-4
I. You need to pay attention because we tend to drift.
A. The author of Hebrews begins chapter 2 by saying, “Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard.” What had this church of Jewish Christians heard? They had heard according to Hebrews 2:3 a message about a great salvation. We can be saved from the judgment of God for our sins through faith in Christ’s death on the cross. We need to pay closer to attention to this message of salvation, according to the author of Hebrews, lest we drift away from it. Apostasy is the rejection and denial of the Gospel.
B. All of us have tendency to wander. All of us, if left to ourselves, will drift. Does this warning against drifting mean that a true Christian can lose their salvation? No. John 10:28-29: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” But you must persevere. And what is one of the means that God uses to help us persevere in faith? Warnings like these in Hebrews chapter 2.
II. You need to pay attention because God is just and holds people accountable.
A. Verse 2 writes about the justice of God in the Old Testament. The message declared by angels (vs. 2) is the Old Testament law. See Galatians 3:19 and Acts 7:53. According to vs. 2, those who were disobedient in the Old Testament would receive a just retribution. God would act with justice against those who sinned. One example of a just retribution was when the Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land in the book of Numbers. Because of their disobedience and lack of faith the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.
B. The author argues from the lesser to the greater in verse 3. He is saying, “If people were justly punished for rejecting God in the Old Testament, how much more will God hold people accountable if they reject the saving message of Jesus!” In the words of verse 3, “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation!” The seriousness of God’s justice is not decreased in the New Testament. God’s judgment is actually increased! In the Old Testament, people were judged on earth. But if you reject Jesus and His saving message, you will be judged for eternity.
III. You need to pay attention because the message of Jesus is clear and true.
A. Verse 3 tells us that this message of salvation was declared at first by the Lord. Jesus came to earth as God to tell us how we might be saved. That message of grace that Jesus spoke was then attested to us (vs. 3) by those who heard. The apostles also spoke about how we can be saved from God’s judgment by His grace through faith that Jesus died for our sins on the cross. This is the clear teaching of both Jesus and the apostles. And God confirmed that this message about salvation is true as we see in verse 4 by signs and wonders and various miracles. The miracles proved the truth of their words. And finally, the gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will (vs. 4) also proved that the message is true. As we in the church use the gifts God gave us through the Holy Spirit, people know that the Gospel is true. People can see the love and grace of God as we use our gifts to serve one another.
Application:Don’t drift from Jesus. Return to Him. Persevere in your faith.
Sources:The book of HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
February 9, 2020
Scripture: Hebrews 1:4-14
I. Jesus has a better name than angels.
A. In Hebrews 1:4 we read that Jesus has “become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” In speaking about the name here, the author is referring to the title of the angels and the title of Jesus. Angels are called ministers in verse 7. They are servants of God. But Jesus has the title of Son as we see in verse 5. Jesus is the son of God. And no angel is ever called the son of God. When God says of Jesus in verse 5, “You are my Son,” this is a legal formula of recognition of Jesus’ status as Son of God. After Jesus died on the cross and then was raised and exalted to the right hand of God, that is when God says, “Today, you are my son. Now that you have finished your work of dying for sin and being raised to life, you are appointed to reign as king of the universe as my Son.” Jesus is much better than the angels.
II. Jesus is worshiped by the angels.
A. Listen to verse 6: “And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.” Who is greater? Is it the one who is worshiping? Or is it the one who is being worshiped? Clearly, the one who is being worshiped is greater than the one who is worshiping. Sometimes in the Bible we see people worship an angel. See Revelation 22:8-9. But angels tell us not to worship them. Jesus, however, never refuses our worship. John 20:28-29: “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.’” Jesus accepts worship because Jesus is in fact God. Unlike an angel, Jesus deserves our worship. And so both we and the angels worship Jesus. We worship Him because He is greater.
III. Jesus rules the angels.
A. Look at the contrast between angels and Jesus in vs. 7 and 8. In verse 7 we see, “Of the angels he says, ‘He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.’” Angels are ministers. Angels serve. But what about Jesus? We read in verse 8, “But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.’” Jesus is God. Jesus is King. To sum up then: angels serve; Jesus rules. We are reminded of God’s victory in Romans 16:20: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” Who is Jesus? He is a warrior king who works together with His Father to destroy His enemies. Jesus is not a weak king. He will conquer all His enemies. He is the Lamb who was sacrificed for us, but He is also the roaring lion.
IV. Jesus created the angels.
A. The last Bible verses that the author of Hebrews refers to come from Psalm 102:25-27. These verses show that Jesus is greater than the angels because Jesus is creator. The angels are just creatures. We read in verse 10, “You, lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands.” Jesus created everything – including the angels. One of the wonderful things about Jesus as Creator is that He never changes (vs. 12). Jesus as the eternal God is the same yesterday and today and forever. Creation changes. But Jesus never changes.
Application: Be impressed with Jesus. Jesus is more impressive than angels and everything else.
Sources: The book of HebrewsCommentaries on Hebrews by Thomas Schreiner, William Lane, and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
February 2, 2020
Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-3
I. God used to speak through the prophets.
A. We see in verse 1 that in the past God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. The fathers in this verse refers to the Hebrew Christians’ Jewish ancestors. God would speak to these ancestors through intermediaries, through prophets. We have those words of the prophets, which are actually the words of God, collected in a book called the Old Testament. The Old Testament is not irrelevant. There is nothing wrong with the Old Testament. It’s just incomplete. The Old Testament is just as much the word of God as the New Testament. But the Old Testament is an unfinished story. The Old Testament needs Jesus to finish the story and fulfill it.
II. But Jesus is better so God has now spoken through Jesus.
A. As great as the words of God spoken by the prophets are, there is an even greater word. And that greater word is Jesus. Jesus is God’s final word. He is the fulfillment of God’s plan, and the end of God’s story. Jesus is a greater word than the Old Testament prophets, not just because He has brought in the last days of history as the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus is also a greater word because He is God’s Son (vs. 2). Matthew 21:37-38: “Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’” God first sent His prophets. But then in these last days He sent His Son.
B. Jesus in His ministry has three offices or roles. Jesus is God’s prophet, priest and King. We see that Jesus has the role of king in verse 2. Jesus is called here the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. God is Creator so Jesus as the second person in the Trinity created the world as God’s agent of creation. Jesus then has the same attributes as God. What is true of God is true of Jesus. Jesus is Lord of the Universe, King of Kings, King of everything. We also see in Hebrews 1 that Jesus has the role of prophet. We have seen in these verses that a prophet speaks the words of God to the people. A prophet reveals to the people who God is. Well, who can reveal God better than God? God the Son, Jesus, reveals God the Father to us. Verse 3 says that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. Nowhere was the glory of God more perfectly revealed than in the person of God’s Son and prophet Jesus. Jesus is the glorious one. When the author of Hebrews says that Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature, he is saying that when you look at Jesus you are in fact looking at God.
C. Jesus has the role of priest. In the Old Testament priests made sacrifices for the sins of the people. And we read in verse 3 that after making purification for sins, Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. There is one detail in verse 3 that makes it clear that Jesus’ work as priest was far greater than any Old Testament priest’s work: after Jesus offered up Himself as a sacrifice on the cross, he sat down. Animal sacrifices in the Old Testament were a symbol that pointed forward to a greater sacrifice. And that greater sacrifice was the sacrifice of Jesus. The sacrifice of Jesus, the perfectly righteous lamb of God, would take care of sin once and for all. No more sacrifices were needed after Jesus our high priest offered himself for us on the cross. So, when Jesus offered up the perfect sacrifice of Himself, He sat down. His work was finished.
Application:No one and nothing is greater than Jesus. Offer your heart to Him.
Sources:The book of HebrewsCommentaries by Tom Schreiner and Raymond BrownBible study by Michael Kruger
January 26, 2019
Scripture: Psalm 31
I. You keep serving by surrendering to our faithful God.
A. Look at some of the difficulties that King David was facing in his service to God in Psalm 31:1: “In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me.” David is stressed out. He prays that God would be his refuge, his safe place. In the Bible, being put to shame is an attack of some kind upon you that would make you subject to public disgrace. David finishes verse 1 by asking God in His righteousness to deliver him, to do justice on his behalf in accordance with God’s own righteousness.
B. What will help us to persevere when we experience difficulty in serving God? What does David say he will do in verse 5? “Into your hand I commit my spirit.” David here is surrendering his life into God’s hands. Why does David do that? Because “you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.” David surrenders his life as he prays into the hands of God because David knows that is the safest place for him to be. He knows that God will take care of him. What should you do when you are under stress like David? Pray and surrender yourself into God’s hands.
C. It is not just David who prayed, “Into your hand I commit my spirit.” Jesus also did. Luke 23:46: “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last.” Jesus, the King of Kings, was in the same situation King David was in. And in his very last breath Jesus prayed a prayer of surrender. It was a prayer of trust. Jesus trusted that God alone could be trusted to vindicate Him and His righteousness. And after Jesus prayed these words, he entered into the hands of God.
II. You keep serving by trusting in God’s sovereignty.
A. We see one such expression of trust in David’s words in verse 14: “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’” In spite of his stress, David calls God MY God. David belongs to God as part of His covenant family. Verse 15 has the second use of the word hand in this psalm, “My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!” His life is in God’s hands, not his enemies’ hands. Nothing has happened to David by chance. God is the sovereign king of his life. It is God who has brought these circumstances, as painful as they are, into David’s life. And it is God who will eventually save David.
B. David is saying the same thing here that the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Yes, bad circumstances will come into every life. But God is still king. God can and will overrule those bad circumstances as the sovereign king of the universe and work in those circumstances over the long run for His glory and our good. If David trusted in God and His sovereignty, then he did not trust in a few other things that he writes about in Psalm 31. First, David not trust in idols (vs. 6). Second, he learned not to trust in his feelings (vs. 22). Sometimes, our feelings lie to us. When we go through the clouds of adversity, we must not trust our feelings of despair or our feelings that God has left us. We need instead to trust God and what He has clearly told us in His Word.
Application:Don’t stop serving God when life gets hard. In His time, God will bring an end to your trial.
Sources:The PsalmsCommentaries on Psalms by Derek Kidner, Tim Keller, Willem vanGemeren, and Gerald Wilson
January 19, 2020
Scripture: Psalm 30
We Glorify the LORD Because He is Savior
“I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up . . . you have healed me. . . .O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.” (v1-3)
“The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” (Exodus 15:2)
“The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine”
(1 Samuel 17:37)
We Sing Praises to the LORD Because He is Good
“Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (v4-5)
“Do good to Zion in your good pleasure”
(Psalm 51:18)
“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:20)
We Pray to the LORD Because He is Merciful
“To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy . . . Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD be my helper!’” (v8-10)
“Have mercy on me, O God according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy” (Psalm 51:1)
“pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
We Give Thanks to the LORD Because He is Faithful
“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” (v11-12)
“So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. . . . And David danced before the LORD with all his might.” (2 Samuel 6:12,14)
January 12, 2020
Scripture: Psalm 29
I. You worship God because He is King.
A. Psalm 29:1 reads, “Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.” Who are these heavenly beings? We find an answer in Exodus 15:11 where the same Hebrew word that is translated with the words heavenly beings in Psalm 29 is translated differently: “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” The heavenly beings of Psalm 29 are gods. They are idols.
B. What does it mean that God has glory? The Hebrew word for glory literally means weight. The glory of God is the weight of all that God is: the fullness of His wisdom, His goodness and His happiness. God is truly heavy. By contrast, the false gods of the nations around Israel were empty. They were weightless. They were a nothing. It is as if David is saying, “You gods are nothing in comparison with the LORD. He is the glorious one. He alone is worthy of our worship. We should only give glory to Him.”
II. You worship God because He is Judge.
A. In Psalm 28:1 David prayed to God, “To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me.” King David was in trouble. We read David pray in Ps. 28:3, “Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil.” David was surrounded by wicked people when he wrote Psalm 28. Perhaps Psalm 29:3-9 is a description of how God answered David’s prayer in Psalm 28. These verses describe a powerful thunderstorm with great, ear-splitting cracks of lightning and a powerful wind.
B. This storm came in response to David’s prayer for help in dealing with some wicked people. God came in all of His power as righteous judge to defeat the wicked and to protect David. David calls this incredibly awesome thunderstorm the voice of the LORD. In fact, six times in verses 3 through 9 David writes about this voice of the LORD. The voice of the LORD does not speak when God comes to judge the wicked. It thunders! Our God is not a nothing. He is not to be trifled with by the wicked. He is heavy, and He will thunder against all that is evil.
III. You worship God because He is Savior.
A. When we are in danger from wicked people, we worship God as Judge. But in the last verse of Psalm 29 David speaks to our need for a judge who will also be our Savior. He writes, “May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!” We also need peace with God when we sin. We need God’s mercy and grace. What is available to us as people with faith in Christ – even though we have sinned? Peace. We can have peace with God if we trust that Christ died on the cross for our sins. Jesus’ disciple Peter once had an awe-inspiring experience with Jesus that knocked him to his knees in worship. Luke 5:8: “But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’” When we see God as He is – when we see His power and His holiness – the proper response is to get on our knees and worship. We worship Him for saving us.
Application:The meaning of life is to worship God. Let’s worship Him with everything we’ve got.
Sources:The PsalmsCommentaries on Psalms by Derek Kidner, Willem VanGemeren, and Gerald Wilson
January 5, 2020
Psalm 28
Pastor Travis Armstrong
“The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people.” (1 Samuel 13:14)
We Call Out to God Because He is our Rock
“To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me . . . Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.” (v1-2)
“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”
(2 Samuel 22:2,4)
Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy
We Trust in God Because He is our Strength and our Shield
“Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped.” (v6-7a)
“You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts”. (1 Samuel 17:45)
“My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears.”
(2 Samuel 22:3,7)
He has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
We are Blessed by God Because He is our Shepherd
“my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.” (v7b-9)
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23)
He has answered the voice of my pleas for mercy
December 29, 2019
Scripture: John 1:1-5, 14
I. Jesusis God, yet distinct from God.
A. In the first verse of his Gospel, John echoes the firstverse in the whole Bible. Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning, God createdthe heavens and the earth.” But John says, “In the beginning was the Word.”Okay, then. Who is this Word? We have to wait until verse 14 of John’s Gospelto find out. The Word is Jesus, the one full of grace and truth (see also verse17). This Word was made flesh in vs. 14. But John says if you really want toknow who Jesus is you have to go back even earlier than His birth in Bethlehem.The Word is eternal. He was in the beginning.
B. We learn two other things about the Word in verse1: that the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus is said to be withGod as a separate person even though Jesus Himself is God. And it was Jesusaccording to verse 3 who was God the Father’s agent of creation. He was and isthe God who created all things. What we are seeing here then in John chapter 1is the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. In the unity of the Godhead there arethree persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Who isJesus? He is God.
II. Jesus is human.
A. As important as it is to believe that Jesus is God, it isalso important to believe that Jesus is human. The Word became flesh (John1:14). Something similar is said in Hebrews 1:1-2: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathersby the prophets,but inthese last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir ofall things, through whom also he created the world.” What was God’s Word to us? How did He speak tous? By His Son, the Word become flesh.
B. Jesus dwelt among us (vs. 14). Literally, Jesus tabernacled amongus. He lived in the center of His people in His day, just like God lived in thecenter of the people of Israel in a tabernacle during the days of the Exodus.At the tabernacle, people offered animal sacrifices to atone for their sins. Wehave all sinned. And the penalty for sin is death. But in His grace God hasgiven us undeserved mercy – God has provided for us a sacrifice to die in ourplace. The animal sacrifices pointed forward to Jesus. Jesus would be theultimate and final sacrifice.
III. Jesusis life and light.
A.In verses 4 and 5 we see two other characteristics of Jesus: “In him was life,and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and thedarkness has not overcome it.” First, we see that Jesus is life. Because Jesusis the Word He has the power to create life – both physical and spiritual life(John 3:16). Since Jesus gives eternallife, and God is eternal, eternal life is the life that God has, lived in usright now. And when you have the life of God living in you, you have joy. Youhave hope. You have purpose. You have beauty. Jesus is also light. The life inChrist comes as a light shining in the darkness. What does light do? It warmsthe heart so that it is changed. This is what Jesus is talking about in John12:46: “I have come into the world as light, so thatwhoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”
Conclusion:Remember that Jesus is human and divine, that He is life and light.
Sources:The Gospel of JohnCommentaries on John by D.A. Carson and Richard Phillips
December 22, 2019
Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9
I. Jesus is better because He brings God’s truth to theworld.
A. While the idols are a delusion (Isa. 41:29), a lie, theservant brings God’s truth to the nations. Three times in verses 1 through 4 weread about the servant bringing justice. In verse 4 we see that justice is asynonym for God’s law. The mission of the servant then is to bring forthjustice in the sense of making the truth about the LORD, Israel’s God, knowneverywhere. The servant brings forth justice to the nations (vs. 1). He makesGod’s truth and plans known not just to Israel, but to even Gentiles whopreviously did not know God.
- But how do we know the servant is Jesus? Compare thewords about the servant in verse 1 to the words said about Jesus atHis baptism in Matthew 3:16-17: “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from thewater, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of Goddescending like a dove and coming to rest on him;and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son,with whom I am well pleased.’” Jesus and the servant are one and the same. They bring God’s truthto the world.
II. Jesus is better because He is the promise of arelationship with God.
A. God had called Israel my servant in Isaiah 41:8. ButIsrael failed. They disobeyed God over and over again. Jesus, however, would beall that Israel was supposed to be but was not. Jesus would be God’s perfectservant. It is a loving relationship with you that God really wants. God, thereal God, created you (vs. 5). And if He made you, He loves you. Israel,however, had loved her idols more than God. And Israel must have wondered,“After all my rebellion and sin against my Creator, could God still love me?”
B. God calls Jesus a covenant in verse 6. What is acovenant? A covenant is a binding promise. Marriage is a covenant. And what dopeople promise in marriage? They promise to be faithful to love each other forbetter, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. Thecouple promises to love each other no matter what. Jesus is that kind ofpromise. Jesus is God’s promise to take and keep a people for His ownpossession. Jesus is better than gods who are fickle in their love. Jesus lovesand forgives the repentant no matter how great your rebellion has been.
III. Jesus is better because He brings God’s glorious future.
A. The glory of God is seen in verse 8: “I am the LORD, thatis my name, my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” Thereis no God but the LORD. All other gods have no real power. They are nothing.So, God is jealous for us. He wants us to worship Him and Him alone rather thanan idol that can do nothing for us. He alone is glorious. In verse 9 we readthat God is in complete control of both the past and the future. There is stillwork for God to do through Jesus in the future. Isaiah 65:17-18:“For behold, I create new heavensand a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come intomind.But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create;for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.”
Application:Jesus is better than all other gods and idols. Prepare room in your heart forJesus.
Sources:The prophecy of IsaiahCommentaries on Isaiah by John Oswalt, J. Alec Motyer, and Barry Webb
December 15, 2019
Scripture: Micah 5:1-6
I. God is up to sending Jesus to rule on your behalf.
A. Israel at this time had indeed gone down to nothing. The events of Micah 5 take place in 701 BC. Twenty years earlier, the northern tribes of Israel were defeated and destroyed by the Assyrians. And now King Hezekiah was watching Assyria take one by one the different cities of Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel. Now, the only city left that has not been taken by the Assyrians is Jerusalem. And what is happening to Jerusalem according to Micah 5:1? We read there “siege is laid against us.” The city was under siege.
B. But God was up to something (verse 2). He was up to sending a king to rule over and save Israel. Yes, this king would come from the small town of Bethlehem, a nothing town five miles outside of Jerusalem. But do you know who else came from Bethlehem? Only Israel’s greatest king ever: King David! David had led Israel to its greatest heights as a nation. And now Micah is prophesying that the great David is going to have an even greater son: a Messiah, an anointed one, who would rule over Israel. This Messiah Jesus would take away Israel’s humiliation.
II. God is up to sending Jesus to restore what you have lost.
A. Think about all that Israel had lost. Israel was no longer a united nation. And 20 years before Micah’s prophecy, all of these people from the northern tribes of Israel had been defeated by the Assyrians. Many of these Israelites had been taken away into exile. What a great loss! Israel had also lost kings like David who were good shepherds (verse 4). But when Jesus came as king, the people of Israel would once again have a good shepherd who loved and protected the sheep. And when Jesus came all of Israel’s brothers would return (vs. 3) to be ruled by their Messiah.
B. In John 10:10 Jesus talks about the difference between him and Satan: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Satan is great at taking things from you that you really love. Jesus came to restore what you have lost. This is the story of the Bible. The story of the Bible can be summed up in four words. Creation. Fall. Redemption. Restoration. One great day Jesus is going to come again and restore to us all that we have lost. In fact, Jesus is going to make the new creation even better than the original.
III. God is up to sending Jesus to save you.
A. In verses 5 and 6 we see that the defeat of the Assyrians is promised through two different agents: Israel’s generals and king Jesus. These verses begin with a national war song that Israel knew well. But then Micah says in the middle of verse 6, “And he shall deliver us from the Assyrian.” He shall save us. And who is that He? The Messiah that Micah had prophesied. Jesus. Micah’s prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 2:4-6: “(Herod) inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”” Jesus did not just come though to defeat the Assyrians. He came to defeat and save you from every enemy. No matter when in your life that you are down to nothing, God is up to something in Jesus.
Application:God is up to something by sending Jesus, the child born in Bethlehem, to you for your need.
Sources:The prophecy of MicahCommentaries on Micah by Gary Smith, Leslie Allen and Bruce Waltke.
December 8, 2019
Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-17
I. God is always sovereign over all nations and all people.
A. Isaiah 7:2: “When the house of David was told, ‘Syria is in league with Ephraim,’ the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.” Syria and Ephraim (the northern kingdom of Israel) had formed an alliance. They were afraid of the rising superpower in their region, the Assyrians. So, the nations of Syria and Ephraim had tried to put pressure on King Ahaz to join their alliance, and they fought against Ahaz (vs, 1) when he refused to join.
B. God knows that we want some kind of proof that He can do what He says. So God says to Ahaz in vs. 11, “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” God is ready to move heaven and earth to prove to Ahaz that He will keep His promise to protect Judah (vs. 7). God has all nations and people under His control (vs. 18).
II. God always blesses those who trust in Him.
A. There is one thing that God wants from His children more than anything else: trust. God was asking, “Ahaz, do you really trust my promise to keep you safe?” Sadly, we will see that the answer is no. It sounds like in vs. 12 that Ahaz is quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.” But when the Israelites were at Massah, they rebelled against God and doubted Him. Clearly, we should never demand proof from God that comes out of rebellion and doubt. But a testing of God that comes out of faith in His love and His goodness and His power, is a kind of testing that God invites.
B. The real reason Ahaz did not ask God for a sign was because his mind was already made up. He trusted in an alliance with Assyria more than he trusted in God. Where is Jesus in this story? Jesus is in verse 14. In the Gospel of Matthew, we see that this verse is fulfilled in Jesus. Matthew 1:21-23: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” All of the promises of God for His people would come to ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. Jesus is a sign to us that God is still with us and for us.
III. God always saves those who trust in Him.
A. King Ahaz was worried that he and his kingdom would not be saved in his moment of crisis. But God had promised Ahaz in vs. 7 that Syria and Ephraim would not be able to defeat Judah. So, through Isaiah, God told Ahaz what to do at the end of Isaiah 7:9: “If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.” What did God want from Ahaz? Trust. Faith. He wants the same thing from us. If you have faith in Christ, He will save you. Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” It is faith that saves. If you have faith that Christ died on the cross for your sins, you will be saved from the judgment of God. And if you have faith in Christ, you will also be saved during all your crises here in this world.
Application:Pray to Jesus as your Immanuel. He will prove to you that He is God with us.
Sources:The prophecy of IsaiahCommentaries on Isaiah by J. Alec Motyer, John Oswalt, and Barry Webb.
December 1, 2019
Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-7
I. Jesus gives you hope as a Wonderful Counselor.
A. The people of Israel are experiencing gloom (vs. 1) and darkness (vs. 2). Isaiah had prophesied in chapter 8 that the Assyrians were going to invade Israel and take away Israel’s wealth and people. It was a dark time in the nation’s history. But then God gave Isaiah a message of light (vs. 2). The child Jesus was to be given (vs. 6). One of the things about Jesus that gives us hope are His names. The first name listed for Jesus is Wonderful Counselor. Jesus would be supernatural in wisdom. Some of Jesus’ wisdom is found in Matthew 5:11-12: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”
II. Jesus gives you hope as the Mighty God.
A. Mighty God is the second name for Jesus listed in Isaiah 9:6. This name gave Israel hope because of the nature of the enemy they were going to face. Assyria was the great, rising superpower in Isaiah’s day. The tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun are in the far north of Israel. These would be the first of the tribes of Israel to experience the darkness of God’s judgment. But they would also be the first of the tribes of Israel to experience the light of God’s salvation. Jesus grew up in Nazareth in the tribal land of Zebulon near the Sea of Galilee (vs. 1). He did many miracles in this area to reveal that Jesus was not just human. He was also the mighty God. He would be just as mighty as when God defeated 120,000 soldiers from Midian (vs. 4) in the days of Gideon with just 300 men.
III. Jesus gives you hope as the Everlasting Father.
A. Another aspect of Jesus’ character is found in his name Everlasting Father (vs. 6). The word everlasting is another way of saying that Jesus is God. Just like Jesus is called God in the title Mighty God so He is referred to as God with the word everlasting. Only God is eternal. Many kings in Isaiah’s day would refer to themselves as the father of their people and their nation. God was promising in verse 6 that He would give us an everlasting Father – Jesus – one good king, the best possible king, to rule us forever. And as a father, Jesus is a father to us in that He is concerned for us like a father, He cares for us like a father, and He disciplines us like a father.
IV. Jesus gives you hope as the Prince of Peace.
A. This is the last of the titles given to Jesus in vs. 6: Prince of Peace. Usually, when we think about peace we think about the absence of war, which is certainly true in this case. We see what Jesus will do as the Prince of Peace in verse 5. “Every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.” Jesus will burn up every weapon and every piece of clothing used in warfare. This peace is also the fullness of what is described in the Hebrew word shalom. The word shalom in Hebrew means to be whole or complete. God is passionately committed (zealous in the word of vs. 7) to bringing in the Kingdom of God, this Kingdom of Peace. And if God is passionately committed to something, can anyone stop Him? No.
Application:Look at who Jesus is and you will find hope.
Sources:
Commentaries on Isaiah by J. Alec Motyer and John Oswalt. “Prepare Him Room” by Marty Machowski.
November 24, 2019
Scripture: Exodus 36:1-7
I. You become generous when the Holy Spirit enters your life.
A. In Exodus 36:1 we see two of the primary craftsmen that God used to build the beautiful tabernacle: Bezalel and Oholiab. Verse 1 says that God had put in them skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary. And specifically, which of the three persons in our triune God gave these craftsmen their skill? Exodus 35:31 says that the Lord had filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God. It was the Holy Spirit who had given to both Bezalel and Oholiab the creative skill needed. The Holy Spirit is always creating something new.
B. The Holy Spirit made all the Israelites generous. Exodus 36:3: “And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning.” When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church, the church became generous. Acts 2:44-45: “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
C. The story of the Bible is a story of God wanting to live among His people. In Exodus 36 God lived in the middle of His people in a tent while they lived in tents in the wilderness. Later He sent Jesus to live among His people. John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus tabernacled among His people just like God tabernacled among His people in the days of Exodus. Then God sent the Holy Spirit to live among us. 1 Corinthians 6:19: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” God lives in you. We should respond to God’s generous gifts to us with generosity of our own.
II. You become generous when God stirs up your heart.
A. Because God had set the people free from slavery in Egypt and forgiven their sins, their hearts had been stirred to give to worship this God who loved them. In Exodus 36:2 we read that God had called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. This focus on the heart is also seen in Exodus 25:2 when God says to Moses: “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.”
B. In the New Testament Jesus always talks about money. Jesus told 40 parables – stories with a spiritual truth at the end of them. How many of those parables had something to do with money? 11 out of 40 parables had to do with money. And the reason Jesus spoke about money so much is found in Matthew 6:21: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What did Jesus mean by this statement? Your heart always goes where you put the money God gives you. Where is your heart? What would Jesus say about your heart for Him and His Kingdom based on what you give to your church?
Application:Let us become so generous that there comes a day when the church announces, “Stop giving!”
Sources:Commentaries on Exodus by J.A. Motyer, Tim Chester, and Peter Enns.Article by Jack Levison
November 17, 2019
Exodus 35:30-36:2
We are Called by Name
“See the LORD has called by name Bezalel . . .” (v30)
“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)
__________________________ , I have chosen you.
*see John 15:19
We are Filled with the Spirit
“. . . and he has filled him with the Spirit of God . . .” (v31)
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God with your body.”
(1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Being filled with the Spirit is a choice.
* see Ephesians 5:18
We are Gifted with Skills
“ . . . with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge and will all craftsmanship to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for every work in every skilled craft.” (v31-33)
“As each has received a gift use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. . . in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. . .” (1 Peter 4:10-11)
Your gifts and abilities are chosen by God to build up the church. *See 1 Corinthians 12:18
We are Inspired to Teach
And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan.”.” (v34)
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all. (1 Thessalonians 5:11-14)
“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another . . .” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Faithful service done out of a thankful heart is contagious.
“And I have given all men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you.” (Exodus 31:6)
November 10, 2019
Scripture: Jonah 4:5-11
I. God sends difficulty to make you more compassionate.
A. In the first four verses of Jonah 4 we saw last week that Jonah was angry with God. What exactly is Jonah hoping in verse 5? He is hoping that God will change His mind about forgiving Nineveh. He is hoping that God will destroy these wicked people. So, Jonah builds himself a booth while he waits to see what God will do. But while Jonah waits and watches, God also does something. God makes Jonah joyful by providing a plant that brings him shade, and then God quickly takes that plant away (vs. 6-7).
B. Clearly, God had sent a lot of difficulty Jonah’s way in this book. God sent a violent storm, a large fish and then a plant that grew and quickly died. But was God just being mean to send all this pain to Jonah? No. God was working on Jonah to change him. He was mainly trying to free Jonah from his idols of self-righteousness and his excessive love for his country. If Jonah were to develop a compassion for the people of Nineveh, he would need to have all of that pride and self-righteousness removed from his heart. And that would mean very painful surgery for Jonah.
II. God sends the destruction of your idols to make you more compassionate.
A. It was the idol of a love for country above all else that God was trying to destroy in Jonah by destroying the gourd plant. The plant revealed that God has the power to give life, and God has the power to take life away. God quickly gave Jonah this plant that provided shade. And God quickly caused this plant to wither and die. This plant then was a parable. God had given Israel life. He had brought the nation that Jonah loved into existence. But this nation had wandered far from God into idolatry. So now God was going to judge Israel and take its life away.
B. Jonah is really angry with God (vs. 9). He is confused by God. He thinks that God is totally inconsistent in His actions. One minute God is merciful to people, and the next minute God destroys people. Just like one minute God gave life to a plant and the next minute God destroyed that plant. But it is actually Jonah who is inconsistent. What does Jonah have compassion for? A plant. But who does he not have compassion for? The 120,000 people of Nineveh. God has compassion for all He has made. But God’s greatest compassion is for people.
III. God sends Himself to make you more compassionate.
A. In his conversation with Jonah, God was saying to Him, “I am weeping and grieving over this city of Nineveh with 120,000 people. Why aren’t you? If you are my prophet, why don’t you have my compassion?” But while Jonah did not weep over the city, Jesus, the true prophet did. I want you to notice the difference between Jonah and Jesus. Jonah did not weep for Nineveh. But Jesus wept for Jerusalem. Luke 19:41-42: “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.’” Jesus’ heart is broken for Jerusalem. He knows that the city has rejected Him as their true Messiah. And he knows that as a result judgment from God is coming for Jerusalem. Jesus has compassion. He now lives in you to give you compassion for the people around you.
Application:Will you be compassionate like God? Or will you be hard-hearted toward people?
Sources:The book of JonahCommentaries on Jonah by Desmond Alexander and Timothy Keller
November 3, 2019
Scripture: Jonah 4:1-4
I. You get angry with God when you can only see yourself.
A. We understand Jonah’s anger better when we read his prayer in verse 2. What is Jonah really praying here? He’s saying, “God, I knew you would forgive these losers! That’s why I didn’t want to go to Nineveh in the first place. I tried to go to the other side of the world, to Tarshish, to get away from you. But you wouldn’t let me! You forced me to preach to these evil people, and then they repented of their sin. And so you forgave them, like I knew you would. God, you are so weak. Why couldn’t you be tougher – like me?”
B. We can better see the selfishness of Jonah by comparing his prayer in chapter 4 to the one he prayed in chapter 2. In chapter 2 Jonah was praying desperately to God after he had been thrown overboard. Jonah prayed in Jonah 2:1, “I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me.” God saved Jonah’s life. And so at the end of his prayer in Jonah 2:9, Jonah cried out, “Salvation belongs to the LORD.” When Jonah’s life was saved by God, he rejoiced. But what was Jonah’s response when over 100,000 people from Nineveh had their lives saved by God? He was angry. Can you see the selfishness and hypocrisy in these prayers?
C. Jonah’s prayer in verse 2 quotes from Exodus 34:6-7: “The Lord passed before (Moses) 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.’” Jonah believes that God is all mercy. Jonah had read the Bible selectively. Jonah believed that God was not very good because God was not just.
II. You get angry with God when you worship an idol.
A. Jonah’s idol was his country and its national security. It was because Israel – the place Jonah calls “my country” in vs 2 – and its national security had become an idol for Jonah that Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. Jonah was right to be afraid of the Assyrians. And so Jonah prayed to God in vs. 2 by God’s covenant name that God had taught to Israel in Exodus 3. He prayed to Yahweh, the great I AM, who promised to be Israel’s God. But now it seemed to Jonah like God was abandoning Israel to its enemies. So Jonah was angry with God.
B. Sometimes, it’s right to be angry. When you are the victim of injustice, you should be angry. But sometimes anger is not right. Sometimes anger is a sign that there is something wrong in your heart. Sometimes anger is a sign that we love an idol more than we love God. When the idol that we love gets threatened – whether that idol be money or a person or our reputation or some form of power or pleasure – the response is the response of Jonah. It’s rage. So, the next time you are angry, ask yourself, “What’s going on here? Why am I so angry?” Maybe you should be angry. But maybe the anger is a sign of an idol. Maybe it’s a sign that you have been worshiping God not because you love God above all else. You are worshiping God in order to get something from God. You are worshiping God as a means to an end.
Application:The worship of idols will lead to anger. But the worship of Jesus will always lead to joy.
Sources:The book of JonahCommentaries on Jonah by Desmond Alexander and Timothy Keller
October 27, 2019
Scripture: Jonah 3
I. People need the church to preach the Gospel.
A. Jonah 3:1-2 is almost an exact repeat of the words that God spoke to Jonah in chapter 1 at the beginning of Jonah’s story. God is offering Jonah a fresh beginning here after his initial disobedience. The message God gave him to speak is in verse 4: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” This is one of the shortest evangelistic messages in world history. This is a message about the wrath of God. And Jonah wanted God’s wrath to fall on Israel’s enemies: the people of Nineveh.
B. But a funny thing happened to the people of Nineveh on their way to being judged in 40 days like Jonah preached about. It didn’t happen. Jonah knew that if the people of Nineveh would turn from their sin in repentance and faith, God would save them. And this is exactly what happened. What was their response to Jonah’s preaching according to verse 5? “And the people of Nineveh believed God.” They believed that God was about to judge them. They knew it was true. So, what did they do? They took immediate action. They had no time to waste. They repented.
C. Four times in verses 8 through 10 we see the word “turn” used to show the people of Nineveh turning away from sin in repentance. How important it was then for Jonah to go and preach the Gospel to them. If he had not done so, the people of Nineveh would have been destroyed. We have also been told to go to others with the Gospel in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
II. People need the church to do justice.
A. How do we see the call to justice in the book of Jonah? First, notice that Jonah is not so much calling the people of Nineveh to conversion – to worship Yahweh, the one true God of all the earth. God was instead asking the people of this city to repent of social injustice. Jonah’s message to the people to repent was a message about changing their ways (vs. 10). When the king of Nineveh heard about Jonah’s words, he understood according to vs. 8 that God was telling the people of the city to “turn from his evil way and from the violence in his hands.”
B. Seeking justice means seeking equal treatment for all people. We see the Bible speak to this issue of justice in Proverbs 31:8-9: “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Seeking justice then means speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves. In this verse in Proverbs it means speaking up on behalf of the poor. It means radical generosity. And in the rest of the Old Testament it means particularly helping three classes of people: the widow, the orphan and the foreigner. All of the Old Testament prophets like Amos (see Amos 5:24) and Jonah make it clear that God’s people need to be equally committed to preaching the Gospel of sin and salvation and to doing the works of justice that care for the poor and voiceless and marginalized in our society. It is not either/or. It is both/and.
Application:The church must both preach the Gospel and do justice to bring good to heaven and earth.
Sources:The book of JonahCommentaries on Jonah by Desmond Alexander and Timothy Keller
October 20, 2019
Scripture: Jonah 2:1-10
I. Grace is something you don’t deserve.
A. What does Jonah do as soon as he gets swallowed by the fish? He does what you or I would do. He prays (vs. 1). When Jonah prayed, he must have wondered if God would help him. He wondered for a few different reasons. First, who does it say in Jonah 1:17 sent the fish to swallow Jonah? The LORD. And then in Jonah 2:3 we read who Jonah knew had thrown him into the stormy sea. Again, it was God. Jonah knew that he was being judged by God for his rebellion, and he knew he deserved it. Why then would God save his life?
B. Jonah had been thinking that he did not need God’s grace. “Other people do. But not me.” Jonah was a Jew. He was one of God’s chosen people. And he was also a prophet of God. He was the best of the best. Now, the Ninevites, those wicked people who were guilty of state-sponsored terrorism, they needed God’s grace. But then Jonah hit rock bottom in his life. Jonah in the belly of that fish finally understood that he did not deserve God’s mercy and grace either. He deserved God’s judgment – not God’s grace. So, Jonah prayed for God to save his life.
II. Grace is realizing you can’t repair your relationship with God.
A. In verse 4 we read what Jonah thinks as he prays. While he sinks into the ocean, he prays to God, “I am driven away from your sight.” He thinks that he has now been completely rejected by God. Jonah begins thinking about a place he mentions in both verse 4 and verse 7. It is the temple in Jerusalem. What was it about the temple that gave Jonah hope? In the temple there was a box covered with gold that was in the most holy place of the temple called the ark of the covenant. On top of that ark was something called the mercy seat.
B. Exodus 25:22: “There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.” God had promised to show mercy to His people in the temple even though they had sinned and did not deserve mercy. There were no good deeds the people could do to repair their relationship with God. But God had still promised to show mercy to His people. And it was this promise of mercy that gave Jonah hope.
III. Grace is realizing how costly God’s salvation is.
A. In Jonah 2:8 Jonah prays, “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” The words steadfast love could also be translated with the words goodness, kindness, faithfulness. In short, it refers to God’s grace. God will remain faithful to us even when we sin and are unfaithful to Him. But it costs God something to forgive us. We see the cost of salvation on the Day of Atonement in from Leviticus 16:14: “And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.” It is only when the death of another secures our forgiveness that we can have a restored relationship with God. So, Christ had to shed His blood to save us.
Application:The miracle of God’s grace is real. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Sources:The book of JonahCommentaries on Jonah by Desmond Alexander and Timothy Keller
October 13, 2019
Scripture: Jonah 1:11-17
I. Love is self-giving.
A. In Jonah 1:11 the sailors ask Jonah for a solution to their problem of this storm that is threatening to kill them, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” Jonah knows exactly what to do. Jonah says in vs. 12, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” For the sailors to survive, Jonah’s life must be sacrificed.
B. Maybe Jonah is finally starting to think about someone else besides himself and what he wants. Notice in vs. 12 Jonah’s emphasis on the word you in his answer to the sailors. He is concerned for them. Perhaps Jonah was responding to the sailors’ question in vs. 11 about what they should do by saying, “You are dying for me, but I should be dying for you. I’m the one with whom God is angry. Throw me in.” So, Jonah gave himself away so that the sailors might live.
II. We can only be saved through Christ’s sacrificial love.
A. Jonah is a type of Jesus. Jonah’s story is a preview of what Jesus will do for us. Jonah’s offer to sacrifice himself for the sailors so that they might be saved physically is a picture and a sign of Jesus’ actual death to save us eternally. We know this is how Jesus read the story of Jonah. Matthew 12:41: “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”
B. Jesus summarized His mission and the greatness of His sacrificial love in Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” God will always be angry about sin. This is why the Apostle Paul calls Jesus’ sacrifice a propitiation in Romans 3:23-25: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” To propitiate someone is to appease an angry person who has been offended. And what is it that appeases the wrath of God? The sacrifice of Jesus.
III. Love is about grace.
A. In the story of Jonah there are two people who receive grace – an undeserved and unearned gift. The first group of people to receive a loving gift of grace from God are the sailors. The sailors had been worshiping and praying to false gods. What does God do for people who don’t know Him? He reveals Himself to them. They in turn feared and worshiped God (vs. 16). Jonah had run away from God’s assignment to speak God’s message to some wicked pagans. But by the grace of God that is exactly what Jonah does anyway. God used Jonah to bring some pagans to repentance in spite of Jonah’s rebellious actions. And this was not the only gracious thing God did for Jonah. As soon as Jonah gets thrown overboard and hits the water, God saves him (vs. 17). Here was God being merciful again – saving His rebellious prophet Jonah.
Application:Worship God for His love by sacrificing yourself in service to others.
Sources:The book of JonahCommentaries on Jonah by Desmond Alexander and Timothy Keller
October 6, 2019
Scripture: Jonah 1:7-10
Matthew 5:44-47: “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven… For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”
I. You can get your identity from your race when you fail to embrace the Other.
A. In Jonah 1:7 the sailors try to figure out who is to blame for this violent storm they are going through on the Mediterranean Sea. What do the sailors do as soon as they determine that Jonah and his God are responsible for the storm? They quickly ask Jonah a series of questions in verse 8 about his identity. They want to figure out as soon as possible what Jonah has done to anger this God who sent the storm so that they can know how to appease this God of Jonah’s.
B. What is the first answer Jonah gives in terms of his identity in verse 9? I am a Hebrew. Jonah first goes to his race. I am a Jew. The question about race was the last question the sailors asked, but it was the first question Jonah answered. What is our true race as Christians? 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
II. You can get your identity from your place when you fail to embrace the Other.
A. In verse 8 the sailors ask Jonah, “Where do you come from? What is your country?” Since Jonah was a Hebrew (vs. 9), he would be from Israel where the Hebrews lived. And since he feared the LORD, Israel’s God, this also indicated that Jonah’s place was Israel. Jonah could not love his enemies the Ninevites. Jonah’s identity was too wrapped up in his place and his people. To categorize people as the Other is to focus on the ways they are different from you, to focus on their strangeness and to reduce them to these characteristics until they are dehumanized.
B. Today most of the world’s Christians are neither white nor western. This should not be a surprise to us in the church. We see what places the population of heaven will come from in Revelation 7:9: “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.”
III. You need to get your identity from your purpose in order to embrace the Other.
A. In verse 10 we see that Jonah must have told the sailors about his purpose. The sailors knew that Jonah was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. Jonah must have told the sailors then that he was a prophet of the LORD. His entire purpose in life was to tell people the word of God in order to bring people to repentance and reconciliation with God. Our purpose as Christians is found in Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Application:Let us not treat people as Other. Let us follow in Jesus’ footsteps and embrace the Other.
Sources:The book of JonahCommentaries on Jonah by Desmond Alexander and Tim Keller
September 29, 2019
Scripture: Jonah 1:5-6
I. You are a neighbor when you use your faith for the common good.
A. In Jonah 1:5 we see what happens when Jonah runs into a violent storm on board a ship in the Mediterranean Sea. We begin to see a contrast between the pagan sailors and the prophet of God Jonah. And Jonah does not look so good by comparison. The sailors prayed to their gods. These were false gods, not the real God that we worship, but at least the sailors prayed. But did Jonah, the prophet of the one true God, pray? No. He slept. The sailors probably thought, “This man does not care about us. We are all going to die, and yet this man will not even pray.”
B. The pagan ship captain (vs. 6) uses the exact same words that God Himself had spoken to Jonah in Jonah 1:2 when God had said, “Arise, go to Nineveh.” These words must have mocked Jonah. The only reason Jonah was on that ship was to run away from the presence of God. And now, here is some unbeliever in Israel’s God telling Jonah to arise and call on his god. The words must have slapped Jonah in the face with his own disobedience. The captain thought that maybe Jonah’s God might save them in the storm. But Jonah didn’t seem to care about the sailors.
C. God cares about how we as believers relate to and treat our neighbors who are deeply different from us. God wants us to work for the common good of all. God wants us to treat people of different races and faiths in a way that is respectful, loving, generous and just. And if we fail to treat non-believers in our community with love and justice, those non-believers have the right to judge us based on our commitment or lack thereof to the good of all. Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
II. You are a neighbor when you use your faith to see common grace.
A. We see another contrast between Jonah and the sailors in the use of the word “down” in the life of Jonah and the use of the word “fear” in the life of the sailors. Jonah is going down. He is descending into darkness, away from God. See Jonah 1:3, 5 and 2:6. In Jonah 1:5 we see that the sailors fear the storm. In Jonah 1:10 they were exceedingly afraid. They feared the power of the one true God. Then in vs. 16 the sailors fear God in the sense of reverence and worship. Jonah then goes down away from God. But the Gentile sailors keep growing in their fear and worship of the one true God.
B. How can this be? How can non-believers act so much better than a supposed believer would act? The story of Jonah and the sailors is an example of common grace. This common grace is given to non-Christians as well as Christians. Common grace teaches us that God gives gifts of wisdom, moral insight, goodness and beauty across humanity, regardless of race or religion. We see an example of common grace in Psalm 145:15-16: “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.” The contrast between how Jonah treated people of a different race and religion and how the Good Samaritan and the sailors treated people of a different race and religion is stark. We can be more like the Good Samaritan and less like the bad prophet Jonah by knowing Jesus – the Great Samaritan – better.
Application:Pray that Jesus would open your eyes again to how incredibly merciful He has been to you.
Sources: The book of Jonah
Commentaries on Jonah by Desmond Alexander and Tim Keller
September 22, 2019
Scripture: Jonah 1:3-4
I. Sometimes God sends storms because we need to repent of sin.
A. In Jonah 1:3 we see that Jonah was trying to run away from God. Jonah wanted to rebel against God’s command, and the way he chose to rebel was to go in the opposite direction of where God commanded him to go. He went west to Tarshish instead of east to Nineveh. Notice how God responds to Jonah’s sin in vs. 4: “But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.” The storm was no coincidence. God sent it.
B. Why is God treating Jonah like an enemy to hurl a violent storm at? Because of Jonah’s sin. God then wants to get Jonah’s attention by sending this storm because Jonah has sinned. He wants Jonah to repent. Every sin will lead to a storm in our lives. That is true. But it is also true that not every difficult thing that comes into our lives is punishment for some particular sin that we have committed. That is the message of the book of Job. The Bible then does not say that every difficulty is the result of sin – but it does teach that every sin will bring you into difficulty.
C. Actions always have consequences. In 2 Samuel 12 we see the consequences for King David after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba and then killed Bathsheba’s husband Uriah. Sin always leads to a storm. And yet we choose to sin anyway. We bring a storm from God down on ourselves because every sin necessarily will lead to a storm. God will send a storm so that you can repent of your sin and turn back to Him. Numbers 32:23: “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.”
II. Sometimes God sends storms because we live in a fallen world.
A. In this story, who is the one who has sinned? It’s Jonah. He is clearly disobeying God. So, God hurls a violent storm at Jonah to get his attention. But is Jonah the only person on this ship? Is Jonah the only one enduring this storm? No. Verse 3 says that Jonah paid the fare to go on this ship so it was a commercial ship of some kind filled with sailors and others bringing goods and people to Tarshish. It was Jonah then who had sinned. But Jonah was not the only one suffering. The sailors on the ship were going through the violent storm with Jonah.
B. This world is broken. It is fallen because of sin. The world is not the way it is supposed to be. Sometimes, then, storms come into your life not because of your particular sin. Storms come into your life because of the unavoidable consequence of living in a fallen, troubled world. There is a question to ask when Christians go through a storm. What good will God bring out of this storm? God can even use a bad storm in this fallen world to bring good out of it for you. This is the promise of Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Is it possible that there is love from God at the heart of any storm you are going through today? If you turn to God through faith in Christ, He will save you. He won’t let you drown in the storm, whether it is a storm caused by your own sin or by just living in a fallen and broken world.
Application:Remember that God has good He wants to bring from your storm.
Sources:The book of JonahCommentaries on Jonah by Desmond Alexander and Tim Keller
September 15, 2019
Scripture: Jonah 1:1-3
I. You run from God by doubting God’s goodness.
A. We can learn about why Jonah ran from God by looking at the only other verse in the Old Testament about the prophet Jonah in 2 Kings 14:25: “He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.” Who was the prophet who prophesied in favor of this expansion of Israel’s borders? That would be Jonah, the son of Amittai.
B. Jonah was an extremely patriotic Jew who loved the nation of Israel. So, God has a message for this patriotic Jew to go to Israel’s most feared and hated enemies. He was to go to the Assyrians who lived in the city of Nineveh (vs. 2). But Jonah ran from God (vs. 3). Jonah said to God, “I’m out. The repenting of Nineveh would not be good for Israel. I have zero interest in helping my enemies. Because I doubt your goodness in this whole operation, God, I am running away. How could you ask me to betray my country like this?”
II. You run from God by doubting God’s wisdom.
A. Jonah had no intention of obeying God’s command to go to Nineveh (vs. 3). He ran in the exact opposite direction of where he was supposed to go. He doubted God’s wisdom. God’s plan probably did not seem to have much of a chance of success in Jonah’s eyes. Jonah was supposed to tell a bunch of terrorists to repent. Yeah, like that’s going to happen. The chances of repentance would have been seen as slim to none. And the chances of Jonah being killed in delivering this message were very high.
B. God’s plan also did not seem to make much theological sense to Jonah. After all, did not God’s prophet Nahum prophesy some years before Jonah that God was going to judge Nineveh? Now, there’s a prophecy that made sense to Jonah. Nineveh was filled with terrorists and with evil. They should be judged by God. On the other hand, Israel was God’s chosen people. But if Jonah’s prophecy actually led to repentance, wouldn’t that destroy God’s promises to protect Israel and wouldn’t that make Nahum a false prophet? How much sense did that make?
III. You run from God by doubting God’s justice.
A. There are two attributes of God that people have a hard time holding together. God is love. God is just. Jonah couldn’t handle God’s love for sinners. He doubted God’s justice. So, in Jonah 1:3 we read that Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. In the Gospel of Luke in chapter 15 Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son that revealed that there are two different ways we can run from God. The prophet Jonah will run from God in both of these ways that is illustrated in Jesus’ story. The prodigal son runs away from his father, who represents God, by living an immoral and irreligious life. The older brother in the story had not literally run away from his father’s house. He had stayed. He had obeyed his father’s commands. But his heart was very far away from his father. Both runners did not believe God was committed to their good. They had to run from God to get what was best for themselves.
Application:If you are running from God, you come home by going to the cross.
Sources:Commentaries on Jonah by Desmond Alexander and Tim Keller
September 1, 2019
Scripture: Ephesians 6:21-24
I. Our best wishes are for peace for the church.
A. This wish for peace is found in vs. 23: “Peace be to the brothers.” Paul has mentioned peace many times in his letter to the Ephesians. He opened his letter in Eph. 1:2 with a wish for peace. Then he speaks of the Gospel of peace in Ephesians 6:15. But the clearest description of the peace that Paul wishes for the church is in Ephesians 2:14-16. The peace is first between God and people, and the peace is second between people – especially in this context between people of different races. Paul gives us an example of the peace that God had brought between Jewish and Gentile Christians in the person of the Gentile Tychicus mentioned in vs. 21-22.Who needs prayer for God’s peace this week? __________
II. Our best wishes are for love for the church.
A. Love is very important to Paul (see vs. 23). The word love is used 14 times in his letter to the Ephesians so clearly Paul wants us to know the love that comes from God and the love that we are to spread to other Christians. The Ephesian church was especially good at love. Look back at what Paul writes in Eph. 1:15. He especially prayed for their knowledge of Christ’s love to grow in Eph. 3:17-19. Is there someone in your family or among your church friends who is expressing doubt about God’s love for them? Perhaps you can pray that this Christian will grasp what is written about God’s love for them in Ephesians 1:4-5: “In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.”Who needs prayer for God’s love this week? ____________
III. Our best wishes are for faith for the church.
A. Paul expresses these best wishes for the Ephesian church in vs. 23: “love with FAITH, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul writes about faith seven times in the letter to the Ephesians. Biblical faith is two things. It is belief and trust. We believe what the Bible teaches us about God and about ourselves. But without trust, you can’t really say that you have faith. Faith requires both belief in what God says and trust in who God is. Trust is one of the greatest gifts we can give to God. Do you know someone who is low on faith right now? Send your best wishes for this Christian this week through prayer.Who needs to grow in faith in God this week? __________
IV. Our best wishes are for grace for the church.
A. This wish for grace is found in vs. 24: “Grace be with you all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.” Just like the Apostle began his letter to the Ephesians with a wish for grace for them in Eph. 1:2 so he ends his letter with a wish for grace for the church. And he writes about grace 12 times in his letter. Grace is an unearned, undeserved gift. Paul wrote about that grace in Ephesians 2:4-5: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”
Who needs prayer for God’s grace this week? ___________
Application:Pray that Christians will know God’s peace, God’s love, faith in God, and God’s grace.
Sources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentaries on Ephesians by Peter O’Brien, Bryan Chapell, Richard Coekin and R. Kent Hughes.
August 25, 2019
Scripture: Ephesians 6:17-20
I. You need the armor of the helmet of salvation for fighting Satan.
A. This instruction from Paul for Christians comes in Ephesians 6:17: “take the helmet of salvation.” Our salvation from God’s judgment, which is symbolized by this helmet, is not earned by our own hard work and effort (see Ephesians 2:8-9). The fact that salvation from God’s judgment is a gift of God is also brought out in Isaiah 59:17: “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.”
B. Who is the original owner of the helmet of salvation? God. And who then gives us in the church this helmet to wear in battle? God does. This helmet, this salvation, is a gift from God. When did our salvation from God’s judgment take place? If you look again at Ephesians 2:8 you read, “For by grace you HAVE BEEN saved.” Our salvation then took place in the past when we put our faith in Christ. As long as your faith is in Jesus and not in yourself, you can have complete confidence that you will be saved. And if you are confident that in the end you will be saved by God, that helmet of salvation will give you great confidence as you fight Satan.
II. You need the sword of the Spirit for fighting Satan.
A. This is the second command of Eph. 6:17: “take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” How powerful is the Bible in our fight against Satan? Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The Bible has the power to slice up the human spirit like a hot knife through butter.
B. And the Bible has the same slicing power against your spiritual enemy the devil. We see that power at work against Satan in 1 John 2:14: “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” We overcome the evil one as the word of God, the Bible, abides in us. Jesus has given you this weapon of His Word that He has used in battle (Isaiah 11:4). Now you need to use it as well.
III. You need praying in the Spirit for fighting Satan.
A. The importance of prayer for the battle against Satan is mentioned in vs. 18: praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. This verse teaches us that the Christian soldier fights from a strange position. We fight from our knees. We are dependent on Almighty God for victory in this battle. We need to pray at all times in the Spirit. What does it mean to pray in the Holy Spirit? It means to pray for what the Holy Spirit wants and wills rather than for what we want and will. Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” If your heart delights in God more and more, more and more you are going to pray for the things that God wants and God wills. And guess what? God will start to answer more and more of your prayers when you pray for what He wants. One of the things that God wants is that proclaim the Gospel with boldness and clarity (Ephesians 6:19-20).
Application:Pray in the Spirit at all times for all the saints so that God’s will might be fulfilled.
Sources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentaries on Ephesians by Peter O’Brien, Bryan Chapell, Richard Coekin and R. Kent Hughes
Pastor Travis Armstrong
Ephesians 6:15-16
August 18, 2019
Put On Your Gospel Shoes
“and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace”. (v15)
Get Prepared
“in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15-16)
How do you get prepared with the gospel?
Get to know the gospel intimately and personally so that you are always ready to share it.
Get Going
“God, through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.”
(2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
How do you get going with the gospel?
Take the truth of the gospel of peace to those who need to hear it.
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Romans 16:20)
Pick Up Your Faith Shield
“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (v16)
Lift it Up
“But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Psalm 3:3)
How do you lift up your faith?
Get to know God, by regularly spending time with him.
Live it Out
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. . . So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-19,16-18)
How do you live out your faith?
Make God and his church the number one priority in your life.
“Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith. . .” (1 Peter 5:8)
August 11, 2019
Scripture: Ephesians 6:13-14
I. You stand and fight with the belt of truth.
A. We need the armor of God today if we are going to stand and fight against Satan and his demons. If we in the church put on God’s armor, verse 13 says that we can stand firm as we fight until Christ returns to earth to judge Satan and destroy him. The first piece of armor that Paul focuses on is the belt of truth. The belt of truth was worn by our Messiah as Jesus went into battle with Satan. Isaiah 11:5: “Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.” The word faithfulness in this verse is another word for truth.
B. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus fought back against Satan with the truth: truth that came straight out of God’s word in Deuteronomy. And if you want to stand and fight against Satan you need the armor of the belt of truth. The good news is that Jesus has given you this powerful piece of armor that He fought with. Jesus has given you the truth found in His word to fight with.
C. One truth that we need to hold on to from the book of Ephesians is the truth that we as Christians will suffer. Paul was in chains (Eph. 6:19-20) as he wrote this letter. He suffered for preaching the Gospel. And every Christian will suffer. We should reject Satan’s lie of the so-called prosperity gospel. But we should also reject the lie that God is not powerful enough to meet my needs. The truth is in Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” How strong is our God? He can do more than we ask. And He can even do more than we think is possible.
II. You stand and fight with the breastplate of righteousness.
A. This breastplate of righteousness is the second piece of armor that Paul mentions in vs. 15. When did God ever wear the breastplate of righteousness? Isaiah 59:17: “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.” The Roman soldiers would also wear a breastplate, a metal piece of some kind that would cover the front of the body. This breastplate would ward off the thrusts of the enemy’s sword and protect the vital organs, especially the heart. Righteousness does this. It protects our hearts from Satan’s lies and attacks.
B. This breastplate of righteousness is not your own righteousness. It is God’s own righteousness that He has given to you as a gift of grace. It is God’s righteousness that you have received by faith in Jesus that protects your heart in battle with Satan (Romans 1:17). When we have faith that Jesus died for our sins on the cross, we make this wonderful trade with Jesus. We give to Him our sin, and He gives to us His perfect righteousness. So when God looks at us, who does He see? He no longer sees us. He sees Jesus. And Jesus is covering our sin with His perfect righteousness. This is how you protect your heart against Satan. Satan will do everything He can to get you to doubt that you are a child of God. But the truth is you are wearing the breastplate of righteousness as you fight Satan. You and your heart are protected by God’s perfect righteousness.
Application: Stand and fight against Satan with the armor God has given you.
Sources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentaries on Ephesians by Peter O’Brien, Bryan Chapell, Richard Coekin and R. Kent Hughes
August 4, 2019
Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-12
I. You are at war with Satan and his demons.
A. Is there a devil according to Paul (Eph. 6:11-12)? Absolutely. And not only is there a devil. Since God has adopted you into His family through Christ, you have become Satan’s enemy. You are not at war with anyone who is merely flesh and blood. Instead, you are at war with supernatural evil. John writes about the darkness in this age and this world in 1 John 5:19: “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” The Bible is clear that there is a devil, and there is evil in the world.
B. One of the schemes of the devil (vs. 11) is to do everything he can to prevent people from hearing the Good News about Jesus. And Satan wrestles (vs. 12) with us in the church as he fights against us. The kind of combat that we are fighting against Satan and evil is hand to hand combat. Satan is not firing missiles at us from hundreds of miles away. Satan and his demons are as close to us as a wrestler. That’s how close the demons are to us when they tempt us. They are near to you in the battle.
C. One of Satan’s names is Deceiver. Let me tell you the two greatest lies that Satan will tell you every day. These are the lies that Satan told to Adam and Eve. And these are the lies that Satan is still telling today. Number 1: God is not good. And number 2: God is not for you. But we need to remember Romans 8:31-32: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
II. You are in a war that has already been won by God in Christ.
A. Obviously, the idea of fighting against Satan and demons is frightening. But Paul does not seem afraid. Why not? Because Satan has already been defeated by God through His Son Jesus. Satan is a loser. And Jesus is victorious. And so, we see that the command of Ephesians 6:10 is “Be strong in the Lord.” This command is literally, “Be made strong. Be strengthened.” Our strength for the battle comes from an external source. We are made strong in Jesus. And how strong is Jesus? See Ephesians 1:19-21.
B. Jesus has far more power than Satan and His demons. On earth, among flesh and blood, Satan has no equal, but in the heavenly realms he is far exceeded by the Triune God. These evil beings are under Jesus – certainly not equal to Jesus. Paul was confident in Jesus and His might! When we in the church have faith in Jesus and in His might, we can defeat the devil. Jesus has already defeated Satan at the cross, but He will not destroy Satan until he returns to earth in judgment. Until that day of Christ’s return, our battle against Satan will be fierce. But our victory is not in doubt. Jesus has won! And we in His church are going to win also. But we need to put on the whole armor of God (vs. 11). God is not only the source of the armor that we wear in battle. God Himself wears this armor in battle. God then shares with us some of His own powerful armor for the battle we will fight. We will win our battles then not by confidence in our strength or our good deeds but by complete dependence on the armor that God has provided for us.
Application:Stand against Satan for your mighty Savior is with you and in you.
Sources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentaries on Ephesians by Bryan Chapell, Peter O’Brien, Richard Coekin and R. Kent Hughes.
July 28, 2019
Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-9
I. Children obey their parents in a Spirit-filled home.
A. According to Ephesians 5:18 one characteristic of a disciple is that a disciple is filled with the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that the one God is a Trinity who is a family of three – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Since God is a family, and since God made human beings in His image, God designed us for family life. The first instruction Paul gives to children is found in vs. 1: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. This is instruction for pre-adult children who are unmarried and living at home. Children will obey their parents.
B. What is the benefit if children do honor their mother and fathers like the fifth of the 10 commandments teaches? Verse 3 says that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. Generally speaking, children are blessed physically and spiritually if they obey their parents. Obedience is good for children. Parents who know that obedience is ultimately good for their children will follow the wisdom of Proverbs 13:24: “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”
II. Parents are to be treated as if they are Christ in a Spirit-filled home.
A. Notice again the command in vs. 1 to children: obey your parents in the Lord. What does that phrase in the Lord mean? It means as to the Lord or as to Christ. Children are to treat their parents as if they were Jesus. Just like Christian children are to obey Jesus, they are to obey their parents. If parents are going to be representatives of Jesus to their children, the parents obviously need a strong relationship with the Lord themselves. Paul assumes that parents will be raising their children in church. This letter from Paul would have been read in a church service.
B. Children need to see that their parents love Jesus and love church above other things. Meditate again on Ephesians 1:3-5: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In lovehe predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.”
III. Parents are to care for their families like God the Father cares for His in a Spirit-filled home.
A. We have already seen that God is a Father from Ephesians 1:3. So, in Ephesians 6 Paul tells earthly fathers to parent their children like God the Father parents His children. In Ephesians 6:4 Paul commands fathers: do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. How might a father provoke his child to anger? Through excessively severe discipline, unreasonably harsh demands, abuse of authority, arbitrary rules, unfairness, hypocrisy, guilt trips and gross insensitivity to a child’s needs and sensibilities. God does not treat His children in any of these ways. Nor should earthly fathers treat their children in these ways. Instead, we are to give our children grace just like God has given grace to us.
Application:Let the Holy Spirit fill you to live in godly ways with your family.
Sources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentaries on Ephesians by Peter O’Brien, Bryan Chapell, and Richard Coekin
July 21, 2019
Scripture: Ephesians 5:31-32
I. Sex is not about certain things.
A. In Ephesians 5:31 Paul quotes from Genesis 2:24 and writes, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” In the very first marriage, God made it clear that marriage comes first and then sex comes after marriage. What are some of the implications of this teaching? One implication is that sex is not just an appetite. See 1Corinthians 6:13. The Corinthians thought that all bodily appetites were pretty much the same. But Paul said that having sex outside of marriage is sexual immorality.
B. A second implication of the Bible’s teaching on sex and marriage is that sex is not dirty. After God had brought the man and woman together in marriage, look at what God says about sex and marriage in Genesis 1:31: “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good.” Within marriage, sex is a very good gift of God. And if you want confirmation of this fact, read the book of Song of Solomon. God is the creator and giver of sex. So, sex is not dirty. It is in fact good, clean fun – it is holy – within the context of marriage.
C. A third implication of the Bible’s teaching on sex and marriage is that sex is not just about a couple’s happiness and fulfillment. What does Paul say sex and marriage are all about in Ephesians 5:32? “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” The covenant of marriage and sex between a husband and wife are simply a picture. They are a picture of Christ’s covenant love for and unity with His church. But if we sin against God’s standards regarding sex and marriage there is forgiveness available. 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
II. Sex is about certain things.
A. The Bible teaches first of all that sex is about unity. See 1Corinthians 6:15-16. While it is true that becoming one flesh means sexual union, it is clear that becoming one flesh means much more than that to Paul. It means complete unity. To be one flesh is to be united not just physically but also emotionally, personally, socially, economically and legally. For this reason, sex outside of marriage is a lie. When you join your body to another, your body is saying that you are now committed to being one with this other person in every way possible. But if you are not married when you join your body to another, you are withholding your commitment to be truly united.
B. Sex is about renewing a covenant. In Ephesians 5 Paul compares the covenant that a husband makes with his wife in marriage to the covenant that Jesus makes with His church. Every time that husbands and wives come together in sex, they are renewing the covenant that they made on their wedding day. They are saying to each other, “I am still giving myself completely, unreservedly, exclusively to you.” Since it is sex that renews your covenant to one another, sex is far too important to neglect within marriage. See 1Corinthians 7:3-5.
Application:Remember that sex is about unity and the renewal of the marriage covenant.
Sources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentary on Ephesians by Peter O’Brien and 1 Corinthians by Gordon Fee“The Meaning of Marriage” by Timothy Keller“If You Only Knew” by Jamie Ivey
July 14, 2019
Ephesians 5:22-24We don’t skip passages of the Bible because theymake us uncomfortable.We need to read the passages in the context in whichthey were written.We understand that submission is a sign of godliness. Wife, submit to Christ because He is Lord.“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” (v22)
What does Lord mean? He is master and authority.What does it mean to submit to the Lord?We recognize God’s preeminence.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty handof God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” (1Peter 5:6)
Wife, submit to Christ because He is Head ofthe church.“For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is thehead of the church, his body.” (v23)
What does Head mean?He is leader or overseer.What does it mean to submit to the head?We recognize God’s position.
“(God) put all things under (Christ’s) feet and gave him as headover all things to the church, which is his body.” (Ephesians 1:22-23)
Wife, submit to Christ because He is Savior.“Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himselfits Savior”. (v23)
What does Lord mean?He is deliverer and preserver.What does it mean to submit to the Savior?We recognize God’s provision.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I wholive, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live inthe flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved meand gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
Wife, submit to your husband because He ishead of the household.“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christis the head of the church . . . Now as the church submits toChrist, so also wives should submit in everything totheir husbands.” (v22-24)
What does head mean?He is a loving leader.What does it mean to submit to the head?We recognize God’s plan.
“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in theLord.” (Colossians 3:18)
July 7, 2019
Scripture: Ephesians 4:15-16
I. When your spouse becomes a stranger, you love her through the power of truth.
A. In the context of Ephesians 4 the apostle Paul is talking about the spiritual growth of the church. The way to grow a church into the likeness of Jesus is through the powerful combination of truth and love (vs. 15). And in Ephesians 5:25-33 we see that the goal of marriage is to sanctify us – to make us holy – to grow us out of our sins and flaws into the new creation God is creating us to be. The tools that spouses must use to help one another in becoming our future selves are speaking the truth in love with the power of God’s grace.
B. Marriage does not create your weaknesses and flaws. Marriage simply reveals those flaws. And those flaws can lead to sharp criticism from your spouse. Marriage does not really bring you into confrontation with your spouse as it confronts you with yourself. Marriage shows you the truth about who you are. And if you are going to be the new creation that Jesus is making you to be, you need to do something very painful. You need to give your spouse the right to talk to you about what is wrong with you. You need to let him or her speak the truth to you.
II. When your spouse becomes a stranger, you love her through the power of love.
A. We cannot just speak truth to our spouses. We must speak the truth in love (vs. 15). This phrase “in love” is used six times in the letter to the Ephesians. See also Eph. 5:2. All ministry that we carry out in the church and for that matter in our marriages is to be done in love. Love is the distinguishing mark of the Christian and of the church. But this love should not be disconnected from truth. It is a life of love that embodies the truth of the Gospel. When our spouse loves us like Jesus loves His bride, we are healed. Our spouse’s love convinces us of our own distinctive beauty and worth. That is the power of married love.
B. Genesis 24:67: “Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” Rebekah’s love for her husband Isaac healed him of his grief over his mother’s death. The power to love your spouse comes from the Holy Spirit. One of the fruits of the Spirit is love (Gal. 5:22-23). If you are struggling to communicate love to your spouse in a language they can understand, read Gary Chapman’s book “The Five Love Languages.”
III. When your spouse becomes a stranger, you love her through the power of grace.
A. In vs. 16 Paul says that when each part of the body of the church is working properly, that makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Two ways that this love expresses itself in both the church and in marriage are through the gracious gifts of forgiveness and repentance. It’s grace that allows us to hold truth and love together. And it’s grace that makes it possible for us to practice the two most important skills in marriage: forgiveness and repentance. Only if we are very good at forgiving and very good at repenting can truth and love be kept together. The grace and forgiveness that Jesus extended to you in the Gospel enables you and empowers you to graciously do the same for your spouse.
Application:Use the power of truth, love and grace to help your spouse become a new creation in Christ.
Sources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentaries on Ephesians by Peter O’Brien and Bryan Chapell“The Meaning of Marriage” by Timothy Keller
June 30, 2019
Scripture: Ephesians 5:25-33
Song of Solomon 5:16: “His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend.”
I. A Christian husband makes his wife a new creation through sacrificial love.
A. “Love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (vs. 25). Jesus sacrificed himself for His bride the church by dying on the cross for her sins. Obviously, only Jesus could die for our sins. So, no husband can die for his wife’s sins. But every Christian husband can and should make sacrifices of love for his wife. Every Christian husband is to be a representative of Jesus to his wife and to love his wife like Jesus loves His wife.
B. Ephesians 5:23 says that Christ is the head of the church. Christ has authority over the church. And verse 23 also says that husbands are the head of their wives. Husbands also have authority. What kind of authority? Husbands have been given the authority to be a servant-leader, to love their wives sacrificially. If a husband loves his wife in this sacrificial way, generally a wife will have no problem calling him the head of the home.
II. A Christian husband makes his wife a new creation through sanctifying her.
A. In vs. 26 and 27 we see the destination that God wants Christian husbands and wives as lovers and friends to head toward. What is marriage for? The goal is that we might be the new creation that Jesus wants us to be. And the destination is before the throne of God at the wedding feast of Jesus and His church. Jesus is going to present His bride the church to Himself at the end of time in heaven. And what is this bride going to look like? Verse 27 says that the bride will be presented in splendor.
B. Jesus has already made us holy by dying for our sins on the cross and giving to us the gift of His righteousness. And Jesus is also in the process of sanctifying us by removing all spiritual stains, flaws, sins and blemishes, to make us holy, glorious and blameless. Part of the husband’s responsibility is to be involved in the sanctification process of the wife – to make her more holy and beautiful. How beautiful? Ezekiel 16:14: “And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God.”
III. A Christian husband makes his wife a new creation through making his marriage his supreme priority.
A. In vs. 28-30 Paul calls the wife the body of her husband. Just like the church is the body of Christ so the wife is the body of her husband. We in the church are that united to Christ and we who are husbands are that united to our wives. How much of a priority then will the husband put on his marriage and on taking care of his wife? Your marriage then needs to be a high priority. If your marriage is not good, then nothing else in your life is likely to be good. This is the power of marriage.
Application:Let’s journey together toward the new creation with the friends that Jesus has given us. This is what marriage is for.
Sources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentaries on Ephesians by Peter O’Brien and Bryan Chapell“The Meaning of Marriage” by Timothy Keller
June 23, 2019
Scripture: Genesis 2:21-25
I. Marriage is a covenant of duty.
A. The story of the first marriage begins with God surgically removing one of Adam’s ribs in Genesis 2:21. And from that rib God creates a woman in vs. 22 and brings her to Adam. God takes the role of the father of the bride at the first wedding and gives her away to her husband Adam. The husband and wife are together as a fellowship of equals, helping one another. But where do we see in Genesis 2 that marriage is a covenant? I’d like you to focus on two words used in both Genesis 2:24 and Ephesians 5:31: the words “leave” and “hold fast.”
B. What promise is the husband making in his covenant with his wife? First, the husband promises to leave his parents. As soon as a husband gets married his priorities change. Before he gets married, his first obligation is to his parents. But as soon as that young man marries, his first obligation is to his wife. Second, the husband promises in a covenant to hold fast to his wife. These words to hold fast are frequently translated with the word cleave. The word cleave means to be united to someone. This word cleave literally means to be glued to something. The husband then promises to be stuck to his wife – permanently.
C. If two people are glued together by covenant, it’s going to do some serious damage to unglue them! But in our culture there are many victims of divorce. If that describes you, I want you to know you are in good company. Do you know who else is the victim of a divorce? God is. See Jeremiah 3:8. God then knows the pain of divorce. He’s been there. And he will be there to comfort you as you go through the pain of your own divorce.
II. Marriage is a covenant of desire.
A. If marriage were only about duty, it would become drudgery very quickly. It’s true that there is duty in the covenant of marriage that we need to fulfill. There is a should that we need to do. See Ephesians 5:28. But the covenant we make with our spouses is not just about duty; it is also about desire. Where do we see the desire in Genesis 2? Adam bursts out in a poem in vs. 23: “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Eve was the fulfillment of all that Adam needed and desired. Adam wasn’t forced into marrying Eve out of duty. Adam desired to marry Eve. She was his joy.
B. The oneness of their marriage was expressed in the delight and the desire of their sexual relationship. We read in vs. 24 that in marriage a husband and wife become one flesh. They are one not just emotionally and spiritually. They are one physically. They desired one another and delighted in one another. This is the way marriage should be: a covenant of desire and delight. They were naked with each other (vs. 25) not just in the fact that they weren’t wearing clothes. Because they had made a covenant with one another they were naked with each other in their openness and trust. We see Jesus’ desire to be with His church in Luke 22:15-16: “And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’”
Application:Stay in your marriage. You have made a covenant of both duty and desire.
Sources:The book of GenesisCommentaries on Genesis by Derek Kidner, Gordon Wenham, and Bruce Waltke“The Meaning of Marriage” by Timothy Keller
The Power for Marriage
June 16, 2019
Scripture: Ephesians 5:18-21
I. The Holy Spirit fills you to give you the power for marriage.
A. In Ephesians 5:18 we see the Apostle Paul give a command to the church at Ephesus: “Do not get drunk with wine… but be filled with the Spirit.” How do you get this filling of the Holy Spirit? You pray for it. Every day at any moment you as a Christian can ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. The Spirit will give you the power to change into the likeness of God and Jesus (Eph. 5:1-2). We have the power to love others – including our spouses – when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
B. We cannot love when we are empty. We can only love when we are full. In Ephesians 3:19 Paul prays that the Ephesian church might know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. No matter how much you think Jesus loves you, you’re wrong. You have no idea how much Jesus loves you. What happens when we in the church have a growing understanding of how much Jesus loves us? The end of Ephesians 3:19 says that you get full of God. And that fullness of God overflows from you like a fountain to love your spouse and other people.
II. The Holy Spirit fills you to give you the power to serve.
A. What does submission mean (Eph. 5:21-22)? The word submit literally means to arrange under. It means to place yourself under an authority figure of some kind. In Paul’s day the word submission was frequently used in a military context. Soldiers surrender their independence, they give up the right to make decisions unilaterally, and they put the good of the whole over the good of self. This is what it means to submit.
B. Why would a wife choose to submit to her husband rather than living for just herself and her own desires? Because every Christian understands that whether we are a husband or a wife, we are not to live for ourselves but for the other. Both husbands and wives are called to obey Galatians 5:13: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” If we love and serve others, we find happiness. Matthew 16:25: “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
III. The Holy Spirit fills you to give you the power to see the greatness of Christ.
A. At the end of Ephesians 5:21 Paul gives the church their motivation to submit to authority figures in their lives and to serve others. Paul knows that submission is hard for all of us. So, Paul tells us at the end of vs. 21 that we submit out of reverence for Christ. This word reverence literally means fear. In the Old Testament we read a lot about the fear of God. But here in Ephesians 5 Paul talks about the fear of Christ motivating us to submit to and serve one another in marriage and in other relationships. The fear of Christ for the Christian does not mean that you are terrified of Jesus or intimidated by Him. To fear Christ means that you are in awe of someone who is so great. Fear then does not make you want to run away from Jesus. Fear makes you want to get closer in your relationship to the great Jesus. We understand that fear makes us want to get closer to God from Psalm 130:4: “But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”
Application:Pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that you will have the power to love your spouse.
Sources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentaries on Ephesians by Bryan Chapell, Peter O’Brien and Richard Coekin“The Meaning of Marriage” by Tim Keller
Scripture: Ephesians 5:31-32
I. The secret of marriage is that it is about the Gospel.
A. The word mystery in vs. 32 does not refer to some hidden knowledge known only to insiders. It rather refers to a wonderful truth that has been previously hidden but that God has now revealed. Twice in Ephesians – in Eph. 1:9-10 and in Eph. 3:6 – Paul says that the Gospel was a mystery that was previously hidden but has now been revealed. In Ephesians 5 Paul teaches the church about marriage. In verse 31 he quotes from Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man will shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
B. It seems clear that Paul is talking about human marriage. Marriage makes a husband and wife one flesh through their sexual union. But then Paul takes the discussion sideways in vs. 32. He says, “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” The hidden mystery was this: Jesus, through the Gospel of his death on the cross for our sins, calls a bride to Himself in the church. The meaning of marriage then is that it is not so much about the union of a husband and wife. Marriage is really about the union of Jesus and His church.
C. Now the secret is out. Marriage, from the marriage of Adam and Eve until today, has always been about Jesus’ union with the church. Marriage has always been a picture of the Gospel. The fact that every marriage is about the Gospel has some major implications for us in the church. One implication is found for husbands in Eph. 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Why? Because marriage is about the Gospel. It is not really about you.
II. The secret of marriage is that it only works if we follow Jesus in self-giving love.
A. Notice again how Jesus loves his bride the church in Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” One way that husbands show that they love their wives is by making sacrifices. When you elevate your wife’s interests and concerns above your own, that says that you love her. But marriages are unsuccessful for a theological reason that we find in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
B. Because we are sinners and naturally selfish, we rebel against the idea of self-giving love. It’s too hard. It’s too painful. But listen to what C.S. Lewis has written about love, “Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one.” It is an option to give your heart to no one. But a life without love is not a happy life. It’s not the Gospel life that Jesus would have us live. We see how Jesus loved from Romans 15:1-3: “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” We have already seen that we don’t have the power to live this way. Because this is so we can’t have a successful marriage in our strength. So, where does the power to have a successful marriage come from?
Application:Remember the secret of marriage is that it is about the Gospel of Christ’s love for His bride.
Sources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentaries on Ephesians by Bryan Chapell, Peter O’Brien and Richard Coekin“The Meaning of Marriage” by Timothy Keller
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:25-40
I. Singleness is good if you are fully devoted to the Lord.
A. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul begins writing to the betrothed (vs. 25) – those who are engaged. His advice in vs. 26 is that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. What distress is he talking about? We get a clue in vs. 29 where Paul says, “This is what I mean brothers: the appointed time has grown very short.” The time referred to here is the time before Jesus returns to judge the earth and to set up His eternal Kingdom. Jesus could return at any moment. So, where should our focus be as Christians? On Jesus and His Kingdom.
B. So, as Christians we should be less involved in the affairs of this world than the non-Christian. Verse 31 says the present form of this world is passing away. This world will soon be no more. And that means that the marriage of this world will soon be no more. None of us will be married in heaven. How then should we as Christians live in light of Christ’s soon return? We should live with different values. We should live like marriage is not the ultimate in human fulfillment. We should live instead with Jesus and His Kingdom being the ultimate in human fulfillment.
C. Single Christians can live a joyful and fulfilling life even without romance, marriage and sex. Both Jesus and Paul were single and lived fulfilling lives. However, we should not under-value marriage. In Genesis 1:31 after God had created Adam and Eve and brought them together in marriage, the conclusion is, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” What is God’s judgment about marriage? It is very good. Marriage then is good, and so is singleness if we are fully devoted to Jesus.
II. Marriage is good if you are fully devoted to the Lord.
A. Paul’s advice to engaged couples is summarized in vs. 35: “I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.” The main point of what Paul is saying is that we live in undivided devotion to the Lord – whether we are single or married. He doesn’t want to lay any restraint on people who want to get married. He doesn’t want those who want to get married to be anxious that they have committed a sin. Either marriage or singleness, Paul says, is good in the eyes of God as long as we are fully devoted to Jesus.
B. But if a single Christian wants to marry, who should they marry? One answer is found in Paul’s advice to widows in vs. 39: “But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.” Christians should only marry another Christian. And Christian men should recognize that beautiful women come in all shapes and sizes. The most important part of a woman’s beauty is her character. Christian women should recognize that a man’s character is far more important than the size of his bank account. In Ephesians 5:32 Paul says, “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” Human marriage is not ultimate. Human marriage is a sign that points to the Real marriage: the marriage of Jesus to His church. Marriage is not ultimately about sex or security or personal fulfillment. Marriage instead was created by God to be a reflection of Jesus’ love for us in the church.
Application:Whether single or married, live with complete devotion to Jesus.
Sources:The letter of 1 CorinthiansCommentaries on 1 Corinthians by Gordon Fee and Craig Blomberg“The Meaning of Marriage” by Tim Keller
Scripture: Ephesians 5:8-21
I. Christians walk different by walking in the light.
A. Notice in vs. 8 the difference between how you lived before you were a Christian and how you live now as a Christian: “At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Darkness is a symbol for ignorance, error, evil and immorality. Light, on the other hand stands for truth, knowledge and holiness. Paul’s words that you are light are very similar to what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
B. In the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul reminds us that God is our Father, and we are His adopted children (Eph. 1:3-5). And here in Ephesians 5:10 Paul tells us that we can actually please the Lord. We can be children who bring our Father pleasure. Let that desire to bring God pleasure be your motivation in all that you do as you walk in the light. What are we to do with works of darkness? We are to take no part in them (vs. 11). Instead, we are to expose the works of darkness.
C. The wonderful thing about light is that it not only exposes darkness; it also transforms it. Verses 13 and 14 say that when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. When non-Christians see the light that is in believers, they see not only their own darkness. They also see the light of Jesus in the Christians. And when they see the light, some non-Christians say, “I want that. I want to be light.”
II. Christians walk different by walking while OUI.
A. The second reference to walking differently in this part of Ephesians 5 is found in vs. 15. Paul tells us to “Look carefully then how you walk.” Christians do not pretend that there are no real dangers in the world. They don’t go hiking in the dark. The good news is that God gives us the power to carefully stay in the light, and that power comes from the third person in the Trinity: the Holy Spirit (vs. 18). To be filled with the Spirit is a God-controlled life.
B. How do we know if we are filled with the Spirit? What are the signs that we are controlled by the Spirit? 1) It is a life full of song (vs. 19). We are to be addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. When we sing in worship in our church services, we sing to two different audiences: God and one another. 2) We are grateful people in everything (vs. 20). Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 3) We submit to those in authority over us in the church out of reverence for Christ (vs. 21). This does not mean that we blindly follow church leaders. But it does mean that our heart is set on following the leaders God gives the church.
Application:Walk differently by operating under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Sources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentaries on Ephesians by Peter O’Brien, Bryan Chapell, and Richard Coekin
Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-7
1.Be an Imitator of God Because . . .You are His Beloved Child
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (v1)
“(God) chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance to the purpose of his will.” (Ephesians 1:4-5)
“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
Don’t Just Be Loved . . . Be Love!
- Be an Imitator of God Because . . .You Have Received an Incredible Gift
“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (v2)
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” (1 John 4:19)
Don’t Just Be Love . . . Walk Love!
- Be an Imitator of God because . . .You are a Saint
“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” (v3-4)
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.” (1 Peter 2:9)
“In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away; anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” (Colossians 3:7-8)
Don’t Just Walk Love . . . Talk Purity!
- Be an Imitator of God because . . .You Have a Promised Inheritance
“For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” (v5)
“(God) has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:3-4)
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy you also be holy in all your conduct.” (1 Peter 1:14-15)
Don’t Just Talk Purity . . . Live Purity!
Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-32
I. Jesus can change a mom’s speech into something beautiful.
A. In Ephesians 4:25-32 we see that the Apostle Paul is giving the church some very practical ways to take off the old wardrobe of the old self and to put on our new selves – to become more like Jesus. In vs. 25 Paul tells people in the church to put away falsehood (vs. 25) like you would put away an old pair of clothes. Instead, speak the truth. The motivation for speaking the truth in vs. 25 is that we in the church are members of one another. Speaking the truth leads to a beautiful harmony and unity.
B. Another practical piece of advice with regard to your speech is found in vs. 29. The word “corrupt” in vs. 29 literally means rotten. These rotten words destroy others. They are harmful words. They are words of death. So, what is the beautiful way Jesus can empower us to speak? God wants us to speak words “such as is good for building up… that it may give grace to those who hear” (vs. 29). Instead of speaking words of death to a child, God wants us to speak words of life. He wants us to take every opportunity to build up rather than to tear down.
II. Jesus can change a mom’s thoughts into something beautiful.
A. One type of thought that Jesus wants to free us from is found in vs. 26-27: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” We should recognize that not all anger is sin. It is possible to be angry and not sin. There are times when we should feel angry about evil or injustice that is done to us or to others. But anger can easily turn into sin. The wise thing to do with anger is to set a time limit on it. According to vs. 26 you are not to let the sun go down on your anger.
B. According to vs. 27, anger gives the devil an opportunity to destroy relationships and individuals. Anger is an acid that destroys its container. The wise mom will also follow the command of vs. 31 about anger. What beautiful thoughts does Jesus want to give moms? Thoughts of forgiveness. Look at what Paul writes in vs. 32: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” When we forgive, we are acting as beautifully as Jesus acted.
III. Jesus can change a mom’s actions into something beautiful.
A. What is an ugly action that Jesus wants us to remove? “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may something to share with anyone in need.” What is the beautiful behavior God wants moms and the rest of us to do instead of stealing? Paul recommends the beauty of work in vs. 28. And the purpose of that work is to have something to share with anyone in need. Paul is saying, “Don’t be a thief. Don’t be a taker. Be a giver. Be generous.” I’m pretty sure that when most of you think about the beauty of your own mother, you think about how they were constantly giving to you. So, moms, do you want to be more beautiful? Instead of thinking about depriving others for your own good, think about how you can share with others for their good. That sharing, that generosity, that kind of sacrificial lifestyle, is beautiful.
Application:Have faith in Christ to give you the power to live a beautiful lifeSources:The letter to the EphesiansCommentaries on Ephesians by Peter O’Brien, Bryan Chapell, and Richard Coekin , “The Art of Forgiving” by Lewis Smedes