Read Acts 17:16-21
We see that as usual Paul must speak of His Lord. This is the One to whom he has given his life...this is his Lord and Savior...of course he will speak about him!
So he's waiting and he passes his time reasoning with those around him...
Notice how the learned ones respond in verses 18-20:
Now then...who were the Epicureans and the Stoics?
Epicureans:
Epicurus, the son of Neocles, who was born 342 years before Christ, and taught philosophy at Athens, in his garden; the principal tenets of which were, that the world was not made by any deity, or with any design, but came into its being and form, through a fortuitous concourse of atoms, of various sizes and magnitude, which met, and jumbled, and cemented together, and so formed the world; and that the world is not governed by the providence of God; for though he did not deny the being of God, yet he thought it below his notice, and beneath his majesty to concern himself with its affairs; and also, that the chief happiness of men lies in pleasure. His followers were called "Epicureans"; of which there have been two sorts; the one were called the strict or rigid "Epicureans", who placed all happiness in the pleasure of the mind, arising from the practice of moral virtue, and which is thought by some to be the true principle of "Epicureans"; the other were called the loose, or the remiss Epicureans, who understood their master in the gross sense, and placed all their happiness in the pleasure of the body, in brutal and sensual pleasure, in living a voluptuous life, in eating and drinking, &c. and this is the common notion imbibed of an Epicurean.
Stoics:
the author of this sect was Zeno, whose followers were so called from the Greek word "Stoa", which signifies a portico, or piazza, under which Zeno used to walk, and teach his philosophy, and where great numbers of disciples attended him, who from hence were called "Stoics": their chief tenets were, that there is but one God, and that the world was made by him, and is governed by fate; that happiness lies in virtue, and virtue has its own reward in itself; that all virtues are linked together, and all vices are equal; that a wise and good man is destitute of all passion, and uneasiness of mind, is always the same, and always joyful, and ever happy in the greatest torture, pain being no real evil; that the soul lives after the body, and that the world will be destroyed by fire.
One thing to realize about this passage is that the men questioning Paul are not just idly curious about what Paul believes...far from it. Note verse 18 in which they wonder whether Paul is a "proclaimer of foreign gods." Centuries before Paul, Socrates was charged with introducing new gods and corrupting the youth and was killed for it. So this was a very serious charge they contemplated against Paul...it also shows how clever Paul is in how he responds to them later on.
But for now...they certainly don't need to prod Paul very much to get Paul to speak about the One whom he loves, right? :)
So they ask him to explain himself and he proceeds to do so...
Read Acts 17:22-34
In vv. 22-24 we see that clever response right? How can they accuse him of proclaiming foreign or new gods when they themselves had an altar to the One whom He spoke about?
But Paul does not just point this out to escape death...we already know he's quite willing to die for his faith!
No, Paul also intends to truly preach to them the unknown God that has chosen to reveal Himself now through Paul!!
We see in vv. 24-31 the power of the Word preached!! O for such sermons from our pulpits! O for preachers who would not hesitate to proclaim our Lord! Regardless of their audience!
Let me touch on a topic we spent some time on last week...here Paul preaches powerfully and with conviction and with the attitude that the chips will fall wherever they will fall! But he does this to an audience that he knows may not agree with him!.
Why then does he do it? Is it not because of his desire to obey Christ? Did Jesus tell his disciples to bring salvation to people? Or did he tell them to proclaim the message of the cross and to call ALL people to repent? So Paul carries out his orders and trusts that the work of God will be done!!!
THEREFORE he does not care whom his audience is...because his marching orders did not tell him to worry about that!
As we discussed last week...it is one thing for us to be bold in a room full of people whom we know agree with us...try it when surrounded by those whom you are unsure of or whom you know will oppose you!!!
At any rate, Paul proclaims:
the omnipotence of God (v. 24)
the omnipresence of God (v. 27)
and
the omniscience of God (v. 31)
In short, Paul proclaims a Sovereign God...
And see now the response in verse 32:
The response is always the same isn't it? Some mock but some listen more closely...
This is why it is the message of the cross that is so important and not the messenger!
This is why it is so important for us to ground ourselves in the Word and not worry so much about methods...
Even though Dave is not here I know he would agree wholeheartedly with me when I say that Christianity is NOT a business and business models will NOT help the church to grow even ONE bit!! [to expalin...brother David is a business professor at a local college]
Why?
Because our job is to proclaim the message...God will do the growing!!
This is why Paul states the following in 1 Corinthians 3:5-7:
"Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase."
Note now how this chapter ends...we mentioned two responses above...those who mock and those who listen...and here in verse 34 we see the other one...those who believe.
If the conversion of men and women depended upon our own poor abilities...then we would have good reasons for despairing...
But brothers and sisters...WE are called to proclaim the Word and to call people to repent...let us strive to do so obediently. And to know that there is one book above all that we need to know...the Word of God! Our sword.
Amen?
Close with prayer
Monday, November 26, 2007
Acts 17:10-15
Read Acts 17:10-15
Let us focus for a moment on v. 11)
The Bereans are here lauded for questioning, for searching the Scriptures to test the words of the apostle...
An aside:
I was raised a nominal Catholic, by which I mean that I considered myself Catholic but rarely went to church. I remember, however, asking the adults questions about different things, such as the “holy water” or the need to go to confession, and being told to be quiet…to not ask questions. As a teenager, I studied with the Jehovah’s Witnesses because one of my sisters was a member of Watchtower. Same deal with them…I’d ask questions and be told to just be quiet. My sister once even told me I was possessed by Satan! I share this only because I want to tell you how important it is to question things…one of the things the Lord used to draw me to Himself was the fact that in real Christianity I have never been told to just shut up…and the more I study the Bible the more answers I get. This is a healthy thing because I have made this faith in Christ my own. He is my Lord not because my parents told me He was (they didn’t) but because He drew me to Himself!
Realize this:
We do not come to church, that is, we should not come to church, with a lazy attitude...even if you do not take notes from the pastors sermon...pay attention...not because you want to catch someone saying something wrong but because we cannot assume that everyone at all times will teach correctly. And do not take slips of the tongue as examples of bad teaching...but be sure to approach...to ask, to hold accountable those who teach and preach...do not be lazy Believers!
We do not come to church, indeed we should not come to church, with a lazy attitude...even if you do not take notes from the pastors sermon...pay attention...not because you want to catch someone saying something wrong but because we cannot assume that everyone at all times will teach correctly. And do not take slips of the tongue as examples of bad teaching...but be sure to approach...to ask, to hold accountable those who teach and preach...do not be lazy Believers.
Look now at verse 13...
These POOR men!! Those from Thessalonica HEAR about what's going on at Berea and go there...that's how much they hate the preaching of the Word!!! Wherever Paul and Silas (and Timothy) go they encounter persecution! What is most amazing is that this does not stop them from continuing their ministry!
Ask) Why not? Do they care so little for their own lives? What is motivating these men to press on in the face of beatings and the very real possibility of death? (Discuss)
Read Philippians 1:19-24; 17-18
These men continue to do as they do because they serve the Risen Christ!
What is death when one serves such a God? Wherever they go, they plant seeds and start churches!!! And they do it because it is their joy in the midst of tribulation to serve such a God!
Therefore, why fear death?
Therefore, hy fear the animosity of man?
Such fear is set on the back burner BECAUSE of the character of the One whom they proclaim to the people!!! And guess what? We serve the same God!!!
Where then is our boldness?
See now again, however, the manner in which the Jews reacted when they "learned that the word of God was preached..." They are mad! They stir up others against those who preached God's Word!
Recall Genesis 3:15
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed."
Realize this: wherever the Word of God is preached...there Satan will have his forces ready to oppose and to sow deception and ill will towards those who proclaim the truth!
Again, we cannot help the fact that even as people are saved from their sin...others will oppose our efforts to evangelize them...so trust in God for your protection and be bold for His name's sake!! After all, remember what kind of God we serve!
Amen?
Let us focus for a moment on v. 11)
The Bereans are here lauded for questioning, for searching the Scriptures to test the words of the apostle...
An aside:
I was raised a nominal Catholic, by which I mean that I considered myself Catholic but rarely went to church. I remember, however, asking the adults questions about different things, such as the “holy water” or the need to go to confession, and being told to be quiet…to not ask questions. As a teenager, I studied with the Jehovah’s Witnesses because one of my sisters was a member of Watchtower. Same deal with them…I’d ask questions and be told to just be quiet. My sister once even told me I was possessed by Satan! I share this only because I want to tell you how important it is to question things…one of the things the Lord used to draw me to Himself was the fact that in real Christianity I have never been told to just shut up…and the more I study the Bible the more answers I get. This is a healthy thing because I have made this faith in Christ my own. He is my Lord not because my parents told me He was (they didn’t) but because He drew me to Himself!
Realize this:
We do not come to church, that is, we should not come to church, with a lazy attitude...even if you do not take notes from the pastors sermon...pay attention...not because you want to catch someone saying something wrong but because we cannot assume that everyone at all times will teach correctly. And do not take slips of the tongue as examples of bad teaching...but be sure to approach...to ask, to hold accountable those who teach and preach...do not be lazy Believers!
We do not come to church, indeed we should not come to church, with a lazy attitude...even if you do not take notes from the pastors sermon...pay attention...not because you want to catch someone saying something wrong but because we cannot assume that everyone at all times will teach correctly. And do not take slips of the tongue as examples of bad teaching...but be sure to approach...to ask, to hold accountable those who teach and preach...do not be lazy Believers.
Look now at verse 13...
These POOR men!! Those from Thessalonica HEAR about what's going on at Berea and go there...that's how much they hate the preaching of the Word!!! Wherever Paul and Silas (and Timothy) go they encounter persecution! What is most amazing is that this does not stop them from continuing their ministry!
Ask) Why not? Do they care so little for their own lives? What is motivating these men to press on in the face of beatings and the very real possibility of death? (Discuss)
Read Philippians 1:19-24; 17-18
These men continue to do as they do because they serve the Risen Christ!
What is death when one serves such a God? Wherever they go, they plant seeds and start churches!!! And they do it because it is their joy in the midst of tribulation to serve such a God!
Therefore, why fear death?
Therefore, hy fear the animosity of man?
Such fear is set on the back burner BECAUSE of the character of the One whom they proclaim to the people!!! And guess what? We serve the same God!!!
Where then is our boldness?
See now again, however, the manner in which the Jews reacted when they "learned that the word of God was preached..." They are mad! They stir up others against those who preached God's Word!
Recall Genesis 3:15
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed."
Realize this: wherever the Word of God is preached...there Satan will have his forces ready to oppose and to sow deception and ill will towards those who proclaim the truth!
Again, we cannot help the fact that even as people are saved from their sin...others will oppose our efforts to evangelize them...so trust in God for your protection and be bold for His name's sake!! After all, remember what kind of God we serve!
Amen?
Acts 17:1-9
Read Acts 17:1-9
We see in this section Paul the evangelist at work. He does not hold back from telling the message that he carries...regardless of his audience! No, he reasons (dialegomai) with the Jews in their own synagogue, and you will note that of course his main message is Christ...
Brothers and sisters...the focus and the purpose of all true evangelical work is to bring the sinner face to face with the Person of Jesus Christ!
And by what method does Paul do this?
"He reasoned with them from the Scriptures..."
In other words, he used sacred text to show how Jesus was the One whom they should have recognized! He used sacred text to show that the suffering, the death, and the resurrection of Christ were foretold! Verses such as these demonstrate to us why it is so important to rely on the Word of God for all of our witnessing. We don't need silly gimmicks or anything other than the Word of God! Do you know why? Because it is the Word itself that is "living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword..." I have said it before and I will say it ever more...it is NOT our presentation of the gospel that works in the heart of people, it is the Word! But today we have chosen too often to rely on other things. My wife attended a women's gathering at a church we used to belong to where they had a missionary share his experiences. This saint was called to the Middle East and shared his experiences there. During the question and answer session, one of the ladies asked him what tools he used in order to share his faith...after a temporary moment of puzzlement, this worthy Believer responded that he used the Bible (i'm sure in his mind he was thinking, "DUH!"). Some of the ladies present seemed put off by the fact that he did not use one of the myriad of tools available for "reaching the lost" such as the evangi-cube, or some other silly thing.
But you know what? Relying on the Bible means more than just having it with you so that you can open it up...we should also know what the Word of God says and be intimately familiar with it so that we too can reason from it!!
Getting back to our text, we see the result of Pauls' reasoning with the Word:
Some believe, come to faith, and the church at Thessalonica is born! See however, what happens in verse 5)
[We don't know much about Jason, but we must assume that he was a Believer and the one hosting Paul and his companions.]
Once again, those who do not come to faith are angry! And so they seek the men to try and drag them into the clutches of the aroused mob...a lynch mob if ever there was one.
Realize this brothers and sisters: When we teach the Word, when we share the Gospel with family, friends, and neighbors...by the grace of God some will believe...but not all of them. And of those who don't...many will feel animosity towards you. Not because you have been out of line, but simply because the truth is a "stumbling stone and a rock of offense" to those who don't believe (1 Peter 2:8). It dares to challenge their view of themselves as inherently good...you know this to be true.
Pastor Kevin L. Smith delivered a sermon at Southern Seminary in which he exhorted the student body to be bold. He challenged them by telling them that they had nothing to lose by being bold in sharing their faith...he said that those who are true Believers that love the Lord are ALREADY thought of as different anyhow! People are going dislike us anyway...why not be disliked while being bold and never hesitating to tell the Truth of Jesus Christ??? I myself at work have a co-worker who seems to enjoy putting down the Christian faith...so what do I have to lose right? He already has a hostile attitude towards me...why then should I ever hesitate to be anything less than bold with him? Amen?
But note now verse 6)
Since the ones they want cannot be found...they turn on Jason and others and take them before authorities...
But look at what they say..."These who have turned the world upside down..." Here they are referring to Paul, Silas, Timothy, and possibly others whom they have heard of...who are passionately preaching the Gospel wherever they are at...
In what way was the world being turned upside down?
The message of the cross was radical...and it was a call to a radical style of living...we are called to a different mindset! Read Romans 12:1-2
We need to be so very different than the world around us and if we are not...then in what way are we turning the world upside down?
But to return to the question above: In what way did these men turn the world upside down?
Matthew Henry wrote the following:
In one sense it is true that wherever the gospel comes in its power to any place, to any soul, it works such a change there, gives such a wide change to the stream, so directly contrary to what it was, that it may be said to turn the world upside down in that place, in that soul. The love of the world is rooted out of the heart, and the way of the world contradicted in the life; so that the world [is] turned upside down there. But in the sense in which they meant it, it is utterly false; they would have it thought that the preachers of the gospel were incendiaries and mischief makers wherever they came, that they sowed discord among relations, set neighbours together by the ears, obstructed commerce, and inverted all order and regularity. Because they persuaded people to turn from vice to virtue, from idols to the living and true God, from malice and envy to love and peace, they are charged with turning the world upside down, when it was only the kingdom of the devil in the world that they thus overturned.
So the world is turned upside down by the radical manner in which the Holy Spirit changes lives, and I say without any reservation that whenever a lost person is found and saved...that one is never the same again! Not only positionally (as in headed to heaven rather than hell) but also in practice of life...because for the Believer, the practice of holiness is an essential part of the new life in Christ!
Look now at v. 7)
"acting contrary to Caesar..."
Because our first and foremost allegiance is to Christ our Lord...the authorities that demand our allegiance will always suspect us.
Because Christ is our only King, the world will have reason to suppress our faith. (mention Am. rebellion's motto "No King but King Jesus!")
Because we obey God rather than man, there will always be Christians in the prisons of the world.
While I have often said that we as American Christians have it rather easy...I do not believe it will always be the case...and one of the things that will set our countrymen against us is that our motto is NOT "My country right or wrong" but "Christ Alone!"
Amen?
Let us pray
We see in this section Paul the evangelist at work. He does not hold back from telling the message that he carries...regardless of his audience! No, he reasons (dialegomai) with the Jews in their own synagogue, and you will note that of course his main message is Christ...
Brothers and sisters...the focus and the purpose of all true evangelical work is to bring the sinner face to face with the Person of Jesus Christ!
And by what method does Paul do this?
"He reasoned with them from the Scriptures..."
In other words, he used sacred text to show how Jesus was the One whom they should have recognized! He used sacred text to show that the suffering, the death, and the resurrection of Christ were foretold! Verses such as these demonstrate to us why it is so important to rely on the Word of God for all of our witnessing. We don't need silly gimmicks or anything other than the Word of God! Do you know why? Because it is the Word itself that is "living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword..." I have said it before and I will say it ever more...it is NOT our presentation of the gospel that works in the heart of people, it is the Word! But today we have chosen too often to rely on other things. My wife attended a women's gathering at a church we used to belong to where they had a missionary share his experiences. This saint was called to the Middle East and shared his experiences there. During the question and answer session, one of the ladies asked him what tools he used in order to share his faith...after a temporary moment of puzzlement, this worthy Believer responded that he used the Bible (i'm sure in his mind he was thinking, "DUH!"). Some of the ladies present seemed put off by the fact that he did not use one of the myriad of tools available for "reaching the lost" such as the evangi-cube, or some other silly thing.
But you know what? Relying on the Bible means more than just having it with you so that you can open it up...we should also know what the Word of God says and be intimately familiar with it so that we too can reason from it!!
Getting back to our text, we see the result of Pauls' reasoning with the Word:
Some believe, come to faith, and the church at Thessalonica is born! See however, what happens in verse 5)
[We don't know much about Jason, but we must assume that he was a Believer and the one hosting Paul and his companions.]
Once again, those who do not come to faith are angry! And so they seek the men to try and drag them into the clutches of the aroused mob...a lynch mob if ever there was one.
Realize this brothers and sisters: When we teach the Word, when we share the Gospel with family, friends, and neighbors...by the grace of God some will believe...but not all of them. And of those who don't...many will feel animosity towards you. Not because you have been out of line, but simply because the truth is a "stumbling stone and a rock of offense" to those who don't believe (1 Peter 2:8). It dares to challenge their view of themselves as inherently good...you know this to be true.
Pastor Kevin L. Smith delivered a sermon at Southern Seminary in which he exhorted the student body to be bold. He challenged them by telling them that they had nothing to lose by being bold in sharing their faith...he said that those who are true Believers that love the Lord are ALREADY thought of as different anyhow! People are going dislike us anyway...why not be disliked while being bold and never hesitating to tell the Truth of Jesus Christ??? I myself at work have a co-worker who seems to enjoy putting down the Christian faith...so what do I have to lose right? He already has a hostile attitude towards me...why then should I ever hesitate to be anything less than bold with him? Amen?
But note now verse 6)
Since the ones they want cannot be found...they turn on Jason and others and take them before authorities...
But look at what they say..."These who have turned the world upside down..." Here they are referring to Paul, Silas, Timothy, and possibly others whom they have heard of...who are passionately preaching the Gospel wherever they are at...
In what way was the world being turned upside down?
The message of the cross was radical...and it was a call to a radical style of living...we are called to a different mindset! Read Romans 12:1-2
We need to be so very different than the world around us and if we are not...then in what way are we turning the world upside down?
But to return to the question above: In what way did these men turn the world upside down?
Matthew Henry wrote the following:
In one sense it is true that wherever the gospel comes in its power to any place, to any soul, it works such a change there, gives such a wide change to the stream, so directly contrary to what it was, that it may be said to turn the world upside down in that place, in that soul. The love of the world is rooted out of the heart, and the way of the world contradicted in the life; so that the world [is] turned upside down there. But in the sense in which they meant it, it is utterly false; they would have it thought that the preachers of the gospel were incendiaries and mischief makers wherever they came, that they sowed discord among relations, set neighbours together by the ears, obstructed commerce, and inverted all order and regularity. Because they persuaded people to turn from vice to virtue, from idols to the living and true God, from malice and envy to love and peace, they are charged with turning the world upside down, when it was only the kingdom of the devil in the world that they thus overturned.
So the world is turned upside down by the radical manner in which the Holy Spirit changes lives, and I say without any reservation that whenever a lost person is found and saved...that one is never the same again! Not only positionally (as in headed to heaven rather than hell) but also in practice of life...because for the Believer, the practice of holiness is an essential part of the new life in Christ!
Look now at v. 7)
"acting contrary to Caesar..."
Because our first and foremost allegiance is to Christ our Lord...the authorities that demand our allegiance will always suspect us.
Because Christ is our only King, the world will have reason to suppress our faith. (mention Am. rebellion's motto "No King but King Jesus!")
Because we obey God rather than man, there will always be Christians in the prisons of the world.
While I have often said that we as American Christians have it rather easy...I do not believe it will always be the case...and one of the things that will set our countrymen against us is that our motto is NOT "My country right or wrong" but "Christ Alone!"
Amen?
Let us pray
Sunday, November 25, 2007
"Why Government Can't Save You: An Alternative to Political Activism" by John MacArthur
ISBN #0-8499-5555-6
I finished reading this book a couple of weeks ago and it gave me much to think about. I highly recommend it to everyone who professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives, but especially to those who have immersed themselves in political activism.
The main objective of the book is to confront the Believer with what Scripture says about the things that should take up most of our time. Along with this is a call to a zealousness for Christ rather than a zeal for causes. MacArthur says: "...well-meaning Christians have founded a number of evangelical activist organizations and put millions of dollars into them in an ill-conceived effort to counteract the secular undermining of American culture. They have used these groups...to lobby hard for a "Christian" political viewpoint and fight against the prevailing anti-Christian culture. Sadly, those believers have often displayed mean-spirited attitudes and utilized the same kinds of worldly tactics as their unbelieving opponents. The problem with this overall approach should be obvious-believers become antagonistic toward the very lost people God has called them to love and reach with the gospel." [emphasis mine]
I have personally observed what MacArthur describes. At my place of employment there was a controversy over some material and what made me the saddest was to see the manner in which those of the faith represented themselves. Things were said and done that led my non believing co-workers to ask me why Christians would behave in such a manner. I defended what I thought was worthy of defending and apologized for my fellow Believers where I felt it was appropriate to do so. And do you know what? At no time did my c0-workers have any doubt as to how I felt about the material in question. Sharing my faith did not require me to become political any more than it require me to compromise on my standards.
Anyhow, MacArthur does well in pointing out that Jesus and the early church lived in a time when the government was a tyrannical oppresive form...yet nowhere did Jesus or the early church fathers call for a revolution against such a government...on the contrary, they called upon Christians to submit to the authorities! To obey the laws of the land. Now then, before someone gets too upset...do we not have a right to protest or tell our government how we feel about its policies? Of course! That is not the issue here...the issue is HOW we do so. Do we do it while submitting to their authority in respect? Let me close with an example that I've been giving much thought to.
Everyone in the Treasure Valley well remembers the controversy over the removal of the Ten
Commandments monument in Boise i'm sure. There were protests and there were people who locked arms to attempt to prevent the removal of the monument by the authorities. Think about this...was it necessary to break the law in order to communicate to the authorities how we felt about this? Imagine how greater the impact would have been on our community if those worthy Believers had instead gone on their knees to the side of the monument and bowed in audible prayer...prayed for the salvation of the people in authority, prayed for those who had demanded the removal of the monument, prayed for the blessings of God upon the city, prayed for a civic change of heart, and prayed God to forgive all those involved...all the while also asking blessings upon the workers who were removing the monument. What kind of positive impact do you think this would have made? What would the world have seen? Christians obeying the governing authorities while at the same time protesting their policies! And you know what? God did not suffer a setback with the removal of the monument. God's game plan did not suffer! So let us stop pretending that He needs our help and go about the task of witnessing to our friends and family, our co-workers and neighbors...doing the work that He has called us to do. Because THAT is what will change our society in the end!
Amen?
Oh yeah...read the book! :)
I finished reading this book a couple of weeks ago and it gave me much to think about. I highly recommend it to everyone who professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives, but especially to those who have immersed themselves in political activism.
The main objective of the book is to confront the Believer with what Scripture says about the things that should take up most of our time. Along with this is a call to a zealousness for Christ rather than a zeal for causes. MacArthur says: "...well-meaning Christians have founded a number of evangelical activist organizations and put millions of dollars into them in an ill-conceived effort to counteract the secular undermining of American culture. They have used these groups...to lobby hard for a "Christian" political viewpoint and fight against the prevailing anti-Christian culture. Sadly, those believers have often displayed mean-spirited attitudes and utilized the same kinds of worldly tactics as their unbelieving opponents. The problem with this overall approach should be obvious-believers become antagonistic toward the very lost people God has called them to love and reach with the gospel." [emphasis mine]
I have personally observed what MacArthur describes. At my place of employment there was a controversy over some material and what made me the saddest was to see the manner in which those of the faith represented themselves. Things were said and done that led my non believing co-workers to ask me why Christians would behave in such a manner. I defended what I thought was worthy of defending and apologized for my fellow Believers where I felt it was appropriate to do so. And do you know what? At no time did my c0-workers have any doubt as to how I felt about the material in question. Sharing my faith did not require me to become political any more than it require me to compromise on my standards.
Anyhow, MacArthur does well in pointing out that Jesus and the early church lived in a time when the government was a tyrannical oppresive form...yet nowhere did Jesus or the early church fathers call for a revolution against such a government...on the contrary, they called upon Christians to submit to the authorities! To obey the laws of the land. Now then, before someone gets too upset...do we not have a right to protest or tell our government how we feel about its policies? Of course! That is not the issue here...the issue is HOW we do so. Do we do it while submitting to their authority in respect? Let me close with an example that I've been giving much thought to.
Everyone in the Treasure Valley well remembers the controversy over the removal of the Ten
Commandments monument in Boise i'm sure. There were protests and there were people who locked arms to attempt to prevent the removal of the monument by the authorities. Think about this...was it necessary to break the law in order to communicate to the authorities how we felt about this? Imagine how greater the impact would have been on our community if those worthy Believers had instead gone on their knees to the side of the monument and bowed in audible prayer...prayed for the salvation of the people in authority, prayed for those who had demanded the removal of the monument, prayed for the blessings of God upon the city, prayed for a civic change of heart, and prayed God to forgive all those involved...all the while also asking blessings upon the workers who were removing the monument. What kind of positive impact do you think this would have made? What would the world have seen? Christians obeying the governing authorities while at the same time protesting their policies! And you know what? God did not suffer a setback with the removal of the monument. God's game plan did not suffer! So let us stop pretending that He needs our help and go about the task of witnessing to our friends and family, our co-workers and neighbors...doing the work that He has called us to do. Because THAT is what will change our society in the end!
Amen?
Oh yeah...read the book! :)
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Suffering and His glory
Last night I finished reading through the book of Job and I just had one thought I wanted to share with all of you:
None of us deny that Job was an amazing man, and I for one look forward to meeting him. One thing that really touched me was the classic verses in Job 1:21, in which Job reacts to news that his children have perished..."Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away: Blessed be the name of the LORD"
Did you catch that? ..."the LORD has taken away, Blessed be the name of the LORD"!
You know I've thought much on this matter, and all I can say is that the loss of my children is THE most terrible loss that I can imagine experiencing...in the flesh, I know that I would lose my mind with grief. Yet my prayer, dear brothers and sisters, is that God will not find me wanting if He ever chooses to test me in this matter. I pray that I will echo the words of Job, that while my children lie in their graves I will turn to Him for comfort and for solace. I pray that my hope is not a shallow one, that my confidence in eternity and in His promises is not so meaningless that the flesh will win out and my mind be lost to grief.
All of you, I'm sure, are familiar with the story of how "It is well with my soul" was written. Wheneve I think of it I cannot help but shed tears because there was another man who exhibited by his testimony that He had real and true confidence in the Lord. For those of you who don't know the story, here goes:
This hymn was written after several traumatic events in Spafford’s life. The first was the death of his only son in 1871, shortly followed by the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer). Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the S.S. Ville Du Havre, but sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with another ship, and all four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, "Saved alone." Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.
It Is Well With My Soul
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,Is nailed to the cross,
and I bear it no more,Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Horatio Spafford
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_With_My_Soul]
Isn't that amazing? God grant that, in all things, every one of us would give you praise, and glory, and honor. And may our lives be so in line with your Word that whatever comes our way, we can say together with the saints that have gone before us, "Blessed be the name of the LORD"
There is another thought, however, that I wish to share with you. Throughout the book of Job he must endure the advice of his friends. Yet after Elihu's words, God Himself addresses Job. Beginning in chapter 38 and continuing through 41, God does not explain Himself to Job...He does not reveal to him why he has had to endure the suffering that he has...NO! Far from it. God questions Job and says, if I may paraphrase, "who do you think YOU are to question Me?"
What is Job's response to the revealed majesty of God? In Job 41:2-6 we find the following:
"I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, "Who is this who hides counsel without knowledege?" Therefore I have uttered what I do not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said "I will question you, and you shall answer Me." [here comes the best part!] I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor [or despise] myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
Do you get that? Job does not say, "fine then! don't answer my question, see if I care!" NO! Upon hearing God and witnessing through His words the revealed majesty of Almighty God, Job says "Therefore I abhor myself, and repent..." Why does he despise himself? Hint: See Isaiah 6:1-5
How can we who are sinful creatures stand before a Holy God? We cannot! Stnading before the majesty, the glory, the holiness of our Master we recognize how terrible indeed our sin is...and we recognize what a terrible thing it was for God Himself to come down from heaven, take human flesh upon Himself, live a perfect life, and suffer the penalty that we should rightly suffer! We recognize what a terrible thing and what a beautiful thing that is as well...do we not? Brothers and sisters...do we love our Redeemer? May the answer of every heart be yes...may we never fail to appreciate what it was that was accomplished on that terrible cross when the One True God was put to death by mankind! What a glorious, merciful and loving God we serve!
Amen?
None of us deny that Job was an amazing man, and I for one look forward to meeting him. One thing that really touched me was the classic verses in Job 1:21, in which Job reacts to news that his children have perished..."Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away: Blessed be the name of the LORD"
Did you catch that? ..."the LORD has taken away, Blessed be the name of the LORD"!
You know I've thought much on this matter, and all I can say is that the loss of my children is THE most terrible loss that I can imagine experiencing...in the flesh, I know that I would lose my mind with grief. Yet my prayer, dear brothers and sisters, is that God will not find me wanting if He ever chooses to test me in this matter. I pray that I will echo the words of Job, that while my children lie in their graves I will turn to Him for comfort and for solace. I pray that my hope is not a shallow one, that my confidence in eternity and in His promises is not so meaningless that the flesh will win out and my mind be lost to grief.
All of you, I'm sure, are familiar with the story of how "It is well with my soul" was written. Wheneve I think of it I cannot help but shed tears because there was another man who exhibited by his testimony that He had real and true confidence in the Lord. For those of you who don't know the story, here goes:
This hymn was written after several traumatic events in Spafford’s life. The first was the death of his only son in 1871, shortly followed by the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer). Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the S.S. Ville Du Havre, but sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with another ship, and all four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, "Saved alone." Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.
It Is Well With My Soul
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,Is nailed to the cross,
and I bear it no more,Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Horatio Spafford
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_With_My_Soul]
Isn't that amazing? God grant that, in all things, every one of us would give you praise, and glory, and honor. And may our lives be so in line with your Word that whatever comes our way, we can say together with the saints that have gone before us, "Blessed be the name of the LORD"
There is another thought, however, that I wish to share with you. Throughout the book of Job he must endure the advice of his friends. Yet after Elihu's words, God Himself addresses Job. Beginning in chapter 38 and continuing through 41, God does not explain Himself to Job...He does not reveal to him why he has had to endure the suffering that he has...NO! Far from it. God questions Job and says, if I may paraphrase, "who do you think YOU are to question Me?"
What is Job's response to the revealed majesty of God? In Job 41:2-6 we find the following:
"I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, "Who is this who hides counsel without knowledege?" Therefore I have uttered what I do not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said "I will question you, and you shall answer Me." [here comes the best part!] I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor [or despise] myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
Do you get that? Job does not say, "fine then! don't answer my question, see if I care!" NO! Upon hearing God and witnessing through His words the revealed majesty of Almighty God, Job says "Therefore I abhor myself, and repent..." Why does he despise himself? Hint: See Isaiah 6:1-5
How can we who are sinful creatures stand before a Holy God? We cannot! Stnading before the majesty, the glory, the holiness of our Master we recognize how terrible indeed our sin is...and we recognize what a terrible thing it was for God Himself to come down from heaven, take human flesh upon Himself, live a perfect life, and suffer the penalty that we should rightly suffer! We recognize what a terrible thing and what a beautiful thing that is as well...do we not? Brothers and sisters...do we love our Redeemer? May the answer of every heart be yes...may we never fail to appreciate what it was that was accomplished on that terrible cross when the One True God was put to death by mankind! What a glorious, merciful and loving God we serve!
Amen?
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
My Letter was Published!
Hello everyone!
In the July 15th, 2007 edition of the Library Journal there was a letter to the editor that lambasted Christians for challenging books in a library somewhere in the South. The writer, a professor at a local college, was pretty upset over this and the following is what he wrote:
-- Library Journal, 7/15/2007
Red State “Christians”
It seemed rather insane when Southerners overreacted to John Lennon's statement about Jesus. After recently reviewing his remarks on a video, I have concluded that he was stating a fact and never intended to elevate the Beatles to a divine level. Those of us who grew up in the “Blue” states were reasonable enough to realize this.
Today, we have supposed Christians in the South overreacting to material in public libraries. The most recent is a father claiming his sons had “sleepless nights” after reading a public library book about lesbian sex (“'Obscene' PL Book on Lesbian Sex?” LJ 5/15/07, p. 19). I recall having sleepless nights as a child, after reading or viewing thriller, suspense, or mystery books and movies. No one thought anything about that. I recall having sleepless nights when a video depicted a live decapitation. These scenes are played over and over on the Internet, but I hear nothing about this. Yet a book about sex and love? How absurd.
This is not government censorship but censorship by private groups, so there is nothing we can do? That is, until the Christian right wing wears us all down (and the government, too), so that we all abide by their viewing habits? I resent what these narrow-minded Red State “Christians” are doing to America.—Douglas W. Cornwell, Assoc. Prof., Palm Beach Community Coll., Lake Worth, FL
The link to the online letter is: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6457210.html
Anyhow, for the obvious reasons I took exception to the letter and its tone and so I wrote in my own letter to the editor, which I was pleased to have published in the October 15th, 2007 edition of the magazine. The letter was not published in its entirety, but that is understandable due to space constraints. The following is what was published:
Patrons have the right
I take exception to Douglas Cornwell's angry and...intolerant views toward “Christians” (“Red State 'Christians,'” Feedback, LJ 7/07, p. 10).... Why are Christians considered “narrow-minded”? Is it merely because they hold an opinion that is contrary to his own? I fear for the day when librarians and library support workers are unable to hold a normal conversation with those with whom they disagree....
Library patrons...have the right to question material, and we should not become defensive or angry when they do so. If we don't want the public to have any input in what we...do, we should remove the process that permits them to do so and be intellectually honest enough to stop accepting public funds....
Whatever we may think of him and his claims...a patron, a taxpayer, and a fellow citizen has every right to hold and voice his opinions....—Ezequiel Luna, Lib. Assoc., Nampa, ID
In the July 15th, 2007 edition of the Library Journal there was a letter to the editor that lambasted Christians for challenging books in a library somewhere in the South. The writer, a professor at a local college, was pretty upset over this and the following is what he wrote:
-- Library Journal, 7/15/2007
Red State “Christians”
It seemed rather insane when Southerners overreacted to John Lennon's statement about Jesus. After recently reviewing his remarks on a video, I have concluded that he was stating a fact and never intended to elevate the Beatles to a divine level. Those of us who grew up in the “Blue” states were reasonable enough to realize this.
Today, we have supposed Christians in the South overreacting to material in public libraries. The most recent is a father claiming his sons had “sleepless nights” after reading a public library book about lesbian sex (“'Obscene' PL Book on Lesbian Sex?” LJ 5/15/07, p. 19). I recall having sleepless nights as a child, after reading or viewing thriller, suspense, or mystery books and movies. No one thought anything about that. I recall having sleepless nights when a video depicted a live decapitation. These scenes are played over and over on the Internet, but I hear nothing about this. Yet a book about sex and love? How absurd.
This is not government censorship but censorship by private groups, so there is nothing we can do? That is, until the Christian right wing wears us all down (and the government, too), so that we all abide by their viewing habits? I resent what these narrow-minded Red State “Christians” are doing to America.—Douglas W. Cornwell, Assoc. Prof., Palm Beach Community Coll., Lake Worth, FL
The link to the online letter is: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6457210.html
Anyhow, for the obvious reasons I took exception to the letter and its tone and so I wrote in my own letter to the editor, which I was pleased to have published in the October 15th, 2007 edition of the magazine. The letter was not published in its entirety, but that is understandable due to space constraints. The following is what was published:
Patrons have the right
I take exception to Douglas Cornwell's angry and...intolerant views toward “Christians” (“Red State 'Christians,'” Feedback, LJ 7/07, p. 10).... Why are Christians considered “narrow-minded”? Is it merely because they hold an opinion that is contrary to his own? I fear for the day when librarians and library support workers are unable to hold a normal conversation with those with whom they disagree....
Library patrons...have the right to question material, and we should not become defensive or angry when they do so. If we don't want the public to have any input in what we...do, we should remove the process that permits them to do so and be intellectually honest enough to stop accepting public funds....
Whatever we may think of him and his claims...a patron, a taxpayer, and a fellow citizen has every right to hold and voice his opinions....—Ezequiel Luna, Lib. Assoc., Nampa, ID
The link to my letter is: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6490642.html You'll need to scroll down as it is the third letter published.
Here is the full text that I sent in to the editor:
I would like to address the letter submitted by Mr. Douglas W. Cornwell of Lake Worth, Florida:
I take exception to Mr. Cornwell’s angry and, ironically enough, intolerant views towards “Christians” (his use of quotation marks speaks volumes about his attitude). First off, why are Christians considered “narrow-minded”? Is it merely because they hold an opinion that is contrary to his own? I fear for the day when Librarians and library support workers are unable to hold a normal conversation with those whom they disagree with…or is that day already here?
At any rate, library customers or patrons (whatever term you use for them!) have the right to question material and we should not become defensive or angry when they do so. If we don’t want the public to have any input in what we as information professionals do, then we should remove the process which permits them to do so, and while we’re at it we should be intellectually honest enough to stop accepting public funds from the very people whose input we seem to resent.
Ultimately, the issue here is not whether that gentleman had a valid concern over the book that supposedly caused his son’s “sleepness nights,” but whether he had/has the right to bring those concerns to the attention of library personnel. Whatever we may think of him and his claims, his religion or lack thereof is irrelevant. He is first and foremost a patron, a taxpayer, and a fellow citizen with every right to hold and voice his opinions.
At any rate, the content of Mr. Cornwell’s letter made it pretty obvious what his attitude is towards Christians, but his divisive comments have no place in a public library. As a Christian myself, I recognize my job is to help a customer/patron find the information s/he needs or wants. If and when I am asked to assist someone find information that I find personally offensive, I direct them to it in as pleasant and professional a manner as with ANY other person. Isn’t that what we claim is our job?
Ezequiel Luna
Library Associate
Nampa, Idaho
I think it was pretty cool that it got published and I'm sure that in the next few issues I might get some uncharitable feedback from others but oh well. I said what I needed to say and that's that right? May He receive the honor and the glory through it all.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Iniquity in the Body stains us all
This morning I read the book of Ezra and this evening I shall begin reading Nehemiah.
As I ponder the words of the prophet I was struck by his anguish at the sin of his brethren. Upon hearing that the people have disobeyed the Lord, we read his words as follows, "So when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down astonished" (Ezra 9:3). Later, as he stands before the people who have sinned, he writes the following, "At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God. And I said: "O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens..." (Ezra 9:5-6).
The first thing I thought about as I read this portion was how Ezra suffered personal anguish over the sin of those around him. How judgmental of him don't you think? That, at least, is what too many Believers today would have us think. When we express anguish today at the sin of brothers and sisters in the Lord we are immediatly accused of judging or of having a critical spirit. The crowds will surround the unrepentant sinner and envelop him within their protective clutches, all the while sending wounded glares at the one who has dared point out the sin. Trust me, I've seen it happen time and time again. But you know what? There is nothing wrong with being disappointed in the sin of those around us who profess our Lord and Savior as their own. It is not judgmental to do so. We SHOULD be astonished at the sin around us...the sin of the Believers because the sin of the world is to be expected! We do no wrong to approach the one in sin.
Do you know what the key thing is? When we anguish over the sin of another Believer we don't do it because it offends our own sensibilities...no, we feel the anguish...we tear our robes...we pull the hairs from our beard and our hair because it is an offense against the One and True Living God of the universe! We should love God so much that sin against His precious Person drives us to anguish! Like Ezra, we too should be astonished when we witness the sin of brothers and sisters in the Lord....how could such a people, delivered from bondage to sin and now joyfully enslaved to righteousness...how could such a people embrace sin? And have no doubts my brethren...when the Believer sins he does it with eyes wide open.
Ezra says "I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift my face to You, my God..." Ezra is ashamed and humiliated! Why? Brothers and sisters...understand this well: For us to condone sin in our midst is for us to spit in the face of God!! Ponder that thought for a moment. To condone iniquity in the Holy Body of Christ is to take His sacrifice on the cross lightly. We should be ashamed and humiliated when a local body of Believers embraces the unrepentant rather than reprove them. What a terrible witness we bear to the lost when we say to them that they must repent of their sin, yet we elevate sinners in our midst to positions of authority and then protect them at all costs. Shame on us all!!
But note the words of Ezra again..."our iniquities have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has grown up to the heavens..."
"OUR iniquities"..."OUR guilt"
Do you see why there is anguish in Ezra? Do you see why we too need to express remorse, anguish, and humiliation? Brothers and sisters...I say it again, iniquity in the Body stains us all!!!
The sin of one in our midst reflects badly on us all...it stains us all. We must exhort, reprove, and encourage one another because when one of us stumbles it brings a reproach upon the name of God if we don't pick him up as best we can...through exhortation or through reproval. Let us not glare at the one picking up the one who stumbles while we pretend he did not stumble...to do so is a reproach to our God.
Lest any of you think I speak as if I think I am without sin...let me assure you this is not the case. I speak as one who has sinned and sinned and has had at least one person hold me strictly accountable. My life is quite frankly an open book...what you see is what you get. See me in sin? Come to me as you should and confront me with it. Be an Ezra to me. God forbid that I fail to repent.
Be jealous for His glory my brethren.
Amen?
As I ponder the words of the prophet I was struck by his anguish at the sin of his brethren. Upon hearing that the people have disobeyed the Lord, we read his words as follows, "So when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down astonished" (Ezra 9:3). Later, as he stands before the people who have sinned, he writes the following, "At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God. And I said: "O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens..." (Ezra 9:5-6).
The first thing I thought about as I read this portion was how Ezra suffered personal anguish over the sin of those around him. How judgmental of him don't you think? That, at least, is what too many Believers today would have us think. When we express anguish today at the sin of brothers and sisters in the Lord we are immediatly accused of judging or of having a critical spirit. The crowds will surround the unrepentant sinner and envelop him within their protective clutches, all the while sending wounded glares at the one who has dared point out the sin. Trust me, I've seen it happen time and time again. But you know what? There is nothing wrong with being disappointed in the sin of those around us who profess our Lord and Savior as their own. It is not judgmental to do so. We SHOULD be astonished at the sin around us...the sin of the Believers because the sin of the world is to be expected! We do no wrong to approach the one in sin.
Do you know what the key thing is? When we anguish over the sin of another Believer we don't do it because it offends our own sensibilities...no, we feel the anguish...we tear our robes...we pull the hairs from our beard and our hair because it is an offense against the One and True Living God of the universe! We should love God so much that sin against His precious Person drives us to anguish! Like Ezra, we too should be astonished when we witness the sin of brothers and sisters in the Lord....how could such a people, delivered from bondage to sin and now joyfully enslaved to righteousness...how could such a people embrace sin? And have no doubts my brethren...when the Believer sins he does it with eyes wide open.
Ezra says "I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift my face to You, my God..." Ezra is ashamed and humiliated! Why? Brothers and sisters...understand this well: For us to condone sin in our midst is for us to spit in the face of God!! Ponder that thought for a moment. To condone iniquity in the Holy Body of Christ is to take His sacrifice on the cross lightly. We should be ashamed and humiliated when a local body of Believers embraces the unrepentant rather than reprove them. What a terrible witness we bear to the lost when we say to them that they must repent of their sin, yet we elevate sinners in our midst to positions of authority and then protect them at all costs. Shame on us all!!
But note the words of Ezra again..."our iniquities have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has grown up to the heavens..."
"OUR iniquities"..."OUR guilt"
Do you see why there is anguish in Ezra? Do you see why we too need to express remorse, anguish, and humiliation? Brothers and sisters...I say it again, iniquity in the Body stains us all!!!
The sin of one in our midst reflects badly on us all...it stains us all. We must exhort, reprove, and encourage one another because when one of us stumbles it brings a reproach upon the name of God if we don't pick him up as best we can...through exhortation or through reproval. Let us not glare at the one picking up the one who stumbles while we pretend he did not stumble...to do so is a reproach to our God.
Lest any of you think I speak as if I think I am without sin...let me assure you this is not the case. I speak as one who has sinned and sinned and has had at least one person hold me strictly accountable. My life is quite frankly an open book...what you see is what you get. See me in sin? Come to me as you should and confront me with it. Be an Ezra to me. God forbid that I fail to repent.
Be jealous for His glory my brethren.
Amen?
Friday, November 2, 2007
Daniel 3:13-18: What Trusting in God Really Means
Tomorrow afternoon we are hosting the boffer group once more. The following is the lesson I plan on presenting during our break. Keep in mind the kids vary in age from 6-15, and I think tomorrow we will have about 10-12 rambunctious boys!
Anyhow, this is the lesson:
********************************
I. Prayer
Summarize Daniel 3:1-12
Read Daniel 3:13-18
Ask: Being totally honest…what do you think you would done had you been one of these young men? (Discuss)
It is hard to imagine being in their place, and we may think that we would fail the test…and were we doing it through our own power we would indeed fail. But as Believers, were we to have such an opportunity to bear witness, the Lord would work in you to see you through such a test. In fact, the Lord works NOW in the Believer to prepare you for whatever tests may be in store for you.
Think about it: How often do we face temptation even now…the temptation to bow before an idol of our modern day society.
You know what I mean…the shows that we watch, what we do with our time, the friends with whom we don’t mention Christ ‘cause we are too embarrassed. To fail in these things is to bow before the idol of modern society.
But wait…didn’t I say God would work in us to help us pass this test?
How can we possibly fail then?
The key to all things now as always, is in your walk with God. Can you imagine that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were just naturally able to withstand the oppression of Persia?
NO!
It was their relationship with God that sustained them…and brothers I tell you now that if you are not in a close relationship with the Lord, you will fail when the time comes. What is scary about all of this is that the Word tells us in Philippians 1:6 that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” In Romans 8:29 we read that we have been “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.”
Now what do those verses mean?
Think about it carefully…if you are a Believer, will you fail to grow and bear fruit? NO!
So then no true Believer can fail! We may be killed, beaten, mocked, but if we are truly His then our walk with God can only get stronger and stronger, and when we face temptations or persecution then we will honor and glorify His name by our submission to His will.
Now please don’t misunderstand me…we cannot be perfect even though we are called to perfection. We will undoubtedly fail and sin and compromise at times…but no true Christian is characterized by this manner. We grow through our experiences, we learn from our mistakes, and the Word teaches us how to grow. The child of God, a title I hope all of you own, will not habitually sin without remorse!
I want us to spend a few moments looking at some of the key phrases in this passage.
Read Daniel 3:14-15
Note what Nebuchadnezzar is doing here: he is placing a temptation before these men of God.
What is that temptation? To betray God! To compromise their standards and their beliefs in exchange for life!
If they bow down, then all is good. They are forgiven and all is forgotten, right? But if they don’t…then a wicked death is in store for them!
Do you see the parallels here?
Have you not had friends or family that have attempted to tell you to live like them or suffer an end to friendship? Have you not been told that living the life of a Christian, obeying the Bible is stupid? That you are uncool?
If not, be patient…the time will come!!
Read Daniel 3:16-18
What a testimony these men bear! NO…they will not bow down! And why not? Because God can save them from the fire!!
And guess what? Here God WILL save them, though they did not know whether He would or not! They did know, however, that He had the power to do so.
What is of utmost importance here is verse 18 (reread it):
Though they were confident that God could save them…that is NOT what they based their hope on!! They understood that for the glory of God they may need to give their lives here…and they were willing to do that!!
Little brothers…God can save you from persecution…He can save you from poverty…He can save you from being mocked by friends and family members.
But He does not have to and He does not promise that He will.
He is the Sovereign God of the Universe and our trust in Him comes from the fact that He is trustworthy! He is the covenant keeper of Genesis 15 (explain)!
To have this kind of faith means that yes we understand that God can save us from anything and everything…but guess what? If we die in His service we lose nothing and gain paradise! We will all die regardless.
But, if you have placed your trust in Christ….if you have turned to Him for forgiveness of your sin…and the Bible in Romans 3:23 says all of us “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”…then you have already been saved from the punishment you deserve (read Romans 6:23).
Let us serve Him because we love Him…let us turn to His Word because we want to know how to serve and love Him even more. And let us be ready, if that day comes when we are faced with the choice of rejecting Him or dying, let us be ready to say, as did these wonderful men, “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us…but if not…we do not serve your gods.”
Amen?
Before we pray…let me encourage you to be in the Word. Not because I ask it of you, but because you claim to love God. If you love Him truly, then spend time with Him…and little brothers…be certain of your salvation. Be aware that no little prayer will get you into heaven if you don’t mean it…
Paul says in Romans 10:9 that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” The key word here is “believe.” You can move your lips all you want…but believing is something that changes the heart.
Let us use as our prayer this confession to God (repeat after me):
I believe in God, the Father Almighty
the Creator of heaven and earth
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin Mary
suffered under Pontius Pilate
was crucified, died, and was buried.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty
[from where] He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit
the holy church
the communion of saints
the forgiveness of sins
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen.
Anyhow, this is the lesson:
********************************
I. Prayer
Summarize Daniel 3:1-12
Read Daniel 3:13-18
Ask: Being totally honest…what do you think you would done had you been one of these young men? (Discuss)
It is hard to imagine being in their place, and we may think that we would fail the test…and were we doing it through our own power we would indeed fail. But as Believers, were we to have such an opportunity to bear witness, the Lord would work in you to see you through such a test. In fact, the Lord works NOW in the Believer to prepare you for whatever tests may be in store for you.
Think about it: How often do we face temptation even now…the temptation to bow before an idol of our modern day society.
You know what I mean…the shows that we watch, what we do with our time, the friends with whom we don’t mention Christ ‘cause we are too embarrassed. To fail in these things is to bow before the idol of modern society.
But wait…didn’t I say God would work in us to help us pass this test?
How can we possibly fail then?
The key to all things now as always, is in your walk with God. Can you imagine that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were just naturally able to withstand the oppression of Persia?
NO!
It was their relationship with God that sustained them…and brothers I tell you now that if you are not in a close relationship with the Lord, you will fail when the time comes. What is scary about all of this is that the Word tells us in Philippians 1:6 that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” In Romans 8:29 we read that we have been “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.”
Now what do those verses mean?
Think about it carefully…if you are a Believer, will you fail to grow and bear fruit? NO!
So then no true Believer can fail! We may be killed, beaten, mocked, but if we are truly His then our walk with God can only get stronger and stronger, and when we face temptations or persecution then we will honor and glorify His name by our submission to His will.
Now please don’t misunderstand me…we cannot be perfect even though we are called to perfection. We will undoubtedly fail and sin and compromise at times…but no true Christian is characterized by this manner. We grow through our experiences, we learn from our mistakes, and the Word teaches us how to grow. The child of God, a title I hope all of you own, will not habitually sin without remorse!
I want us to spend a few moments looking at some of the key phrases in this passage.
Read Daniel 3:14-15
Note what Nebuchadnezzar is doing here: he is placing a temptation before these men of God.
What is that temptation? To betray God! To compromise their standards and their beliefs in exchange for life!
If they bow down, then all is good. They are forgiven and all is forgotten, right? But if they don’t…then a wicked death is in store for them!
Do you see the parallels here?
Have you not had friends or family that have attempted to tell you to live like them or suffer an end to friendship? Have you not been told that living the life of a Christian, obeying the Bible is stupid? That you are uncool?
If not, be patient…the time will come!!
Read Daniel 3:16-18
What a testimony these men bear! NO…they will not bow down! And why not? Because God can save them from the fire!!
And guess what? Here God WILL save them, though they did not know whether He would or not! They did know, however, that He had the power to do so.
What is of utmost importance here is verse 18 (reread it):
Though they were confident that God could save them…that is NOT what they based their hope on!! They understood that for the glory of God they may need to give their lives here…and they were willing to do that!!
Little brothers…God can save you from persecution…He can save you from poverty…He can save you from being mocked by friends and family members.
But He does not have to and He does not promise that He will.
He is the Sovereign God of the Universe and our trust in Him comes from the fact that He is trustworthy! He is the covenant keeper of Genesis 15 (explain)!
To have this kind of faith means that yes we understand that God can save us from anything and everything…but guess what? If we die in His service we lose nothing and gain paradise! We will all die regardless.
But, if you have placed your trust in Christ….if you have turned to Him for forgiveness of your sin…and the Bible in Romans 3:23 says all of us “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”…then you have already been saved from the punishment you deserve (read Romans 6:23).
Let us serve Him because we love Him…let us turn to His Word because we want to know how to serve and love Him even more. And let us be ready, if that day comes when we are faced with the choice of rejecting Him or dying, let us be ready to say, as did these wonderful men, “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us…but if not…we do not serve your gods.”
Amen?
Before we pray…let me encourage you to be in the Word. Not because I ask it of you, but because you claim to love God. If you love Him truly, then spend time with Him…and little brothers…be certain of your salvation. Be aware that no little prayer will get you into heaven if you don’t mean it…
Paul says in Romans 10:9 that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” The key word here is “believe.” You can move your lips all you want…but believing is something that changes the heart.
Let us use as our prayer this confession to God (repeat after me):
I believe in God, the Father Almighty
the Creator of heaven and earth
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin Mary
suffered under Pontius Pilate
was crucified, died, and was buried.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty
[from where] He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit
the holy church
the communion of saints
the forgiveness of sins
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen.
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