One time a student came to Socrates and said, “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, because anytime I meet you, you show me what I am.” God’s a lot like that. Someone has said, “Our problem with God is not His existence, it’s His essence, for when we see Him, He shows us what we’re not.”
One time Luther was asked by a friend, “Where are you going to stand when everyone is against you?” Luther replied, “Right where I stand now, in the hands of Almighty God.” You see, Luther knew that his standing was not the product of the work of Luther; it was the product of the work of God.
Generations ago some unknown author wrote: “I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew He moved my soul to seek Him, seeking me; It was not I that found, O Savior true, No I was found of thee.”
Years after Watergate, Chuck Colson said, “My greatest humiliation was the beginning of God’s greatest use of my life. He chose the one experience, in which I could not glory, for His glory.
And the Apostle Paul knew that. After writing two letters to the church at Corinth, Paul writes a third letter that we call II Corinthians. (We’re missing the first and maybe another one.) Near the end of it, the apostle returns to a familiar theme – humility. Indeed, both of the Corinthian epistles take on the issue of egotism as the primary problem in Corinth. And Paul begins his rebuke in the first chapter of the first letter. Twenty-six chapters later Paul says, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness…For when I am weak, then I am strong.” The problem in Corinth is factionalism. It’s a factionalism born of pride, and Paul hits it head on. In fact his most devastating critique of egotism is a reference to Christ’s teaching in II Corinthians 12:1-10. Here Paul recounts the time when he was caught up into the third heaven and there he heard things that cannot be told. But in I Corinthians 11 he tells us one of the things Christ told him. And guess what? It’s all about oneness!
Think of it. When Paul meets the Risen Christ, whether in the desert of Arabia (Gal. 1) or here in the third heaven, the subject the Lord addresses with him is communion. That’s the Corinthian problem. That’s our problem, too – factionalism and individualism born of egotism.
When one considers the marks of a life that’s becoming more and more like Jesus, one of the clearest and strongest is a corporate identity. This stands to reason, for in all the Gospels there’s only one thing that Jesus says He earnestly desires (read “lusts after”) and that is to eat with His disciples. Indeed, His final command prior to the cross is, “Love one another as I have loved you.” As we noted last week, when the Holy Spirit transforms a life, one of the clearest byproducts is a whole lot less “me” and a whole lot more “we.” And that’s exactly what we find again in Sunday’s text: I Corinthians 11:1-2, 17-34.
In preparation for Sunday you may wish to consider the following:
1. Find some Scriptural examples of eating together as the sign of intimacy.
2. What experience might Paul be referring to in II Corinthians 12:2?
3. How could Paul’s experience of 14 years earlier relate to what he’s saying in I Corinthians 11?
4. What does the word “communion” mean?
5. Why does Paul say that when the Corinthian Christians come together in verse 17 it’s not for the good, but for the worse?
6. Why is it that the most pressing thing on Jesus’ mind before the cross is eating with His disciples?
7. In verse 24 Paul mentions something Matthew and Mark fail to mention in their accounts of this first communion. What is it?
8. What can we learn about our corporate identity in Christ from the word “Eucharist”?
9. What does it mean to eat and drink in an “unworthy manner”?
10. How do both of the variant readings in verse 33 make the same point - that it’s all about the “whole” and not the “parts”?
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Rescued Together
“No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be wasted away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend’s were.
Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.”
John Donne 1624 A.D.
John Donne was a Christian Monk. His intention in authoring this piece was not to create a “stand alone” poem, but was a part of a devotional contemplation entitled, Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. For Donne, and other thinkers of his Renaissance Era, rugged individualism and self-reliance were not the hallmark of progress, but the devolution and corruption of God’s original intentions.
Today we live in a culture where the quest for “islandhood” is at epidemic levels. Many see it as progress; and yet, it’s actually quite the opposite. As John Donne knew, Satan’s first temptation in the Garden of Eden was an appeal to individualism and isolation. The effect of the fall of man was not only isolation from God, but isolation of man from man, man from self, man from creation. Indeed, all of human history is marked by a tension between individualism and community.
In the last 50 years “self-help” books have been at the top of the sales volume list of all publications. Many of the books of this genre have multiple chapters on acts of altruism. The author’s intention is clear – one necessary step toward human fulfillment is the undertaking of acts of kindness to others; ergo: “No man is an island.” Indeed, even someone as accomplished as the Secretary of State and former First Lady, Hillary Clinton, could author her epiphanous book, It Takes a Village, as a declaration of the truth of Donne’s discovery.
There is something fundamentally intrinsic in fallen man that seeks to isolate and individualize one life from another. Indeed, throughout the Scriptures we find that isolation and individualism are the inevitable results of sin. See Cain and Abel. See Achan. See the Gergesene demoniac. See Judas. The list goes on and on. But the converse is also true. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, where His regenerative power is on full display, there is a glorious fellowship that results. One needs only to look to Acts 2 (Sunday’s companion text) to see the power of divinely authored interdependence among Christ’s body – His church.
For months we’ve been examining the effects of spiritual transformation on lives that rest on the finished work of Christ. We’ve looked at the different kind of love that begins to flow from the transformed life. We’ve looked at the hope, the forgiveness, the power, and the courage that mark every truly transformed life.
This Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, we turn to our final mark of transformation – community. The evidence of Scripture is overwhelming. Those who are truly being transformed by the Holy Spirit will find a growing desire for fellowship and interconnectedness. This is necessarily so, for Jesus came, died, and rose again to redeem a company of people – His body – the church. Simply put, every one of us who names the name of Christ, who worships God in spirit, glories Christ Jesus, and puts no confidence in the flesh, should find within ourselves a growing, intense devotion to other believers. For all that Christ has done, He’s done for “US.”
This week we look at our RESCUE. We find ourselves in Joshua chapters 3 & 4 where, after forty years of wandering in the wilderness, God leads His people, together, from the Jordan River and into the Promised Land.
In preparation for Sunday you may wish to consider the following:
1. Who are these people who come to the banks of the Jordan River? What is their relationship with the ones that come through the Red Sea?
2. What similarities and differences can you find between the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14) and the crossing of the Jordan?
3. What is the purpose of delaying them at the river for three days (3:2)?
4. What is the meaning of the parenthetical comment in 4:15?
5. Who leads them through the waters?
6. How many pass through the Jordan? And how wide is the dry riverbed? (See 4:16)
7. What is the meaning of sending one man from every tribe to the feet of the priests to pick up a stone? (See 4:2-3.)
8. Why carry the stones on the shoulder? And how far do they carry them?
9. What is the meaning of Gilgal?
10. What is the message of the stone “sign”? (See 4:6)
11. What is the meaning of “crossing over” together? (See Genesis 2:18.)
See you Sunday – Pentecost Sunday!
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be wasted away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend’s were.
Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.”
John Donne 1624 A.D.
John Donne was a Christian Monk. His intention in authoring this piece was not to create a “stand alone” poem, but was a part of a devotional contemplation entitled, Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. For Donne, and other thinkers of his Renaissance Era, rugged individualism and self-reliance were not the hallmark of progress, but the devolution and corruption of God’s original intentions.
Today we live in a culture where the quest for “islandhood” is at epidemic levels. Many see it as progress; and yet, it’s actually quite the opposite. As John Donne knew, Satan’s first temptation in the Garden of Eden was an appeal to individualism and isolation. The effect of the fall of man was not only isolation from God, but isolation of man from man, man from self, man from creation. Indeed, all of human history is marked by a tension between individualism and community.
In the last 50 years “self-help” books have been at the top of the sales volume list of all publications. Many of the books of this genre have multiple chapters on acts of altruism. The author’s intention is clear – one necessary step toward human fulfillment is the undertaking of acts of kindness to others; ergo: “No man is an island.” Indeed, even someone as accomplished as the Secretary of State and former First Lady, Hillary Clinton, could author her epiphanous book, It Takes a Village, as a declaration of the truth of Donne’s discovery.
There is something fundamentally intrinsic in fallen man that seeks to isolate and individualize one life from another. Indeed, throughout the Scriptures we find that isolation and individualism are the inevitable results of sin. See Cain and Abel. See Achan. See the Gergesene demoniac. See Judas. The list goes on and on. But the converse is also true. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, where His regenerative power is on full display, there is a glorious fellowship that results. One needs only to look to Acts 2 (Sunday’s companion text) to see the power of divinely authored interdependence among Christ’s body – His church.
For months we’ve been examining the effects of spiritual transformation on lives that rest on the finished work of Christ. We’ve looked at the different kind of love that begins to flow from the transformed life. We’ve looked at the hope, the forgiveness, the power, and the courage that mark every truly transformed life.
This Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, we turn to our final mark of transformation – community. The evidence of Scripture is overwhelming. Those who are truly being transformed by the Holy Spirit will find a growing desire for fellowship and interconnectedness. This is necessarily so, for Jesus came, died, and rose again to redeem a company of people – His body – the church. Simply put, every one of us who names the name of Christ, who worships God in spirit, glories Christ Jesus, and puts no confidence in the flesh, should find within ourselves a growing, intense devotion to other believers. For all that Christ has done, He’s done for “US.”
This week we look at our RESCUE. We find ourselves in Joshua chapters 3 & 4 where, after forty years of wandering in the wilderness, God leads His people, together, from the Jordan River and into the Promised Land.
In preparation for Sunday you may wish to consider the following:
1. Who are these people who come to the banks of the Jordan River? What is their relationship with the ones that come through the Red Sea?
2. What similarities and differences can you find between the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14) and the crossing of the Jordan?
3. What is the purpose of delaying them at the river for three days (3:2)?
4. What is the meaning of the parenthetical comment in 4:15?
5. Who leads them through the waters?
6. How many pass through the Jordan? And how wide is the dry riverbed? (See 4:16)
7. What is the meaning of sending one man from every tribe to the feet of the priests to pick up a stone? (See 4:2-3.)
8. Why carry the stones on the shoulder? And how far do they carry them?
9. What is the meaning of Gilgal?
10. What is the message of the stone “sign”? (See 4:6)
11. What is the meaning of “crossing over” together? (See Genesis 2:18.)
See you Sunday – Pentecost Sunday!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Courage to Die
"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church" is a statement that has stirred the spirit throughout the years. It seems that often the death of a person for the sake of the Gospel has been used by the Holy Spirit to compel others to Christ. We so often speak of Christ's death for us but this week we think of those who died for Him. Obviously, they were willing to give all for Him because He had given all for them.
Stephen is the primary example we have of a martyr in the New Testament. He was an amazing follower of Christ who was powerful in his witness and bold in his preaching. Opponents of "The Way" (as Christianity was first called) hated his theology and ministry just as they opposed our Lord. False witnesses were set against Stephen but to no avail. Finally, his direct challenges to his opponents and vision of the Triumphant Lord brought about the stoning that killed him. We will consider in the text this matter of hatred against Christians, Stephen's fearlessness in the face of death, and Christ's honor of this faithful martyr.
The transformed life calls us not only to be willing to live for Christ but to be willing to die for Him as well. Thankfully we live in a nation where religious freedom has flourished. However, many of our brothers and sisters in Christ in other lands still face persecution and even martyrdom.
Along with the biblical record of martyrs, I have read an old book called Foxe's Book of Martyrs and viewed the website for "The Voice of the Martyrs." These testimonies have stirred some questions in my mind. Do I love Christ enough to die for Him? Would I have the courage if called upon to be a martyr for Him? When we consider questions like these and the sacred sacrifice of Stephen, we are looking at ultimate transformation!
See you Sunday.
1. What "S" word gives an indication of where Stephen's power and fearlessness came from? Acts 6:5, 10, 55
2. Looking at Acts 6:15 and Acts 7:51-53 what curious combo do you see in Stephen? Compare John 1:14.
3. Study Acts 6:7-11. Why was Stephen opposed? What methods did his opponents seek to use to combat him?
4. What is unique about Christ’s recognition of His martyr, Stephen, in Acts 7:55?
5. Read some of the other "stoning" stories in the N.T. John 8:5, 59; 10:31; Acts 14:19
6. Christ honors the martyrs of the O.T. beginning and ending with whom? Matthew 23:35
7. Consider the 5th Seal of Revelation 6:9-11 and its description of martyrs for Christ.
8. What is the promised reward Christ gives to martyrs? Revelation 2:10
9. Where is our source of courage? Joshua 1:9; Psalm 31:24
Stephen is the primary example we have of a martyr in the New Testament. He was an amazing follower of Christ who was powerful in his witness and bold in his preaching. Opponents of "The Way" (as Christianity was first called) hated his theology and ministry just as they opposed our Lord. False witnesses were set against Stephen but to no avail. Finally, his direct challenges to his opponents and vision of the Triumphant Lord brought about the stoning that killed him. We will consider in the text this matter of hatred against Christians, Stephen's fearlessness in the face of death, and Christ's honor of this faithful martyr.
The transformed life calls us not only to be willing to live for Christ but to be willing to die for Him as well. Thankfully we live in a nation where religious freedom has flourished. However, many of our brothers and sisters in Christ in other lands still face persecution and even martyrdom.
Along with the biblical record of martyrs, I have read an old book called Foxe's Book of Martyrs and viewed the website for "The Voice of the Martyrs." These testimonies have stirred some questions in my mind. Do I love Christ enough to die for Him? Would I have the courage if called upon to be a martyr for Him? When we consider questions like these and the sacred sacrifice of Stephen, we are looking at ultimate transformation!
See you Sunday.
1. What "S" word gives an indication of where Stephen's power and fearlessness came from? Acts 6:5, 10, 55
2. Looking at Acts 6:15 and Acts 7:51-53 what curious combo do you see in Stephen? Compare John 1:14.
3. Study Acts 6:7-11. Why was Stephen opposed? What methods did his opponents seek to use to combat him?
4. What is unique about Christ’s recognition of His martyr, Stephen, in Acts 7:55?
5. Read some of the other "stoning" stories in the N.T. John 8:5, 59; 10:31; Acts 14:19
6. Christ honors the martyrs of the O.T. beginning and ending with whom? Matthew 23:35
7. Consider the 5th Seal of Revelation 6:9-11 and its description of martyrs for Christ.
8. What is the promised reward Christ gives to martyrs? Revelation 2:10
9. Where is our source of courage? Joshua 1:9; Psalm 31:24
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The Courage to Come
There’s a political scientist at Dartmouth who, along with a colleague from Georgia State University, is examining the results of political pollsters who say that since 2006 the political landscape of America has flipped.
Six years ago, with a Republican president in the White House, three-fourths of Democrats believed that President Bush could do something about high gas prices, while the vast majority of Republicans said, “No, he can’t.” Today it’s the exact reverse, with three-fourths of Republicans saying President Obama could do something to bring gas prices down and two-thirds of Democrats saying he can’t.
This same “flip” is seen on nearly every issue. In 2004 most Democrats felt that Bush was politicizing September 11, 2001. Today a vast majority of Republicans think Obama is politicizing the killing of Osama bin Laden. “The whole political landscape has flipped,” says Brendan Nyhan of Dartmouth.
What these researchers are examining as a reason for the “flip” is a concept popularized by French sociologist Emile Durkheim in the late 19th century. Durkheim called it “cognitive dissonance.” It is the experience of holding in one’s head several inconsistent ideas at the same time. Nyhan says, “When Democrats hear the argument that the president can do something about high gas prices, that produces dissonance because it clashes with the loyalties they feel to Obama. The same thing happens with Republicans when they hear that Obama can’t be held responsible for high gas prices.” In other words, in both cases the information challenges their feelings about the president.
The researchers hypothesize that partisans reject such information not because they reject the facts, but because it’s painful. Therefore, they say that a possible solution is: if people were made to feel better about themselves it could help them more easily absorb the impact of the information that threatens their pre-existing view. Indeed, much of their current research tends to support that very idea.
Now all of this relates in a direct way to the subject before the house this Sunday. In Matthew 15, Jesus encounters a foreign woman who’s desperate to have her daughter delivered of demon oppression. She feels deeply about it. However, in this encounter she comes face to face with the power of facts, and rather than rejecting them, she embraces them.
Throughout my ministry I have been continually amazed at the power that feelings have over what we think, how we act, and what we believe. When Augustine utters his famous line that I quoted last week: “If you believe what you like in the Gospel and reject what you don’t like, it’s not the Gospel you believe, but yourself,” he’s largely speaking of one’s feelings. It’s not the facts that get in our way, it’s our feelings. So we will begin at that point this Sunday and attempt to see how, for every transformed life, the power of our old personal feelings begin to recede and new desires are created in a heart by the Holy Spirit. Indeed, it is these new desires that Jesus meets.
In preparation for Sunday, you may wish to consider the following:
1. What is known about the region of Tyre and Sidon at the time of Christ?
2. What is the backdrop for Jesus traveling there?
3. How did the Greeks define hypocrisy? How does Jesus define it?
4. What does Jesus find in this woman that’s different from the Scribes and Pharisees and illustrates His definition of hypocrisy?
5. What is this woman looking for when she comes to Jesus?
6. What would the laws of Israel require Jesus to do with her?
7. There are two Greek words for dog – which one does Jesus use? Any significance?
8. Where does her response in verse 27 emanate from?
9. On what basis does Jesus proclaim the greatness of her faith?
10. Why is the NIV translation of Jesus’ words in verse 28 so weak? What does it mean when He says to her, “Be it done for you as you desire”?
See you on Mother’s Day as we look at The Courage to Come to Christ.
Six years ago, with a Republican president in the White House, three-fourths of Democrats believed that President Bush could do something about high gas prices, while the vast majority of Republicans said, “No, he can’t.” Today it’s the exact reverse, with three-fourths of Republicans saying President Obama could do something to bring gas prices down and two-thirds of Democrats saying he can’t.
This same “flip” is seen on nearly every issue. In 2004 most Democrats felt that Bush was politicizing September 11, 2001. Today a vast majority of Republicans think Obama is politicizing the killing of Osama bin Laden. “The whole political landscape has flipped,” says Brendan Nyhan of Dartmouth.
What these researchers are examining as a reason for the “flip” is a concept popularized by French sociologist Emile Durkheim in the late 19th century. Durkheim called it “cognitive dissonance.” It is the experience of holding in one’s head several inconsistent ideas at the same time. Nyhan says, “When Democrats hear the argument that the president can do something about high gas prices, that produces dissonance because it clashes with the loyalties they feel to Obama. The same thing happens with Republicans when they hear that Obama can’t be held responsible for high gas prices.” In other words, in both cases the information challenges their feelings about the president.
The researchers hypothesize that partisans reject such information not because they reject the facts, but because it’s painful. Therefore, they say that a possible solution is: if people were made to feel better about themselves it could help them more easily absorb the impact of the information that threatens their pre-existing view. Indeed, much of their current research tends to support that very idea.
Now all of this relates in a direct way to the subject before the house this Sunday. In Matthew 15, Jesus encounters a foreign woman who’s desperate to have her daughter delivered of demon oppression. She feels deeply about it. However, in this encounter she comes face to face with the power of facts, and rather than rejecting them, she embraces them.
Throughout my ministry I have been continually amazed at the power that feelings have over what we think, how we act, and what we believe. When Augustine utters his famous line that I quoted last week: “If you believe what you like in the Gospel and reject what you don’t like, it’s not the Gospel you believe, but yourself,” he’s largely speaking of one’s feelings. It’s not the facts that get in our way, it’s our feelings. So we will begin at that point this Sunday and attempt to see how, for every transformed life, the power of our old personal feelings begin to recede and new desires are created in a heart by the Holy Spirit. Indeed, it is these new desires that Jesus meets.
In preparation for Sunday, you may wish to consider the following:
1. What is known about the region of Tyre and Sidon at the time of Christ?
2. What is the backdrop for Jesus traveling there?
3. How did the Greeks define hypocrisy? How does Jesus define it?
4. What does Jesus find in this woman that’s different from the Scribes and Pharisees and illustrates His definition of hypocrisy?
5. What is this woman looking for when she comes to Jesus?
6. What would the laws of Israel require Jesus to do with her?
7. There are two Greek words for dog – which one does Jesus use? Any significance?
8. Where does her response in verse 27 emanate from?
9. On what basis does Jesus proclaim the greatness of her faith?
10. Why is the NIV translation of Jesus’ words in verse 28 so weak? What does it mean when He says to her, “Be it done for you as you desire”?
See you on Mother’s Day as we look at The Courage to Come to Christ.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Courage to Resist
This week Hebron has the privilege of welcoming the Reverend Dr. William R. Glaze to our pulpit. Bill is the pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Homewood, and he has been a great friend of mine for many years.
Bill is the host and preacher of the Word FM program, “Anchored in Jesus,” heard nightly Monday through Friday. He is also the Founder and Dean of the Pittsburgh Laymen’s Bible Institute, Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Center for Urban Biblical Ministry, and Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Point Breeze.
Recently, during a series of radio broadcasts that we did together, Bill offered to come to Hebron and take part in our series on Living the Transformed Life – and Sunday, April 29 is the day!
Bill will preach a message from Jeremiah 12:1-5 and Daniel 3:13-18 entitled, “Weariness Weakens the Courage to Resist.” The principle feature of Sunday’s message is to reveal ways Christians can combat weariness in resisting the world, ourselves, and the devil and thereby, demonstrate clear evidence of a transformed life. The following Sunday I will pick up where Bill leaves off and focus our attention more on the Daniel 3 text where the Holy Spirit details the power He gives us to resist even the most powerful assaults.
In preparation for both weeks it’s critical to review the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and see again how antithetical it is to what most of us believe.
It’s a word that’s rarely used these days, but it perfectly describes the charge many Christians level against other Christians without even knowing it. Indeed, it is the same charge the Pharisees leveled against Jesus.
The word is antinomianism. It literally means to stand in opposition to the law. It is the charge of all who trust in their own goodness, merit, repentance, etc., to insure their standing with God.
It’s not an official survey. The margin of error is probably as wide as the Allegheny River. But my findings reveal that what’s true of the pagan is often true for many Christians. When you ask them to describe the foundation of their justification before God, they site their works. I remember one guy, a Christian and a frequent Bible study attendee, who claimed that, if he died with one unconfessed sin, he’d be in danger of hell. The sad fact is - if you place your trust in your own doings – even your own repenting, it’s not only tragically misplaced; it’s outside the bounds of the Gospel and a major impediment to living a transformed life. The truth is, all aspects of transformed living – love, hope, forgiveness, power, courage, and community - flow from a right understanding of law and grace within the Gospel.
Listen to what Charles Spurgeon says in his comments on Romans 8:37, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
The great D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones understood this principle well. In commenting on Romans 5 and 6 he says:
It takes courage to resist the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. It takes courage to resist the charges of the carnal church. It takes courage to stand for the Gospel. It takes a courage that is willing to “take on” not only the charges of the Pharisees and the Roman Catholics, it takes the courage to resist our own sinful selves that wish to justify ourselves, by ourselves. We see it in Jeremiah. We see it in Daniel. May we see it in us!
See you Sunday.
Here are some reflection questions for Jeremiah 12 and Daniel 3 that may assist you in “digging in.”
Jeremiah 12:1-5
1.According to some sources, Jeremiah 12:1-4 is the earliest Old Testament passage in Hebrew literature to raise the question, “Why do
the wicked prosper?” What are some similar texts?
2.What’s the context for Jeremiah’s lament?
•Eight things are revealed about Jeremiah in his prayer:
1)He talks to God about his problem.
2)He’s resolutely committed to the fact that God will only do right.
3)He’s frustrated by the happiness of the wicked. (v.1)
4)He’s committed to God’s sovereignty. (v.2)
5)His own heart doesn’t commend him. (v. 3)
Can you find the other three?
3.What do you make of God’s response beginning in verse 5?
4.How does God demonstrate His understanding of Jeremiah and his weariness?
5.What does God remind Jeremiah to remember?
6.According to God, what is the source of all courage?
Daniel 3:13-30
1.What do you know of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians?
2.What is their relationship to Israel?
3.Why were Daniel and the other Hebrew youth taken to Babylon?
4.How old was Daniel when he got there and how long did he stay?
5.How true is this statement? A proper view of God’s sovereignty is the gateway to courage. Why?
6.How do you explain Nebuchadnezzar’s contrasting behavior in 2:45 and here in 3:19?
7.What do you think of this definition of blasphemy? “When more is made of the man than the God.”
8.On what grounds can Daniel and the others say to Nebuchadnezzar what they do in verse 16?
9.What is at the heart of their message in vv. 16 & 17?
10.How does what Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar about God in 2:44-45 relate to his answer in vv. 16 & 17?
11.Is Daniel courageous because he knows the outcome or because he knows the One who will determine the outcome?
12.Look at James 1:2; Isaiah 43:2-5; I Peter 4:12-14; Hebrews 4:16, and compare to Daniel’s experience.
13.How are Nebuchadnezzar’s words in verse 28 a kind of Mission Statement for all believers?
14.Do Daniel and the others believe that seeing is believing or the opposite?
Bill is the host and preacher of the Word FM program, “Anchored in Jesus,” heard nightly Monday through Friday. He is also the Founder and Dean of the Pittsburgh Laymen’s Bible Institute, Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Center for Urban Biblical Ministry, and Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Point Breeze.
Recently, during a series of radio broadcasts that we did together, Bill offered to come to Hebron and take part in our series on Living the Transformed Life – and Sunday, April 29 is the day!
Bill will preach a message from Jeremiah 12:1-5 and Daniel 3:13-18 entitled, “Weariness Weakens the Courage to Resist.” The principle feature of Sunday’s message is to reveal ways Christians can combat weariness in resisting the world, ourselves, and the devil and thereby, demonstrate clear evidence of a transformed life. The following Sunday I will pick up where Bill leaves off and focus our attention more on the Daniel 3 text where the Holy Spirit details the power He gives us to resist even the most powerful assaults.
In preparation for both weeks it’s critical to review the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and see again how antithetical it is to what most of us believe.
It’s a word that’s rarely used these days, but it perfectly describes the charge many Christians level against other Christians without even knowing it. Indeed, it is the same charge the Pharisees leveled against Jesus.
The word is antinomianism. It literally means to stand in opposition to the law. It is the charge of all who trust in their own goodness, merit, repentance, etc., to insure their standing with God.
It’s not an official survey. The margin of error is probably as wide as the Allegheny River. But my findings reveal that what’s true of the pagan is often true for many Christians. When you ask them to describe the foundation of their justification before God, they site their works. I remember one guy, a Christian and a frequent Bible study attendee, who claimed that, if he died with one unconfessed sin, he’d be in danger of hell. The sad fact is - if you place your trust in your own doings – even your own repenting, it’s not only tragically misplaced; it’s outside the bounds of the Gospel and a major impediment to living a transformed life. The truth is, all aspects of transformed living – love, hope, forgiveness, power, courage, and community - flow from a right understanding of law and grace within the Gospel.
Listen to what Charles Spurgeon says in his comments on Romans 8:37, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
We go to Christ for forgiveness, and then too often look to the law for power to fight our sins. Paul thus rebukes us, “O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth? This only would I learn of you, did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?” Take your sins to Christ’s cross, for the old man(human nature) can only be crucified there: we are crucified with Him. The only weapon to fight sin with is the spear that pierced the side of Jesus. To give an illustration, suppose you want to overcome an angry temper, how do you go to work? It is very possible you have never tried the right way of going to Jesus with it. How did I get salvation? I came to Jesus just as I was, and I trusted Him to save me. I must kill my angry temper in the same way. It is the only way in which I can ever kill it. I must go to the cross with it, and say to Jesus, “Lord, I trust you to deliver me from it.” This is the only way to give it a death blow. Are you covetous? Do you feel the world entangle you? You may struggle against this evil as long as you please, but if it is your besetting sin, you will never be delivered from it any way but by the blood of Jesus. Take it to Christ. Tell Him, “Lord, I have trusted You, and Your name is Jesus, for You save Your people from their sins; Lord, this is one of my sins; save me from it!” Ordinances are nothing without Christ as a means of mortification. Your prayers, and your repentance, and your tears – the whole of them put together – are not worth anything apart from Him. None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good; or helpless saints either. You must be conquerors through Him who loved you, if conquerors at all. Our laurels must grow among His olives in Gethsemane.Rather than being a means to rid the Christian of sin, the law is the mirror for sin. The law is that which underscores the trouble and should drive us not to ourselves, and our own efforts, but to Christ and all His efforts. Do you see this? It’s the principle on which Martin Luther stated his claim that we Christians have an insatiable need to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached to us.
The great D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones understood this principle well. In commenting on Romans 5 and 6 he says:
The true preaching of the Gospel…always leads to the possibility of the charge of antinomianism. There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament Gospel than this, that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this, that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. If my preaching and presentation of the Gospel does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it’s not the Gospel.This was precisely the charge the Roman Catholic Church brought against Luther. It’s the exact charge some in the church brought hundreds of years later against George Whitefield. Why? Because the true Gospel of grace is a razor’s edge away from antinomianism. Being saved, staying saved, growing as saved people, living a transformed life, hinges not on our virtue, but Jesus’ finished, all-sufficient, all-powerful work.
It takes courage to resist the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. It takes courage to resist the charges of the carnal church. It takes courage to stand for the Gospel. It takes a courage that is willing to “take on” not only the charges of the Pharisees and the Roman Catholics, it takes the courage to resist our own sinful selves that wish to justify ourselves, by ourselves. We see it in Jeremiah. We see it in Daniel. May we see it in us!
See you Sunday.
Here are some reflection questions for Jeremiah 12 and Daniel 3 that may assist you in “digging in.”
Jeremiah 12:1-5
1.According to some sources, Jeremiah 12:1-4 is the earliest Old Testament passage in Hebrew literature to raise the question, “Why do
the wicked prosper?” What are some similar texts?
2.What’s the context for Jeremiah’s lament?
•Eight things are revealed about Jeremiah in his prayer:
1)He talks to God about his problem.
2)He’s resolutely committed to the fact that God will only do right.
3)He’s frustrated by the happiness of the wicked. (v.1)
4)He’s committed to God’s sovereignty. (v.2)
5)His own heart doesn’t commend him. (v. 3)
Can you find the other three?
3.What do you make of God’s response beginning in verse 5?
4.How does God demonstrate His understanding of Jeremiah and his weariness?
5.What does God remind Jeremiah to remember?
6.According to God, what is the source of all courage?
Daniel 3:13-30
1.What do you know of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians?
2.What is their relationship to Israel?
3.Why were Daniel and the other Hebrew youth taken to Babylon?
4.How old was Daniel when he got there and how long did he stay?
5.How true is this statement? A proper view of God’s sovereignty is the gateway to courage. Why?
6.How do you explain Nebuchadnezzar’s contrasting behavior in 2:45 and here in 3:19?
7.What do you think of this definition of blasphemy? “When more is made of the man than the God.”
8.On what grounds can Daniel and the others say to Nebuchadnezzar what they do in verse 16?
9.What is at the heart of their message in vv. 16 & 17?
10.How does what Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar about God in 2:44-45 relate to his answer in vv. 16 & 17?
11.Is Daniel courageous because he knows the outcome or because he knows the One who will determine the outcome?
12.Look at James 1:2; Isaiah 43:2-5; I Peter 4:12-14; Hebrews 4:16, and compare to Daniel’s experience.
13.How are Nebuchadnezzar’s words in verse 28 a kind of Mission Statement for all believers?
14.Do Daniel and the others believe that seeing is believing or the opposite?
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Courage to Fight
The Courage to Fight
I Samuel 17:31-49
Ephesians 6:10-18
"I'm a lover, not a fighter" would seem like a Christian motto. However, the Bible teaches us that sometimes Christians need to get into fights! Paul testified "I have fought the good fight" in 2 Timothy 4:7. What are the good fights? I'm sure many of us would fight for the oppressed, our country, our families, and even our own lives. So what does the Bible indicate about good fights for the Lord? Paul speaks of our "struggle" against spiritual forces of evil (Eph. 6:12), "beating" our bodies into spiritual submission (1 Cor. 9:27) and Jude talks of "contending" for the faith (Jude 3). Even the Lord Jesus talks about "fighting" false doctrine (Rev. 2:16). These fights aren't emphasizing physical force but rather times when we need to stand up, speak up, and show up for biblical teaching and behavior!
In our well-known text this week, David fights Goliath. This physical battle teaches us spiritual truth like Paul uses the Roman military of his day to teach us to be good Christian soldiers (Eph. 6:10-18; 2 Tim.2:3,4). David shows courage against a favored opponent by remembering past victories, choosing a weapon he is comfortable with, and relying on the name of the Lord. We, too, can be transformed into courageous Christians as we read of victories in the Bible, learn to express God's truth in ways that work for us, and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and Scripture.
Sometimes folks get so into the "fight" that they get a "chip on my shoulder" attitude. Please remember that David was not only a fighter but also a lover, a man of music and meditation, soft hearted, and sensitive. But when there was a cause, he didn't back down but went into battle full force. ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS!
See you Sunday.
1. One of the great Old Testament military leaders was Joshua. How many enemy kings
did he defeat? Joshua 12:7-24
2. What was the war cry of Gideon? Judges 7:20
3. In Sunday's text what past victories gave David confidence? To whom did he give
the credit for those victories? I Samuel 17:34-37
4. What can we learn from David's choice of weapons in I Samuel 17:38-40?
5. Who were some of John the Baptist's followers? Luke 3:14
6. Who is considered by some as the first Gentile convert in Acts? What was his
occupation? Acts 10:1
7. In Ephesians 6:10-18 Paul describes our struggle against evil spiritual forces.
Describe what that struggle might entail. What piece or pieces of the armor of
God are particularly meaningful to you?
8. How would we "beat" our bodies into spiritual submission? (I Corinthians 9:27)
List some of the spiritual disciplines.
9. What did Jude originally plan to write about in Jude 3a?
What changed his mind? Jude 3b-5
10. Can you name some hymns or spiritual songs that might be considered "fight songs
of the faith"?
I Samuel 17:31-49
Ephesians 6:10-18
"I'm a lover, not a fighter" would seem like a Christian motto. However, the Bible teaches us that sometimes Christians need to get into fights! Paul testified "I have fought the good fight" in 2 Timothy 4:7. What are the good fights? I'm sure many of us would fight for the oppressed, our country, our families, and even our own lives. So what does the Bible indicate about good fights for the Lord? Paul speaks of our "struggle" against spiritual forces of evil (Eph. 6:12), "beating" our bodies into spiritual submission (1 Cor. 9:27) and Jude talks of "contending" for the faith (Jude 3). Even the Lord Jesus talks about "fighting" false doctrine (Rev. 2:16). These fights aren't emphasizing physical force but rather times when we need to stand up, speak up, and show up for biblical teaching and behavior!
In our well-known text this week, David fights Goliath. This physical battle teaches us spiritual truth like Paul uses the Roman military of his day to teach us to be good Christian soldiers (Eph. 6:10-18; 2 Tim.2:3,4). David shows courage against a favored opponent by remembering past victories, choosing a weapon he is comfortable with, and relying on the name of the Lord. We, too, can be transformed into courageous Christians as we read of victories in the Bible, learn to express God's truth in ways that work for us, and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and Scripture.
Sometimes folks get so into the "fight" that they get a "chip on my shoulder" attitude. Please remember that David was not only a fighter but also a lover, a man of music and meditation, soft hearted, and sensitive. But when there was a cause, he didn't back down but went into battle full force. ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS!
See you Sunday.
1. One of the great Old Testament military leaders was Joshua. How many enemy kings
did he defeat? Joshua 12:7-24
2. What was the war cry of Gideon? Judges 7:20
3. In Sunday's text what past victories gave David confidence? To whom did he give
the credit for those victories? I Samuel 17:34-37
4. What can we learn from David's choice of weapons in I Samuel 17:38-40?
5. Who were some of John the Baptist's followers? Luke 3:14
6. Who is considered by some as the first Gentile convert in Acts? What was his
occupation? Acts 10:1
7. In Ephesians 6:10-18 Paul describes our struggle against evil spiritual forces.
Describe what that struggle might entail. What piece or pieces of the armor of
God are particularly meaningful to you?
8. How would we "beat" our bodies into spiritual submission? (I Corinthians 9:27)
List some of the spiritual disciplines.
9. What did Jude originally plan to write about in Jude 3a?
What changed his mind? Jude 3b-5
10. Can you name some hymns or spiritual songs that might be considered "fight songs
of the faith"?
Friday, April 13, 2012
Power of Provision
"Where God guides He provides." Sounds trite, but ‘tis true! The Bible is full of examples of the Lord's provision for His people, the wilderness wanderings of Israel, Elijah the Prophet, the crowds who followed Jesus and the Apostle Paul on his missionary journeys - just to name a few! I love Abraham's testimony in Genesis 22:14 "The Lord will provide".
The Lord Jesus teaches us to trust in the Heavenly Father's provision in Matthew 6:25. He is not suggesting that we fail to plan ahead, work hard, or save for a rainy day. He is teaching us that our ultimate focus is not on earthly provisions but on the Lord who in love and power provides for His own. Even the Apostle Paul didn't have God plopping his food on a plate directly from Heaven but worked as a tentmaker as well as receiving gifts from God's caring people and a miracle or two along the way.
For the transformed believer what a joy it is to know that in this life we can look to our Lord for His provision for faith, food, and our future - provision from groceries to guidance to guarding us. Confidence in His supply can lead us to abundant giving, greater ventures for the Kingdom, and peace about the daily needs of our lives and families.
See you Sunday!
1. What is the prayer for provision that Jesus teaches us? Matthew.6:11
2. What is the promise of provision from Paul in Philippians 4:19?
3. What principle of provision brings balance to our understanding of God's
provision? 2 Thessalonians 3:10
4. How is the Provider of provision described in James 1:17?
5. Consider a psalm of provision - Psalm 23. Compare the descriptions there to
earthly and spiritual provision.
6. What comfort and challenge do you find in Proverbs of provision? Prov. 3:5, 6
7. Consider your own praise for provision that God has supplied through ability to
work, gifts from others, and miraculous supply. Lamentations 3:22, 23
(Remind you of a hymn?)
8. What is the pinnacle of provision? John 3:16!!!
The Lord Jesus teaches us to trust in the Heavenly Father's provision in Matthew 6:25. He is not suggesting that we fail to plan ahead, work hard, or save for a rainy day. He is teaching us that our ultimate focus is not on earthly provisions but on the Lord who in love and power provides for His own. Even the Apostle Paul didn't have God plopping his food on a plate directly from Heaven but worked as a tentmaker as well as receiving gifts from God's caring people and a miracle or two along the way.
For the transformed believer what a joy it is to know that in this life we can look to our Lord for His provision for faith, food, and our future - provision from groceries to guidance to guarding us. Confidence in His supply can lead us to abundant giving, greater ventures for the Kingdom, and peace about the daily needs of our lives and families.
See you Sunday!
1. What is the prayer for provision that Jesus teaches us? Matthew.6:11
2. What is the promise of provision from Paul in Philippians 4:19?
3. What principle of provision brings balance to our understanding of God's
provision? 2 Thessalonians 3:10
4. How is the Provider of provision described in James 1:17?
5. Consider a psalm of provision - Psalm 23. Compare the descriptions there to
earthly and spiritual provision.
6. What comfort and challenge do you find in Proverbs of provision? Prov. 3:5, 6
7. Consider your own praise for provision that God has supplied through ability to
work, gifts from others, and miraculous supply. Lamentations 3:22, 23
(Remind you of a hymn?)
8. What is the pinnacle of provision? John 3:16!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)