True Freedom In Christ 7-5-26 AM

I.            True freedom requires discipline (John 8:31).

a.      Jesus begins with an “if” statement.

           i.      This means there is a condition.

           ii.      It also means there is a possibility that some will not continue.

b.      Jesus is speaking to Jews who believed in Him.

           i.      Jesus does not treat their belief as a shallow moment of interest.

           ii.      He says true discipleship is shown by continuing in His word.

c.       The word translated “abide” or “continue” means to remain, stay, dwell, or make your home in something.

           i.      It is the same word used often in 1 John.

           ii.      It carries the idea of settled residence, not a temporary visit.

           iii.      It is the difference between passing through a place and pitching your tent there.

d.      Jesus is saying, “Don’t just admire my word. Remain in it. Don’t just hear my word. Live in it. Don’t just begin with me. Continue with me.”

e.      The means true freedom requires discipline.

           i.      Not to earn salvation.

           ii.      Not as in trusting ourselves.

           iii.      But as in staying close to Christ and refusing to drift.

f.        A person does not accidentally remain in Christ.

           i.      We drift accidentally.

           ii.      We abide intentionally.

g.      Think about the discipline required for national freedom.

           i.      The freedoms celebrated by us in this country were not preserved because of one emotional day in 1776.

           ii.      They required endurance, sacrifice, training, and perseverance.

           iii.      Soldiers did not win freedom by simply believing freedom was a good idea.

           iv.      They had to continue in the cause.

h.      In a far greater way, Jesus is telling us that spiritual freedom is not found in a momentary interest in Him, but in remaining with Him.

           i.      Many want freedom from guilt, but not discipline in the word.

           ii.      Many want freedom from consequences, but not surrender to Christ.

           iii.      Many want freedom from fear, but not daily faithfulness.

           iv.      Many want Jesus as a Savior, but resist Jesus as Lord.

           v.      Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.”

           vi.      This means discipleship is not occasional attention to Jesus, but a life built in and around Him.

i.        We need to ask:

           i.      Am I abiding in Him or occasionally visiting?

           ii.      Am I continuing in Christ or slowly drifting?

           iii.      Am I letting His word correct, shape, restrain, and lead me?

j.        Freedom is found by staying with Christ.

II.            True freedom results from deity (John 8:32).

a.      Jesus says freedom comes from truth.

          i.      On one occasion, Pilate asked what is truth.

          ii.      Jesus lets us know (John 17:17).

b.     Truth is not:

          i.      Whatever culture currently approves.

          ii.      Whatever I sincerely feel.

          iii.      Whatever works for me.

          iv.      Something man invents.

c.      Truth comes from God (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

d.      This means true freedom results from deity – from the divine will of God, revealed through His Son.

e.      Jesus is not offering human opinion.

          i.      He is not giving self-help advice.

          ii.      He is not presenting one religious option among many.

f.       Jesus is the Son speaking the truth of the Father.

g.     This truth contains the message that sets sinners free: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

          i.      Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose on the third day.

          ii.      Through obedient faith, we are united with Him and freed from sin.

h.     This is why truth cannot be tampered with.

          i.      If man changes it, it is no longer God’s truth.

          ii.      If man softens it, it is no longer God’s truth.

          iii.      It man adds to it, it is no longer God’s truth.

          iv.      If man removes from it, it is no longer God’s truth.

i.       The power is never in our edits, but in the word of God.

j.       A medicine only helps if it remains what the doctor prescribes.

          i.      If a pharmacist decides to alter the formula, remove the active ingredient, or replace with something else, it may become more pleasant, but it will no longer heal.

          ii.      The gospel is God’s remedy for is and we aren’t free to rewrite the prescription.

k.      This matters because people often want freedom without truth.

           i.      They want peace without repentance.

           ii.      They want forgiveness without surrender.

           iii.      They want salvation without obedience.

           iv.      They want Jesus without the word.

l.        Jesus ties freedom to truth – you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

m.    We have to love truth more than tradition, more than comfort, more than popularity, more than personal preference.

n.      When truth confronts us, we don’t argue with it – we obey it.

III.            True freedom rejects dishonesty (John 8:33-34).

a.      The Jews responded to Jesus with a dishonest claim.

          i.      They had been in bondage to Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Syria.

          ii.      At that moment, they were under Roman rule and occupation.

b.     Their dishonesty went deeper than history – they were denying their spiritual condition.

c.     Jesus was speaking about bondage to sin and they tried to change the subject to ancestry – we are offspring of Abraham.

d.     Jesus did not let them hide behind religious heritage – everyone who commits, practices, sin is a slave to sin.

          i.      Practices, or commits, points to ongoing action, continual sinning with no change or repentance.

          ii.      Jesus is describing a life ruled, patterned, and mastered by sin.

e.      Sin promises freedom, but produces slavery.

           i.      Sin says you are in control while it quietly takes control.

           ii.      Sin say this will satisfy you, while making you emptier.

           iii.      Sin says you can stop when you want while tightening the chains.

f.        One of the first steps in recovery movements is when a person finally say I am powerless over this.

           i.      No matter how we feel of all of a program like that, that first admission reflects a biblical reality: healing will not begin with denial, only truth.

           ii.      As long as a person says he does not have a problem, the chains remain hidden.

g.      We can’t be freed from sin we won’t confess.

           i.      Where am I pretending to be free while sin is ruling me?

           ii.      What sin have I renamed so I don’t have to repent of it?

           iii.      What attitude, habit, relationship, or desire has more control over me than I want to admit?

h.      It may be anger, pornography, alcohol, gambling, cussing, greed, pride, gossip, the need to control others, or many other things.

i.        Jesus does not expose sins only to shame us, but to free us.

j.        We can’t receive freedom while defending our chains.

IV.            True freedom remains dedicated (John 8:35-36).

a.      Jesus now gives a household picture.

          i.      A slave may be in the house but he does not have permanent standing in it.

          ii.      A son belongs there and has a lasting place.

b.     Jesus is warning them and us: don’t assume that closeness to religious things equals freedom.

          i.      They were descendants of Abraham.

          ii.      They had been given the Old Testament.

          iii.      They had the temple.

          iv.      They had religious identity.

c.      Jesus says that only the Son can make a slave free.

d.      The word free means released, liberated, set loose from bondage.

e.      Real freedom is not self-declared, it is Son-given.

          i.      Only Jesus can free us from sin because only Jesus has authority over sin.

          ii.      Only Jesus can free us from sin because only Jesus offered Himself for our guilt.

          iii.      Only Jesus can free us from sin because only Jesus bore condemnation for us.

          iv.      Only Jesus can keep us in the Father’s house because only the Son remains forever.

f.       This means true freedom remains dedicated.

g.     We remain in Christ because freedom is found only in Christ.

h.     During the Revolutionary War, freedom from tyranny required bloodshed.

          i.      The Declaration announced the cause, but blood was shed to secure it.

          ii.      Freedom came at a cost.

i.       That is also true spiritually, but on a far greater level.

          i.      It took blood to free America from tyranny.

          ii.      It took blood to free us from sin.

j.       Not the blood of soldiers, but the blood of the Son of God (1 Pe. 1:18-19).

k.     True freedom is not doing whatever we want, which is often just another form of slavery.

l.       True freedom is being released from sin so we can belong to God.

m.    Freedom is not life without a master, it is life under the right Master.

          i.      The world says to be free by serving yourself, but Jesus to be free by being set free by the Son.

          ii.      The world says to throw off all restraint, but Jesus abide in my word.

          iii.      The world says to define your own truth, but the Jesus say to know the truth.

          iv.      The world says to hide your sin but Jesus says to confess it and be made free.

          v.      The world says you are free when no one rules you but Jesus says you are free when sin no longer rules you.

n.      The Son sets us free and we stay free by remaining in Him.

Faith That Embraces The Promises 6-28-26 PM

I.            Faith pursues the promise (Heb. 11:8-10, 17-18).

a.      Abraham’s faith is shown in two major acts: He left Ur of the Chaldees and was willing to offer up his only begotten son Isaac.

b.      There are some key words that we need to notice:

           i.      Obeyed – Abraham’s faith moved him to action.

1.      Biblical faith is never mere agreement.

2.      Abraham did not simply believe God existed; he trusted God enough to act.

           ii.      Called – Abraham did not create his own mission.

1.      God initiated it.

2.      Faith begins when God speaks and we respond.

           iii.      Sojourned – this means Abraham lived as a temporary resident.

1.      Abraham did live in the promised land eventually.

2.      However, he did not fully possess it.

           iv.      Offered up – describes Abraham’s willingness to give Isaac back to God.

1.      The text doesn’t say Abraham understood everything.

2.      It says he trusted God who had made the promise.

           v.      Only son – refers to Isaac as the unique son of promise.

1.      This is the same phrase used by God the Father about Jesus.

2.      Isaac was one of a kind and there was never to another like him.

3.      Abraham had other sons but not like Isaac, the son of promise.

c.       When God called Abraham to leave Ur and go to a land, God did not say what land or how to get there.

           i.      He said to a land I will show you.

           ii.      Here we read that Abraham went out not knowing where he was going.

           iii.      Abraham didn’t have a detailed itinerary.

           iv.      He did have a divine promise.

d.      Later, God tests Abraham by commanding him to offer Isaac.

           i.      This created a crisis because God had promised that through Isaac Abraham’s offspring would be named.

           ii.      Here is God commanding Abraham to give up that son.

           iii.      The reason Abraham was willing is found in verse 19 – he believed God could raise him from the dead.

           iv.      Abraham did not know how God would keep His promise, but he did know that he would keep His promise.

e.      Faith does not always know the route, but faith knows the guide.

           i.      Some people won’t obey God until they understand every consequence.

           ii.      They want to know how every relationship, financial decision, and family situation will work out first.

           iii.      Abraham says faith obeys when God’s word is clear, even if the outcome is not.

f.        For us today, it means leaving sin behind even when it’s been familiar.

           i.      It means obeying Christ in baptism even if family does not understand.

           ii.      It means forgiving someone, serving someone when it costs, or trusting in God through a season of life where the future is not clear.

g.      In Acts 16:9, we read about what we call Paul’s Macedonian call.

           i.      Paul had never been in Greece and had not been allowed to go.

           ii.      The call comes and Paul drops everything and goes.

           iii.      They had no gps, no Siri, or Google Maps.

           iv.      He went because he got the call.

h.      Faith does not require visibility before obedience.

i.        Faith obeys God’s word even when God has not shown the whole road.

II.            Faith perceives the Promise-Giver (Heb. 11:11-12).

a.      Sarah’s faith was not in her age, body, or her circumstances, but in the character of God.

b.      There are some important key words or phrases in these two verses:

           i.      Received power means God supplied what Sarah did not naturally possess – the promise was fulfilled by divine power, not human ability.

           ii.      Past the age emphasizes the impossibility of the situation from a human standpoint – Sarah was beyond childbearing years.

           iii.      Considered carries the idea of judging, counting, or concluding something to be true – Sarah made a faith judgment about God.

           iv.      Faithful means reliable, trustworthy, dependable – Sarah believed God would do what He said.

           v.      Promised reminds us that faith rests on God’s word, not human optimism.

c.       Sarah’s account is not a simple story of perfect faith from beginning to end.

           i.      In Genesis 18, Sarah laughs when she heard the promise that she would bear a son.

           ii.      Her first reaction was disbelief.

d.      But Hebrews 11 remembers the final position of her faith – she came to regard God as faithful.

e.      That matters with God.

           i.      Faith does not mean you have never struggled.

           ii.      Faith means you bring your struggles under the truth of who God is.

           iii.      The result was staggering (Heb. 11:12).

           iv.      God produced a multitude out of barrenness.

f.        Faith does not deny weakness – it looks beyond weakness to God’s faithfulness.

g.      Some of us may look at our lives and say: It’s too late, I’ve done too much damage. I am too weak. My family is too far gone. I have failed too many times.

           i.      Sarah reminds us that the issue is not whether you are strong enough.

           ii.      The issue is whether God is faithful.

           iii.      This doesn’t mean God will give us everything we desire, but He will keep every promise He has ever made.

h.      God has promised forgiveness in Christ.

           i.      He promises strength in the time of temptation.

           ii.      He promises resurrection.

           iii.      He promises to complete His work in His people.

           iv.      He promises that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.

i.        I have a preaching friend, who if I called his name you would probably know, who had a terrible accident.

           i.      He can no longer walk but he can still preach and does.

           ii.      He continually points out God’s goodness in his life even with the injuries he has.

           iii.      His life shows that life is not easy, but that God remains faithful.

j.        This is Sarah-like faith: not confidence in circumstances, but confidence in a faithful God.

k.      Faith measures life by God’s faithfulness, not our limitations.

III.            Faith Pilgrims toward the promise (Heb. 11:13-16).

a.      Verse 13 is the heart of the passage – these people lived and died believing promises they had not fully received.

b.      There are some key words or phrases in this we need to notice:

           i.      Died in faith means their faith endured to the end – they did not abandon God because fulfillment was not going to be in their lifetime.

           ii.      Seen them from afar means they perceived God’s promises by faith, though they did not yet possess them by sight.

           iii.      Strangers and pilgrims describes people who do not fully belong to the land where they live – they are residents, but not truly home.

           iv.      Desire in verse 16 speaks of deep longing – their hearts were set on something better.

           v.      Better country points beyond Canaan to the heavenly homeland God has waiting for His people.

c.       Hebrews says they acknowledged that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

           i.      This does not mean they hated life.

           ii.      It means they understood life properly.

d.      They knew the land promise mattered, but they also knew God’s greater promise pointed beyond earthly geography.

           i.      They were seeking a homeland.

           ii.      They desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one.

e.      Then comes one of the most beautiful statements in Hebrews (Heb. 11:16).

           i.      They were not ashamed to live like pilgrims.

           ii.      God was not ashamed to be called their God.

f.        Faith changes how we view the world.

           i.      The world tells us to make our home hear.

           ii.      Faith says that this world is not our final home.

g.      This should changes our priorities.

           i.      We don’t live for possessions as though they are permanent.

           ii.      We do not treat comfort as our highest God.

           iii.      We don’t compromise truth just to be accepted by the culture.

           iv.      We don’t despair when life is hard, because we are headed to a better country.

h.      Christians should be the best citizens, neighbors, workers, and family members.

i.        But, we should never forget: we are strangers and pilgrims here because our citizenship is in heaven.

j.        Faith lives full here because heaven is home.

IV.            Faith proclaims the promise (Heb. 11:20-22).

a.      Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all looked forward and their faith spoke into the future.

b.      Look at these key words and phrases:

           i.      Blessed means they spoke covenant promises to the next generation – this was not sentimental wishing, but faith in God’s covenant word.

           ii.      Concerning things to come emphasizes that their faith reached beyond their own lives.

           iii.      Made mention means Joseph deliberately spoke about the exodus before it happened.

           iv.      Departing refers to Israel’s future deliverance from Egypt – Joseph believing God would bring His people out.

           v.      Bones in verse 22 shows how concrete Joseph’s faith was – he gave instructions about his burial because he believed God would bring Israel to the promised land.

c.      Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things still to come.

d.      Jacob, near death blessed Joseph’s sons.

           i.      He leaned on his staff and worshiped.

           ii.      His body was weak, but his faith was looking forward.

e.      Joseph may be the most striking example here.

           i.      At the end of Genesis, Joseph was powerful in Egypt.

           ii.      But he did not want his bones to stay there permanently.

           iii.      Joseph died in Egypt but his faith was packed for Canaan.

           iv.      He believed in a future he would not personally see in his lifetime.

f.        Faith is not only personal; it is generational.

           i.      We have to speak God promises to those coming after us.

1.      Parents, grandparents, elders, teachers, and mature Christians need to bless the next generation with truth.

2.      Not vague positivity, worldly success slogans.

           ii.      We have to teach them about God’s promises.

1.      Tell them God is faithful.

2.      Christ is worth following.

3.      Sin destroys.

4.      Obedience matters.

5.      Heaven is real.

6.      There is one church.

7.      Jesus is coming again.

8.      The resurrection is worth waiting for.

           iii.      A dying Joseph gave instructions about his bones because he believed God’s promise

g.      What instructions are we leaving behind by the way we live?

h.      Many of us know families where a faithful grandmother or grandfather never saw all the fruit they prayed for.

           i.      They taught bible classes, brought children to worship, prayed over names, and kept pointing the family to Christ.

           ii.      Some died before seeing children or grandchildren obey the gospel or come back to the Lord they had left.

           iii.      But their faith still spoke after they were gone.

i.        That is Joseph’s kind of faith: one that says, God is not finished, even when my life is.

j.        Faith speaks God’s promises to a future it may never see.

Blessings Of Being Justified 6-28-26 AM

I.            The blessing of peace (Rom. 5:1).

a.      The word “therefore” points back to chapter 4.

          i.      Paul has just stated that righteousness is counted to those who believe in the God who raised Jesus from the dead.

          ii.      Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

b.     When Paul states since we have been justified by faith, he is not talking about a shallow mental agreement.

          i.      Biblical faith trusts God enough to respond to Him.

          ii.      It is faith that moves.

c.      When we are justified, we have peace with God.

d.      This is not a warm, fuzzy feeling in your heart but a changed relationship with God.

           i.      Before justification, we are not neutral.

           ii.      We are not simply confused people trying to do our best.

           iii.      Sin makes us enemies of God (Jam. 4:4).

           iv.      Before justification, we are on the wrong side of the battle.

e.      Notice what Paul writes later in the letter (Rom. 8:6).

f.        When WWII ended, the signing of the surrender documents aboard the USS Missouri did not merely create a feeling of peace.

          i.      It officially ended a state of war.

          ii.      The relationship changed because the conflict had been settled.

g.     This is the picture in this verse.

          i.      Through Jesus Christ, the conflict caused by sin is settled.

          ii.      The sinner no longer stands as an enemy of God but as one brought near thought Jesus.

h.     We need to understand there is a difference between feeling peaceful and being at peace with God.

          i.      Some people feel calm but are still lost.

          ii.      Some people feel religious but are still guilty.

          iii.      Some people feel confident but are still unreconciled.

i.       Paul writes that the justified person has peace with God “through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

j.       This means our assurance is not built on our goodness but on His cross.

k.     Because Jesus settled our guilt, we can live at peace with God.

II.            The blessing of grace (Rom. 5:2).

a.     Paul tells us that through Jesus we have “access” to get into grace.

b.     This carries the idea of being brought into the presence of someone important.

          i.      We don’t barge into God’s favor.

          ii.      We are brought in through Christ.

c.      Notice the phrase “this grace wherein we stand…”

          i.      Grace is not something God gives at the beginning of salvation and then takes away.

          ii.      Grace is the place where the justified live.

          iii.      We stand in it.

d.     Grace is God’s unearned favor.

          i.      It is not wages or payment.

          ii.      It is not God rewarding us because we are impressive.

          iii.      It is God giving what we do not deserve because of what Christ has done.

e.      This verse shows us that faith and grace go hand in hand.

          i.      Grace is God’s part.

          ii.      Faith is man’s part – our part.

          iii.      Obedient faith receives what grace provides.

f.       When one is baptized into Christ, he puts on Christ (Gal. 3:27).

          i.      We don’t earn grace in baptism.

          ii.      We submit to Christ in faith and receive what only grace can give. 

g.     A few weeks ago, Jincy and I got to go to a grand opening of a new factory in the Shoals area.

          i.      The reason we got to go was not because we belonged there or they were letting just anyone in there.

          ii.      We got to go in there because we had been invited because Jincy works for Congressman Aderholt.

          iii.      We got to go because someone with authority allowed us access.

h.     This is grace – we did not have access to God because of our record – Jesus gives us access because of His.

i.       A lot of us struggle because we feel we are barely tolerated by God.

          i.      I’ve heard people say “I hope I just get in the back door of heaven” or something like this.

          ii.      They just hope God lets them in and it doesn’t have to be a fine place for them.

j.       Romans 5:2 says the justified stand in grace.

          i.      There are no levels of grace.

          ii.      You are either in it or you are not.

k.      We do need to remember that we stand in grace but are also warned we can fall from it.

          i.      We can’t treat grace as a license to do what we want.

          ii.      We have to treat grace as something we will never let go.

l.       Grace gives us access we could never earn.

III.            The blessing of tribulation (Rom. 5:3-5).

a.     This blessing probably surprises us that is even considered a blessing.

b.     Peace and grace – absolutely.

c.     Surely not tribulations.

d.     Paul says the justified can even rejoice in sufferings.

          i.      Not because they are enjoyable.

          ii.      Not because pain is pleasant.

          iii.      Not because Christians pretend hardships don’t hurt.

e.      We rejoice because God uses tribulations to produce something in us.

          i.      Suffering produces patience, or endurance.

          ii.      Endurance produces experience, or character.

          iii.      Character produces hope.

          iv.      Hope does not allow us to be ashamed.

f.       The world sees difficulties and suffering as things to be completely avoided.

          i.      The world says the best life is the easiest life.

          ii.      Paul says God can use these things to strengthen faith.

g.     The word translated “experience” or “character” contains the idea of testedness, genuineness, approvedness – it is the quality of something that has gone through the fire and remained.

         i.      Gold is refined by extreme heat.

         ii.      The extreme heat does not create the gold, but reveals it and purifies it.

         iii.      The heat separates what is precious from what does not belong.

h.    In the same way, trials do not create faith out of nothing, but they test and strengthen real faith.

i.      A Christian who has endured grief, sickness, opposition, temptation, and disappointment with trust in God often has a depth that cannot be manufactured in comfort.

j.      Some of the strongest Christians you know are not strong because life has been easy – they are strong because they have walked with God through pain.

         i.      They have learned to pray when answers were slow.

         ii.      They have learned to trust when feelings were weak.

         iii.      They have learned to obey when obedience was costly.

k.     Paul is not saying every hardship automatically makes every person better.

         i.      Some become bitter.

         ii.      But when suffering is endured with faith, God uses it to build endurance, character, and hope.

l.      This hope will not disappoint us.

m.   Have you ever looked forward to something, really built it up in your mind, and then, when it finally got there, was not what you hoped?

         i.      Heaven will never be that way.

         ii.      No one is going to stand in God’s presence and say, “I expected more.”

n.     God uses present trials to deepen future hope.

IV.            The blessing of God’s love (Rom. 5:6-8).

a.     Paul now takes us to the depth of God’s love.

         i.      Jesus did not die for us when we were strong.

         ii.      Jesus did not die for us when we were righteous.

         iii.      Jesus did not die for us when we had cleaned ourselves up.

b.     Did you hear how Paul described us – and that is when Christ died for us.

c.     Verse 8 is one of the greatest statements in all of scripture.

d.     God did not just say He loved us – He demonstrated it.

e.      All of us who were aware of the events of 9-11 were moved by the sacrifice of so many first responders on that day.

          i.      Rushing into a burning skyscraper.

          ii.      Doing all they could to save people and then many of them dying for it.

          iii.      Those acts move us because of the sacrifice

f.       Paul says even among human beings, it would be rare for someone to die for a righteous person.

g.     Someone might die for a good person.

h.     God’s love goes beyond that – Jesus died for the ungodly

i.       Jesus did not die for friends only but to turn enemies into friends.

j.       When we doubt God’s love, we can’t measure it first by our circumstances – we have to measure it by the cross.

          i.      Our circumstances change.

          ii.      Our feelings change.

          iii.      Our health changes.

          iv.      Our relationships change.

          v.      Our finances change.

k.      The cross stands as God’s ultimate demonstration of love – God shows us His love at the cross.

l.        The cross proves God loves us at our worst.

V.            The blessing of salvation (Rom. 5:9).

a.      Paul tells us we are justified by the blood of Christ.

          i.      This means the death of Jesus is not just an example of love.

          ii.      It is the means by which our guilt is answered.

b.      Because we are justified by His blood, we will be saved from the wrath of God.

c.      That is an uncomfortable but biblical phrase.

          i.      God is loving, patient, gracious, merciful, and kind.

          ii.      But God is also holy and just.

          iii.      His wrath is His settled opposition to sin and rebellion.

d.     The justified are saved from wrath because Jesus has dealt with our sin.

e.      Many people want salvation from anxiety, hardship, loneliness, or consequences.

          i.      Those are real burdens.

          ii.      Our deepest need, however, is salvation from sin and judgment.

f.       Paul says those justified by the blood of Jesus will be saved from wrath.

          i.      This should humble us.

          ii.      This should sober us.

          iii.      This should make us thankful.

          iv.      This should move us to warn others.

g.     God’s wrath is not a preacher’s scare tactic.

h.     It is a biblical reality, but so is God’s mercy.

i.       The only safe place from wrath is in Christ.

j.       Christ’s blood saves us from the wrath our sin deserves.

VI.            The blessing of reconciliation (Rom. 5:10).

a.     Reconciliation means a broken relationship has been restored.

b.     Because of sin, we were God’s enemies.

          i.      The problem was not that God wronged us.

          ii.      The problem was that we sinned against Him.

c.      God’s justice does not allow for fellowship with sin.

          i.      God is holy.

          ii.      Sin separates.

d.     But through the death of Jesus, reconciliation is made possible.

          i.      Our sins caused us to leave God.

          ii.      The death of Jesus opened the way back to God.

          iii.      And when we put on Christ, we are brought back into relationship with God.

e.      But Paul adds something important – “much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

          i.      The death of Jesus makes reconciliation possible.

          ii.      The life of Jesus makes continuing salvation possible.

f.       A dead Savior could save no one.

          i.      Jesus died, but He did not stay dead.

          ii.      He reigns – He intercedes – He keeps His promises.

g.     We’ve all known of friendships or families that become divided over some incident.

          i.      Sometimes those situations are never resolved.

          ii.      In some, though, someone reaches out in humility, apologizes and makes things right so the parties can be reconciled.

h.      This is a small picture of what God has done through Christ.

i.        Except in our case, God was the offended party and He made the first move.

j.        This means Christianity is not merely rule-keeping – it is restored relationship with God.

k.      Obedience, doctrine, worship, and holiness all matter.

l.        But they all flow from this reality – through Christ, enemies can be reconciled to God.

m.    Jesus brings enemies back into relationship with God.

VII.            The blessing of atonement (Rom. 5:11).

a.      Atonement carries the idea of a change of state – from enmity to friendship, separation to fellowship.

b.      Atonement is sometimes explained by stating it broken into syllables – at-one-ment.

           i.      This means being made at one with God.

           ii.      This is not the technical meaning, it captures the blessing very well.

c.       Jesus allowed us to go from enemies to friends of God.

           i.      Because of His death and resurrection, we can be at one with God.

           ii.      And this brings joy, the verse tells us.

d.      The justified person does not merely rejoice in blessings from God, but in God Himself.

e.      Think of a child estranged from his/her parents.

          i.      The greatest gift would not be merely receiving something in the mail from the parent.

          ii.      The greatest gift would be coming home, sitting at the table, and knowing the relationship has been restored.

f.       This is the joy of atonement.

g.      God is not sending gifts from a distance and that is all – He brings us near.

h.      Some people want God’s gifts more than they want God – you can’t have one without the other.

i.        The greatest blessing of justification is not merely we avoid wrath, though we do.

j.        The greatest blessing of justification is not merely we gain hope, though we do.

k.      It is not merely that we gain peace, grace, and salvation, though we do.

l.       The greatest blessing is God Himself.

m.    Atonement gives us joy because we are brought back to God.

Standing On The Promises 6-14-28 AM

I.            God’s promises are based on His character.

a.      God who never lies.

b.      Paul did not say:

            i.      God usually tells the truth.

            ii.      God tries His best to keep His word.

            iii.      God’s track record is good so far.

c.       Paul was inspired to write that God never lies.

d.      The promise of eternal life does not rest on my strength, my mood, my consistency, or my worthiness.

e.      It rests on the nature of God Himself.

f.        The value of a promise to be believed is based on three things.

           i.      The integrity of the one who promises – surely God has shown Himself to be trustworthy (1 Cor. 1:9; 1 Th. 5:24; 2 Th. 3:3).

           ii.      The ability of the one who promises – surely God has shown Himself able to fulfill promises (Jer. 32:17; Lu. 1:37; Ac. 17:31).

           iii.      The past record of the one who promises – surely God has shown a spotless record in keeping promises (De. 7:9; how many times is God called a rock in the Psalms, - all because of His record of faithfulness).

g.      When it comes to the integrity of God, He measures up perfectly (Num. 23:19; Heb. 6:18; Ti. 1:2).

h.      God does not simply make the choice not to lie.

i.        God cannot lie because lying would contradict His own nature.

j.        This means when God speaks, faith has somewhere solid to stand.

           i.      When God promises forgiveness, you don’t have to wonder if He really means it.

           ii.      When God promises judgment, you should not assume He is bluffing.

           iii.      When God promises eternal life in Christ, you do not have to wonder if death gets the final word.

k.      Because God cannot lie, His promises are more reliable than our fears.

II.            God’s promises are bound to Christ.

a.      The Bible is not a random collection of disconnected promises.

b.      It is one great story of God keeping His word.

c.       When you look at the promises of God, they form a thread throughout scripture that all point to Jesus.

           i.      The seed of woman promise (Gen. 3:15).

           ii.      The promise of Abraham to make of him a great nation, have a great land, and all the earth be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3).

           iii.      The promise to David to continue his lineage (2 Sam. 7).

           iv.      The promise of a restoration of a remnant of Israel after captivity.

           v.      The promise of a coming Messiah.

           vi.      The promise of a new and everlasting kingdom.

           vii.      The promise of a new covenant.

d.      When you come to the New Testament, these promises are all fulfilled in or by Christ.

            i.      Those who are His are spoken of as partakers of the promise (Eph. 3:6).

            ii.      The promise of the Savior of the seed of David is fulfilled in Christ (Acts 13:23, 32; 26:6).

            iii.      Paul says by inspiration that the promise to Abraham is not just for Israel but for all who will be children of Abraham by faith (Gal. 3:16, 19, 29).

            iv.      The Hebrews writer goes back to the original promises, giving them spiritual significance in a better covenant that is “based on better promises” (Heb. 8:6).

e.      This is really what Paul states in 2 Cor. 1:20.

f.       Jesus is God’s great Yes.

g.      Jesus is not plan B – He is the fulfillment of every promise God has made.

h.      This means we don’t interpret God’s promises apart from Jesus.

           i.      We don’t use God’s promises as slogans for selfish ambitions.

           ii.      We come to Jesus and ask, “Lord, what have you promised, and how do I live in faithfulness to you?”

i.        Some promises in scripture were physical and specific to certain people in a certain time and place.

           i.      Some were conditional.

           ii.      Some were covenant promises.

           iii.      The greatest promises are spiritual and eternal, fulfilled in Christ: forgiveness, reconciliation with God, resurrection, eternal life, and a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

j.        Because Jesus is God’s Yes, every promise is bound to Jesus.

III.            God’s promises are backed by His power.

a.      A person can have integrity and still be unable to keep a promise.

          i.      A father may promise to take his child fishing and mean it, but a storm comes.

          ii.      A friend may promise to do something for us and mean it, but an illness hits.

b.     Human beings are limited.

c.     God is not.

d.     When God reaffirmed the seed promise to Abraham, He said, “I am God almighty” (Gen. 17:1).

          i.      The promise was not resting on Abraham’s age, Sarah’s womb, or human probability.

          ii.      It rested on the power of Almighty God.

e.      Jer. 32:17.

f.        Luke 18:27.

g.      God is not hampered in any way when it comes to fulfilling His promises because God is omnipotent.

h.      In reality, the promises of the New Testament were confirmed by the resurrection of Jesus.

           i.      Acts 17:32.

           ii.      The resurrection is God’s receipt that the promise has been paid for.

i.        If God raised Jesus from the dead, then God has the power to raise us.

j.        If God conquered the grave, then God can forgive our sins.

k.      If God kept His promise at the cross and the empty tomb, then God can keep His promise all the way to eternity.

l.       We have to stop measuring God’s promises by our limitations.

          i.      We don’t need to say, “I don’t see how God can forgive me.”

          ii.      We don’t need to say, “I don’t see how God can use me.”

          iii.      We don’t need to say, “I don’t see how God can get me through this.”

m.    The promise does not depend on what we can see – it depends on what God can do.

n.      Because God is almighty, no promise of God is too hard for Him.

IV.            God’s promises beg for a faithful response.

a.      Notice the logic in this passage (Heb. 10:19-23).

           i.      Because Jesus opened the way, draw near.

           ii.      Because God is faithful, hold fast.

           iii.      Because God promised, do not waver.

b.      God’s promises are not meant to be admired from a distance.

c.      They are meant to be obeyed, trusted, and stood upon.

d.      Hebrews 11:11.

           i.      Sarah’s faith was not in herself.

           ii.      Sarah’s faith was in the One who promised.

e.      Our faith in God’s forgiveness is not tied to how remorseful we are, but to the fact God is faithful to forgive when sin is repented of (1 Jn. 1:9).

f.        Our faith in any promise of God has nothing to do with us, but everything to do with the God who made the promise.

g.      What promise do you need to act on today?

           i.      Maybe you need to confess sin because God has promised forgiveness.

           ii.      Maybe you need to obey the gospel because God has promised salvation in Christ.

           iii.      Maybe you need to stop wavering because God has been faithful longer than you have been afraid.

h.      Faith does not mean life will be easy.

i.        Faith makes living this life much easier.

j.        Because God is faithful, His people can hold fast.

Are We Willing To Pay The Price? 6-7-26 AM

I.            Discipleship comes with a cost.

a.     Jesus says that if we will follow Him, we have to deny ourselves.

b.     What does it mean to deny ourselves?

          i.      It does not mean hating our personalities.

          ii.      It does not mean ignoring our needs.

          iii.      It does not mean pretending that we don’t matter.

c.      It means surrendering ownership of your life.

d.      It means saying, “Jesus, you are Lord and I am not.”

e.      We all have a tendency to want to be preeminent.

           i.      This is what is behind the statement of Jesus found in Matt. 5:5.

           ii.      A meek person puts his will underneath the will of God.

           iii.      Blessing from God will only come when we put ourselves out of the lead seat and insert the Lord there.

f.        Jesus does not call us to add Him to our lives as an accessory.

g.      He calls us to hand Him the keys.

h.      The first price of discipleship is death of self-rule.

i.        We sing “take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to the” but do we really mean it?

j.        If we die to self, this means following Jesus will challenge our priorities.

           i.      It may cost us a sinful relationship.

           ii.      It may cost us popularity.

           iii.      It may cost us habits or attitudes we’ve defended for years.

           iv.      It will cost us control over our time, money, speech, attitudes, and desires.

k.      The question is not, “Can I follow Jesus and keep most things the same?”

l.        The question is, “What must change because Jesus is Lord?”

m.    Following Jesus begins when self stops being in charge.

II.            Discipleship is constant.

a.      Mark’s account records Jesus as saying, “take up his cross and follow me.”

b.      Luke’s account adds one very important word – “daily” (Lu. 9:23).

c.       Jesus is not describing one very emotional moment.

           i.      I’ve heard people say something like, “I’ll never forget giving my life to Jesus in the parking lot of the church building” or something like that.

           ii.      It is a very emotional moment followed by little to no change in actions or attitudes.

d.      Jesus is describing a life from new birth until physical death (Rev. 2:10).

          i.      The cross is not something we pick up once and then put down.

          ii.      It is something we carry daily.

e.      The Hebrews writer states we are to encourage one another daily (Heb. 3:13).

           i.      It is not a Sunday only exercise.

           ii.      It is an everyday exercise to get help us get to heaven.

f.        This is not a job where you clock in for several hours a day and then clock out and can forget about it til the next day.

g.      This is not something we can remove around certain people and take it back out when we are around people like us.

h.      Some people are willing to cede control to Jesus in a crisis but not in everyday life.

           i.      It is easy to give control to Christ when we realize we can’t fix it, but keep control until we are going off the cliff.

           ii.      It is easy to confess Christ when we enter the church building, but not so much at work or play with friends outside of Christ.

i.        Jesus calls us to everyday discipleship.

           i.      Every day in our homes.

           ii.      Every day in our decisions.

           iii.      Every day in temptation.

           iv.      Every day in good times.

           v.      Every day in hardships.

           vi.      Every day in every aspect.

j.        Discipleship that involves carrying our cross is not a moment; it is a daily way of life.

III.            Discipleship is complete.

a.      When Jesus said “take up his cross,” the first-century people hearing Him did not hear a religious slogan.

b.      They saw a Roman execution scene that was very familiar to them.

c.       The cross was not some fancy decoration.

           i.      It was not jewelry.

           ii.      It was not a cool, new tattoo.

           iii.      The cross was an instrument of torturous death.

d.      To take up a cross meant you were walking to your death.

e.      Jesus is saying that the disciple must be so surrendered that even life itself belongs to God.

f.       Then Jesus states… (Mk. 8:35).

          i.      Jesus is not calling us to lead reckless lives, not thinking at all about our physical lives.

          ii.      He is calling us to complete loyalty.

          iii.      There is no area in our lives where we can say, “Jesus, you can have everything but this.”

g.     This is where discipleship becomes uncomfortable.

          i.      Jesus gets our public and private lives.

          ii.      He gets us on Sunday mornings and Friday nights.

          iii.      He gets our worship and our money.

          iv.      He gets our words and our thoughts.

          v.      He gets our plans and our relationships.

          vi.      He gets our bodies and our futures.

h.     Yes, if faithfulness demands it, the disciple must be willing to die for the Lord.

          i.      Remember Paul on his way to Jerusalem?

          ii.      Acts 21:12.

          iii.      This is to be our attitude if it ever comes to that, which is much easier said than done.

i.       Jesus is not asking for part of us, but all of us.

IV.            Discipleship must be done with consideration.

a.     Jesus asks two very searching questions in Mark 8:36-37.

b.     Jesus is using financial language.

          i.      He is talking about profit and loss.

          ii.      We have to sit down and do the calculations.

c.      I heard a clip from Dave Ramsey the other day.

          i.      A guy called in with about 2 million dollars in low interest debt.

          ii.      He and his made 1.5 million and had 5.2 million in assets

          iii.      He was wondering if it was better to pay off the debt or invest money that would bring in more percentage wise than his debts cost.

          iv.      Dave Ramsey said he needs to do the math and factor in risk, which the guy had not done.

d.     Jesus is inviting us to do the math on our soul’s eternal value versus the value of the here and now.

          i.      This was not the only time Jesus would tell His hearers they needed to do the math.

          ii.      On another occasion where Jesus was speaking about the cost of discipleship, He had this to say… (Lu. 14:25-33).

          iii.      We have to count the cost.

e.      What if we could gain all that this world has to offer?

f.       And then lost our souls?

g.     Jesus says that is not success – that is the worst trade-off imaginable.

h.     The world is always offering trades:

          i.      Trade truth for acceptance;

          ii.      Trade holiness for pleasure;

          iii.      Trade worship for busyness;

          iv.      Trade conviction for comfort;

          v.      Trade eternity for now.

i.        Jesus tells us to think very carefully.

j.        Count the cost but take in consideration all the numbers.

k.      Yes, following Jesus costs something, but not following Jesus costs far more.

l.        The world is far too small a payment for our souls.

V.            Discipleship involves confession.

a.      Jesus says that is possible to be ashamed of Him, which will lead Him to be ashamed of us (Mk. 8:38).

b.      This is not just about private belief.

c.      It is also about public allegiance.

d.      To be ashamed of Jesus is to distance ourselves from Him when identifying with Him becomes costly.

           i.      It is wanting His salvation but not His name.

           ii.      It is wanting His promises but not His words.

e.      A true disciple confesses Christ (Rom. 10:9-10).

f.        Confession is not empty religious language.

g.      It is expressed allegiance, saying “I belong to Jesus.”

h.      We definitely confess Christ by what we say, but also by what we refuse to hide.

           i.      We confess Him when we speak the truth in love against error.

           ii.      We confess Him when we refuse to be embarrassed by His teaching.

           iii.      We confess Him when we identify with His church and not man-made traditions.

           iv.      We confess Him when we repent instead of excuse sin.

           v.      We confess Him when we are baptized into Him.

           vi.      We confess Him when our lives make it clear that Jesus is Lord.

i.        A disciple cannot be secretly loyal to a public Savior.

God Seeks True Worshipers 5-31-26 AM

I.            The absolute of worship.

a.      Jesus says those what worship God must worship in spirit and in truth.

b.      The word must tells us that this is not optional.

c.       There are some matters in Scripture that are shown to be absolute necessities.

           i.      Faith (Heb. 11:6).

           ii.      Belief and baptism (Mk. 16:16).

           iii.      Proper worship (John 4:24).

d.      “Must” modifies three vital elements of worship:

           i.      The object of worship – God.

           ii.      The attitude of worship – in spirit.

           iii.      The standard of worship – in truth.

e.      Jesus does not say:

           i.      Worship however you feel led.

           ii.      Worship according to your personality.

           iii.      Worship according to what draws the biggest crowds.

f.        Jesus says worship must be aimed at God, offered from the heart, and governed by truth.

g.      There are some words we understand as non-negotiable.

           i.      If a doctor says, you must take this medicine with food, that is not a suggestion.

           ii.      If a bridge sign says, trucks must not exceed this weight, that is not a preference.

           iii.      If a child is running towards the road and a parent shouts, you must stop, the strength of the word comes from the seriousness of the moment.

h.     Jesus uses this kind of word for worship.

i.       We cannot treat worship as casual, optional, or customizable.

j.       If God has spoken about worship, then reverence demands we listen to Him.

k.     We can’t remove the must from worship any more than we can remove the must from faith, belief, or baptism.

l.       Worship is not optional because God’s will is not optional.

II.            The action of worship.

a.     Jesus says, “Those who worship Him…”

b.     Worship is something offered to God, not merely watched.

          i.      It is not a religious performance attended by spectators.

          ii.      The word used in this text is connected to reverence, bowing, and humble honor before one who is worthy.

          iii.      Worship carries the idea of recognizing God’s worth and responding with reverence.

c.     Other New Testament words connected to worship and service emphasize awe, devotion, and religious service before God.

d.     This means true worship requires participation.

          i.      We are not the audience, God is.

          ii.      We are not spectators.

          iii.      We are worshipers.

e.      Think about a wedding.

          i.      The guests may watch, but the bride and groom are not there to merely observe.

          ii.      They are there to participate by speaking vows.

          iii.      They are there to give themselves to one another.

f.       In worship, we are not watching someone else do something spiritual – we are joining together to honor God.

g.     In each act of worship, the question is not “Was I present?” but “Did I offer this to God?”

h.     This should change how we enter worship.

          i.      We did not come to critique the song leader or the preacher.

          ii.      We come as servants of God, offering reverence to Him.

i.       We can sit in a pew and never truly worship.

j.       We can sing with our lips but not from our hearts.

k.     We can bow during a prayer and never truly pray.

l.       God seeks worshipers, not spectators.

m.    Worship is something we offer, not something we watch.

III.            The aim of worship.

a.     “Those who worship HIM” – God is the aim of worship.

b.     This is one of the most needed corrections of our time.

          i.      Worship is not aimed at my preference, comfort, emotions, entertainment, or my tradition.

          ii.      Worship is aimed at God.

c.      Jesus made this clear when Satan tempted Him (Matt. 4:10).

d.     God alone is worthy of worship and this removes every other possible object of worship.

          i.      Not angels.

          ii.      Not religious leaders.

          iii.      Not tradition.

          iv.      Not personal preference.

          v.      Not the crowd.

          vi.      Especially not self.

e.      God alone is the center, object, and audience of worship.

f.       Sometimes, after a worship service we may ask some questions:

          i.      Did you like the songs?

          ii.      Was the sermon good or interesting?

          iii.      Was the service too long?

          iv.      These are probably all natural reactions but they should not be the first questions asked.

g.     The best question we can ask is: Was God glorified and honored?

h.     When we substitute what we like for what God commands, we have made ourselves the aim of worship.

i.       This is why the statement, “I didn’t get anything out of worship today,” can reveal a big misunderstanding.

          i.      Worship does strengthen us.

          ii.      We do receive encouragement, correction, and are built up.

          iii.      But worship is first and foremost something we give to God.

j.        If I don’t get anything out of it, it is probably because I put nothing into it.

k.      Worship goes wrong when self replaces God at the center.

IV.            The attitude of worship.

a.      Jesus says we must worship in spirit.

b.      At a minimum, this means worship must come from the inner person – sincere, heartfelt, reverent, and spiritually engaged.

c.       New Testament worship is spiritual in nature.

           i.      We are to offer “spiritual sacrifices” (1 Pe. 2:5).

           ii.      Heb. 10:22.

           iii.      Our singing is to be from the heart (Eph. 5:19).

d.      Worship is not merely outward correctness – the heart must be involved.

e.      This is true in everyday relationships.

           i.      A husband can bring flowers to his wife with no affection.

           ii.      A child can say “I’m sorry” with no repentance.

           iii.      A person can shake your hand while looking past you.

f.       The outward act may be present, but the heart is absent.

g.      God does not just receive motions, He also sees hearts.

h.      To worship in spirit, we need to prepare our hearts.

           i.      This may mean arriving early instead of rushing in distracted and distracting others.

           ii.      It may mean praying before worship begins.

           iii.      It means putting our phones down unless we are using for the Bible app.

           iv.      It means refusing to let frustration, boredom, or criticism take over our hearts.

i.        We must remember that God is present when we worship.

           i.      Ps. 89:7.

           ii.      Hab. 2:20.

           iii.      Jesus was in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, which indicated His presence among the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 1.

j.        Worship should never be some heartless routine.

k.      God wants more than our presence; He wants our hearts.

V.            The authority of worship.

a.      Jesus says we must worship in truth.

b.      God’s word is truth (Jn. 17:17).

c.      Our worship is governed by the authority of Christ (Col. 3:17).

d.      To do something in the name of the Lord means to act under His authority.

e.      Scripture warns us that not all worship is acceptable worship.

           i.      There is vain worship (Matt. 15:9).

           ii.      There is ignorant worship (Acts 17:23).

           iii.      There is will worship (Col. 2:23).

f.        Sincerity alone is not enough.

g.      Worship is to be both heartfelt and truthful.

h.      There are five ways, or avenues, of worship authorized by the New Testament.

           i.      Singing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

           ii.      Praying (Ac. 2:42).

           iii.      Preaching God’s word (Ac. 20:7).

           iv.      Partaking of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:20-30).

           v.      Giving of our means (1 Cor. 16:1-2).

i.        Each act must be carried out according to God’s instruction, not man’s invention.

j.        In worship, God has not left us without direction – truth is the blueprint.

k.      Worship is not driven by the question, “What do people want?”

l.        The only question that matters is, “What has God authorized?”

m.    Spirit without truth becomes emotionalism.

n.      Truth without spirit becomes cold formalism.

o.      Jesus requires both.

p.      We are not choosing between reverence and obedience.

q.      We are not choosing between heart and scripture.

r.       God seeks worshipers who bring Him both.

s.       True worship needs both a surrendered heart and a submitted will.

A Faith That Pleases God (Pt. 2) 5-24-26 PM

I.      Faith demonstrated (Heb. 11:4-5, 7).

A.      Faith is not merely something a person claims to have.

                   i.      Faith is lived out every day.

                   ii.      These verses show us three men who pleased God because their faith moved them to act.

                   iii.     Abel worshiped by faith; Enoch walked by faith; Noah worked by faith.

                   iv.     Again, none of them were perfect, but they all trusted God enough to obey Him.

B.      Abel shows us that faith worships God on God’s terms.

                   i.      The word translated offered means to bring near, present, or offer.

1.      Abel did not merely have faith in his heart.

2.      Abel’s faith moved Him to worship God.

                   ii.     But just worshiping God is not enough.

                   iii.    Abel offered a more excellent, or acceptable sacrifice, than Cain.

1.      More excellent means better, greater, or superior.

2.      It was not better or greater because it was superior to Cain’s.

                   iv.    In Genesis 4 we are told that Cain brought from the fruit of the ground while Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock (Gen. 4:3-4).

1.      To understand why Abel’s was superior to Cain’s, we need to understand the source of faith.

2.      Romans 10:17 – faith comes by hearing God’s word.

3.      At some point, we aren’t told when, God revealed what type of sacrifice was approved.

4.      This is what Abel offered and why his sacrifice was approved of by God and Cain’s was not.

                   v.    The difference between the two offerings was not just the gift itself, but the heart of faith behind the gift.

                   vi.   God testifies, or commends, Abel’s gift still today, because it was offered by faith.

                   vii.  Abel’s faith cost him his life (1 John 3:12).

                   viii. Abel’s faith still speaks: telling us worship matters, faith obeys even when others may resent it, and that pleasing God may cost us and God never forgets that cost.

C.       Enoch shows us that faith walks with God.

                    i.    Enoch was translated – to transfer, remove, or change from one place to another.

1.      Gen. 5:24 – Enoch did not experience death in the ordinary way: God took him.

2.      The reason God took him is because Enoch walked with God every day – it was not in an isolated moment, but every day.

3.      God bore witness to his life as a life that pleased Him.

                    ii.   Enoch was not perfect or sinless – it just means he was faithful.

1.      Enoch lived in a time and place when that was extremely rare.

2.      Jude 1:14-15 connects Enoch with a message of judgment against the unfaithful of his day.

3.      His life was not private or hidden from others.

4.      His life stood out against the ungodliness that surrounded him.

                    iii.    This probably came with a cost.

1.      We are not told the details, but anyone who walks with God in this way will stand out.

2.      Those who live this way in an ungodly culture always do.

                     iv.      Enoch teaches us that it is better to please God than to blend in with the world.

D.      Noah shows us that faith obeys God before it sees the outcome.

                     i.    Noah was warned by God about things to come that had never been seen on earth.

1.      His faith began with God’s word – he was warned of, or by, God.

2.      The phrase warned of God means divinely instructed, warned or directed.

3.      Noah did not act because he saw dark clouds on the horizon.

4.      He acted because God spoke.

                     ii.      Noah had never seen a flood, and probably never seen rain.

1.      He also had never seen God’s judgment.

2.      Faith does not wait until it sees everything.

3.      Faith acts because God speaks.

                     iii.      Noah took God seriously, which is the idea of “moved with fear.”

1.      Noah had a deep reverence for God.

2.      This deep reverence caused him to take God’s words seriously.

                     iv.      Noah’s faith caused him to pick up his tools.

1.      His faith measured the wood.

2.      His faith followed instructions.

3.      His faith kept building.

4.      His faith prepared for judgment while the rest of the world continued as usual.

                      v.      We never read specifically that the people mocked Noah, so we can’t preach that as fact.

1.      We do read that, by his obedient faith, Noah condemned the world.

2.      His life and work stood as a witness against the ungodliness around him.

                      vi.      Noah’s obedience would have made him stand out from everyone else.

1.      His faith affected his reputation.

2.      He was preparing for something no one else could see because he trusted in the God who had warned him.

                      vii.      His faith caused him to become heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

                      viii.      Noah didn’t earn righteousness by building a boat.

                      ix.      His building a boat revealed the faith by which he received God’s approval.

                      x.      Faith obeys God’s warning before it sees God’s judgment.

E.      Think of these three men and their demonstrations of faith.

                     i.      Abel shows faith in worship.

                     ii.      Enoch shows us faith in our daily walk.

                     iii.      Noah shows us faith in our obedient work.

                     iv.      Each man pleased God because each man trusted God enough to act.

F.       This is what real faith does.

                     i.       It does not remain hidden in the heart.

                     ii.      It comes out in worship, in conduct, in obedience, and in endurance.

                     iii.      Faith that pleases God is faith that moves us to obey God.

II.            Faith demanded (Heb. 11:6).

A.      This verse brings the whole discussion to a clear point: faith is not optional but it is demanded.

B.      The word translated “impossible” means unable, powerless, or impossible – there is no path to pleasing God without faith.

                     i.      God is not pleased by religious routine.

                     ii.      God is not pleased by outward obedience without inward trust.

                     iii.      God is not pleased by human pride, self-righteousness, or mere tradition.

                     iv.      God is pleased by faith – one that believes, seeks, and obeys Him.

C.      Faith believes that God is.

                     i.     The phrase “he that comes” comes from a word often used in Hebrews for approaching God in worship, prayer, and fellowship.

1.      It is not casual interest in God.

2.      It is coming near to Him in trust.

                     ii.      You cannot truly come to God while denying that God exists.

                     iii.      The first demand is that we believe God is.

1.      This means more than believing in some vague higher power.

2.      It means believing in the living God – the God who created all things by the word of His power.

3.      We have to believe in the God revealed in scripture.

                     iv.      It is interesting that scripture does not begin with trying to prove the existence of God – it just says “In the beginning God…”

1.      This does not mean belief in God is unreasonable.

2.      Ps. 19:1.

3.      Rom. 1:20.

4.      Heb. 3:4.

                     v.      Creation points beyond itself.

1.      Order points to intelligence.

2.      Design points to a Designer.

3.      Moral law points to a moral Lawgiver.

4.      Human life, conscience, beauty, and purpose all point to far beyond blind chance to the God who made us.

                     vi.      Faith does not close its eyes to the evidence.

                     vii.      Faith opens its eyes and says, “The word did not make itself. I did not make myself. There is a God, and I am accountable to Him.”

                     viii.      Saving faith goes even further.

1.      It does not merely believe God exists.

2.      It trusts the God who exists.

                     ix.      James 2:19.

1.      The faith that pleases God is more than admitting God is real.

2.      It is trusting Him enough to come to Him, surrender to Him, and obey Him.

                     x.      Faith begins by trusting that God is who He says He is.

D.      Faith believes that God rewards.

                     i.      The word translated “rewarder” means one who pays back, gives wages, or rewards.

1.      This does not mean that God owes us salvation as though we have done something to make Him indebted to us.

2.      Salvation will always be by grace.

3.      But, God graciously promises to bless those who have faith in Him that leads them to seek Him.

                     ii.      God wants us to believe that seeking Him is never wasted.

                     iii.      This would have mattered very much to the original audience of this letter.

1.      Some, if not many, were suffering for Christ.

2.      Some had lost possession.

3.      Some had been placed in prison.

4.      They needed to know that their faith was worth it all.

                     iv.      This verse says yes it is worth it.

                     v.      God sees, remembers, and rewards (Heb. 6:10).

1.      Sometimes the reward is peace in the midst of the storm.

2.      Sometimes it is strength to endure.

3.      Sometimes it is answered prayer.

4.      Sometimes it is spiritual growth.

5.      Sometimes it is restored fellowship after repentance.

6.      Sometimes it is death that results in eternity with God.

                     vi.      Faith believes God’s reward is better than the pleasures of sin.

                     vii.      The life of faith is sustained by the conviction that God is worth more than anything we give up to follow Him.

                     viii.      Faith keeps seeking God because God keeps rewarding.

E.      Faith diligently seeks God.

                     i.      The word for “seek” means to seek out, search for, pursue, seek diligently.

1.      It is not a lazy word.

2.      It is not a halfhearted glance in the direction of God.

3.      This is a pursuit that says, “I need God. I want God. I will not live without God.”

                     ii.      To diligently seek God means we do so on His terms.

1.      We seek by listening to His word.

2.      We seek Him through prayer.

3.      We seek Him through worship.

4.      We seek Him through repentance.

5.      We seek Him by obeying what He has commanded.

6.      We seek Him by continuing when obedience becomes costly.

7.      Jer. 29:13; Matt. 6:33.

                     iii.      This is not a once-a-week interest.

1.      This is not faith that only appears in the church building.

2.      This is a life pointed towards God.

                     iv.      A person who diligently seeks God does not ask, “What is the least I can get by with and still get to heaven?”

                     v.      The faith that pleases God asks, “How can I get even closer to God?”

                     vi.      This is the kind of faith that pleases God.

‍ ‍F.     Faith is demanded because God cannot be pleased without trust.

G.     Hopefully we can see why Hebrews 11:6 is so strong.

                     i.      Without faith, worship becomes empty.

                     ii.      Without faith, obedience becomes out of habit.

                     iii.      Without faith, suffering becomes meaningless.

                     iv.      Without faith, repentance becomes words, not actions.

                     v.      Without faith, religion becomes self-centered.

H.      With faith, life becomes an offering to God.

                     i.      Faith believes God exists.

                     ii.      Faith believes God speaks.

                     iii.      Faith believes God rewards.

                     iv.      Faith believes God forgives.

                     v.      Faith believes God is worth seeking.

                     vi.      Faith believes that God is worth obeying.

I.        This is why Abel offered.

J.        This is why Enoch walked.

K.      This is why Noah built.

L.        This is why we obey.

M.    Faith pleases God by trusting Him enough to seek Him.

Great Results Of The Resurrection 5-24-26 AM

I.        Preaching the gospel is profitable (1 Cor. 15:14).

A.     Paul told them that if Jesus was not risen, then the preaching he and others did was useless.

B.     But because Jesus is risen, there is good news to preach.

C.     Preaching involves telling others about the good news that Jesus has risen from the dead.

a.      This is what separates the gospel from any other religious message.

b.      We preach a risen Savior.

D.     The resurrection was a focal point of all the sermons recorded in Acts 2-5.

E.      It is essential to our salvation (Rom. 10:9-10).

F.      It is essential for baptism to be valid.

a.      Rom. 6:3-4

b.      Col. 2:12.

G.    Because Jesus has been raised from the dead, the preaching of the gospel is profitable and not vain.

II.       Faith is the victory (1 Cor. 15:17).

A.     Without Jesus being raised from the dead, any faith we might have would be useless, and we would still be weighed down by our sins.

B.     But because Jesus has been resurrected, our faith leads to victory.

a.      1 Cor. 15:57.

b.      1 John 5:4.

C.     We can overcome the world by faith because Jesus is risen from the dead.

D.     Satan was defeated the moment Jesus came forth from the grave (Gen. 3:15).

E.      There is great reason to have faith in the resurrection of Jesus.

a.      The eyewitnesses of the resurrection amount to over 500.

1.      1 Cor. 15:5-8.

2.      Someone said that if each witness could testify for fifteen minutes, it would take 129 hours to hear their testimony.

3.      That would be from Monday morning to Friday evening with no breaks hearing their testimony.

b.      The message being sent to the world (Col. 1:23).

c.       The change in the life of Paul is proof of the resurrection.

d.      The sacrifices made by the apostles, who were not even truly expecting a resurrection, attest to its truthfulness.

F.      For these reasons and others, there is no reason to not have faith in the resurrection of Jesus, thus there is no reason to not be victorious.

III.   Life has meaning (1 Cor. 15:18-19).

A.     If there was no resurrection, those that have died would be lost in hell, and our life on earth would be miserable.

B.     There would be no meaning or aim for our lives, and we would wander around aimlessly like so many in the world do.

a.      Paul’s words to the Thessalonians would have no meaning because we would sorrow because of no hope.

b.      This life would be all that there is, and we would be eternally lost.

C.      However, since Jesus came out of that tomb, we have direction and hope.

a.      We have the aim of heaven, ever striving for the goal set before us.

b.      We have hope which saves.

c.       Rom. 8:24.

D.     We know people who go from this to that and on to the next thing, wandering aimlessly because their lives have no direction.

E.      This great gospel, made possible by the Lord’s resurrection, gives us direction.

F.     We know where we are going and how to get there.

IV.  Death is defeated (1 Cor. 15:26).

A.     We all are going to die, unless the Lord returns first (Heb. 9:27).

B.      The death we face and will meet is not the end (1 Cor. 15:54-57).

C.      We will not be as we once were.

a.      1 Cor. 15:42-44.

b.      1 Cor. 15:51-53.

D.      We don’t know what this will be like, but it will be wonderful (1 John 3:2).

Jesus Prayed For One 5-17-26 AM

I.            Unity is created by the apostolic word.

a.      Jesus prayed for those who would believe on Him through “their” – the apostles – word.

b.      Jesus is praying for the apostles in this prayer (John 17:6-19).

c.      But Jesus is not just praying for the apostles in this prayer.

          i.      Jesus also prays for future believers, including us.

          ii.      But notice how the future believers would become believers: “through their word.”

d.      This is extremely important.

e.      The unity Jesus prayed for is not created by ignoring doctrine.

          i.      It is not created by lowering biblical conviction until everyone can stand together on only one or two issues.

          ii.      *It is created when people believe the apostolic message.

f.       It is vital to note where the apostles got their word.

          i.      It was not from their own minds.

          ii.      It was not developed at an apostolic meeting.

          iii.      It came from God and we read that in this very prayer (John 17:8, 14).

          iv.      When apostles taught through preaching or writing, it came from God.

          v.      What comes from God will always be truth.

g.     This is why the church in Acts 2 “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42).

          i.      The first Christians were not united by a denominational headquarters, a human creed, a cultural preference, or a popular preacher.

          ii.      They were united by the gospel preached by and through the apostles.

h.     This is where denominationalism becomes a problem.

          i.      A denomination, by definition, is a named religious division.

          ii.      It is larger than a local congregation, smaller than the whole body of Christ, and usually bound together by human systems, creeds, traditions, or governing structures.

i.       The New Testament describes the church in two basic ways:

          i.      The universal body of the saved – all who belong to Christ.

          ii.      Local congregations – Christians worshiping and serving together in a particular place.

j.       What we don’t find in the New Testament is a third category: organized religious parties, each with its own doctrine, name, organizational structure, and identity, all treated as equally approved branches of Christianity.

k.      Think about an orchestra that is preparing to play together.

          i.      If every musician tunes to himself, each one may believe they are properly tuned, but the result won’t be harmony.

          ii.      The solution is not for everyone to just play loudly with great passion.

          iii.      The solution is for every instrument to be tuned to the same standard.

l.       This is what scripture allows in the lives of those who truly want to follow God.

          i.      God does not ask every believer to tune to a favorite preacher, pet doctrine, family heritage, or denominational creed.

          ii.      God calls us to tune our faith and practice to His word delivered through His apostles.

m.    When someone asks, “What denomination are you?” we shouldn’t answer as though we are simply defending our preferred religious brand.

n.      We can say “I am not trying to be a denomination. I am trying to simply be a Christian and follow the teaching of Christ He gave through His apostles.”

o.      That is a humble answer because it doesn’t boast in us.

           i.      It is clear because it points to scripture.

           ii.      It is loving because it invites people to examine the Bible for themselves.

p.      Unity begins when every voice bows to Jesus’ word.

II.            Unity reflects the Father and the Son.

a.      Jesus did not pray for union.

          i.      It was not “Father, let them all have different doctrines, different names, different worship styles, and different authorities, but help them get along.

          ii.      He prayed that His people would be one as the Father and Son are one.

b.     This doesn’t mean we become divine – it means our unity must reflect shared truth, purpose, love, and submission to the Father’s will.

c.     Paul applies the same principle in 1 Cor. 1:11-13.

d.     Paul’s question is still relevant today.

          i.      If Christ is not divided, why should His people be divided?

          ii.      If Paul did not want the Corinthians to wear the names of men, why would Christ approve of His people wearing human names, defending human creations, and making human division normal?

e.     Ephesians 4:4-6 – If there is one body, and Eph. 1:22-23 says that body is the church, then Christ only has one church and Christ does not have a collection of competing churches.

f.      Here is where we need to be careful.

         i.      We are not saying that everyone meeting in a building with the name church of Christ on it is automatically right.

         ii.      We are not saying that everyone meeting in a denomination is dishonest.

         iii.      We are not saying that sincere people do not love God.

         iv.      We are saying that sincerity does not create authority.

g.    A person can be sincere and still be mistaken – Paul was (Acts 23:1).

         i.      A tradition can be old and still be unauthorized.

         ii.      A religious practice can be popular and still not be found in the New Testament.

h.    The issue is not whether people are good, kind, sincere or religious – the issue is whether Christ has the right to define His own church.

i.      When a builder is handed the architect’s blueprint, his job is not to improve the design according to his person taste – it is to build whatever the architect drew.

         i.      If the blueprint calls for a vaulted ceiling but he puts a normal, flat ceiling because he likes that better, he has stopped submitting to the architect.

         ii.      If the builder decides to use ship-lap instead of drywall because his family has always used ship-lap, he has made tradition the authority.

j.      Jesus is not a consultant, He is the builder, owner, head, and Savior of the church (Matt. 16:18; Acts 20:28).

k.    Since Jesus built the church and bought the church, He gets to define it.

l.      This ought to move us to examine everything – name, worship, organization, doctrine, plan of salvation, attitude toward others, our loyalty to scripture.

m.   A church can wear a biblical name while acting with an unbiblical spirit.

         i.      A church can have “Christ” on the sign but fail to submit to Christ in practice.

         ii.      This sermon is not a call to pride in a name, but for repentance and restoration.

n.     Christ’s unity is deeper than a label and stronger than preference.

III.            Unity rejects man-made religious division.

a.     Some common defenses of denominationalism sound reasonable at first, but they do not hold up under scripture.

b.     “Aren’t denominations just branches of the vine?”

          i.      In John 15:5, Jesus says “I am the vine and you are the branches.”

          ii.      Some believe that Jesus is saying He is the vine and different denominations are the branches.

          iii.      Jesus, though, is referencing individual people (the rest of John 15:5).

          iv.      Jesus is talking about individual disciples abiding in Him, not separate religious organizations teaching conflicting doctrines.

          v.      If John 15 authorizes denominationalism, the vine would produce contradictory fruit.

          vi.      Jesus has never authorized contradictory fruit from the same vine.

c.      “Aren’t denominations just different roads to heaven?”

          i.      Jesus did not say I am one way among many.

          ii.      John 14:6.

          iii.      If Jesus is the way, it is not our job to create alternate routes.

          iv.      Our task is to walk in His way.

d.     “All denominations teach some truth.”

          i.      Many groups teach some truth.

          ii.      But some truth is not the same as the whole counsel of God.

          iii.      Paul warned in Galatians 1 that a distorted gospel is not harmless – it is spiritually deadly.

          iv.      The question is not “Can I find a true statement here?”

          v.      The question is, “Is this the doctrine of Christ?”

e.      “Aren’t there good people everywhere?”

          i.      Absolutely.

          ii.      There are kind, moral, sincere people in many places.

          iii.      Human goodness cannot replace obedience to Christ.

          iv.      Saul of Tarsus was as sincere as anyone has ever been.

          v.      He had zeal and a clean conscience.

          vi.      But he was still wrong until he submitted to the Lord.

f.       If a doctor gives a prescription with clear instructions, taking part of it while ignoring the rest can be dangerous.

          i.      The issue isn’t whether the patient is sincere.

          ii.      The issue is whether the patient follows the doctors orders.

          iii.      God’s word is not buffet of helpful religious ideas – it is the revealed will of God.

g.     We should reject denominationalism for the same reason we reject any human addition to God’s will – we love Jesus and trust His wisdom.

          i.      But, we must reject it in a Christ-like way.

          ii.      We don’t mock people, assume motives, or act as though we discovered the Bible by our own brilliance.

h.     We must speak the truth with love and humility.

          i.      Invite honest study.

          ii.      Open the Bible.

          iii.      Ask, “What did the first Christians believe, obey, practice, and call themselves?”

i.       The world should see Christ and not our party lines.

IV.            Unity is restored when we become simply Christians.

a.     Acts 2:36-47 shows us what happened when the apostolic word was first preached after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

         i.      Peter preached Christ, crucified, resurrected, and exalted and the people were cut to the heart, crying out “What shall we do?”

         ii.      Peter did not tell them to attend the church of their choice or join after a religious party named after a preacher.

b.    Acts 2:38.

         i.      Those who received the word were baptized – about 3,000 were added.

         ii.      Added to what?

         iii.      The church, the body of the saved (Acts 2:47).

c.     Then they continued in some things (Acts 2:42).

d.     That is New Testament Christianity in its beginning form.

          i.      No denominational name, creed, headquarters – no man-made religious party.

          ii.      Just saved people belonging to Christ, worshiping according to apostolic teaching, and living as the church of the Lord.

e.      Some people love old cars and there are many antique car shows.

           i.      There are some cars that are known for their modifications.

           ii.      However, the winners of the awards at the shows are those that have been restored to their original condition.

           iii.      The same engine parts, headlights, interior cloth, everything like it was when it came off the showroom floor years ago.

           iv.      That is restoration not innovation.

           v.      Restoration is returning to the original pattern.

f.        This is the pleas of churches of Christ at their best: not to start something new, but to return to the church revealed in the New Testament.

g.      This means our plea should be simple.

           i.      Let’s call Bible things by Bible names.

           ii.      Let’s do Bible things in Bible ways.

           iii.      Let’s be Christians only.

           iv.      Let’s belong to Christ completely.

h.      This has to begin with us.

           i.      We can’t trust a sign more than the Savior.

           ii.      We can’t defend tradition more than truth.

           iii.      We can’t speak truth with arrogance instead of love.

           iv.      We can’t treat the church like our inherited group instead of Christ’s blood-bought body.

i.        If we do any of these things we must repent and change ourselves before we ask those outside of Christ to repent and change.

j.        Restoration means returning to Christ, not defending ourselves.

A Faith That Pleases God (Pt. 1) 5-10-26 PM

I.            Faith described (Heb. 11:1).

a.      Notice that is not a Webster’s Dictionary type definition of faith.

b.      What it is is a living description of faith – the writer is showing us what faith does in the life and the heart of a believer.

c.      Faith reaches forward to what God has promised, and faith hold firm to what God has revealed, even when our eyes can’t see it.

d.      Faith is the undergirding to what we hope for.

           i.      The word translated substance is a word that carries the idea of something that stands under, a foundation, confidence, or assurance.

           ii.      It pictures for us what holds up a bridge – the supports that allows cars to drive over the concrete on top.

e.      Faith is not a vague wish or blind leap.

          i.      Faith does not say “I hope everything works out.”

          ii.      Biblical faith is a settled confidence that what God has promised is real, even before we receive it.

          iii.      Faith gives present strength because of future hope.

f.       Christians are people who live by hope (Rom. 8:24).

          i.      Biblical hope is defined as desire plus expectation.

          ii.      Hope is tied to salvation because salvation is not only about what God has already done for us in Christ, but also about what God has promised still awaits us.

          iii.      We have  forgiveness now, but we still hope for the final resurrection.

          iv.      We have peace with God now, but we still hope for eternal life.

          v.      We belong to Christ now, but we still hope for the day when faith becomes sight.

g.     This hope keeps us steady.

          i.      Heb. 6:19.

          ii.      Hope is the anchor and faith is the hand that holds to the rope.

          iii.      Faith says, “I don’t see everything God has promised yet, but I trust the God who promised it.”

h.     Without hope, faith becomes weak.

          i.      If there is no resurrection, no eternal life, no heavenly home, no final reward, then suffering for Christ makes no sense.

          ii.      But because God has promised these things, faith gives substance to hope.

          iii.      Faith makes the future promises of God strong enough to hold on to today.

i.       Faith also gives evidence, or conviction, about what we cannot see.

          i.      The word translated evidence means proof, conviction, or persuasion.

          ii.      It is the inward certainty that comes from reliable testimony.

j.        Faith is not believing without reason – faith is believing because God has spoken.

k.      There are many things we cannot see that are still real.

          i.      We cannot see God with physical eyes.

          ii.      We cannot see heaven or forgiveness being recorded in heaven.

          iii.      We cannot see Christ interceding for us as High Priest.

l.       But faith is sustained by the unseen because faith rests on the word of the unseen God.

          i.      2 Cor. 5:7.

          ii.      This does not mean Christians are blind to reality.

          iii.      It means Christians understand there is more to reality than what can be measured, touched, or seen.

m.    A life built only on what is visible will eventually collapse because all that is visible is temporary.

          i.      Health changes.

          ii.      Money disappears.

          iii.      People disappoint.

          iv.      Circumstances shift.

          v.      But, the unseen promises of God remain.

n.     Faith says, God is real, even when I can’t see Him; God is good, even when life is painful; God keeps His promises, even when I am still waiting; God rewards faithfulness, even when obedience costs me.

o.     Faith is confidence that moves us.

p.     This chapter is not describing faith as mere belief in religious facts – the rest of the chapter proves that – by faith is stated 11 times in this one chapter.

          i.      The faith of the people in this chapter did something.

          ii.      Biblical faith is never mere mental agreement – it is confidence in God that moves a person to respond in a positive way to God’s commands.

          iii.      Faith believes what God says about sin, so it repents.

          iv.      Faith believes what God says about Christ, so it confesses Him.

          v.      Faith believes what God says about baptism, so it obeys the gospel.

          vi.      Faith believes what God says about forgiveness, so it keeps coming back to Him.

          vii.      Faith believes what God says about eternal life, so it keeps going when life gets hard.

q.      Faith is never perfection – faith is trusting God enough to act on what He has said.

r.       Faith stands on God’s promises before it sees God’s answers.

s.      So when Hebrews 11 describes a faith that pleases God, it shows us two sides of the same truth: faith gives assurance about what we hope for, and faith gives conviction about what we cannot see.

t.       The world says, “Seeing is believing” but God says, “Believing is trusting Me until you see.”

II.            Faith depicted (Heb. 11:2-3).

a.      The writer now shows us what faith look like in real life and how faith shapes the way we understand reality.

           i.      Faith is not just something we feel.

           ii.      Faith changes how we live, worship, obey, and understand the world.

b.      Faith is depicted in the elders who pleased God.

           i.      Elders here does not refer to the office of elder in the church today.

           ii.      It refers to the faithful ones who lived before us – really, here the men and women mentioned in this chapter.

           iii.      These were not perfect people, as we know, but they were faithful people.

c.       This is important because Hebrews 11 is not about flawless heroes.

           i.      It is a chapter about people who trusted God enough to act.

           ii.      They sometimes struggled, had moments of weakness, had fear, and even failure.

           iii.      But what makes them worthy of this chapter is their faith.

d.      The phrase “obtained a good report” carries the idea of being testified about, witnessed to, or commended.

           i.      In other words, God bore witness to their faith.

           ii.      God testifies to the fact that their lives pleased Him.

           iii.      They didn’t earn their salvation by their own goodness, but God approved the faith that moved them to trust and obey Him.

e.      This is the point of the chapter: Faith is not invisible in the life of God’s people – it shows up.

f.       These elders received a good report because they believed God and acted.

g.     Faith is also depicted in how we understand creation.

          i.      The word for universe points to the whole created order.

          ii.      This means time, space, matter, and everything that exists within them.

h.     Through faith we understand does not mean faith is against reason.

          i.      It means faith begins with God’s revelation.

          ii.      No one was there when the universe began.

          iii.      There were no scientists, philosophers, historians, or preachers standing with God watching Him create everything.

i.       The only way to know the ultimate source of creation is for God to tell us and He has.

          i.      Genesis 1 repeatedly says “And God said…”

          ii.      Ps. 33:9; John 1:3.

j.       Faith looks at the universe and says that this didn’t happen by accident so it must have come from God by His word.

          i.      This is what the last part of verse 3 is saying.

          ii.      This is the concept of creatio ex nihilo, which means creation out of nothing.

          iii.      This means God did not create the universe out of existing material.

          iv.      God did not find eternal matter and reshape it.

          v.      God did not depend on something outside Himself.

k.      God spoke and what did not exist came into existence (Rom. 4:17; Ac. 17:24; Col. 1:16).

          i.      This is the biblical evidence.

          ii.      Scripture presents God as the source of everything created.

          iii.      This is why creation takes faith – we weren’t there and no one else either.

          iv.      We trust the testimony of the God who cannot lie.

l.       This goes beyond more than a debate about origins.

m.    Hebrews 11:3 is here because faith in the Creator strengthens faith in His promises.

          i.      Think about the original readers of this letter, the Hebrew Christians.

          ii.      They were tired, pressured, persecuted, suffering, and tempted to quit.

          iii.      They needed to remember who their God is.

n.     If God can create the universe out of nothing but His word, He can keep His promises He gave with His words.

o.     If God called the world into existence, He can call the dead from the grave.

p.     If God made what is visible from things invisible, He can sustain us when we cannot see the outcome.

q.     If God spoke creation into being, then His word is strong enough to build our lives on.

r.       Faith says, “I may not see the answer yet, but I know the God who spoke the entire universe into existence.

s.      This is the kind of faith that pleases God.

          i.      The elders show us that faith acts.

          ii.      Creation shows us that faith understands.

          iii.      Together, they remind us that the life that pleases God is built on trusting what God has said.

The Responsibilities In The Home 5-10-26 AM

I.            Children must obey and honor their parents.

a.     Eph. 6:1-3.

b.     There is a command to obey their parents.

          i.      Obedience means more that hearing instructions and teaching.

          ii.      It means listening with the intent to follow.

          iii.      Children are not born naturally obedient.

          iv.      Children have to be taught, trained, corrected, and shaped.

          v.      However, Paul, by inspiration, speaks directly to children.

          vi.      This means that children have a responsibility before God.

c.      Numerous scriptures speak to the responsibility of children in the home (Col. 3:20; Pr. 1:8-9; Pr. 6:20).

d.      Notice Luke 2:51 – even Jesus, who knew who He was at a young age, lived in submission to Joseph and Mary.

e.      If the Lord Himself honored the order of the home, children today should not treat obedience as a trivial thing.

f.       There is a caveat in this verse: “in the Lord.”

          i.      This does mean obedience to parents is part of a child’s relationship to God.

1.      Children obey their parents not merely because the parents are bigger, older, or paying the bills.

2.      They obey because God says it is right.

          ii.      But “in the Lord” is also a boundary.

1.      A child is not required to obey a command that would cause them to sin against God.

2.      Ac. 5:29; Matt. 10:37.

3.      If a parent tells a child to lie, steal, hide sin, or in some way disobey God, the child is to obey God first.

4.      Even in that type situation, the child should respond with humility and respect, not rebellion or hatred.

g.      Paul also says that children are to honor their parents.

           i.      You might ask what the difference between obedience and honor is.

1.      Obedience is connected to childhood, while living under the authority of the parents.

2.      Honor is lifelong.

           ii.      The idea of the word honor is to treat as weighty, valuable, worthy of respect.

1.      A child will grow up, leave home, marry, and begin a new home.

2.      However, the child will never outgrow the command to honor father and mother.

h.      There are several passages that speak to this as well.

           i.      This is a quotation of Ex. 20:12.

           ii.      Lev. 19:3.

           iii.      Pr. 23:22.

           iv.      Mark 7:9, 13.

           v.      1 Tim. 5:4 deals with taking care of a widowed mother, and the same would hold true of a father.

i.        Honor includes attitude, speech, gratitude, care, and respect.

j.        There are several biblical example of obedience:

           i.      We noticed the example of Jesus in Luke 2 already.

           ii.      God used the Rechabites as an example of honoring a father (Jer. 35).

k.      There are also examples of disobedience.

           i.      Absalom (2 Sam. 15-18) – his rebellion brought division, grief, and death – his dishonor hurt an entire nation.

           ii.      The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas – they dishonored their father and God all at the same time and it brought judgment on themselves and sorrow to their families.

l.        When children obey quickly, speak respectfully, and receive correction humbly, that child is learning more than manners – that child is learning submission to God-given authority.

m.    When a teenager refuses correction, mocks his/her parents, lies about his/her activities, that is not just a family issue – it is a spiritual issue.

n.      A child who learns to obey godly parents is being trained to obey God.

II.            Mothers must strengthen the home.

a.      Ephesians 6:1-4 must be considered in light of what is found at the end of chapter 5.

b.      Eph. 5:22-24 speaks to the role of the wife/mother in the home.

c.       A mother’s submission is not inferiority.

           i.      The Bible does not teach that a wife is less valuable than a husband.

           ii.      Both male and female are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27; Gal. 3:28; 1 Pe. 3:7 – fellow heir with the husband).

d.      Submission is not about worth – it is about order.

e.      God has ordered the home so that the home does not become a place of confusion and competition.

f.        A godly wife submits to her husband “as unto the Lord,” meaning her submission is ultimately part of her obedience to Christ.

g.      A mother helps create the spiritual atmosphere of the home.

            i.      Titus 2 gives older women the responsibility to teach younger women how to live in the home.

            ii.      Titus 2:3-5.

            iii.      We know Proverbs 31 contains the description of the worthy woman who strengthens her family through diligence, wisdom, work, generosity, and fear of God.

            iv.      1 Tim. 5:14.

h.      We need to make sure we understand that the phrase “keepers at home” does not mean a woman has no ability, intelligence, or value out of the home.

            i.      The worthy woman of Proverbs 31 shows that not to be the case.

            ii.      It does mean that the home is not to be neglected.

i.        A mother’s influence in the home is powerful.

j.        She helps shape the tone, habits, priorities, and spiritual well-being of her family.

k.      There are some examples of godly mothers in scripture:

            i.      Hannah prayed for a son and then gave that son back to God – her motherhood was shaped by prayer, sacrifice, and dedication to God.

            ii.      Lois and Eunice led Timothy to have a great faith in God – Timothy knew the Old Testament (2 Tim. 3:15) and that did not happen by accident.

l.        There are also some examples of ungodly mothers in scripture:

           i.      Rebekah manipulated her children and her husband to get the outcome she wanted when she should have trusted God – this resulted in family division, separation, and grief.

           ii.      Jezebel used her influence to promote idolatry and wickedness in Israel.

m.    A mother’s influence can build faith or it can feed rebellion – it can calm the home or rile it up – it can point children to God or it can teach them to manipulate.

n.      A godly mother strengthens the home when she speaks respectfully of and to her husband in front of the children.

o.      A godly mother strengthens the home when she teacher her children to pray, helps them get ready for Bible class and worship, corrects sinful acts and attitudes, and models kindness.

p.      A godly mother strengthens the home when she refuses to let the home become spiritually empty, even when life gets busy.

q.      A mother does not have to be loud to be powerful.

r.       Her faithfulness can echo for generations.

s.       Mothers glorify God by nurturing faith and honoring His order.

III.            Fathers must lead the home.

a.      Paul, by inspiration, gives fathers a direct command.

           i.      We fathers are not allowed to be spiritually absent.

           ii.      We cannot hand off the spiritual leadership of the home entirely to the mother; rely on the preacher, elders or Bible class teachers.

b.      God calls fathers to lead.

c.       The father is the head of the house.

           i.      This is not made up by some guy somewhere.

           ii.      The headship of the father is grounded in God’s order for the home.

           iii.      Numerous scriptures teach this:

1.      Eph. 5:23.

2.      1 Cor. 11:3.

3.      Gen. 18:19 implies it.

4.      Joshua 24:15 illustrates it.

           iv.      Being the head of the house does not mean selfish control.

           v.      Biblical headship looks like Christ.

           vi.      Jesus leads by truth, sacrifice, love, and holiness.

d.      The father is to love his wife as himself.

           i.      Before Paul speaks to fathers in Ephesians 6, he speaks to husbands in Ephesians 5.

           ii.      Eph. 5:25, 28.

           iii.      Notice Col. 3:19.

           iv.      1 Pe. 3:7 – husbands are live with their wives in understanding and show her honor.

           v.      A father teaches his children about God not only by what he says in Bible study but in how he treats their mother.

           vi.      When a son sees his father speak lovingly, repent quickly, serve sacrificially, and honor his wife, that son is learning what being a man is.

           vii.      When a daughter sees her father treat his wife this way, she is learning what godly love looks like and what she should be seeking in a future husband.

e.      The father must not provoke his children to wrath.

           i.      This happens when we are harsh, inconsistent, absent, hypocritical, unable to be pleased, or unwilling to apologize.

           ii.      Children can become discouraged if we treat them this way (Col. 3:21).

           iii.      Pr. 15:1; Jam. 1:19-20.

           iv.      Discipline is necessary, and children really want it, but sinful anger is not.

           v.      Authority is necessary, and children want order, but cruelty is not.

           vi.      Correction is necessary, but humiliation is not.

           vii.      A father has to be firm enough to correct error and gentle enough to keep the child’s heart.

f.        The father must bring up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

           i.      Bring them up carries the idea of nourishing, training, and raising carefully.

           ii.      Dads are not just here to punish wrong behavior.

           iii.      We are to cultivate godly hearts.

           iv.      Discipline involves correction and training.

           v.      Instruction involves teaching, warning, and forming the mind.

           vi.      It has to be of the Lord.

           vii.      The goal of a father must not simply be good grades, a good job, good athletic success, or social confidence.

           viii.      There is nothing wrong with those things but they should never be the priority.

           ix.      The highest goal is faithfulness to God.

           x.      There are numerous passages that emphasize this:

1.      De. 6:6-7.

2.      Pr. 22:6.

3.      Ps. 78:5-7 – we teach the next generation to set their hearts on God.

4.      2 Tim. 3:15 shows the priority of scripture.

5.      Heb. 12:7-11 – God disciplines His children so they can share in His holiness.

g.      There are some examples of godly fathers in scripture.

           i.      Abraham – we mentioned Gen. 18:19 earlier.

           ii.      Joshua made a public decision because he cared about his family’s spiritual state even more than their physical state.

h.     There are some examples of ungodly fathers in scripture.

          i.      Eli did not restrain his sons from causing the people to sin (1 Sam. 3:13).

          ii.      David was not always a good father.

1.      He did not punish Amnon for what he did to Tamar.

2.     He never got on to Adonijah, which caused Adonijah to become proud and rebellious (1 Ki. 1:6).

i.       A father truly leads when he makes worship a priority instead of an occasional option.

j.       A father leads when he opens his Bible at home, prays with and for his family, apologizes when he is wrong, and shows his children how to repent.

k.     A father leads when he disciplines consistently instead of exploding emotionally.

l.       A father leads when he lets his children know that God is going to be followed in his house.

m.    The home, if it will be as God wants it, needs present, loving, spiritual fathers, not passive ones.

n.      Fathers glorify God by leading their homes toward the Lord.

Remember 5-3-26 AM

I.            Remember the persecution you endured (Heb. 10:32-34).

a.     The writer says to remember the former day.

b.     Think back to the early days of their conversion, when following Jesus became costly.

c.     They had been enlightened – as mentioned, this means when they were converted to Christ.

d.     They endured a great fight of afflictions.

          i.      The language used indicates a severe contest, like a fight in the gladiator arenas of the day.

          ii.      Their lives as Christians were not casual or easy.

          iii.      It was a brutal spiritual contest.

e.      Part of the suffering was public shame, which is the idea of gazingstock.

          i.      Some translations have publicly exposed.

          ii.      They were put on display, publicly mocked, treated as a spectacle.

          iii.      Their suffering was not private, but public.

          iv.      This matters today because our society places so much emphasis on public perception.

          v.      We’d much rather, in general, face inward pain instead of outward shame.

          vi.      These brethren, at least for a time, had stood for Christ while being publicly mocked.

f.       He then reminds them of the way they stood with fellow Christians who were being treated this way (vs. 33b).

          i.      Companions come from the idea of shared participation.

          ii.      They not only suffered, but stood with others who suffered as well.

g.     They even reached out to those who had been imprisoned (vs. 34).

          i.      In that world, people imprisoned counted on friends and family to provide for them.

          ii.      They didn’t have three hots and a cot in that day.

          iii.      To visit those imprisoned was to risk being identified with them.

          iv.      These Christians did not hide in the shadows, but supported those that it might cost to support.

h.     They even endured the loss of property.

          i.      The spoiling of your goods indicates, seizure, confiscation, or loss of possessions.

          ii.      Their commitment to the Lord and one another had financial consequences.

          iii.      Notice that they endured this joyfully.

i.       We need to remember that suffering for Christ is a reminder that we have chosen the right road.

j.       We’ve all probably lost friends, and maybe family members, because we refused to be moved from the gospel at some point in our walk with the Lord.

k.     We may have been made fun of at work or by school friends because we don’t do the same things, wear the same things, or go to the same events as worldly people do.

l.       Hebrews is telling us that this path has always been costly.

m.    Faithful Christians don’t endure just their own suffering.

          i.      We help our brethren in their suffering.

          ii.      It is easy to admire bold believers from afar.

          iii.      It is harder to stand with them when that relationship costs us something.

n.      Faith remembers that following Jesus has always cost something.

II.            Remember the promise (Heb. 10:34b-36).

a.      Why were they willing to suffer loss joyfully?

b.      They knew God had promised them something better.

c.      They have a better inheritance, or possession as some translations say.

          i.      The word for substance means what one truly has, what belongs to him, or what is his property.

          ii.      They had lost earthly property, but we are only stewards of the possessions of this world.

          iii.      They knew they had a greater possession, that was truly theirs.

          iv.      Remember, better is a key word in Hebrews.

          v.      Their possessions in Christ were better because it cannot be taken away.

d.     Not only is it better, it is enduring.

          i.      This means lasting, or staying.

          ii.      Their earthly possessions could be taken away, or they would one day be corrupted.

          iii.      The heavenly possession can’t be taken and will not fade away.

e.      Because of this, they were told not throw away their confidence, which has a great reward.

          i.      Confidence describes a settled assurance with God.

          ii.      You see, the danger these people faced was more and greater than external persecution.

          iii.      The greater danger was internal collapse of faith.

          iv.      If they cast away their confidence, they would abandon the very thing that had gotten them this far.

f.       Only with endurance would they receive what God had promised.

          i.      Endurance means steadfastness under pressure.

          ii.      They could not just begin well – they had to continue faithfully.

g.     There is an important sequence to note – doing the will of God, receiving the promise.

          i.      He is not teaching salvation by works.

          ii.      He is simply teaching that genuine faith perseveres.

          iii.      The one who truly trusts in Christ continues in obedient trust until the promise is received.

h.      We live in a time when people are trading eternal treasure for immediate comfort.

i.        We have to remember that what is coming is better and what is better is lasting.

j.        Faith endures present loss because it knows the promise is better and lasting.

III.            Remember punishment is coming for those who harm God’s people (Heb. 10:37-38).

a.      This section quotes from Habakkuk, which is a book written in a setting of violence, injustice, and coming judgment.

b.      In Hebrews, this is used to show that God is not indifferent to what His people are suffering – He is coming in judgment.

c.      There is a very important point that needs to be made here.

          i.      The writer is not talking about the second coming of our Lord.

          ii.      These people needed encouragement right then.

          iii.      Pointing to an unknown date far in the future would not help them.

          iv.      This is a reference to Christ coming in judgment.

          v.      This is a reference to the coming destruction of Jerusalem.

d.     Remember that he had told them to make sure they assemble together to give one another encouragement.

          i.      We talk about that verse when it comes to church attendance, and we should.

          ii.      But, in its context, we also need to keep in mind the last phrase: and so much the more as you see the day approaching.

          iii.      This is also a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem.

e.      As we stated a while back when introducing this book, it was written in the early 60’s of the first century.

          i.      In the later 60’s, Rome comes against Jerusalem.

          ii.      In AD 70, Jerusalem is destroyed.

f.       The Christians had been taught about the coming destruction of Jerusalem because our Lord spoke about it, recorded in Matthew 24.

g.     The Hebrews writer is encouraging these brethren, who would have lived in and around Jerusalem, to remember that the Lord is going to come in judgment against those who were harming them.

h.     The righteous live by faith.

i.       The unfaithful shrink back.

j.       There is no neutral ground.

k.     Under pressure, a Christian either keeps trusting or retreats into ruin.

l.       This is important to remember because it is easy for us to look around and think that evil is winning.

          i.      When injustice goes on and things are tough, we can become disoriented.

          ii.      We see here that Christ is not passive.

          iii.      He is not blind to our suffering and to wickedness.

          iv.      He comes against those who oppose His brethren.

m.    We don’t need revenge to keep going – we need faith.

n.      It doesn’t mean everything will be resolved quickly, but it does mean nothing done to us for Christ will be forgotten or ignored.

o.      Faith keeps going because Jesus sees the wicked and will judge rightly.

IV.            Remember your place (Heb. 10:39).

a.      The writer does not soften the danger in any way, but he also does not leave them there.

b.      Shrink back indicates pulling away in fear.

c.       Perdition carries the idea of a sense of ruin or destruction, not just inconvenience.

           i.      This is not loss of rewards only.

           ii.      It is spiritual destruction.

           iii.      To leave Jesus is not a move to a lesser place, but a move toward ruin.

d.      The writer shows his belief in them by saying that he believes they are the kind who will move towards the Christ, not from Him.

           i.      They will preserve their souls in Christ.

           ii.      This in not self-salvation, but persevering faith.

e.      Remember your place means remember you are in Christ.

           i.      You are among the faithful.

           ii.      You are in the place where life is found.

f.        Today, shrinking back rarely looks dramatic.

           i.      We don’t face the persecution these brethren faced.

           ii.      Our shrinking back looks like neglect.

g.      Neglect becomes drift, drift becomes distance, and distance becomes disobedience.

h.      We start neglecting prayer, or reading God’s word, and then we start to miss services.

i.        When we start missing services, we start to stop caring about holiness.

j.        We then start to stop being concerned with warnings we get in various ways from God.

k.      What begins as neglect ends in ruin unless there is repentance.

l.        Faith stays with Christ because leaving Him leads to ruin.

Choking Hazards 4-26-26 AM

I.            The distractions of the world.

a.      The first thing Jesus notes as a choking hazard are the cares of this world.

b.      Think about all that is going on around us or in which we are involved.

           i.      These things are not wrong by themselves are they?

           ii.      They become wrong when they cause us to turn our attention to them and from God’s word.

c.      Our jobs are not wrong are they?

          i.      We are told that if a man does not work he should not eat (2 Th. 3:10-12).

          ii.      Working is right and commanded.

          iii.      How many do we know that have allowed work to take them from God?

d.     Sports are not wrong.

          i.      Paul used multiple athletic illustrations and did so by inspiration.

          ii.      Wrestling, boxing, and running come to mind.

          iii.      How many families will miss services to be at an athletic event for their children?

          iv.      How many children are allowed to miss services for a practice or a game?

e.      These things, and others that you may think of, are not sinful.

f.        But they can be consuming if we allow them to be.

g.      Remember the account of Jesus being in the home of Mary and Martha?

           i.      Mary was sitting there listening to Jesus.

           ii.      We know what it says about Martha (Lu. 10:41-42).

           iii.      Jesus was right there in her house teaching and she was caught up with things, though nice, that were less important.

h.      We cannot give in to the temptation to make unimportant things more important than Jesus and His word because that is a choking hazard.

II.            The deceitfulness of riches.

a.      As we come to this choking hazard, we need to understand that having riches, or wealth, is not sinful.

           i.      Many of God’s great people have been people of wealth.

           ii.      Abraham, Job, David all come to mind.

           iii.      Joseph of Arimathea had wealth.

           iv.      What is sinful is the love of money (1 Tim. 6:10).

b.      We need wealthy Christians to help support the Lord’s work.

c.      Problems arise when we allow riches to deceive us.

d.      You might say, riches are inanimate, so how can they deceive us?

e.      The possession of wealth gives a false feeling of security.

           i.      In Luke 12, we read of a wealthy man.

           ii.      This man had a great harvest one year.

           iii.      Notice how he felt about this (Lu. 12:17-19).

           iv.      Look how God viewed him (Lu. 12:20).

           v.      The man’s attitude was “I’m safe because I have enough.”

           vi.      Many people feel money is the answer to all of life’s problems and if they have it, they cannot be harmed.

           vii.      Money is fleeting and, as the wise preacher points out, we are going to die and just leave it to someone else (Ecc. 2:17-19).

f.        The possession of wealth promises satisfaction.

           i.      John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil and became America’s first billionaire.

           ii.      He was asked by a reporter, “How much is enough?”

           iii.      His reply was “Just a little bit more.

           iv.      In his chase for wealth, Rockefeller had terrible stress, lost his hair early, had digestive issues, and was constantly worried about losing his money.

           v.      He said later in life, “I have made many millions, but they have brought be no happiness.

           vi.      Listen to something else the wise preacher said…(Ecc. 5:10).

g.      The possession of wealth promises significance.

           i.      Having money makes many people feel that they matter more than others.

           ii.      We’ve seen this attitude in many movies and it is made fun of in that sense.

           iii.      Movies generally point out things that are true in society.

           iv.      How much wealth we have does not matter in the end (Mk. 8:36).

           v.      Paul warned about the uncertainty of riches (1 Tim. 6:17).

           vi.      Money will always meet certain needs, but it will never meet the needs of the soul.

h.      We cannot give into the temptation of placing wealth over our soul because that is a choking hazard.

III.            The desire for more.

a.      In case something was left out, Jesus finished His thought of things that can be choking hazards with “the lust of other things.”

b.      This goes deeper than a harmful desire for wealth.

c.      It may be a craving for status.

          i.      Children today do not aspire to be astronauts or ball players nearly as much as they used to.

          ii.      What many children aspire to be now is known as an influencer.

          iii.      They want the status that goes along with social media fame.

          iv.      They want fame, to be known by many.

d.     It may be chasing comfort.

          i.      This usually involves a chase for wealth.

          ii.      It goes beyond it because it is a great desire for the things that wealth can get you.

          iii.      The nicer car, the fancier house, the better gadgets or toys.

e.      It has to do with wanting more of anything in place of God.

f.       1 John 2:16.

g.     It is not what you have that matters, but what has you.

h.     I read this very true statement: When desire is disordered, devotion is diminished.

i. Too many allow their possessions to possess them and our Lord says that is a choking hazard.

The Joy Of Forgiveness 4-19-26 AM

I.            The blessing of forgiveness (Ps. 32:1-2).

a.      The word blessed is the idea of a deep happiness because of a right relationship with God.

           i.      We see this idea in the very first psalm (Psalm 1:1-2).

           ii.      We also see this in the beatitudes of our Lord (Matt. 5:1-12).

           iii.      It is not just being happy, but happiness based on knowing one is in the good graces of God.

b.      David describes the way to this state of blessedness in three ways.

c.       He first says, blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven.

           i.      Transgression is a going beyond the line God has drawn.

           ii.      Forgiven carries the idea of being lifted up and carried away.

           iii.      David is saying the blessed, happy person is the one whose rebellion has been removed.

           iv.      This tells us that God is able to lift and remove the burden of confessed rebellion.

d.      Secondly, David wrote that one is blessed when his sin is covered.

           i.      The idea of the word sin is to miss the mark.

           ii.      Covered does not mean swept under the rug, but dealt with in such a way that they are totally removed.

           iii.      This is a picture of God’s mercy – giving us what we do not deserve.

           iv.      God doesn’t ignore sin – He covers what He forgives.

e.      Thirdly, David writes that one is blessed when God does not impute to sin to him.

           i.      The word iniquity carries the idea of guilt or crookedness.

           ii.      Impute means to count or charge to one’s account.

           iii.      Once a person is forgiven, God does not count that sin against him any longer or keep it on his record, or account.

           iv.      This is the point Paul makes in Romans 4:6-8.

           v.      Forgiveness means our guilt is no longer counted against us.

f.        These three things are a result of the final statement of verse 2.

           i.      There is no deceit in this blessed person.

           ii.      It does not say the person is sinless.

           iii.      This person has been completely honest with God about his sin and opened up to God about it seeking forgiveness.

g.      The joy of forgiveness belongs to those who stop hiding their sin and become honest with God about it.

II.            The burden of hidden sin (Ps. 32:3-4).

a.      Have you ever done something wrong to someone you love or respect but he or she didn’t know about it?

           i.      How did you feel emotionally around that person?

           ii.      Where you on edge and upset?

b.      What about when you knew you had sin in your life that was coming between you and God?

           i.      How did you feel, or maybe, how do you feel right now if that is where you are at the moment with God?

          ii.      Do you feel good about it or is there some sense of being upset?

c.      Notice how David feels.

          i.      One version says “my body wasted away.”

          ii.      Roaring is translated groaning in some versions.

          iii.      God’s hand was heavy on him and his strength was dried up.

d.     The point is, concealed sin does not bring peace or happiness.

          i.      There is no feeling of being blessed when we are hiding sin from others.

          ii.      We aren’t hiding it from God because He knows all.

e.      Hidden sin drains us.

          i.      We dwell on it and have a strong sense of guilt.

          ii.      If we hold it too long, we can become hardened to our sin (Heb. 3:13).

f.       If we have properly trained the conscience, sin hurts us because we understand what it does to our relationship with God (Isa. 59:1-2).

          i.      David hurt because he knew he was not right with God.

          ii.      The same is true for us when we try to conceal our sin.

III.            The breakthrough of confession (Ps. 32:5).

a.      This is the point where Nathan told David, You are the man.

           i.      David had a decision to make.

           ii.      He could have Nathan put to death and go on trying to hide or he could confess the sin and make things right.

           iii.      Being a man after God’s heart, David made his confession.

b.      This is the turning point of the psalm.

           i.      In verse 3-4, David is crushed.

           ii.      In verse 5, David is changed.

c.       David acknowledged his sin.

           i.      He didn’t try to blame someone else or try to make things look better than they were.

           ii.      He stopped denying his sin and took ownership of it.

d.      This is where repentance starts – relief begins at the same moment honesty does.

e.      A lot of our spiritual problems continue because we discuss how we’ve been hurt, we are stressed, our past family problems, or how we’ve been disappointed by others, but we fail to admit we have sinned.

f.        Healing only begins when we stop arguing with God about our sin.

g.      David then says, my iniquity I have not hid.

           i.      This is a play on the second idea of verse 1.

           ii.      Only God can cover or hide sin properly because only He can forgive it.

h.      This is a very powerful contrast between us and God.

           i.      We are terrible saviors.

           ii.      We cannot hide our sins, only sweep them under the rug.

           iii.      We can’t bury what God still sees.

i.        People use filters and photoshop on social media all the time.

           i.      They do this make themselves look better.

           ii.      They try to hide some blemish or remove something out of the picture they don’t like.

j.        There is no filter or photoshop for sin – God sees the real thing.

k.      Either we can spend our lives trying to cover our sins, or we can bring our sins to God who can truly cover them with forgiveness.

l.        As long as David tried to hide his sin, he lived in misery.

m.    When he uncovered it before God, God covered it with mercy.

n.      We have to stop hiding the sin that only God can heal.

o.      David made his confession to the Lord.

           i.      David didn’t vent about his sin on a Facebook or social media post.

           ii.      David didn’t confess his sin to a priest or a friend.

           iii.      David confessed his sin to the only one who could do something about it – the Lord.

p.      This is the majesty of grace: when sin is truly confessed, God is eager to forgive.

q.      Some people in this room may be living in verses 3-4 right now.

           i.      The way forward is not hiding and covering sin.

           ii.      It is not better image management.

           iii.      The way forward is verse 5.

r.       The doorway from misery to mercy is not marked “perfection” – it is marked “confession.”

IV.            The benefit of seeking God (Ps. 32:6-7).

a.      David has told us what he did about his sin and now begins to tell us what to do with ours.

b.      David says “For this” in the KJV and that is “Therefore…” in the ESV.

           i.      Because of what has just been stated is the idea.

           ii.      Because God forgives and wants to forgive, sinners should seek Him.

c.       David says to seek God now.

           i.      Don’t wait until sin hardens us.

           ii.      Don’t wait until our conscience is seared (1 Tim. 4:2).

d.      The right time to seek God is when He can be found.

e.      This doesn’t mean God is playing hide and seek with us.

           i.      It is teaching we may not always have the time to seek Him.

           ii.      Every opportunity to turn to Him should be treated with the utmost seriousness and sincerity.

f.       The right time to seek God is right now (2 Co. 6:2).

g.     When a person seeks God through repentance and confession, other times of temptation and distress are still going to come – there will be the rush of great waters.

h.     When those times come, they don’t have to sweep us away from God.

          i.      If we have strengthened that relationship with God, we are much more difficult to be moved.

          ii.      This only comes by continually seeking God and strengthening our relationship with Him.

i.       We need to trust God as a hiding place.

j.       David had tried hiding his sin, but will now hide himself in God.

k.     He had tried hiding from God, but now hides in God.

l.       God provides continual care and deliverance.

          i.      God watches over us as David realized.

          ii.      David had been surrounded by guilt but now he is surrounded by songs of deliverance.

m.    God not only forgives His people, He keeps surrounding them with grace and mercy.

Therefore… 4-12-26 PM

I.            Since (Heb. 10:19-21).

a.      The writer, by inspiration gives a very brief summary of what believers have in Jesus.

b.      We first says, since we have confidence because of the blood of Jesus.

           i.      The holiest mentioned is the idea of the most holy place in the temple or tabernacle.

           ii.      This was only entered once a year and only by the high priest.

           iii.      This was a guarded place.

           iv.      The ordinary worshiper could not enter boldly into the presence of God on the mercy seat of the temple.

           v.      Because of the blood of Jesus, each Christian can go into what the most holy place represented – the throne room of God in heaven.

           vi.      We do this by prayer – we don’t need a high priest to go for us because, in Christ, we can go there ourselves (Heb. 4:16).

           vii.      This confidence is not in ourselves.

           viii.      This confidence is because Jesus has shed His blood, opening up this avenue of coming before God for all mankind.

c.      He then writes, and since is not provided but implied, since we have a new and living way to go beyond the veil, or curtain.

          i.      The old way was repeated sacrifices.

          ii.      The old way was distance between yourself and temple and between yourself and God.

          iii.      The old way was a constant reminder of your sin.

          iv.      Jesus opened a new and living way.

          v.      It is new because it allows us to beyond the curtain of the temple to the very presence of God.

          vi.      It is new because it is tied to a new covenant.

          vii.      It is living because it is opened by a living Savior.

          viii.      It was all provided for by the giving of the flesh of this living, resurrected Savior.

d.     Lastly in this point, since we have a high priest over the house of God.

          i.      Our high priest is Jesus.

          ii.      He is not only the sacrifice but He is also the High Priest.

          iii.      The house of God is not just a building, it is the church (1 Tim. 3:15).

e.      The Christian life must be led through remembering what we have in Christ.

f.       We have access to God because of the blood of Christ.

g.     We have a new and living way because of Christ.

h.     We have a great High Priest who is the Christ.

i.       We cannot and must not leave the One who provides us these things.

II.            Let us (Heb. 10:22-25).

a.     Since we have all these things, there are some things we need to do.

b.     We need to draw near to God (vs. 22).

          i.      We need to come to God with complete sincerity.

          ii.      We need to fully give our lives to God.

          iii.      We need to do these things in complete faith.

          iv.      Just as a Jew would come to the temple to get close to God, bringing a sacrifice because his faith moved him to believe the promise of God.

          v.      We must bring ourselves as this living sacrifice as we are taught in Rom. 12:1-2.

          vi.      We are able to do this because we have been obedient to the gospel by having our hearts cleansed through baptism.

          vii.      We can’t live at a distance from God.

          viii.      We must draw near Him through worship, service, and steady fellowship with Him.

c.      Let us hold fast our confession (vs. 23).

          i.      Remember, these people are being tempted and compelled to deny Jesus as the Messiah.

          ii.      When they obeyed the gospel, they made the good confession, just like we have.

          iii.      Why did they need to hold fast?

          iv.      God is faithful that promised.

          v.      We are not being compelled to go to Judaism, but we are tempted all the time to deny Jesus.

          vi.      Circumstances will never be easy but we can’t give in.

          vii.      We can’t give in because God will never fail us.

          viii.      He has made us great promises.

          ix.      He is faithful to keep them and we must keep what we’ve committed to Him.

d.     Let us stir up one another to love and good works (vs. 24).

          i.      Things are difficult for all of us, just like they were difficult for 1st century Christians.

          ii.      The word translated provoke in the KJV is translated stimulate are stir up in newer translations.

          iii.      It cares the idea of a strong urging of others towards the end of producing more love for one another and good service to God and others.

          iv.      When the KJV was translated, the word provoke meant to stimulate to action, where it is now a negative word.

          v.      Instead of abandoning our brethren, we need to stimulate one another to do more for each other and more for God.

          vi.      When things are difficult, that is the time to lean in harder on doing what is right.

          vii.      We stimulate one another through various ways.

e.      Let us not forsake the worship of God.

          i.      This let us, like the since in verse 20, is implied.

          ii.      When we forsake the assembling of ourselves together, we let one another down.

          iii.      In a sense, the writer is stating, not encourage to assemble, but assemble to encourage.

          iv.      Our worship services are to build one another up and encourage one another.

          v.      When we fail to assemble, whether because of pressure not to come or mere neglect, we fail to encourage one another.

          vi.      We can’t let hardship push us away from the people we are supposed to be encouraging and who will encourage us.

          vii.      The gathered church is one of God’s avenues of keeping us from drifting.

          viii.      The truth is, we cannot hold fast to God alone.

f.       Since we have such a great Savior, let us do these things mentioned.

III.            Fearful (Heb. 10:26-30).

a.     This is a very negative section of scripture.

b.     It shows what happens to those who leave Jesus.

c.     It ought to be frightening to us.

d.     This is not about some moment of weakness followed by repentance.

          i.      This is looking at a willful turning from and leaving Jesus.

          ii.      This is apostasy.

e.      It needs to be understood that we don’t have to leave the church to apostatize.

          i.      We can live lives of rebellion against the Lord and be at services every time the doors are open.

          ii.      We can attend all services and still be without a Savior.

f.       If we willfully turn from Jesus, whether leaving Him physically and spiritually, or just spiritually, there is no more sacrifice for sins.

          i.      There is nothing else that will save us.

          ii.      No one or nothing else is coming to be our sacrifice for sins.

          iii.      Also, how does one believe in once saved, always saved interpret this passage?

          iv.      The writer is saying it is very possible to receive the truth and then leave it.

g.     The writer describes leaving Jesus in three shocking ways:

          i.      Trampling underfoot the Son of God.

          ii.      Profaning the blood of the covenant.

          iii.      Outraging, doing despite, to the Spirit of Grace.

h.     Can you imagine stomping on the face of Jesus and God being okay with that?

i.       Can you imagine treating as common the blood of the uncommon Savior and God being okay with that?

j.       Can you imagine angering the Holy Spirit, which we do when count His word as nothing, and God being okay with that?

k.     When someone treated the law of Moses this way, once two or three witnesses confirmed it, that person was put to death with no mercy.

l.       All we will have left is a definite fear of judgment and knowledge of fiery indignation from God.

m.    We are viewed as adversaries of God when we leave Him like this.

n.     The writer closes this out by quoting two Old Testament passages: Deut. 32:35 and Deut. 32:36.

         i.      These verses should strike fear in us.

         ii.      God is not going to miss.

‍ ‍iii. Even those who once belonged to Him.

The Reality Of Salvation 4-12-26 AM

I.            The realization of sin (Acts 2:37).

a.    The apostles had just stated that God had made Jesus both Lord and Christ and they had crucified Him (Acts 2:36).

b.    This message pierced them.

         i.      They were cut to the heart.

         ii.      Some versions say pierced to the heart.

         iii.      One version has the footnote, “Wounded in conscience.”

c.     This means that truth wounded them before it healed them.

d.     These people were brought face to face with their guilt.

e.      In order to be saved, a person must stop arguing with God about sin and start agreeing with Him about it.

f.       People have to come to understand two things:

          i.      How much God hates sin.

          ii.      They have sin in their lives.

g.     Until those two things are realized, individuals will never be saved.

          i.      The people on Pentecost were religious and devout, which tells us they were aware of the first thing.

          ii.      It was not until Peter and the apostles pointed out their complicity in the death of Jesus that they became aware of the second.

h.     No one comes to Christ or becomes saved casually.

          i.      There is no such thing as accidental salvation.

          ii.      Before one can have peace with God, there has to be conviction of sin.

i.       These people heard the gospel.

          i.      They were shown by scripture who Jesus was.

          ii.      They were shown what they had done in bringing about His death.

          iii.      They were shown what that meant before God.

j.       The word of God exposed their sin to them.

k.      Heb. 4:12.

          i.      Acts 2 contains a vivid illustration of the truth of this verse.

          ii.      The sermon did not just inform them, it exposed their hearts.

l.       When do we usually go to the doctor?

          i.      Not until the pain becomes too severe to dismiss.

          ii.      The pain isn’t the cure though, is it?

          iii.      It is the warning that something is wrong and needs to be seen about.

m.    In the same way, conviction of sin is painful, but it is merciful.

          i.      God is showing us that our condition is serious.

          ii.      He is showing us that our condition is spiritually deadly.

n.      Some people never come to Christ because they are never honest about their sinful state.

          i.      They compare themselves to others and say, “I’m not that bad.”

          ii.      It does not matter if we are better or worse that someone else.

          iii.      It matters only if we are right with God.

o.      The prodigal son did not come home until he came to himself (Lu. 15:17).

p.      David was not restored until he said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:13).

q.      The publican in Luke 18 went home justified only after he cried out “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

r.       No one will seek salvation until there is a realization of sin in one’s life.

II.            The requirement for salvation (Acts 2:38).

a.      Once the people asked what they needed to do, Peter, by inspiration, gave them a clear answer.

           i.      He didn’t say, say this prayer.

           ii.      He didn’t say, you are already saved.

           iii.      He didn’t say, nothing at all.

b.      The requirement was plain: repent and be baptized.

c.      Repentance is a change of heart that leads to a change of life.

          i.      It is a turning away from sin.

          ii.      But it has to be coupled with a surrender to the rule of Christ.

d.     Baptism is not presented as being optional or a good idea.

          i.      Peter joins it with repentance as the response of faith to the gospel.

          ii.      When they came to believe who Jesus was, they had to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins.

e.      There is a lot of argument about this in the religious world.

          i.      And joins things of like value.

          ii.      The word translated for means to obtain.

          iii.      It really is this simple.

          iv.      Repentance and baptism are equal and, when combined, bring about the obtaining of the remission of one’s sins.

f.       The book of Acts consistently presents this response as the way people entered Christ.

          i.      In every conversion account in the book, baptism takes place.

          ii.      These on Pentecost, those at the temple when Peter and John heal the lame man, Cornelius, Saul who became Paul, the Samaritans in Acts 8, Lydia, and every other account in the book.

g.     Jesus said whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mk. 16:16).

h.     Romans 6:3-4 tells us that in baptism we are united with Christ in His death and raised to walk in newness of life.

i.       In 2 Kings 5 we read about Naaman.

          i.      He wanted to be healed of his leprosy but he was resisting God’s simple command to dip seven times in the Jordan River.

          ii.      He wanted to be healed on his own terms.

          iii.      Only when he humbled himself and obeyed exactly what God said was he healed.

j.       This is still the struggle today.

          i.      People are glad and willing to talk about grace in the abstract, but continually resist the form of obedience God has laid out.

          ii.      Grace does not eliminate our response: it calls for a response.

k.     The world says, “Do what you want or what feels right”; the gospel says, “Do what God says.”

l.       We can’t rewrite Acts 2:38 to fit our preferences.

m.    Peter preached by the authority of Christ and was guided by the Holy Spirit in so doing.

n.      We can’t improve on heaven’s answer to this vital question.

o.      Repentance means we can’t hold on to the sins we love.

p.      Baptism means we can’t keep Jesus at a distance.

q.      Both say: “I yield myself to Christ.”

r.       Real salvation follows the requirements of God instead of inventing its own.

III.            The responsibility of self (Acts 2:40).

a.      We don’t have all the words that Peter and the apostles preached on that great day.

b.      But we do have this saying recorded in verse 40.

c.      There is no way that Peter was saying they had the power to save themselves apart from Jesus.

          i.      Scripture is clear that Jesus is the only Savior.

          ii.      His blood is the purchase price of our redemption (Acts 20:28; Rom. 5:8-9).

          iii.      We will always be saved by God’s grace (Eph. 2:8-9).

d.     What Peter did say is that each one present had a personal responsibility to respond to the gospel.

          i.      No one could obey for them.

          ii.      Their spouses, parents, children, friends could not respond for them.

          iii.      No one could surrender their heart for them or anyone else but him or herself.

e.      These words scream out personal responsibility.

          i.      Their generation, like all previous and following ones, was crooked, or sinful.

          ii.      They did not have to remain a part of it, just like we do not.

          iii.      They were being called to separate from rebellion and submit to Jesus and we are as well.

f.       This fits the pattern of scripture.

          i.      Noah built the ark, but each person had to enter it.

          ii.      Moses lifted up the serpent, but each bitten person had to look at it.

          iii.      Jesus died for all men, but each soul must submit in obedience.

g.     No one can eat for you can they?

h.     No one can take medicine for you can they?

i.       Someone may care deeply about you, plead with you, and pray for you, but that person cannot obey the gospel for you.

          i.      Parents can raise you to know the truth.

          ii.      A spouse can encourage you.

          iii.      A preacher can preach to you.

          iv.      A congregation can surround you with love and encouragement.

          v.      No one can obey Jesus in your place.

j.       This is where many people stall.

          i.      They know the truth and may even feel conviction.

          ii.      They may even intend one day to obey, but they keep waiting for a better time.

k.      Felix trembled in Acts 24, but that is not the same thing as transforming.

l.        Agrippa was almost persuaded in Acts 26, but almost is still lost.

m.    3,000 people in Acts did not just feel something, they acted.

n.      You and I, individually, are responsible for what we do with Jesus.

o.      You and I, individually, are responsible for what we do with truth.

p.      You and I, individually, are responsible for whether we remain in sin or come to Christ.

q.      This passage teaches the responsibility of self.

IV.            The reception of the Savior (Acts 2:41).

a.      This is the beautiful end of the passage.

           i.      Those that were in despair did not all stay in it.

           ii.      The people who asked the question got an answer.

           iii.      The people who heard the word received it.

b.      We know this because they obeyed it.

c.       Receiving the word was not just merely nodding and agreeing with the sermon.

           i.      It was not admiring the apostles preaching.

           ii.      It was responding in obedient faith.

d.      Their receiving the Savior was active, not passive.

           i.      They welcomed the truth and submitted to it.

           ii.      Their glad reception showed itself in immediate obedience.

e.      The result was wonderful: they were added to the church – the Lord and His people (Acts 2:47).

f.       Receiving the Savior at His word was not invisible sentiment or a great feeling.

g.     It brought those people into a new life, a new people, a new allegiance, and a new hope.

h.     When a person is drowning, he doesn’t argue with the lifeguard.

          i.      He doesn’t say, “Thanks for the offer, let me think about it for a minute.”

          ii.      He yields to the rescue.

i.       This is what the 3,000 did with Jesus.

j.       They did not debate the remedy, they received it.

k.     3,000 people obeyed that day.

          i.      The gospel can still move large numbers, but it always comes down to individual hearts.

          ii.      Every one of those 3,000 souls had to receive the word for him or herself.

l.       Today, people often want a Savior without surrender.

          i.      You can’t receive Christ and reject His word.

          ii.      Luke 6:46.

m.    When we truly receive the Savior, He is gladly obeyed.

Jesus, The Zealous 3-29-26 AM

I.            Zeal declared by David.

a.      Psalm 69:9.

b.      In the context of the psalm, David is suffering reproach and opposition.

c.       We don’t know the exact circumstances in which David found himself, but part of the reason for the suffering was His devotion to God.

           i.      His loyalty to God brought trouble into his life.

           ii.      This shows us that zeal for God is not applauded by the world, and sometimes, possibly not even by our own brethren.

d.      There are times that zeal for God brings suffering instead of comfort.

e.      David’s zeal was seen throughout his life.

           i.      1 Sam. 17:26 – David was upset that Goliath was defying God.

           ii.      1 Sam. 17:36 – David said the Philistine would be like the lion and bear he had killed because Goliath had defied God.

           iii.      1 Sam. 17:45-46 – David made it clear that the battle was about the name and the honor of God.

           iv.      David would not and could not sit by while God was being mocked.

f.        David’s zeal was seen in worship.

           i.      David made the plans for the place of God’s worship.

           ii.      David made the plans for the places of the people in God’s worship.

g.      David’s zeal was seen in his longing for God.

           i.      Ps. 27:4.

           ii.      Ps. 42:1-2.

           iii.      Ps. 63:1.

           iv.      Ps. 84:1-2, 10.

h.      David’s zeal was seen in his concern for God’s house.

           i.      2 Sam. 7:1-2 – David didn’t understand why he lived in a nice house while God’s ark remained in a tent.

           ii.      1 Chr. 29:2-3 – David gave sacrificially for the temple because He loved God.

i.        David’s zeal was not merely emotional.

           i.      It affected what grieved him.

           ii.      It affected what delighted him.

           iii.      It affected what he defended.

           iv.      It affected what he gave.

j.        Think about that practically from David’s life.

           i.      He ran toward Goliath when others cowered in fear.

           ii.      He rejoiced openly before the Lord while others mocked him.

           iii.      He longed for God, even when he was on the run from Saul.

           iv.      He gave generously for what would honor God.

k.      David’s statement in Ps. 69:9  was a personal confession of great devotion to God’s honor, worship, and dwelling.

l.        Zeal for God means caring deeply about what bears God’s name and refusing indifference when God is dishonored.

m.    Zeal for God changes what you defend, desire, and devote yourself to.

n.      David declared his zeal for God but his zeal was still imperfect.

II.            Zeal displayed in Jesus.

a.      John 2:13-17.

           i.      Jesus entered the temple and found abuse taking place.

           ii.      He saw God being dishonored and people being taken advantage of by those who said they loved God.

           iii.      This drove Jesus to show righteous indignation by creating a whip of cords, drive out the moneychangers and overturn the tables.

           iv.      John 2:16-17.

           v.      This caused His disciples to remember Psalm 69:9.

b.      This shows that the fullest fulfillment of this verse is in Jesus.

c.      Why did Jesus cleanse the temple?

           i.      It was being used in a way that dishonored God.

           ii.      It was meant to be sacred and was being treated as common.

           iii.      Worship had been corrupted by greed and irreverence.

d.     What exactly was wrong?

           i.      They had made it a house of trade, or merchandise (John 2:16).

           ii.      Later, we read that Jesus says the had made it a den of thieves (Mk. 11:15-17).

e.      It was not the activity that was wrong, it was the corruption.

f.       It was not the convenience but the commercialization of what was holy.

g.      Why were these things wrong?

          i.      They had turned worship into a money-making scheme.

          ii.      They distracted from the true purpose of the temple.

          iii.      They dishonored the Father whose house it was.

          iv.      It is very likely they were hindering those seeking God, especially those in the outer court area associated with the Gentiles.

h.     Jesus cleansing the temple was not sinful rage.

         i.      It was holy zeal.

         ii.      It was righteous concern for the honor of God.

         iii.      It was over for the Father expressed in action.

i.      This type zeal was seen in other places in the life of Jesus.

         i.      Luke 2:49 – as a child.

         ii.      John 4:34.

         iii.      John 5:19, 30 – Jesus was committed to doing only what pleased the Father.

         iv.      John 6:38.

         v.      John 8:29.

         vi.      Luke 22:42 – Jesus finished the work the Father gave Him to do.

j.      Jesus did not just feel strongly about God’s will: He obeyed it, defended it, suffered for it, and fulfilled it.

k.     John applies Ps. 69:9 to Jesus because Jesus perfectly embodied consuming devotion to the Father’s honor.

l.      True zeal is not measured by personality, volume, or intensity, but by obedience to God’s will even at a cost.

m.    David had zeal, but Jesus is the Zealous One.

n.     David cared for the Father’s house, but Jesus cleansed it.

o.     David suffered reproach for God, but Jesus went all the way to the cross in obedience to the Father.

III.            Zeal demanded of Christians.

a.     We don’t have the example of Jesus given to us merely for admiration.

b.     It is also given for imitation.

c.     You and I are to be zealous people.

        i.      Newer versions have “Do not be slothful in zeal…” to begin Romans 12:11.

        ii.      Titus 2:14.

        iii.      Gal. 4:18.

        iv.      1 Cor. 15:58.

d.     We need zeal in the Lord’s church today.

        i.      Zeal in worship.

        ii.      Zeal in prayer.

        iii.      Zeal in sanctification.

        iv.      Zeal in evangelism.

        v.      Zeal in repentance.

e. It has to be proper, biblical zeal, not misplaced zeal.

        i.      Rom. 10:2, Gal. 1:13-14 and Php. 3:6 were mentioned in the introduction.

        ii.      Jam. 3:14-16.

        iii.      Two of the apostles were zealous of a special place by Jesus, which caused problems (Mk. 10:35-41).

f.      There are two dangers here: lacking zeal and misplaced zeal.

g. Lukewarmness is condemned.

        i.      Rev. 3:15-16.

        ii.      A cold, indifferent, passive Christianity is not acceptable to Jesus.

h. Misplaced zeal is also dangerous.

        i.      Passion without truth can be destructive.

        ii.      Energy without knowledge can be harmful.

        iii.      Sincerity alone is not enough – Paul was sincere while persecuting the church (Ac. 23:1).

i. How do we grow proper zeal today?

         i.      We have to keep Jesus at the center.

1.      Real, true zeal grows when we look at the obedience and devotion of Jesus.

2.      If we have a cold heart, it will be warmed by seeing Jesus clearly.

         ii.      We must anchor our zeal in truth.

1.      Zeal has to be governed by scripture.

2.      2 Tim. 2:15.

         iii.      We have to connect our zeal to obedience.

1.      Real zeal is not loud talk.

2.      It shows up in faithful living.

         iv.      We have to guard against those things that kill zeal.

1.      Sin.

2.      Worldliness.

3.      Prayerlessness.

4.      Constant distraction.

         v.      Christians have to stir up one another.

1.      Heb. 10:24-25.

2.      Zeal is strengthened by faithful fellowship.

j.     How do we do these things?

        i.      Show zeal in worship by coming prepared and attentive.

        ii.      Show zeal in prayer by setting aside consistent time with God.

        iii.      Show zeal in study by reading the Bible daily and seriously.

        iv.      Show zeal in purity by removing what feeds our temptation.

        v.      Show zeal in good works by looking for others to serve.

        vi.      Show zeal in evangelism by choosing to speak to others about Jesus.

        vii.      Show zeal in repentance by dealing with sin quickly.

k.    The New Testament calls over and over for believers to have fervent, informed, obedient zeal.

l. Christian zeal is holy passion shaped by truth and shown in obedience.

The Once For All Sacrifice Of Christ 3-22-26 PM

I. The inadequacy of animal sacrifices (Hebrew 10:1-6).

a. Our writer starts this section off by telling us that the law only contained a shadow of the good things to come from God.

i. A shadow is the form without substance.

ii. In fact, our writer then says the law did not contain the very image, Greek word icon, of those good things.

b. This was one of the purposes of the old law, to show the form of what was to come in Christ.

c. Because the law did not contain the substance of those good things, it was impossible for it and the sacrifices made along with it to ever make the followers of it perfect.

i. Notice Hebrews 7:19.

ii. This gives us an idea of what perfect or perfection means in Hebrews.

iii. It is the ability to draw near to God.

d. Those sacrifices under the old law, though demanded, still did not allow the one offering the sacrifice access to God; you still had to go through the high priest.

e. If they could have, as verse 2 points out, then they would not have needed to be continually offered.

i. There was no purging or cleansing from sin under the old law.

ii. Instead, there was a remembrance of sin every time that a sacrifice was made.

f. The reason for this is that it is impossible for animal blood to take away sins.

g. The writer then does something interesting by quoting from Psalm 40:6-8.

h. We will get deeper into this in the next point but something needs to be brought out here that goes along with the inadequacy of the animal sacrifices.

i. Notice that it tells us that God does not want sacrifice and offering and that burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin give God no pleasure.

ii. The animal sacrifices did not bring pleasure to God for this reason: the offerings were a reminder of sin and God hates sin and many of the offerings were made out of ritualistic habit and not love for God.

i. Do you remember what Samuel told Saul, recorded in 1 Samuel 15:22?

j. Remember what David wrote in the penitential Psalm 51:16?

k. God wanted love out of a pure heart and the sacrificial system had devolved into ritualism and all external actions with no change in the hearts of most who offered them.

l. So the animal sacrifices were inadequate because they couldn’t bring full access to God, the couldn’t remove sin, and they couldn’t change the heart of those that came to offer them.

II.‍ ‍The dedication of Christ (Hebrews 10:5-10).

a. Since the animal sacrifices were completely inadequate to remove sin, there had to be a sacrifice made that could.

b. Animal blood was not powerful enough to do it, so it had to be the blood of a human like us, the ones who needed the sacrifice.

c. Hopefully we understand that the sacrifice needed was not a mere human because we are sinful and in need of a sacrifice.

d. It had to be a perfect man and there are none here on earth.

e. For that reason, Jesus, the 2nd Person of the Godhead, became our offering.

i. It took great dedication on His part to become our offering.

ii. It involved giving up His equality with the Father and becoming like us and that took dedication.

f. We mentioned that the writer was inspired to take a quotation from Psalm 40:6-8.

i. If you read the Psalm, for this to be said strictly about David does not make sense.

ii. The entire Psalm is not a look to the Messiah because of verse 12 (Psalm 40:12).

iii. The Psalm overall, is about the trials of life and the need to depend on God’s guidance through those trials.

iv. You see, where David, really all of us, failed in following God, Jesus succeeded.

v. Those things for which David, and us, strive for with God, Jesus achieved.

g. Notice that Jesus is saying that God prepared Him a body.

i. In the original Hebrew of the Psalm, it literally says, “Mine ear thou hast digged”.

ii. The idea is that the body was made by God, showing the Virgin birth - no man was needed, only a womb to bring it into existence because God formed it.

iii. Also, by using the ear in the original, it shows the willingness to hear God’s commands on the part of the One formed.

‍ ‍ iv. Jesus was going to hear and heed the commands of the One who formed Him.

h. God was pleased with Jesus, not the burnt offerings and sacrifices.

i. So, he says in verse 7, I come to do thy will O God.

j. Notice now the parenthetical phrase, “in the volume of the book it is written of me”.

i. The Jews had no excuse for not believing in Jesus as the Messiah because the whole Old Testament pointed to Him.

ii. As Jesus had taught the Jews, the Old Testament testified of Jesus throughout it.

k. Since God was not pleased with the offerings of the Old Testament for the reasons we mentioned, Jesus took those away and the law the taught them and brought in the second.

i. But notice how it is stated.

ii. The sacrifices and burnt offerings were not pleasing to God in verse 8.

iii. Jesus came to do God’s will in verse 9.

iv. This tells us that it was God’s will and intention for the first to be removed and the second to be established.

v. There was never a plan for the Old Testament law to continue.

l. It was God’s will to provide for the forgiveness of our sins, to be able to set us apart, our sanctification (vs 10).

m. This was accomplished by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus one time for all time.

n. Notice through all of this that Jesus was dedicated to doing the will of God which culminated in His offering Himself for our sins one time for all time.

III.‍ ‍The ability of Christ’s sacrifice (Hebrews 10:11-18).

a. The writer goes back to the imagery of the old sacrificial system.

i. He points out that those priests continually stood offering the same sacrifices.

ii. The way its written shows the continual offering of the same sacrifices over and over again.

iii. Think about the offerings that were made: every day there were two bulls offered, every new moon their were offerings, every feast had certain offerings, and every time someone sinned there was to be an offering.

iv. All those offerings and the writer tells us that they never took away the first sin.

v. Instead, the high priest was always standing and offering.

b. He then points out that Jesus made one offering for sins forever and is now sitting at God’s right hand.

i. He is such a better High Priest because He offered a better sacrifice: Himself.

ii. This showed He completed the will of God when it came to the need for a sacrifice.

iii. This showed that Jesus was victorious over sin and death and will reign till those two are gone.

iv. Jesus destroyed the power of them with His offering and one day, when He returns, they will be gone forever.

c. Jesus, according to verse 14, only had to make one offering to give us access to God.

d. The writer now quotes again from Jeremiah 31:31-34.

i. This shows again that God never intended for the old law to remain in force.

ii. He doesn’t quote all of it, only that part having to do with forgiveness.

iii. The new law would provide forgiveness and redemption and the forgetting of sin, not a reminder of it.

e. He closes this section letting his readers know that since there is remission of sins, there is no longer a need for an offering for sin.

‍ ‍ i. The need was taken care of by Christ.

‍ ‍ii. The one time offering of Himself is good for all time when it comes to the providing of the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus, The Betrayed 3-22-26 AM

I.            Dear friend’s disloyalty.

a.      Did you notice how the psalmist described his betrayer?

           i.      Mine own familiar friend.

           ii.      Newer versions have “my own close friend.”

b.      The phrase “familiar friend” comes from the Hebrew term for peace.

           i.      This was a person in whom David had found peace.

           ii.      There was a closeness there that went beyond mere friendship.

c.       He then says, “in whom I trusted.”

           i.      David had listened to this person and learned from him.

           ii.      David trusted the counsel he had given him.

d.      David went on to say this man “did eat of my bread.”

           i.      To sit at a meal with a person in that day indicated closeness.

           ii.      Not only that, not everyone got to sit at the king’s table.

           iii.      Only those close to the king were trusted enough to have that honor.

e.      The phrase “has lifted up his heel against me” pictures a horse that kicks at its owner.

f.       What we see is a picture of great betrayal.

g.     We don’t know for sure, but this picture of a betrayer fits that of David’s friend Ahithophel.

          i.      We know about David’s sin with Bathsheba.

          ii.      We also probably remember that part of the punishment was the child from that illicit encounter was going to die.

          iii.      Do you remember the other part of the punishment (2 Sam. 12:10-11)?

h.    The fulfillment of this is recorded in 2 Samuel 15-17, where we read about Absalom’s rebellion against David.

         i.      We first read the name of Ahithophel in 2 Sam. 15:12.

         ii.      We then read where David is told that Ahithophel is with Absalom and listen to what David says (2 Sam. 15:31).

         iii.      Why would David pray that prayer?

         iv.      The answer is in 2 Sam. 16:23.

i.      Ahithophel had been a counselor to David it seems.

         i.      He had given counsel so often and so well, he had obtained a tremendous amount of respect.

         ii.      We are never told why, but Ahithophel turned against David and went with Absalom into rebellion against David.

j.       This is the force of the phrase “has lifted up his heel against me.”

k.     The one who had been at peace at the table has now become the one in rebellion.

l.      What we learn from this is that some of life’s biggest heartaches do not come from strangers, but from those who are nearest to us.

          i.      This is why betrayal feels different than opposition.

          ii.      Opposition comes from outside while betrayal comes from the inside.

          iii.      We don’t see it coming like we can opposition.

m.    Faithfulness to God does not exempt us from relational pain.

          i.      We can walk with God and still be hurt by those closest to us.

          ii.      It may be a spouse or a child.

          iii.      It may be a fellow preacher, elder, or Christian.

n.     Nearness is not the same as loyalty.

o.     A man can sit at the king’s table and still have rebellion in his heart.

p.     Psalm 41:9 is bigger than David though.

q.     David’s pain points beyond itself to a greater King who would be betrayed at the table.

 II.            Disciple’s disloyalty.

a.     John 13:18.

b.     Jesus expressly and plainly quotes our passage from Psalm 41.

          i.      He applies it to Himself and His being betrayed by one right there at the table with Him.

          ii.      Jesus is telling us that David’s betrayal long ago was not just an isolated moment in Israel’s history.

          iii.      It was a moment that was truly pointing to a much greater betrayal.

c.      David was a betrayed king.

d.      Jesus is the betrayed King of kings.

e.      It is amazing to think that Judas walked with Jesus for three years.

          i.      He saw many of the miracles.

          ii.      He heard much of the teaching.

          iii.      He had spent time with the group.

          iv.      He was present at the table.

f.     I believe that may be the very point of Jesus quoting Psalm 41:9 here – the betrayal comes from one who shared the meal.

g.    Judas is close enough to hear Jesus, to eat with Jesus, to be counted among the disciples, yet far enough away in his heart to hand Jesus over to the mob.

h.     This is makes the betrayal so shocking.

         i.      It would be understandable if someone Jesus did not know found where He was and then brought soldiers to arrest Jesus.

         ii.      Judas is familiar.

         iii.      He looks like a disciple.

         iv.      He walks with the disciples.

         v.      He is in the midst of the disciples.

i.      But his heart belongs to someone else.

j.      Nearness to Jesus is not the same as devotion to Jesus.

         i.      We can be around truth but still resist it.

         ii.      We can do holy things but still love unholy things.

         iii.      We can sit among people of God and still be spiritually false.

k.    Judas is a warning to all Christians who assume that closeness to religious activity equals faithfulness to Christ.

l.      We can sit near Jesus and still sell Him out.

m.   We may know the songs, the sermons, the prayer language or whatever.

         i.      We can know when to stand, when to sing, when to say amen, when to bow our heads.

         ii.      Religious knowledge and familiarity is not saving faith.

n.     Judas had exposure to Jesus.

         i.      Judas had opportunities with Jesus.

         ii.      Judas had access to Jesus.

         iii.      But, Judas never surrendered his heart to Jesus.

o.     The great issue is not, “Am I around Jesus,” but is “Am I submitted to Jesus?”

p.    Judas had what many people assume is enough: information, association, and participation. None of those things can replace devotion.”

q.    A person can stand in a garage all day and never become a car; just like a person can sit in church every week and still not be surrendered to Jesus.

r.     The seed of betrayal did not die out with ancient counselors or false disciples and that leads us to our last point.

III.            Daily disloyalty.

a.    Titus 1:16.

b.    Luke 6:46.

c.    Our mouths can speak loyalty while our lives are led in betrayal.

d.    When we excuse sin, protect sin, justify sin, hide sin, or cling to sin, we are doing more than just breaking a rule.

         i.      We are being traitors to a King.

         ii.      We are betraying the One who loves us and died for us.

e.     Sin isn’t just a failure, it is personal, against God, and a betrayal of Jesus.

f.      We may never betray Jesus with silver in our hand.

g.    We can betray Him with lust in our hearts.

         i.      With pride in our hearts.

         ii.      With dishonesty or cussing in our speech.

         iii.      With bitterness or hatred in our souls.

         iv.      With hypocrisy in our worship.

         v.      With half-hearted obedience in our daily lives.

h.    Sin can kiss Jesus and still deny Him.

         i.      This is exactly what Judas did in the garden.

         ii.      It looked like affection, but it was pure treachery and betrayal.

         iii.      We can say Lord with our lips while our lives are saying something else.

i.      We need to ask ourselves some questions:

         i.      What sin am I protecting right now?

         ii.      What area of obedience am I resisting right now?

         iii.      Where am I close to Jesus publicly but betraying Him privately?

j.      What happens in sermons like this is that, usually, the most faithful among us respond to the invitation, while those of us who are weak sit still.

k.     I am not saying these things to drive the faithful to the front.

l.       I am saying these things to drive those of us who are weak to repentance.

m.    Ahithophel gives us the pattern.

n.     Judas gives us the fulfillment.

o.     Our own sins show the ongoing danger.

p.     The truth is: public devotion can hide private disloyalty.

q.     A wedding ring on the hand does not guarantee faithfulness in the heart.

          i.      Symbols matter but they cannot be a substitute for loyalty.

          ii.      The Bible in the hand, a song on the lips, or a seat in the pew on Sunday cannot substitute for a surrendered life.

Jesus, The Chief Cornerstone 4-15-26 AM

I.            Rejected by nations, but chosen by God.

a.     In its context, Psalm 118 is part of a series of psalms that began in 113 as songs of deliverance.

b.     Notice how the psalm begins and ends (Ps. 118:1, 29).

          i.      Israel has been surrounded, opposed and pressed hard.

          ii.      Despite all that, God had rescued Israel.

          iii.      This was probably written sometime after the return from exile.

c.      This psalm is shows Israel as the rejected stone.

d.      The nations looked at Israel and saw a weak, small, vulnerable nation.

e.      God did not see it that way.

          i.      The nations saw insignificance – God saw His covenant people.

          ii.      The nations saw weakness – God saw His people as a means to display His glory.

          iii.      The nations saw something easy to pass by – God saw something He had chosen.

f.       This is the story of Israel from the beginning.

          i.      Always rejected by others but chosen by God.

          ii.      De. 7:7-8.

g.     Psalm 118 shows us that what the world rejects may be very precious in the eyes of God.

h.     Psalm 118 describes conflict, pressure, and rescue.

          i.      The Psalmist says they were surrounded by their enemies (vs. 10-12).

          ii.      They were pushed hard (vs. 13).

          iii.      Yet, they were upheld by the Lord.

          iv.      Then comes the great reversal of fortune in verse 22: the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone.

          v.      Verse 23 tells us this was the Lord’s doing and caused in awe in the eyes of His people.

i.      For us today, this matters because we are still tempted to value things by the way the world values them.

         i.      We can believe that being applauded means being right.

         ii.      Which in turn leads us to believe that being rejected means being wrong.

         iii.      God’s word teaches otherwise.

j.      Jesus told His disciples that the rejection of the world leads to acceptance by the Father (Matt. 5:10-12).

         i.      This goes against everything the world teaches.

         ii.      We are to go for the loudest cheers and the greatest ovations.

         iii.      God says that is not so.

k.     Faithfulness may look small or worthless to the world, but it is precious to God.

l.       Obedience may be unpopular and still be exactly where God’s favor is found.

m.    David, in 1 Samuel 16, is a fitting illustration.

          i.      Samuel was sent to anoint one of Jesse’s sons.

          ii.      David was not the obvious choice.

          iii.      His own father left him with the sheep so the other sons could come.

          iv.      Remember what God told Samuel (1 Sam. 16:7)?

          v.      David was overlooked by men, but chosen by God.

n.      This is what Psalm 118 is celebrating.

o.      Israel’s story was not meant to end with Israel.

p.      It only points forward to the true and greater rejected Stone.

II.            Raised by God, but rejected by the builders.

a.      Jesus took this passage and applied it to Himself (Matt. 21:33-46).

            i.      Beginning in verse 33, there is recorded the parable of the wicked servants, or tenants.

            ii.      Matthew 21:33-41.

            iii.      Jesus then asks the Jewish leaders what the owner will do.

            iv.      The Jewish leaders knew exactly what the owner would do.

            v.      Jesus then applies the parable using Psalm 118:22-23 (Matt. 21:42).

b.      In that moment, Jesus identifies Himself as the rejected Stone.

            i.      The religious leaders knew exactly at whom Jesus was pointing (Matt. 21:45).

            ii.      They had been entrusted with the stewardship of God’s people, but were rejecting the very Son sent by the Father.

c.       This point is not simply that Jesus was rejected.

d.      The point is that the rejection of Jesus is part of the very pattern Psalm 118 had already announced.

e.      In this sense, Israel was a type of Christ – Israel’s rejection by the nations pointed to the future rejection of Jesus by His own people.

f.        The cross was man’s verdict – the resurrection was God’s verdict.

g.      The leaders cast out Jesus – the Father raised up Jesus.

h.      The builders rejected the Stone – the Father made Him the Cornerstone.

i.        An extremely important thing to understand here is that we will never truly know Jesus if we only listen to the crowd.

           i.      Human opinion is not the final authority on Christ.

           ii.      The people who should have clearly recognized Him rejected Him most violently.

j.        The Stone men rejected is the Savior God raised.

k.      This parable is a warning to us today.

           i.      The tenants thought they could keep control if the Son was out of the way.

           ii.      Instead, their rejection exposed their rebellion and brought judgment.

l.        The warning is clear: rejecting the Son never removes His authority.

m.    When we see Jesus as the rejected and raised Stone, we are forced to answer a very personal question: What does that mean for those who come to Him?

III.            Relied on by the church to be built together on Him.

a.      Peter gives us a beautiful answer to this personal question in 1 Peter 2:4-5.

b.      Did you see the same pattern as Psalm 118?

           i.      Jesus is rejected by men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God.

           ii.      This is Psalm 118 fulfilled in Christ.

c.       Peter adds something very important to this.

           i.      As we come to Christ, we ourselves are being built together.

           ii.      Jesus is not just the cornerstone; He is the One around Whom the whole spiritual house is formed.

           iii.      The church is not a collection of isolated rocks lying near each other.

           iv.      The church is the spiritual house being built together around Christ.

d.      Christianity is not merely personal, but also corporate.

          i.      We are not lone wolves leaning on Jesus.

          ii.      We come to Him and are added to His people (Acts 2:47).

          iii.      We are built together because we are built on Jesus.

e.      Herein lies an extremely important lesson we need to make sure we learn and pass on to others.

f.       What is important to remember is that the cornerstone does not adjust to the stones that are added to it: the stones are aligned to the cornerstone.

           i.      We don’t reshape Christ around our preferences.

           ii.      We align ourselves to Him.

g.      His truth sets the line; His character sets the pattern; His gospel sets the center.

h.      When we align ourselves to Him, we are not only strengthened individually, we are fitted together as His people.

i.        In 1 Peter 2:4-5, Christ is the living Stone, rejected by men, but chosen by God.

           i.      Believers are living stones because we share in His life and are joined to Him.

           ii.      Together, we are being built into a spiritual house.

j.        Peter’s point is that the identity, unity, and worship of the church all depend on Christ.

k.      What this means for each of us is that we cannot build a stable life apart from Jesus and we can’t build a healthy congregation apart from Jesus.

l.        We must build our beliefs, our families, our hope, and our place in His church on Jesus and Him alone.

m.    Since we are being built together, this also means we need one another.

           i.      Again, there are no lone wolves and Jesus.

           ii.      It is Jesus forming a people, a spiritual house, with every stone set in relation to Hm.

n.      When we rely on Jesus, He builds us together.

o.      Jesus closed the Sermon on the Mount with this idea of building on the right foundation didn’t he? (Matt. 7:24-27).

p. Coming to Christ is what turns scattered lives into a spiritual house.