​Sunday December 26th
God at Work – Moses
I don’t know if you’ve ever read the actual conversation between Moses and God at the top of Mount Sinai, but it supposedly went something like this:
Moses ascended to the mountain top. When he reached the peak, the voice of God boomed from the sky, “Moses! This is the voice of God!”

“Wow! Seriously? You’re God?” Moses replied.

“Yes, I, am the one true God!”

“I don’t believe it! You’re not really God!”

“Yes, it is true, I am the Almighty God.”

Moses said, “It’s really you? No way!”

And God said, “YAHWEH.”
At the end of the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 34:10-12 says this regarding the death of Moses:
 
Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land— 12 and for all the mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
Deuteronomy says that since the death of Moses, no other prophet has ever known God face to face, the way that Moses did. No other prophet has ever performed the kinds of signs and wonders that Moses did in calling forth the plagues over Egypt and parting the Red Sea. No other leader was as revered as Moses. No other leader was given the Ten Commandments personally from God. No other prophet had his face shining with God’s glory the way that Moses did. Not Joshua, not Samuel, not Isaiah, or Elijah, or even David reached the heights of power or intimacy with God that Moses attained. The circumstances of his birth were miraculous. His encounter with the burning bush was miraculous.
In fact, Moses is the only man whose funeral God came down from heaven to personally arrange.
Deuteronomy 34:5-6 tells us that:
Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, in accordance with the word of the Lord. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows his burial place to this day. 
And as Exodus 33:11 points out:
“The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.”
We could say that these verses are establishing Moses as the GOAT, the Greatest of All Time!
But what I want to show you today is that Hebrews chapter 3 completely blows away Moses’ claim to being the GOAT and replaces him with the true Greatest of all time, Jesus!
Let’s look at Hebrews 3:1-6
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus; 2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. 3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the boast of our hope.
The opening chapter of Hebrews has already compared Jesus with the Old Testament prophets in general. Hebrews 1:1-2 says:
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world.
And then Jesus has been compared with the angels in Hebrews 1:4-13
“Having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say,
“You are My Son,
Today I have fathered You”?
And again,
“I will be a Father to Him
And He will be a Son to Me”?
6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says,
“And let all the angels of God worship Him.”
7 And regarding the angels He says,
“He makes His angels winds,
And His ministers a flame of fire.”
8 But regarding the Son He says,
“Your throne, God, is forever and ever,
And the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of His kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your companions.”
10 And,
“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the works of Your hands;
11 They will perish, but You remain;
And they all will wear out like a garment,
12 And like a robe You will roll them up;
Like a garment they will also be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.”
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said,
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I make Your enemies
A footstool for Your feet”?
Now, here in chapter 3 the Book of Hebrews begins showing the contrast between Jesus and Moses. We already know that Moses was considered to be a great man, a great prophet, a great leader, and a great lawgiver. But these opening verses of Hebrews 3 are pointing out that Jesus fulfilled all of those same roles as well; and to a greater degree than Moses ever could have imagined. Let’s look at some comparisons:
Both Moses and Jesus were called by God and sent to help His people.
Both of them ministered to people who were subject to powerful evil forces, whether it was the Egyptian Empire, the Roman Empire or the Empire of sin.
Both of them were charged with bringing people from bondage to freedom.
Both of them brought a message that provided a clear set of directions for living in this world while at the same time anticipating a better world to come.
But as the writer of Hebrews contrasts Moses with Jesus, he makes this important point: Moses was a faithful servant in God’s house, but Christ was the builder of the house. Moses was simply a worker in God’s house, but this house that we’re talking about is a house which Jesus rules over as the Son of God. Therefore, Jesus is clearly superior to Moses.
There is only one house of God and one people of God. Moses himself pointed ahead to the Messiah who was to come. Jesus told the Pharisees that Moses spoke about Him in John 5:45-47.
“But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
Paul said that Moses’ Old Testament message was the same as his New Testament message; salvation only comes through faith in Christ (Rom. 9:14-16).
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
God’s message has been the same throughout all stages of history. The people of God are always those who are saved by placing their faith in Christ.
That’s why Hebrews 3:5 says:
“Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be revealed by God in the future through Jesus.
Moses knew that someone greater than him was coming. He was a “faithful servant” who was bearing witness of God’s promised Messiah.
In 1 Chronicles 17:14 the Holy Spirit said this about the coming Son of God:
“I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever”.
God is building a kingdom on this earth, and Jesus came to rule over that kingdom. These ancient promises spoken through the prophets have been fulfilled through Jesus, who was appointed to be our king and our high priest in the New Covenant.
That’s why verse 6, while acknowledging Moses’ faithfulness, still puts Jesus at a higher level:
“But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house.”
The Bottom line is this: Moses was a servant in the house.
Jesus is the Son over the house
Servants come and go. Sons are sons forever.
Faithfulness is the key element here.
Moses was faithful as a servant in God’s house. Jesus was also faithful, but He was faithful as the Son appointed to preside and rule over God’s house.
As one writer put it – “Faithfulness on the part of a servant is required; faithfulness in a son is an expression of pure love. The contrast between a servant and a Son shows the superiority of Jesus to Moses.”
Think of it this way: the world is both God’s house and God’s family. We often use the word house in the sense of a building but also in the sense of a family, like a household. The whole world is God’s house, and we as believers are God’s family. Moses was a part of God’s universe, part of the house. But Jesus is the creator of the whole house, and the creator is obviously above the house itself. Moses didn’t create the Law; he only passed it on to the people. Moses did not create the house; he only served in it. Moses did not speak of himself; all that he ever said was pointing to the greater things that Jesus Christ would someday say and do. Moses knew a little about God; Jesus was God. That’s the ultimate measure of His superiority.
We can say that the whole world is God’s house; but in a different way, the Church is God’s household, in the special sense that God has created a special family within His house. That is a picture the New Testament shows again and again:
1 Peter 4:17 “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
1 Timothy 3:15
I write so that you will know how one should act in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
1 Peter 2:5
“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”
That building, that household, is the Kingdom of God established through His Church, and it will only stand firm and be indestructible when each individual stone is firmly established.
That is to say, when every member is strong in the confident hope that he or she has in Jesus Christ. We need to know our true identity, and the awesome power and blessings that come with that identity. Each one of us is like a stone in the foundation of the Church. If one stone is weak, the entire structure gets a bit shaky. The Church stands firm when each one of us is standing firm, when each living stone is rooted and grounded in faith in Jesus Christ.
Ultimately, Moses should be honored as a servant who was faithful in God’s house, but as followers of Jesus we have been given even greater honor because we are actually co-heirs with the Son of God who was appointed to preside and reign over God’s household.
That’s what Paul was saying in 2 Timothy 2:12
“If we endure, we will also reign with Him”
That’s what John was saying in Revelation 20:6
“Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”
Can you grasp the reality today that you have been appointed as a co-heir with Jesus? Can you start to walk in that identity, taking your rightful place as a victor rather than a victim, as a ruler rather than one who is ruled over by sin?
The title of this message is God at Work - Moses.
But as much as we want to give proper honor to Moses, I think our main focus should be God at Work – in you and me!
Moses was a great servant, but he is dead. Jesus is alive. And you are alive.
Think of the power behind these words in Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
The Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts is making us alive today, not just physically, but spiritually as well – alive to live out the destiny that God has called us to. Are you ready to be greater than Moses?

​Sunday December 5th
God at Work - Isaac
If you’ve ever been camping, you know that it can get pretty dark and scary outside at night. It reminds me of that time in the Bible when Abraham and Isaac were out together, hiking in the mountains.
"Father, it's getting dark out," Isaac said, "and I'm starting to get a little scared."
"Imagine how I feel," Abraham replied, "I have to walk home alone."
 
There are a lot of things that we could focus on about the life of Isaac. His story begins in Genesis 21 and continues all the way through Genesis 28, and his name is continually brought up throughout the Old Testament in the phrase “the God of Abraham and Isaac”.
 
I want to focus this morning on one of the earliest stories from Isaac’s life, when he was just a boy. And what’s interesting about this story is that Isaac is not the active protagonist or hero, he is actually the passive victim, or at least he was almost a victim. This familiar story is found in Genesis 22:
Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” 3 So Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place of which God had told him.
Of course, this story is considered to be a testimony of Abraham’s faith and obedience, which it surely is. And Father Abraham, I mean Pastor Roger, taught us all about him several weeks ago. But think for a moment of what this little camping trip must have felt like for Isaac as the days unfolded!
4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”
6 And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.
Wow, what a really special father/son bonding time! “You two servants can stay here and wait. My son and I can handle things from here.” Think of how proud Isaac must have felt at that moment!
Isaac is still just a boy, but his dad trusted him to carry the wood for the burnt offering. And then an interesting thought suddenly dawned on Isaac:
7 Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
That’s a very reasonable answer, and Isaac probably saw no reason to doubt his father’s confidence that God had it all covered. But then this happened:
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
Right about now, Isaac is probably starting to wonder if maybe he should’ve stayed home. His Dad seems to have lost his mind! And I think it’s very interesting that there is no record of Isaac crying out or asking his father to put down the knife. He somehow seems to have embraced a supernatural faith that God was going to take care of him. And, of course God does, by sending an angel to hold back the knife just in time:
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not reach out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns;
and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son.
Abraham’s willingness to offer up his beloved son Isaac is considered to be a beautiful foreshadowing of God’s offering up of His beloved Son, Jesus.
The potential offering of Isaac is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrifice in a number of ways, such as:

1. He was the only beloved son: Here’s what God said to Abraham back in verse 2:

“Take now your son, your only son, whom you love.”
And, of course John 3:16 calls Jesus the only Son of God and John 5:20 says that “the Father (God) loves the Son (Jesus).”
 

1. The sacrifice of Isaac was to take place on Mount Moriah. In modern day Jerusalem this is known as the Temple Mount, the site of Solomon’s Temple. Jesus was sacrificed right outside of Jerusalem.

 

1. They both arrived at the site of their sacrifice accompanied by donkeys.
2.  They both had to carry the wood that would be used in carrying out their sacrifice.

 

1.  Neither one cried out or protested being made a sacrifice. As I pointed out already, Isaac never utters a single word during this entire episode. And in Matthew 27:12-14 we see this as Jesus stands before Pontius Pilate:

 

• And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not offer any answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they are testifying against You?” 14 And still He did not answer him in regard to even a single charge, so the governor was greatly amazed.

 
This was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed and afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
 

1.  And, of course the most significant parallel between the sacrifice of Isaac and the sacrifice of Jesus is that they were both ultimately delivered from death!

Isaac was set free by the hand of an angel.
 
Hebrews 11:17-19 says,

• By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and the one who had received the promises was offering up his only son; 18 it was he to whom it was said, “Through Isaac your descendants shall be named.” 19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.

 
That phrase “received him back as a type” is a direct reference to the fact that Isaac’s deliverance was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ resurrection.
 
In Acts 2:24 Peter says this about Jesus:
 God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
Often times we are encouraged to have a faith like Abraham, who we call the father of our faith. And that is very true. But I want you to realize that we are also called to have faith like Isaac had.
It’s one thing to offer up a sacrifice like Abraham.
It’s another thing altogether to BE the sacrifice, like Isaac!
But that’s exactly what we are called to do in Romans 12:1
“Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship
Our offering is intended to be more of an internal heart attitude rather one than a physical one. It is the attitude of not clinging to our personal possessions or talents. And, just like in the case of Isaac and Jesus, as we willingly offer what we have up to God, He often gives these same offerings back to us, filled with resurrection power!
Let me give you an example:
I offered my musical ability up to the Lord when I injured my thumb in a skiing accident – Because of the injury I had lost the ability to make chords on the guitar. I said “God if you will heal my hand, I will always play for your glory.” And the Lord gave me back the gift of playing the guitar and I have used that restored gift to write songs for His glory and to lead worship. I have a resurrected Isaac hand!
So, let me ask you this: Is there anything in your life that God is currently asking you to lay down, to put on the altar as an offering?
It could be something physical, it could be financial, it could be emotional or relational. The point is that it would be something precious to you, just like Isaac was precious to Abraham.
And giving up this thing might cost you something, just like it was going to cost Isaac something!
When you think of what this thing might be, then you simply have to ask yourself this one question:
Am I willing to trust God, that He will provide for me if I offer up this thing that He is asking me to lay upon the altar?
Think about this true story as you ponder the idea of offering up your life to God:
There was a large cathedral in Europe that had a magnificent pipe organ. One Saturday afternoon the custodian was doing a final cleaning of the organ loft in the balcony at the back of the church.
He was startled to hear footsteps coming up the stairway. He turned to see a man in slightly rumpled clothes coming toward him.
"Excuse me, sir," the stranger said, "I have come from quite a distance to see the organ in this cathedral. Would you mind letting me get a closer look at it?"
The custodian was inclined to refuse. He said, "What if the organist came in and found you sitting there? I would probably lose my job!" But the stranger was persistent so the custodian gave in. "Okay, but only for a moment," he added.
The custodian noticed that the stranger seemed to be very comfortable sitting on the organ bench, but then he asked to be allowed to play the organ.
"NO! Definitely not!" said the custodian. "No one is allowed to play it except the cathedral organist."
The man’s face fell, and his deep disappointment was obvious. He reminded the custodian how far he had come just to see this organ, and assured him that no damage would be done.
Finally, the custodian told the stranger that he could play a few notes, but then he would have to leave.
Overjoyed, the stranger began to play. Suddenly the cathedral was filled with the most beautiful music the custodian had ever heard in all his years.
Finally, after what seemed all too short a time, the stranger stopped playing and slid off the organ bench and started down the stairway.
"Wait!" cried the custodian. "That was the most beautiful music I have ever heard in the cathedral. Who are you?"
The stranger replied, " My name is Mendelssohn."
The man was none other than Felix Mendelssohn, one of the greatest organists and composers of the 19th century!
The custodian was standing alone now in that great cathedral, the beautiful organ music still ringing in his ears. "Just think," he said softly, "I almost kept the master from playing his music in my cathedral!"
God has designed every moment of your life. He has made you for a magnificent purpose.
When you offer your life to Him, you allow Him to play wonderful music through it.
Will you offer your life to Him today – every single note of it?

​Sunday November 14th
God at work – Job
 
Some of you have probably heard this philosophical thing known as the Eternal Question:
If a man says something in the woods and no woman hears him, is he still wrong?
This morning we are going to sum up the eternal question of Job this way:
“Is it worth it to serve God?”
 
Most of us have probably asked ourselves that question at some point in our lives. It doesn’t seem quite right when we are doing our absolute best to live a godly life and then out of nowhere some unforeseen tragedy strikes.
 
To make matters worse, you look around and you see people who are clearly NOT following God, and their lives seem to be BLESSED! What’s up with that? It just doesn’t seem right. It’s not fair! Maybe following God just isn’t worth it after all!
 
King David admitted this in Psalm 73:3 “I saw that wicked people were successful, and I became jealous.”
 
So, let’s get started on this study of the eternal question of Job, starting with chapter 1 verse 1:
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.
Everything about Job’s character can be summed up with two words. The first word is blameless. In Latin it is the word integer. We get the word integrity from that. The second word is upright, which means to be straight up, not deviating to the left or right.


Job was blameless and upright. He was a man who had absolute integrity.
 
In Ezekiel 14:14 God even lists Job as one of the three most righteous men of all time, along with Noah and Daniel.
 
 
Job’s focus wasn’t on himself either - it was on his family as we see in verse 5:
5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
Job was concerned about the spiritual well-being of his children. After each time of celebration, he would offer sacrifices to God, not for specific things that he had seen his children do wrong, but “JUST IN CASE” they had sinned!
That’s the key challenge that Job will now have to face. He is worried that his children might “perhaps” curse God if things didn’t go their way, and Satan says, “Job, I think YOU would curse God if things stopped going your way.”
That’s possibly the number one element of Job’s story that we can try to incorporate into our own spiritual lives.
Can I come through my challenges, my Job-times, with my integrity intact? Or will I take Satan’s bait and curse the God who has blessed me so much, with life and with salvation, at the cost of His own Son?
 
As we continue in verse 6 we will see Satan trying to cause Job to curse God by destroying Job’s life.
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
Satan admits to God that he has been “roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” He’s just waiting to point out humanity’s flaws, because Revelation 12:10 calls Satan “the accuser of our brethren… he who accuses them before our God day and night.
But before Satan can start accusing anyone of being unrighteous, God beats him to the punch by bringing up Job as an example of someone who HASN’T given in to Satan’s temptations:
8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
Satan is apparently upset with Job’s faithfulness, but he tries to excuse it away by arguing that it’s been EASY for Job to walk in righteousness because everything has gone his way:
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”
 
12 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.
We see the earthly results of this heavenly conversation in verses 13-19. Four messengers, one after the other came with devastating news:
• Some of your animals were stolen
• The rest of your animals were destroyed by a freak firestorm falling from the sky
• All of your workers were either kidnapped or killed
• All ten of your children are dead.
But even without knowing why all of this had happened, Job kept his faith and his integrity:
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 He said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.
Tearing your clothes and shaving your head were traditional ways to express grief and sorrow. People sometimes did those things at funerals. Job now had 10 funerals to face all at once! But even in his deepest grief he didn’t blame God, he WORSHIPPED GOD!
Job said, “I had nothing when I came into this world and I will take nothing with me when I die. Whatever I had was given to me by God. And if God chooses to take away some of what He gave me, that is His right! Blessed be the name of God, whether He is giving or whether He is taking away!”
We are all going to experience various trials throughout our lives; hopefully not to the same degree that Job did. But no matter what we are facing the questions will always be the same:
How do I respond? How do I view God in the midst of my adversity? Will I continue to worship Him when I don’t understand Him?
In Chapter two things go from bad to worse (starting with verse 3):
3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”
So, starting in verse 4, Satan lays out his next line of attack: Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” 6 So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”
Rather than acknowledging Job’s faithfulness, Satan simply shrugs it off and says, “That’s because you didn’t let me hit him directly.” But now he will.
Satan isn’t allowed to kill Job, so he attacks him with the worst possible affliction he can think of BOILS, from the bottoms of Job’s feet to the top of his head!
Poor Job is already sitting on a pile of ashes, mourning the deaths of his children. Now he picks up a piece of broken pottery and starts to scrape his skin with it, to let the boils drain out.
But EVEN with his body covered in boils from head to toe, Job isn’t looking for the easy way out, AND he isn’t blaming God for his misfortune. JOB at this point has no idea that everything is going to turn out okay and he has no idea WHY all of this is happening to him, but he still doesn’t sin against God with his words or in his heart. Job isn’t sure WHAT is causing his problems, so he just sits and scrapes his boils; until his three friends arrive:
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky. 13 Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
In Chapter 3, Job finally lets out a sorrowful lament about the tragedies that he is facing. But, now that Job has started speaking, his three friends feel free to offer THEIR views on why Job is experiencing this suffering.
 
The first friend is Eliphaz. He tells Job that God only chastises the wicked, not the righteous, and tells Job to just submit to the chastisement of God. He insinuates that Job must have sinned for these things to have happened.


Then Bildad speaks. He basically makes the same argument, saying if Job was really upright God would have protected him, because God won’t allow judgment to fall upon the righteous. The third friend will be Zophar. He actually tells Job that he deserves to suffer even more.
He claims that if Job would simply turn from his supposed sin the suffering would cease immediately. He says things like – “Do genuinely upright people ever lose out in the end? It’s my observation that those who sow evil reap evil.”
 
Each of Job’s three friends originally came to bring him comfort, but none of them does a very good job. We’ve all probably heard the phrase, “with friends like these, who needs enemies?”
 
This whirlwind conversation/argument between Job and his 3 not-so-great friends finally comes to an end 18 chapters later. Then Chapter 32 starts with these words:
“Job’s three friends now fell silent because Job wouldn’t admit to an ounce of guilt.”
We know that Job was a righteous man, but his attitude in these arguments with his old friends actually starts to drift towards self-righteousness. And this doesn’t sit well at all with a young man named Elihu who had been standing by watching the whole thing unfold. Here’s what we find out as Chapter 32 continues in verses 2 and 3:
“Then Elihu lost his temper. He blazed out in anger against Job for pitting his righteousness against God’s. He was also angry with Job’s three friends because they had not proved Job wrong.”
Elihu let’s Job have it for the next six chapters.
And then, starting in chapter 38, God finally speaks. God must be pretty fed up with all of the pompous rhetoric that Job and these other four know-it-alls have been throwing around, because He asks questions like “Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much!” (38:4)
In the midst of God’s barrage of unanswerable questions, Job is smart enough to make this simple statement:
“I should never have opened my mouth! I’ve talked too much, way too much. I’m ready to shut up and listen.” (40:4-5)
God continues His questions for Job, noting along the way that:
“I’ll gladly step aside and hand things over to you—you can surely save yourself with no help from me!” (40:14)
Ultimately, Job wraps up his response to God in chapter 42 by saying: “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, ‘who is this person ignorantly second-guessing my purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me. I made small talk about wonders way over my head. I admit I once lived by rumors of you; but now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears!
Job admits that the eternal questions of life, death, and suffering are “far beyond me”.
Maybe that’s another key truth that we all can learn from Job this morning – some things are simply more than we can handle on our own; more than we can possibly comprehend.
That’s what God is telling us in Isaiah 55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
So, what’s the answer for why people, even good people, sometimes go through suffering?
Or, to go back to the eternal question that we started out with this morning:
“Is it worth it to serve God?”
Ultimately, Job seemed to think so. In the midst of the catastrophic agony that had befallen him he utters these incredible words: (Job 13:15)
Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.
I think the point of the book of Job might just be that we don’t always know why difficult things are happening in our lives – but God knows. And sometimes we just have to trust Him.
Nobody wants to be like Job as far as what he went through, but maybe we can all learn from his steadfast hope and trust.

Sunday October 17th

I’m sure that we could all agree that our good deeds aren’t what gets us into heaven. Only our faith in Jesus gives us access to eternal life. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do good deeds.
One time these three Boy Scouts were excited to tell their Scoutmaster about their good deed for the day.
“I just helped an old lady across the street,” one of them said.
“I helped that old lady across the street too”, the second boy said.
The Scoutmaster looked at the third boy, who said, “And I helped that same old lady across the street.”
The Scoutmaster was a little bit skeptical. “Let me get this straight. It took all three of you boys to help one old lady to cross the street?”
The boys nodded. “Yes, sir. You see, she really didn’t want to go!”
As Pastor Josh showed us last week, Paul closed out his letter to Titus talking about the need for Christian good deeds. In verse 1 of chapter three he said:
Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,
“Remind them”, Paul says. Remind those people that you are leading. Remind the church of what is true and what the Scriptures say again and again and again. That is the job of a pastor, and Titus was the pastor over that flock.
Peter said the same thing about himself in 1 Peter 1:12
“So, I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.”
The word “remind” means to call to mind what is already known. (Like re-mind) What has Titus been teaching these believers that he needs to be constantly reminding them about?
Titus was to remind these new believers that they represented Jesus to the world around them. That’s why they were to be “ready for every good deed.”
It’s just like Jesus told us in Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Titus is to remind these Christians that how they live as Christians should be markedly different from their un-saved former lives.
Look at how Paul puts it in verse 3:
3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
Paul describes our former lives as:
foolish - this means a lack of spiritual understanding.
disobedient - this means rebellious against God and His Word
deceived - we were led astray by Satan
We should always show gratitude for how God changed us, because remembering our former life builds humility. We didn’t save or change ourselves. And God’s kindness was the key:
4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Many commentators believe this long sentence might have been an early hymn that the church would have been familiar with.
Paul sets up a contrast between our past and our present with the words “at one time…but when.”
At one time, we were lost, hopeless, and helpless. But when the kindness and love of our Savior appeared, everything changed!
He saved us, not because of any righteous thing we had done, but because of His mercy. We didn’t deserve it and we couldn’t earn it. God’s heart was motivated by kindness, grace, and mercy.
Does that seem hard to believe? In verse 8 Paul says, “believe it!”
8 This statement is trustworthy; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people.
So, there it is again. We as Christians are supposed to devote ourselves to doing good deeds. Remember, we are not saved by good deeds but for good deeds.
One more time before he ends this letter, Paul goes back to the importance of good deeds in verse 14:
14 Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unproductive.
Paul talks about good deeds six times in the 46 verses that make up this epistle.
This focus on doing good deeds is one of the main themes of this letter to Titus. Our faith ultimately leads to our serving by way of good deeds – as we say here at Praise Tabernacle, serving everywhere.
But we need to ask, if we should be spending our time doing good deeds, what good deeds should we be doing? Helping little old ladies to cross the street?
There are lots of good things that we can do that would fit the definition of good deeds, but this morning I would like to encourage all of us to join together in one of the BEST deeds that we can do as a church, one that God has CALLED us to do:
And that’s prayer.
As those who have been called to lead this church, the elders of Praise Tabernacle have felt a strong calling for the church to come together in obedience to the words of 2nd Chronicles 7:14
14 and (if) My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
In verse 14 of Titus 3, Paul says, “Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds”
In verse 14 of 2nd Chronicles God says, “My people” must humble themselves and pray.
That’s us.
We are God’s people. We the ones who are called by His name.
Prayer is the primary “good deed” that we are called to, because without a foundation of prayer, nothing else gets accomplished.
That’s why, in the last few weeks, we have been placing specific prayer points in our weekly church email – things that we can pray over together in unity.
And we have even chosen a time to unify – 7:14.
Either 7:14 am or 7:14 pm, or both.
Whatever works for your schedule is fine.
Why 7:14? To remind us of that verse from 2nd Chronicles.
Should we only be praying at 7:14?
Of course not. We should be praying all throughout the day.
But isn’t there something cool about the realization that IF you are praying at 7:14 you are joining in with other brothers and sisters who are focusing on those same prayer targets?!
And to make things even easier for you to remember, we had these cool wristbands made with the time on it – 7:14 – and the words “It’s time to pray!”
Elder Jeff Wolfe had felt led to make a declaration of our commitment to this good deed pf unified prayer. He wanted to hold up a sword. And then we thought maybe everyone who wanted to make the commitment could come up and take turns holding up the sword.
But then we decided it would be much simpler to have anyone who wants to join in this committed prayer just raise their arm as if holding a sword and we will bring you a wristband as a symbol of your pledge.
So, I am going to ask Jeff to come forward now with the sword.
If you aren’t on our email list to get the prayer points, make sure that we get your email address.
And if are on the list, you might remember that I wrote a few weeks ago about the blessings that are promised to God’s people if they will follow the command of 2nd Chronicles 7:14. And these blessings are found in verses 15 and 16:
15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house so that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there always.
That’s what we are entering into today. Those promised blessings are for US. God’s eyes, ears, and heart will always be with us, hearing and answering our prayers! 

​ Sunday June 13th
Ephesians 5
 
I heard a story about this Scottish man who was walking around in New York City when he happened to look in one of the shop windows and saw a sign that caught his eye. The sign said, "Suits $10.00 each, Shirts $4.00 each, Trousers $5.00 per pair". He thought to himself, "I could buy a whole lot of those, and when I get back to Scotland, I could sell them for ten times the price and make a fortune".

So he goes into the store and says, “I'll take fufty suits et $10.00 each, fufty shirts et $4.00 each, and fufty pairs of trousers et $5.00 each.”

The owner of the shop asks, 'You're from Scotland, aren't you?'
'Well... Yis,' says the surprised man. 'How dud you know thet?'

The owner says, 'This is a dry cleaners!' 
Speaking of walking around, in the opening verses of Chapter 5, Paul addresses how we are expected to “walk” as Christians:
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
First, he says “be imitators of God”.
We imitate God by walking in holiness. And we can also say that ONLY holy behavior imitates God because He is completely holy.
The second thing that Paul challenges us to do, as a part of walking in holiness, is to “walk in love.” And if there is any question about what kind of love we are asked to walk in, Paul spells it out for us; “just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us.”
So, the kind of love that we are asked to imitate and to walk in is a very self-sacrificing love, which imitates Jesus’ willingness to lay down His life for others.
That’s not an easy love to walk in, but the only alternative to walking in holiness and walking in love is to return to our “former lusts”. And Paul is going to explain next why that’s just totally unacceptable:
3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
If we’ve been restored to a right relationship with God, then we aren’t sinners anymore, we’re saints! And it’s not “proper” for saints to act like sinners!
Things like immorality, impurity, greediness, filthy or even silly talk, or coarse jesting (like telling dirty jokes) don’t match our new profile. And it’s clear that none of those behaviors could be said to “imitate” God.
This isn’t something that God takes lightly.
He is serious about our restoration. And He is serious about holiness. And He is going to punish those who willfully disobey Him. Look at what verse 6 says:
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
So, if ungodly people and their ungodly behaviors are going to be judged God, how should we, as born-again believers, relate to them?
Paul explains it all here in verses 7-14
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says,
“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.”
 
Paul says “you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord.”
In verse 13 he says, “all things become visible when they are exposed by the light”.
 
The very presence of Christians in dark circumstances and environments is designed to expose sin through the contrast between how it looks when we walk in the light and how it looks when those around us walk in darkness.
 
Keep in mind that the key question that always arises when believers spend time with unbelievers is this: “Who is going to rub off on whom?”
 
That’s why Paul’s next words are:
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.
Paul says that for believers in Jesus Christ, the true path to worship isn’t found through wine, but by being filled with the Spirit.
And one of the ways that we live the spirit-filled life is by doing what verse 21 says next:
 
“and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”
The reason that I want to highlight that last phrase, about being subject to “one another”, is that it holds the framework for everything else that Paul is going to say for the rest of chapter five.
Unfortunately verse 22 is often looked at separately, as if it’s not just a part of the larger discussion of MUTUAL submission:
22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
But I’m going to ask my wife to share about that.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her
26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

​Sunday May 2nd
Romans 15
 
Did you ever hear the phrase “denial is not just a river in Egypt”?
The psychological phenomenon of denial is a very powerful thing.
Did you ever have anyone accuse you of being in denial?
I was having a conversation with someone recently who kept accusing me of denying reality and living in a fantasy world.
That’s so ridiculous! It actually made me laugh so hard that I practically fell off of my unicorn!
 
 
The heading over Romans Chapter 15 in the New American Standard Bible says that it’s about “Self-denial in behalf of others.”
Here’s how the Apostle Paul brings this out, starting in verse one:
Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not just please ourselves. 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.
Notice that Paul say “we” who are strong have an obligation to bear with the struggles of the weak. Paul obviously considers himself one of the “strong” ones. And he sees the misinformed and immature “weak” ones as a true cause for concern, but his main emphasis is on the responsibility of the “strong” ones to support the “weak” ones. He doesn’t want to see pride, such as the flaunting our freedom in Christ in a way that is offensive or a stumbling block to our weaker brothers and sisters.
We see similar statements in Romans 14:19
So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another
And then in 1 Corinthians 8:1
Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes one conceited, but love edifies people.
Then in 1 Corinthians 10:23
All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up. 
And further down in 1 Corinthians 10:31-32
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God. 32 Do not offend Jews or Greeks, or the church of God
So this idea of not offending our weaker brothers and sisters is a pretty consistent theme for Paul, and he explains why in verse 3: 
3 For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on Me.”
Paul quotes Psalm 69:9 here, pointing out that the willingness of Jesus to deny Himself and suffer for the benefit of others should serve as an example to all Christians in relating to our weaker members.
4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Paul is referring here to the Old Testament Scriptures, which were written not just for the benefit of the people of Israel, but also for the benefit of Christians. We also know this to be true from 2nd Timothy 3:16
 All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness
5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one purpose and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It takes patience, perseverance, and encouragement to work together, but unity in the church is essential if God is going to be glorified. When we worship God with one common purpose and one common voice, then God’s true glory is manifested through us. And how does that unity begin? With acceptance.
7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us, for the glory of God.
A good basis for accepting others, even with all of their faults and failures, is to remember that Jesus accepted us into His family despite all of our own faults and failures. And notice again that when we do accept one another, it brings God more glory!
Now Paul addresses a specific area where acceptance might be a problem – the separation between Jewish and Gentile believers:
8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision in behalf of the truth of God, to confirm the promises given to the fathers,
When I first read this, I was thinking that Paul was talking about his own role in serving the Jewish believers, but what he actually says is that Christ (Himself) has become a servant to the circumcision (which meant the Jewish people).
But Jesus didn’t stop in His servanthood with just the nation of Israel. He became a servant to all:
9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written:
“Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles,
And I will sing praises to Your name.”
10 Again he says,
“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people.”
11 And again,
“Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,
And let all the peoples praise Him.”
12 Again Isaiah says,
“There shall come the root of Jesse,
And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,
In Him will the Gentiles hope.”
Paul quotes a series of Old Testament verses to show that God’s plan for salvation has always included the Gentiles as well as the Jews. And his quote from Isaiah points to the hope that comes with that promise. So in verse 13 Paul prays a little benediction over the Roman Christians:
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Having hope is actually evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Wherever you find hope, you will surely find the Holy Spirit behind it. 
Starting in verse 14, Paul begins drawing this letter to a close by returning to the theme of his vision for expanding the influence of the gospel.
14 And concerning you, my brothers and sisters, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. 15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given to me from God, 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
In some ways, Paul sees his evangelistic ministry as a form of priestly service. Since he was raised as a Jewish man, seeing the offering of sacrifices in the temple, Paul now sees preaching the gospel as the means by which these Roman Gentiles will be brought to God as his form of personal offering. That makes sense for two reasons:

1. Because Paul has really made a lot of sacrifices in order to reach these people with the Gospel
2. Because Paul has taught them to present themselves as a living sacrifice in chapter 12, verse one

But Paul is careful not to take the credit for all of these offerings, because none of this would have ever come about if it had not been for the grace of God in rescuing Paul from his own sin:
17 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and all around as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
I think we should take note of the fact that Paul describes his ministry in terms of a work of the Trinity - God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit, who has moved in signs and wonders throughout Paul’s preaching of the Gospel. God works in unity with us as well.
And Paul describes the extent of his ministry as reaching “from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum”. Paul’s journeys, according to the book of Acts, stretched from the eastern part of the Mediterranean as far west as Macedonia. That quite an expanse of territory, especially considering that much of it was covered on foot. But Paul had a real passion to reach those who had never been reached:
20 And in this way I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already known by name, so that I would not build on another person’s foundation; 21 but just as it is written:
“They who have not been told about Him will see,
And they who have not heard will understand.”
Now keep in mind that the Christians that Paul is writing to are in Rome, a place where Paul has not been to yet, but it has been a great desire of his:
22 For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; 23 but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you 24 whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while--
There are two things that will make Paul’s visit to Rome possible at this time:
(1) The previous phase of Paul’s ministry in Asia Minor has been fulfilled for the most part. He is now ready to take on some new challenges
(2) Paul feels like the next phase of his ministry involves reaching Spain, and Paul can therefore stop by Rome on the way to Spain.
Spain was actually the western-most extremity of the known world back then. If Paul took the Gospel there, he would have essentially preached to the “ends of the earth”. But before he could head towards Spain or Rome, he had another stop to make along the way:
25 but now, I am going to Jerusalem, serving the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to do them a service also in material things.
Paul reveals that his immediate plans are to visit Jerusalem with the financial gifts that the Gentile churches had raised for the Christians there. But Paul also sees a greater significance in their gift.
He believes that it is the duty of the Gentiles to look after their Jewish brothers and sisters in view of the spiritual blessing they have received by being grafted into God’s olive tree, as we saw back in chapter 11.
28 Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
Now I want you to think about this. As far as we know, Paul may have never made it to Spain, but we know for certain that he made it to Rome. How did he arrive in Rome? As a prisoner! Paul says that when he comes to them, it will be “in the fullness of the blessing of Christ”.
Can we still believe that the full blessings of Christ are with us even in the midst of struggles, trials and persecution? Paul did.
But he also asked for prayers along the way:
30 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints;
Paul’s prayer request is twofold:

1. That he would be protected from the hostility of the non-believing Jews that have chased him from town to town throughout his whole ministry.
2. That the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem would respond positively to the Gentile churches’ gift.

And once this has been accomplished, Paul would like to spend some wonderful time fellowshipping with his brothers and sisters in Rome:
32 so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and relax in your company. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
I want you to notice again here that Paul believes that it is the will of God for him to visit Rome. And he also says he expects to come to them “in joy”.
What did we just establish a few minutes ago? What was Paul’s status when he finally arrived in Rome? He was a prisoner. And he had been shipwrecked and bitten by a poisonous snake along the way! Did Paul still arrive in Rome filled with joy?
To find out the answer to that question, we can look at Acts 28:15, which is the first verse that Luke wrote after he and Paul had landed in Rome:
And from there the brothers and sisters, when they heard about us, came as far as the Market of Appius and the Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.
Did Paul let the circumstances of his arrival to Rome dictate his attitude? Not at all.
He simply thanked God for the opportunity to connect with other believers and he took strength and courage from the fact that he was not alone.
And as the book of Acts comes to an end, here are the last two verses: 30 Now Paul stayed two full years in his own rented lodging and welcomed all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching things about the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
Do you see how this ties back in with the theme of self-denial? Paul still was a prisoner. He could have focused on that. “Woe is me! Life is so unfair! I didn’t do anything to deserve this!” But instead he takes any opportunity he has to receive visitors and tell them about the love of Jesus. Which is why he is able to write to the Philippians from prison and say this: (Phil. 1:12) Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel.
What circumstances are you facing today that God can use for the greater progress of the gospel? Are you ready and willing to be used in that way?

​Sunday March 21st
Romans 9
A Jewish man walks into his synagogue on Yom Kippur with his dog. The rabbi stops him at the door and says "Abraham, what's the matter with you? You know you can't bring a dog in here."

Abraham says, "Don't worry, Rabbi. Isaac here is just as orthodox as I am, and he's come to pray." And as soon as he says that, the dog stands up on his hind legs, pulls a yarmulke out of Abraham's pocket, grabs a prayer book and starts praying in perfect Hebrew.

The Rabbi is amazed. "Oh my god," he says, "this is incredible, Abraham. You should allow this dog to become a rabbi!"

"That might be a problem, Rabbi," replies Abraham. "His mother wants him to become a doctor."
In Romans Chapter 9, the apostle Paul is going to give us a unique perspective on Abraham and Isaac.
He starts out by sharing the burden that is in his heart over the unbelief of his fellow Israelites:
I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my countrymen, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and daughters, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the temple service, and the promises; 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
This is really an incredible statement. Paul is saying that he would be willing to give up his own salvation, and allow himself to be back under the curse of sin, if somehow that could bring about the salvation of his Jewish brothers and sisters.
How many of us would be willing to make that kind of statement – That we would give up our own salvation if somehow that would lead to our family members, our neighbors, or other people’s salvation?
It just shows how serious Paul was about the unsaved status of his countrymen. He calls it “great sorrow” and “unceasing grief”.
As shocking as this expression of passion is, it’s not the most shocking thing that Paul says in this chapter. Get ready to dig into the concept of God’s total sovereignty and the doctrine of election:
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants shall be named.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” 10 And not only that, but there was also Rebekah, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”
13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
Let’s break this down, because Paul uses several examples to make his point:

1. Abraham had descendants through both Ishmael and Isaac. But only Isaac’s descendants were considered to be children of the promise, or God’s chosen people.
2. Even from among Isaac’s descendants, God chose to fulfill the promise through the line of Jacob, rather than through the line of Esau, even though Esau was the older brother.
3. God made that choice, to select Jacob over his brother, while they were still in Rebekah’s womb. Obviously neither one had done anything at that point to earn God’s favor or disfavor. He simply made a choice to love Jacob more than Esau. In fact, Paul says that God hated Esau!
4. To our natural minds and hearts, this seems blatantly unfair.

That fourth point is so blatantly obvious that Paul has to address it directly before he can continue with his teaching:
14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? Far from it! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I show compassion.” 16 So then, it does not depend on the person who wants it nor the one who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very reason I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the earth.” 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
If you were here when we studied the book of Exodus, you might remember that the question was raised, “Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart, God or Pharaoh?” And the answer was – both were true. Pharaoh chose to have a hard heart and God chose to allow that hardness of heart in order to accomplish His divine purposes of setting His people free and of having His glory proclaimed throughout the earth!
Ultimately, Paul says, it is God’s decision who He wants to show mercy to and who He wants to have hardened hearts. But this still seems unfair to us.
So Paul continues to explain this difficult concept:
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, you foolish person, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one object for honorable use, and another for common use?
The question that Paul is posing, a question that he anticipates people asking him, is this, “If it’s ultimately up to God which people will have hard hearts, isn’t it kind of wrong for God to blame anyone for having a hard heart?”
In answering the question, Paul uses the analogy of the potter and the clay. Who gets to decide what the pot will be used for? It is the potter or the pot?
In Jeremiah Chapter 18 we see the same issue being addressed: The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.”
3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 6 “Am I not able, house of Israel, to deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel.
Both Jeremiah and Paul are making the same point – What right do we have to tell God how to handle His business? If He wants to make certain jars one way and other jars another way, isn’t that His perfect right to do so?
And Paul says that God makes some jars for honorable or special use, and other jars for common, or not so special use. Isn’t He allowed to do that?
But now Paul takes it to a whole ‘nother level. He asks, “What if God makes some jars just to break them while He keeps other jars from breaking?
22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great patience objects of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon objects of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,
Think of it this way: God made all the jars, so He can break all of the jars if He wants to. Or He can break some of the jars and spare other ones. And in essence, none of the jars are perfect, so not one of them can complain if God chooses to reject them.
Now Paul brings it back to the issue of his people:
24 namely us, whom He also called, not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles, 25 as He also says in Hosea:
“I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’
And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”
26 “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’
There they shall be called sons of the living God.”
 
The key here is that the nation of Israel was originally God’s chosen people. Why? Simply because He chose them!
 
But what if God decides NOT to choose some of them and instead chooses to make some of the Gentiles part of His chosen family. Is He allowed to do that?
 
Of course He is. And that’s exactly what He did!
 
Paul shares that quote from Hosea to emphasize that God had said all along that He was going to unfold His plan in a certain way. Then he adds these quotes from Isaiah to show that God knew which of the descendants of Abraham were going to follow Him and which ones were going to reject Him:
27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel may be like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved; 28 for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.”
29 And just as Isaiah foretold:
“If the Lord of armies had not left us descendants,
We would have become like Sodom, and would have been like Gomorrah.”
 
Even though the descendants of Israel would be as numerous as the stars in the sky or the sand on the seashore, God knew that only a remnant, only a portion of them, would come to salvation through faith in Jesus. And even that, Isaiah says, is evidence of God’s mercy, or they all could have been lost, like Sodom and Gomorrah.
 
Paul is going to explain in more detail in Chapter 11 how God is planning to bring even more of Israel to salvation, but for now he simply sums it up like this:
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is by faith; 31 however, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though they could by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,
And the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.”
 
Whether we are of Jewish heritage or Gentile heritage, we will never attain righteousness by our own good works. That is a stumbling-block for many people because they are convinced that they are worthy to be counted as righteous by their own choices and their own behavior.
 
But as Pastor Roger showed us back in Romans 3:10
“There is no righteous person, not even one.”
And Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
 
The fact that any of us are saved, the fact that any of us are here today, has nothing to do with our own good works. The sole reason that we are seen as righteous in God’s eyes is that He chose to reveal to us His great mercy. He chose to call us to a place of surrender, repentance, grace, and forgiveness.
Aren’t you glad that He chose you? I know I am!

Sunday March 7th
Romans 7
A little boy went to his father with a serious look on his face.
He asked, “Daddy, what is a man?”
The father answered proudly, “Son, a man is someone who takes care of the family, who works hard to provide, who is willing to protect loved ones, who always speaks the truth and will never break a promise. That’s what a man is!”
The little boy said, “When I grow up, I want to be a man…just like Mom!”
So Pastor Josh asked us to tackle this chapter together because it addresses marriage, but it does so in a very unusual way – it points out the reality of the phrase that we hear in the classic wedding vows, “till death do us part”!
Here’s what the apostle Paul has to say about that in verses 1-3:
Or do you not know, brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the Law), that the Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2 For the married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he is alive; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. 3 So then, if while her husband is alive she gives herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress if she gives herself to another man.
This is basically a no-brainer. If your spouse dies, you’re not committing adultery if you get remarried. Why not? Because the Law that bound you to that first husband was made null and void by his death. That’s simple enough, right?
Paul emphasizes this exact same point in 1st Corinthians 7:39
“A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.”
So what’s that have to do with the rest of us?
Well, the reason that Paul is talking about this is really just a metaphor for us being married to sin!
In other words, we WERE married to sin, but now we are free from that marriage because our old nature, our old self, has died and we are now born again through faith in Jesus!
This is how Paul explains it in verses 4-6:
4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death in regard to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were brought to light by the Law, were at work in the parts of our body to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
The connection being laid out here goes like this:
Before we came to faith in Jesus, we were “married” to the Law. We couldn’t give ourselves to righteousness, because our sinful “flesh” was our spouse and we were tied to its demands for life.
But thankfully, we died to our old nature when we accepted Jesus as our savior. And since death breaks the bonds of our former life, we are now free to “marry” Jesus and to serve Him fully as our only spouse, living in the Spirit instead of living in the flesh.
Paul realizes that this analogy makes the Law seem like a terrible thing, so he wants to clarify the Law’s real purpose:
7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Far from it! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
The Law isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It serves a purpose. It lets me know that the choices I am making are not pleasing to God.
Once I am aware of that situation, I am able to decide whether that’s the way I want to continue living my life, or if there’s a better path for me.
By knowing that coveting is wrong, I can assess the impact that covetousness is having on my life.
And the end result will be that I will recognize that trying to live under the Law is not a source of life and blessings, it is a source of death and struggles:
8 But sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; 11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it, killed me.
The Law brings out my sinful desires, and sin is a killer! It brings about a desire within my flesh to do the exact opposite of what God wants me to do, and that brings death to my soul. So does that make the Law a bad thing? No, Paul says just the opposite:
12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
It’s not the Law itself that’s the problem, it’s what the Law does when it triggers a response from my sinful flesh!
13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? Far from it! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by bringing about my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.
What Paul it saying is that there is nothing wrong with God’s standards. What is wrong with the whole equation is that sinful part of my old nature that rejects God’s Law because it only wants to do what IT wants to do! My flesh doesn’t want to listen to God, it doesn’t want to obey God. It wants to BE God!
Then Paul goes on to describe the battle that this causes inside of him:
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good. 17 But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.
18 For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, 23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
So let's not stay married to sin. Let's enter in to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!