Waiting on the Lord

Waiting on the Lord

Psalm 25:4-5 (NKJV) Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. ⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

Introduction:

I felt the Lord directing my attention to the 25^th Psalm for our consideration today. My mind was particularly drawn to verses 4 & 5, but we will be looking at other verses in the Psalm also.

There are three different places in the Psalm where the author refers to waiting on the Lord so that is why I chose this title for the message today.

Waiting – something that few of us enjoy doing. We usually are not so conscious of it when others are waiting on us, but oh, how vividly we become aware when we are waiting on someone else.

We often associate “waiting” with the word “patience,” although in the biblical sense, “patience” usually includes more than simply waiting, but also a sense of hope and expectancy.

 — The Complete Book of Zingers, by Croft M. Pentz

Patience is waiting without worrying.

Patience is a virtue that carries a lot of wait.

Patience is a tree whose root is bitter, but its fruit is very sweet.

Patience strengthens the spirit, sweetens the temper, subdues the pride, and bridles the tongue.

It certainly seems like “patience” is something that most people want as long as they can get it right now!

I heard about the person that prayed, “Lord, please give me more patience, and I need it right now!”

In the Psalm of David before us today, it is evident that David realized he needed to wait on the Lord if he was going to receive the answers to his petitions.

Before we look more closely at verse 4-5, I want to share Adam Clarke’s view that the Psalm contains 5 different petitions to the Lord from King David.

I. His first petition is, that his “enemies not triumph over him,” verses 2, 3.

II. His second is for instruction, verses 4, 5, [further expanded in], verses 8-10, 12-14.

III. His third is for mercy and forgiveness verses 6, 7, 11.

IV. His fourth is a renewal of his first, verses 15-17, etc., with many [supporting] arguments.

V. His fifth is for Israel in general, verse 22.

Let’s turn our attention now to the topic of waiting upon the Lord in order to receive specific blessings from God.

I.       Waiting for the Lord involves a specific kind of mindset.

As I read the opening verses of this Psalm, I discover that the author, King David, had a particular mindset that “sets the stage” for the petitions he brings.

There are at least two aspects of the mindset that he portrays.

A. The mindset of devotion.

In verse 1, the author uses a common phrase: “I lift up my soul.”

One writer (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary) compares this phrase with a phrase used by the Apostle Paul in Col. 3:2, “Set your affections (“mind,” NKJV) on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Compare this with Philippians 3:18-19 (NKJV) ¹⁸  For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: ¹⁹  whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.

Contrast this with Psalm 24:3-4 (NKJV) ³  Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? ⁴  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.

Understanding these ideas helps us to recognize that lifting up our soul unto the Lord requires a mind and heart that is centered on God and heavenly things over and above every earthly pursuit.

How many times have we stated that we are waiting on the Lord, but we haven’t developed a mindset that directs our affections, our mind, and our attention to Him. We’ve become enamored or occupied with other competing interests that keep us from “lifting up our soul to the Lord!”

May the Lord help us to block out the competing affections that would divert our devotion away from the Lord.

May He help us to wait up Him without allowing our schedules to dictate the amount of time we give to Him.

This doesn’t mean that we will not be interested in any activities other than praying, Bible reading and church. No, it simply means that in all that we do; in all that we are engaged, our primary concern will be “how does this affect my spiritual health and my devotion to God?” And we will make adjustments accordingly. 

B. The mindset of trust.

The Hebrew word for “trust” used in v. 1 is bāṭaḥ

(Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.) “…that sense of well-being and security which results from having something or someone in whom to place confidence. It is significant that the [Greek transl. of the OT] never translates this word with πιοτευω "believe in" but with ελπιξω "to hope," in the positive sense "to rely on God" …. This would seem to indicate that bāṭaḥ does not connote that full-orbed intellectual and volitional response to revelation which is involved in "faith," rather stressing the feeling of being safe or secure. Likewise, all the derivatives have the same meaning "to feel secure," "be unconcerned."

“The Psalms, which show the largest number of occurrences (50 out of a total of 181), are most consistently expressive of the values of trust in God. They also make the point that the cause for hope is not in one's merit with God or in some sort of "tit-for-tat" arrangement, but only because of God's ḥesed (q.v.), his unswerving loyalty, his gracious kindness.”

David has affirmed that his confidence rests in God alone. His sense of security comes from the Lord, and he appeals to God for vindication so that neither he nor anyone else trusting in Him will be embarrassed or disappointed. (vv. 2-3)

When anyone has the sense of trust and security in God, they are more than willing to wait for the Lord to carry out His purposes and to defeat His enemies.

As I pondered these thoughts regarding the word “trust” I was drawn to apply them to our present-day circumstances in the world around us. There are many things taking place that would threaten our sense of security and our sense of peace and tranquility.

But, if we trust in the Lord, we can have this deep-settled assurance that God is in control and our hope and confidence is in Him. Whatever may come, we can know that He will see us through every circumstance with victory and grace.

II.     Waiting for the Lord includes specific desires.

Verses 4-5 express desires for specific responses from God.

The three phrases that caught my attention as I read this passage some time ago were, “Show me,” “Teach me,” and “Lead me.”

The King desires for God to give him at least two things.

A. The desire for instruction.

“Show me your ways,” and “Teach me your paths.”

When we take into consideration the common feature of Hebrew poetry (Hebrew parallelism), these two phrases are likely meant to convey the same idea i.e. give me the proper instruction so that I might learn and understand your ways.

Since God’s says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts,” we need instruction to see things His way and to think about things the way He does. Isaiah 55:9 (KJV)

Compare: verses 8-10 ⁸ Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. ⁹ The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. ¹⁰ All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

The “ways” and “paths” of God include “goodness,” “righteousness,” “justice,” “mercy,” and “truth” or integrity.

B. The desire for guidance.

“Lead me in your truth.”

Some of the modern translations of the Bible actually use the word “guide” rather than “lead.”

Scholars tell us that the word “truth” in its root meaning includes the idea of “firmness,” “certainty” and “dependability.”

The Psalmist wants the Lord to direct him and guide him in the truth of God, i.e. that which is firmly established, dependable and reliable.

The way this word is used throughout Scripture, it is clear that there is no “truth” apart from God.

We need His guidance as well in order to find the truth and walk in truth.

III.    Waiting for the Lord includes expectation of response.

When we combine all the instances where King David speaks about waiting on the Lord and prays that he will not be ashamed or disappointed, we get the distinct understanding that David truly expects God to respond and answer his prayers.

Having the right mindset of devotion to God and hope in God leads one to expect results from God.

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
³¹  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Conclusion:

I trust that these verses we have studied today will challenge each one of us to also put our hope in the Lord and cause us to wait on His response.

We’re not talking about the “waiting” implied by the impatient driver, honking the horn for traffic to get moving. We’re talking about the confident and expectant waiting of one who is helpless and weak looking to the infinitely powerful and merciful God to provide every asset necessary to bring him through every trial and storm with power and victory.

We can say with King David, “...You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.” “I will not be ashamed.”

Let us close our service today by singing the hymn:

Have Thine Own Way, Lord          # 591

If we are seeking the Lord and asking for His instruction and guidance, then we truly do want Him to “Have His Way.”

Enough for the Journey

This is a sermon that was given on the first Sunday of the year 2015.

Enough for the Journey

Matthew 6:11, 33 (NKJV) ¹¹  Give us this day our daily bread.

³³  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Introduction:

Here we are, once again, starting out another brand new year with all kinds of uncertainties and possibilities. None of us knows what joyous celebrations or sorrows we will encounter.

Our resolutions have been made (if we made any at all), and we are hoping for a great year in spite of any concerns we might have.

I received a cartoon in my email this week which showed one man telling another, “My New Years resolution this year is to do the things I should have been doing last year!”

I suppose that expresses the sentiments for most of us here.

Today I would like to speak to you on a topic that relates to the new year that lies before us like a road to be traveled. As we look down the road in our minds, most of us probably imagine that the first several days or weeks will follow a certain predictable course according to schedules and plans we have already made.

But as the “road” stretches on, we lose our ability to foresee what’s coming ahead or where the road will lead. There are hills and curves that restrict our sight about what’s ahead.

As we compare life to a journey down a road with unforeseen hazards, it is comforting to know that God knows the road ahead and the journey we make. He knows exactly what we will face and exactly what we will need.

The passage of Scripture that we read earlier in the service provided some details of another journey thousands of years ago that was taken by a large group of people whom God had miraculously delivered from slavery in a foreign country. It was a journey that would eventually lead them to a land that was promised to their ancestors hundreds of years earlier.

I want to use the account we have read, along with some additional passages, to draw some analogies and make some applications to our lives today as we journey into a year filled with unknown circumstances.

1. God provided what they needed for each day.

Not too much; not too little.

See 16:18; also compare Deut. 8:2-4

Cf. Matthew 6:25-32 (NKJV) ²⁵  "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁸  So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; ²⁹  and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹  Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

The principle that Jesus is sharing in Matthew 6 is illustrated by the historical account in Exodus 16.

God had called His people out of Egypt and promised to lead them to the land of Canaan. He has the knowledge, the power and the desire to provide everything His people need when they are obediently following Him.

God is still able and willing to provide for His people today.

These admonitions from Jesus in Matthew 6 were not restricted to just His listeners that day. They were principles for life.

Trust the Lord for all your needs in this coming year.

God will not abandon us and He can and will provide our daily needs.

We pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” so let’s trust Him to do it.

2. Trusting God often involves times of testing.

Ex. 16:4; Deut. 8:2

In these two verses it seems that the point emphasized is NOT: “I’m going to test these people to see if they will trust me to provide for them.”

But it IS: “I’m going to provide for them to see if they will keep on obeying me.”

One sad thing I have observed over and over during my years of ministry:

·          People are quite willing to pray and seek the Lord when they are destitute and in need; when their “backs are against the wall;” or when there is a crisis of some kind.

·          God answers and provides their needs; often in ways that is totally amazing.

·          Once things are going well and the crisis is past, then they soon forget all about serving God and keeping the promises they made.

In these verses in Exodus and Deut., it appears that God is telling them that He is going to provide for them in order to test them to see whether they would keep His commandments or not.

The promise in the Word is that God will provide. The question is, “Will we obey?”

3. God’s provisions are the byproducts of seeking and doing God’s will.

Notice these three passages:

Philippians 4:19

2 Corinthians 9:8

Matthew 6:33

In all of these verses, the promise of God’s provision is dependant on the performance of charity and benevolence to others or on the seeking Kingdom interests before earthly or material interests.

In other words, the Lord provides our needs when we are able to get the focus off ourselves and onto others. He provides our needs when we focus on the spiritual priorities of His Kingdom over the perceived needs of our lives.

Conclusion:

When God provided manna and quail for the Israelites, He was just doing what He usually does – taking care of His children; providing just enough for each day throughout the entire journey.

When God provided for the Apostle Paul, He was proving His faithfulness to His servant and always provided just enough for every day, every trial and every need.

God is able to do the same today for you and me.

We need to learn to trust Him, and we need to obey Him.

DAY BY DAY

(v.2)

Every day the Lord Himself is near me

With a special mercy for each hour.

All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,

He whose name is Counselor and Pow’r.

The protection of His child and treasure

Is a charge that on Himself He laid.

“As your days, your strength shall be in measure,”

This the pledge to me He made.

Let’s close our service today by singing together the hymn:

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us - # 688

 

The Spirit of Christmas

This is a sermon that was given on the Sunday after Christmas 2014.

 

The Spirit of Christmas

Philippians 2:1-11

Introduction:

Christmas Day has passed and most of us are looking ahead to the new year that is about to begin. We may be thinking about goals and projects that we would like to see accomplished.

I wanted to take this last Sunday of the year and use it as another opportunity to talk a little more about Christmas. I felt impressed to use the text in Philippians that was read a little earlier in the service to share some thoughts about the true spirit of Christmas.

If someone asked you, “What is the true spirit of Christmas?” What would you say?

Many people would probably mention “giving” as their first or primary answer. That is certainly true.

Christmas celebrations, particularly in America, tend to focus on the giving of gifts, which we believe is patterned after the greatest gift of all – God’s gift of His Son to this world.

Some might answer with the word “love,” while others would answer with the word “joy” or something else.

All of these are certainly correct and they are all part of the spirit of Christmas, but I think that our text in Philippians emphasizes at least two more qualities that should be included in the “spirit” of Christmas.

I. The spirit of humility.

2:3-4 (NKJV) Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

KJV – “strife” or “vain glory;” i.e. faction, maneuvering to get ahead, and empty glory in the appearance of greatness or importance.

Here the Apostle is admonishing his readers to make sure that they do not exhibit an attitude of selfishness and conceit, but to make sure that they look out for the concerns and interests of others more than self.

This is completely contrary to the normal behavior of the world.

Why does he admonish them to exhibit this attitude? Because of the example that was demonstrated by our Lord.

2:5-8 (NKJV) ⁵  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Paul illustrates his point by reminding his readers of the great humiliation Christ experienced in order to identify with our humanity.

When Christ came to earth as a baby in a manger, He did so as a result of humbling Himself and accepting a position that was nothing like what He truly deserved.

This kind of humility is a true part of the Christmas spirit.

Let each of us purpose to show the true spirit of humility throughout the whole year as we duplicate the spirit of Christmas that was demonstrated by our Lord.

II. The spirit of sacrifice.

It is true that the spirit of sacrifice is evident even in the humiliation of condescension from glory to this world; from all the privileges and attributes of deity to the limitations of humanity.

But, Paul expresses even more the idea of self sacrifice by describing the extent that Jesus humbled Himself – “…to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (v.8)

Yes, there was great sacrifice in taking on human flesh and identifying with human limitations and weaknesses, but the ultimate sacrifice was going all the way to the cross and willingly sacrificing His life for us.

I believe that Jesus left the glory of heaven and entered this sin-darkened world with the full knowledge that it was going to require His ultimate sacrifice involving excruciating pain and death.

That action required more than humility, it required a spirit of self-sacrifice. It required a desire to save, more than a desire to preserve His own comfort and position.

Surely we ought to seek to imitate this example of our Lord’s in our everyday life.

The world tells us to think of ourselves first and foremost and to do all we can to promote ourselves, but Jesus shows us a different standard to live by – a life of sacrifice for the eternal benefit of others.

It is said that Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, once had captured a prince and his family. When they came before him, the monarch asked the prisoner, "What will you give me if I release you?" "The half of my wealth," was his reply. "And if I release your children?" "Everything I possess." "And if I release your wife?" "Your Majesty, I will give myself." Cyrus was so moved by his devotion that he freed them all. As they returned home, the prince said to his wife, "Wasn't Cyrus a handsome man!" With a look of deep love for her husband, she said to him, "I didn't notice. I could only keep my eyes on you- -the one who was willing to give himself for me." (sermonillustrations.com – “sacrifice”)

This illustrates in a small way how we feel about the sacrifice that Christ not only offered, but He fulfilled on our behalf so we could be redeemed and adopted into the family of God.

Let us purpose to keep the spirit of Christmas all through the year; the spirit of love, joy, giving, as well as humility and sacrifice.

 

The Lord Is Coming to His Temple

Written Excerpts:

Malachi 3:1-5; John 2:13-17

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NKJV) Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Introduction:

One of the OT Scriptures that has long been considered one of the prophetic passages relating to the coming of the Messiah is found in the 3^rd chapter of Malachi. If you are familiar with “Handel’s Messiah” you will also recognize that this text is the theme of one of the pieces in the “Messiah.” The text is also quoted in the NT as being fulfilled in the coming of both John the Baptist and Jesus.

As we continue through the Advent season, I would like to draw your attention today to the theme, “The Lord Is Coming to His Temple.”

For the next several minutes I want to briefly explore the context of the prophecy, the expanded meaning of the prophecy and the application of the prophecy.

I. The Context

It appears most OT scholars agree that the words of the prophet in 3:1 come as the answer to the question posed in 2:17.

Malachi 2:17 (NKJV) You have wearied the LORD with your words; Yet you say, "In what way have we wearied Him?" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil Is good in the sight of the LORD, And He delights in them," Or, "Where is the God of justice?"

As he speaks for God, the prophet proclaims how the people have wearied the Lord by two things:

·        Saying, “These are good people and the Lord delights in them!” Even though they do evil. And…

·        Saying, “Where is the God of justice (judgment)?”

The people of Israel were guilty of moral confusion. They looked at people who were committing all kinds of evil and they basically said that they are “good people” and “These are God’s people.”

This is definitely a description of our culture in America. As a whole, we have lost our ability to distinguish between good and evil and everyone is “going to heaven!”

The second part of the charge involved what appears to be a mocking question, “Where is the God of justice [anyway]?” These words sound very similar to the words of St. Peter as he quotes the mockers in the last days.

2 Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV) … scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."

When God delays judgment, people begin to assume that it is never coming, but God has a different answer.

I remember hearing a sermon years ago when I was a young boy and the preacher was using the theme: “Payday isn't always on Friday.”

So Chapter 3:1 is God’s answer to their mocking question. “Behold” – Look! I’m going to send My messenger to prepare the way, and then “the Lord will suddenly come to His temple.” The time of justice is coming.

II. The Expanded Meaning

There are several prophecies in the OT that were fulfilled literally in the months and years following the prophet’s delivery of the message, yet NT writers also saw their fulfillment in the life of Jesus. (We talked a little about this in Wed. night Bible study.)

However, this prophecy in Malachi appears to be strictly talking about the coming of the Messiah. (“The Lord will suddenly come to His temple.”) Malachi was the last prophet to bring God’s word to the people of Israel, then there was silence for 400 years until John the Baptist. So, there is no other OT Scripture that describes the fulfillment of this prophecy prior to the coming of JtB.

A. John the Baptist is the first “messenger.”

Jesus Himself said that John the Baptist was the one this prophecy was speaking about.

Matthew 11:9-11 (NKJV) But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' ¹¹ "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

(Adam Clarke's Commentary) In allusion to the custom of sending pioneers to prepare the way for the march of an eastern monarch, the coming of Christ's forerunner is described, and then the coming of Christ himself, v. 1….

(Commentary on the Old Testament, C. F. Keil) Preparing the way … by clearing away the impediments lying in the road, denotes the removal of all that retards the coming of the Lord to His people, i.e., the taking away of enmity to God and of ungodliness by the preaching of repentance and the conversion of sinners. The announcement of this messenger therefore implied, that the nation in its existing moral condition was not yet prepared for the reception of the Lord, and therefore had no ground for murmuring at the delay of the manifestation of the divine glory, but ought rather to murmur at its own sin and estrangement from God.

B. Jesus is the “second Messenger.”

The word “messenger” appears again later in v. 1, and language scholars believe that the construction of the sentence as understood in Hebrew literature implies that the “Messenger of the covenant” is equivalent to “the Lord” who comes suddenly to His temple.

(Commentary on the Old Testament, C. F. Keil) "The Lord" is God; this is evident both from the fact that He comes to His temple, i.e., the temple of Jehovah, and also from the relative clause "whom ye seek," which points back to the question, "Where is the God of judgment?" (Malachi 2:17).

(Commentary on the Old Testament, C. F. Keil) When the way shall have been prepared, the Lord will suddenly come. ‏…Not … immediately (Jerome), but unexpectedly. "This suddenness is repeated in all the acts and judgments of the Lord. The Lord of glory always comes as a thief in the night to those who sleep in their sins" (Schmieder).

The fulfillment of this prophecy is recorded in John 2.

John 2:13-17 (NKJV) Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers doing business. ¹⁵ When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. ¹⁶ And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" ¹⁷ Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."

This account is the “first cleansing of the temple.” (Jesus did this again near the end of His ministry right before the crucifixion.)

As indicated in the prophecy of Malachi, so it happens here. The coming of the Lord to His temple does not produce the “warm, fuzzy feelings” concerning the Lord’s Anointed as some might have expected.

When He shows up at the temple He behaves in a way that coincides with the prophet’s words in 3:2-3.

 Malachi 3:2-3 (NKJV) "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap. ³ He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.

The people of Israel in Malachi’s day as well as Jesus’ day probably had preconceived notions about what the Messiah was going to be like. They no doubt imagined that they were going to be the “favored sons” and happy to join in His campaign to remove all foreign oppression and their perceived ills and injustices of society. But… when He comes, He is coming to purge them; to refine them; to put them through the fires of cleansing.

JtB predicted this aspect of Jesus’ ministry when he proclaims,

Matthew 3  ¹¹ “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹²  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

In this passage in John, He comes to the temple to upset their pet enterprises that cheated and took advantage of the common people; especially the ones visiting from outside the city. The Lord, The Anointed One, The Messenger of the Covenant has an agenda and that is to make individuals clean and holy and useful for God’s Kingdom.

III. The Application

My final and closing point today is to take these words of Malachi and apply them to our own lives by comparing the words of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NKJV) Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

The Spirit of God does not dwell in man-made temples and buildings, but He dwells in the lives of each believer.

We may be sitting here today and thinking how great it was for the Israelites to be “straightened out,” but I believe God desires to “come to His temple” in each one of us! We can talk really spiritual, and we can speak about how much we want the Lord to come and visit us with revival and renewal, but just as indicated in this prophecy, I have a feeling that when He does come, He will be wanting to make some major changes in us that we won’t be too thrilled or excited about.

Just like JtB said, “He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

When He comes into His temple in us, He will want to cleanse out everything that is incompatible with His holiness and His purity. He’ll want to change some of our attitudes and our priorities.

Let’s all purpose today to invite the Lord to come and visit us in a new and fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. Amen.

Coming Once, Coming Twice, Gone!

This is a sermon that was given on the first Sunday of Advent 2014.

Written Excerpts:

Acts 1:9-11 (NKJV) ⁹  Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. ¹⁰  And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, ¹¹  who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

Introduction:

In the Scripture passage that we read a little earlier in the service, we read through a couple of familiar Isaiah texts that have been understood to be connected to the coming of the Messiah.

There are even more texts that relate to His first coming which we will be referring to shortly.

According to the Christian Calendar, today is the 1^st Sunday of Advent, and I wanted to draw our attention to the topic of the coming of the Messiah as it pertains to both His first and second comings.

The title I’ve chosen for the message today is a phrase that popped into my mind as I was thinking about Advent. As you probably have already realized, the wording parallels the words we often associate with auctions – “Going once; going twice; gone!”

Well, obviously the subject of Advent is not about going, but “coming.” However, there is an aspect about the Messiah’s second coming in which it is appropriate to use the word “gone” as I hope to convey in the message today.

So, let us listen for the voice of the Spirit as we consider some interesting truths about Messiah’s first coming, His second coming and the things that will be gone once He comes again.

I. Coming Once

Everyone who has read and studied the Bible understands at least to some degree that God planned and performed all that was necessary to redeem mankind from our own dungeon of sin and ruin.

That abundantly sufficient remedy included the coming of His own Son into our world to completely identify with our humanity in every way, except sin.

But God didn’t just dropped Him into our world unannounced like a paratrooper behind enemy lines, but He prophesied His coming and even prepared certain individuals to be involved in the whole “program.”

I don’t have time today to read all of the verses of Scripture, but the OT predicted the Messiah’s:

Birthplace; family heritage or ancestors; virgin birth; role as king and as priest; and some scholars have even argued that the exact year of His coming was predicted in the prophecy of Daniel.

Some prophecies, like these I’ve mentioned, predicted specific details. Dozens of other prophecies may not have originally predicted specific details about the Messiah, but many Jewish scholars viewed the events in the life of Jesus as the meaningful fulfillment of prophecies made hundreds of years earlier.

The intriguing part is the fact that in spite of all that God did to prepare and predict the coming of His Son, there were actually only a few people that were actively expecting Him and recognized Him when He arrived. (i.e. Simeon, Anna, Magi)

It was so easy for the world to be blinded by ignorance and sin that they missed Him!

II. Coming Twice

After arriving on earth and engaging in His ministry of teaching and works of mercy, Jesus often spoke about a time in the future when He would return with a completely different agenda than He came with the first time.

His words were expounded and expanded further by the teachings of the apostles in the NT letters that they authored.

Just as it was regarding His first coming, there are dozens of prophecies relating to His second coming. I don’t have to convince most of you that there are dozens of interpretations surrounding all of those prophecies as well!

Yet, one solid fact remains – Jesus is coming again!

God promised His first coming and it happened. We can rest assured that His second coming will happen as well!

We may not all agree on the timing or the exact circumstances surrounding that event, but we can all be expecting and watching for His return.

Let us not be like the various groups that Jesus described:

Like those in the “days of Noah, ” eating and drinking and totally consumed with hedonistic revelry; or those like the “foolish virgins” who ran out of oil for their lamps just before the bridegroom arrived; or any others that miss His return because of being preoccupied with purely earthly values and pursuits.

III. Gone!

Now that we have talked about various aspects of the Messiah’s second coming, it is appropriate to mention the things that the Bible says will be gone when He comes.

(Some of the things I will discuss are not necessarily portrayed as being gone exactly at the same time of His coming, but they all are certainly related to His coming.)

A. The saints are gone.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NKJV) ¹⁶  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
¹⁷  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

When Jesus the Messiah comes, the saints will be gone.

I know that there are hundreds of opinions about how it all happens and when it all happens. I don’t really care about any of that. All I know is the Bible says that the dead in Christ will rise first and all His faithful followers that are still alive will be caught up in the air together with the Lord.

The Bible also describes a time when the earth will be renewed (we’ll discuss that next) and the saints will once again dwell on the earth, but initially, they will be gone from the earth.

B. The old (current) heavens and earth are gone.

2 Peter 3:13 (NKJV) Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Revelation 21:1 (NKJV) Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

Walter C. Kaiser et al., Hard Sayings of the Bible,

While all scholars must agree that the central issue for John is moral purification, the removal of all of the taint of sin and rebellion, some scholars look at such terms as "the first heaven and first earth had passed away" and argue that what we are talking about in this passage is a totally new creation. This appears to fit the language of Peter, who writes, "The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. . . . " (2 Peter 3:10). In other words, according to this view, the heavens and earth are so polluted that what is needed is something like the Genesis flood, a destruction and re-creation, but this time the destruction is done by fire, not water….

Again, I have to admit that I’m not completely satisfied that I understand everything about this description. I really don’t need to understand how much is figurative language and how much is literal. I just believe that the new order of creation is going to be much greater and better than we can ever imagine.

The old is gone and the new has come!

C. The curse of sin is gone.

Revelation 22:3 (NKJV) And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.

The Bible describes a time when the earth will be restored to the same kind of peace, harmony and perfection that it was created with originally.

If you can imagine what the earth would have been like in the Garden of Eden before the curse of sin, then the newly renovated and restored earth will also be without the effects of the curse only now it is permanent and can never be lost again.

D. All sorrows and suffering are gone.

Revelation 21:4 (NKJV) And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

When Jesus the Messiah comes again and begins to rule as King of kings and Lord of Lords, then He will remove all our tears and sorrows and pain and everything that vividly reminds us of sin and its horrible effects in our lives.

Conclusion:

God announced the coming of His Son, Jesus the Messiah, long before He actually appeared, and He did come at the exact time and place it was as prophesied.

God has also prophesied the return of His Son in power and glory. It will occur at the exact time and in the exact manner that God has planned.

His second coming will be both fearsome and glorious.

For all those who repented and fully trusted in the saving blood of Jesus, His appearing will be a glorious occasion when all the former things that have been associated with the curse of sin upon the world will be wiped away forever and we will eternally enjoy the holy love of our Redeemer.

What in the World Is God Doing?

This is a sermon that explores ways that God reverses what Satan has meant for evil and turned it into something good. It also recounts some modern examples of God's power at work in the world today.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

The message I feel God wanted me to bring today is somewhat a repeat of the topic that I used for our Bible discussion on Wednesday night.

This message has also grown out of some of the information recently learned in the class on world missions that I’m currently taking at the college.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can find myself in a pattern of thinking that is not really very positive nor optimistic. I find myself sometimes caught up in reading and listening to all of the negative things going on in the world and I allow my mind and my spirit to grow worried or even despondent.

If you are sometimes like that also, then if we’re not careful, we can allow ourselves to begin to doubt whether God is still in control and whether He is really at work for good in the midst of all of the chaos, violence and trouble in the world.

I hope that the message today will be an encouragement to you as well as a challenge to you.

Today, I want to just share some observations and insights that relate to the scripture reading earlier in the service, as well as the scripture that I mentioned at the beginning of the sermon (2 Cor. 5:18-21).

The passages that I chose for the Scripture reading today (1 Chronicles 29 & Isaiah 45), are just two of literally dozens of passages in the Bible that emphasize the sovereign power and purposes of God. They remind us that God is always in control and exercising His divine authority over the creation, and He will have the final word.

In 2 Cor. 5, the Apostle Paul reminds the Christians then and now that God has reconciled us to Himself through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He emphatically states that God has not only reconciled us, but He has committed to us the message of reconciliation that we are supposed to be sharing and proclaiming to the rest of the world, because…

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.”

There are two basic thoughts that I give you today to challenge each of us to greater faith and hope in God for the accomplishment of His divine purposes.

1. God has always been in control and He always will be.

2. God’s purpose and intent is to reconcile the world (humanity) to Himself.

For the rest of the message today I want to share with you “bits and pieces” of historical pictures that illustrate these two biblical principles I have proposed.

As you and I were taught the history of the world from biblical times to modern times, we learned about many different epochs of history and we’ve no doubt forgotten many of the important details.

Even so, we (or at least, “I”) tend to look at different periods of history that were characterized by horrific violence and darkness and conclude that somehow God’s purposes and God’s work was defeated and delayed.

However, I want to mention some specific examples to illustrate that God has always been in control and still is… and

God is always working to bring about the salvation of the lost and “reconcile the world to himself.”

Biblical Examples:

·        Joseph sold as a slave into Egypt (& subsequent bondage of Israelites for 400 years.)

·        Israel departs from God’s purposes, becomes “apostate” and is overpowered by Babylonians… 70 yrs of captivity.

a      Three Hebrew Men and Daniel (Some have theorized that the “Magi” who came to visit Jesus after His birth were probably descendents of those who were influenced by Daniel and other Hebrew slaves.)

·        Persecution of Christians in NT (Acts) leads to dispersion and lays groundwork for evangelization of Roman empire.

Historical Examples:

·        Vikings: (A description from Perspectives textbook.)  “The Northmen cease not to slay and carry into captivity the Christian people, to destroy the churches and to burn the towns. Everywhere, there is nothing but dead bodies – clergy and laymen, nobles and common people, women and children. There is no road or place where the ground is not covered with corpses. We live in distress and anguish before this spectacle of the destruction of the Christian people.”

a      Monks were sold as slaves; Christian girls were sold to Vikings wives and mistresses.

a      They engaged in witnessing to their captors and the Christian faith spread among the Vikings.

·        Chinese Cultural Revolution (Communism) – Christians and Christian missionaries were murdered and persecuted. Feared that the Chinese church were be destroyed. But decades later when the “bamboo curtain” lifted, it was discovered that the Chinese church had grown exponentially while “underground” and officially opposed by the government.

·        Even today with the rise of radical Muslim Jihadists, we are hearing reports of Muslims coming to Christ through the witness of Christians and even through visions and dreams some have had of Jesus.

Conclusion:

There has always been periods of major departure from God’s will and subsequent violence and darkness that grips entire regions of the world.

But…(lyrics from “I Heard the Bells”) God is not dead, nor does he sleep! God is continually working to fulfill His mission in the world in spite of what the Devil and the workers of iniquity do.

(Ralph Winter) “What will happen in the next few years? Will the immeasurably strengthened non-Western world invade Europe and America just as the Goths invaded Rome and the Vikings overran Europe? Will the “Third World” turn on us in a new series of “Barbarian” invasions? Will the OPEC nations, or the Chinese gradually buy us out and take us over? Clearly we face the reaction of an awakened non-Western world that is suddenly beyond our control. What will be the role of the gospel? Can we gain any insight from these previous cycles?”

None of us knows what the future holds for us and our nation specifically. But, one thing we can know for sure is that God is still sovereign.

He still has unlimited power and the world is moving toward His ultimate purpose and goal for all humanity.

What in the world is God doing?

God is still reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus Christ. He is using every conceivable means to redeem lost humanity and bring people into His kingdom.

To some extent I think it is “normal” for us to have a certain amount of concern or anxiety about the future because of the unknown. But, on the other hand I sense a level of excitement because I believe God is going to use the coming events to bring more people into the Kingdom and He is going to use His children to have an impact for good that we never dreamed we would.

 

Happy and Holy

(To download an MP3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player.)

This is a message that was given based on 1 Corinthians 5:8, and it was used for a worship service that included communion service.

Written Excerpts:

Today we are going to be sharing the sacrament of communion at the end of the service.

Several months ago I had made a note to myself to check out this passage of scripture in 1 Corinthians 5 as a possible text to explore for a communion service.

I have chosen the title, “Happy and Holy” because I think this passage expresses the ideas of both happiness and holiness in the life of a Christian, and more specifically in the lives of those who are partaking of the sacrament of communion.

There is one main verb in verse 8. It is the verb that is translated with the words, “let us keep the feast.”

One source that provides a strictly literal translation offers this reading, “So that we may be festivalizing.”

Or, more appropriately in proper English, “we may continually keep the festival.”

My message today is primarily based on this verb and the qualifying clauses that follow it. When we read the verse, it seems to be giving us the exhortation to keep observing the festival (i.e. celebrate and enjoy the full meaning), but to observe it with a lifestyle that is consistent with God’s call to holiness.

Therefore, with the help of the Holy Spirit today, I would like to speak to you for a little while on the topic of “Happy and Holy.”

I. Happiness is implied in the exhortation.

v. 8 – “Let us keep the feast” (KJV, NKJV) or “Let us celebrate the festival” (NLT)

What festival is the Apostle speaking of?

The opening word in verse 8 refers us back to the previous verse, where we see that Paul has made a reference to Christ as our “Passover” or in some translations, “Passover Lamb.”

(The AMG Concise Bible Dictionary)  In the middle of the [first] month [of the Jewish year] the people kept the Passover, followed by the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:5-8; Mark 14:1). The Feast of Passover was God's appointed way for the people of Israel to celebrate their miraculous escape from Egypt (Exod 12:14,24). The name of the feast recalled God's act of 'passing over' the houses of the Israelites while killing the firstborn of the Egyptians (Exod 12:27). However, God withheld judgment from the Israelite households only when he saw the blood of the sacrificial animal around the front door. The blood was a sign that an innocent life had been taken in place of the one under judgment. The accompanying Feast of Unleavened Bread recalled the people's hasty departure from Egypt when they had to make their bread without leaven (yeast), cooking as they travelled in order to save time (Exod 12:8,34,39).

What does happiness have to do with all of this?

Well, it is implied in the term “festival.” It was a time of celebration. There was the initial Passover meal with the roasted lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs. But it was followed by seven more days of celebration (i.e. feasting, remembering and rejoicing). (Feast of Unleavened Bread)

There certainly were some somber and sober elements to this festival because of what it commemorated – their miraculous deliverance from slavery as well as the judgment of the death angel that passed over Egypt and over them.

From my studies, I learned that Bible scholars are not in agreement about whether Paul is making this exhortation literally or figuratively.

Figuratively – He could be simply exhorting them to live out their lives in a celebratory manner that glorifies the sacrifice Jesus has made.

Literally – He probably is not urging the continued observance of the OT Passover ritual, because he specifically mentions that Jesus is our “Passover Lamb.” So, he could be specifically referring to the NT celebration of the Last Supper or Communion.

In any case, he does seem to be emphasizing the element of joy, celebration and happiness that is to be evident in the life of a Christian.

Certainly Christians have much to celebrate and to be joyful about – we know that Christ, our “Passover Lamb” was put to death to save us from sin and from God’s judgment for sin.

(Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture)  … Did you ever think of how great was the self-assertion of Jesus Christ when He laid His hand on that [most sacred] of Jewish rites, which had been established… to be 'a perpetual memorial through all generations,' brushed it on one side, and in effect, said: 'You do not need to remember the Passover any more. I am the true Paschal Lamb, whose blood sprinkled on the doorposts averts the sword of the destroying Angel, whose flesh, partaken of, gives immortal life. Remember Me, and this do in remembrance of Me.' The Lord's Supper witnesses that Jesus thought Himself to be what Paul tells the Corinthians that He is, even our Passover, sacrificed for us. But the point to be observed is this, that just as in that ancient ritual, the lamb slain became the food of the Israelites, so with us the Christ who has died is to be the sustenance of our souls, and of our Christian life. 'Therefore let us keep the feast.

II. Holiness must accompany the celebration.

When the Apostle Paul gives the exhortation to “keep the feast” he adds some qualifying guidelines that the Corinthians were supposed to keep in mind.

The qualifying guidelines were simply that they celebrate with “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth;” not with the “old leaven” or the “leaven of malice and wickedness.”

Leaven (or yeast) was a fermenting agent in the dough that causes it to raise. In the original context of the Exodus, they couldn’t use it because they didn’t have time to wait for the bread to raise, and they couldn’t have bread for the journey that would have a “fermenting” action going on to cause it to spoil while they were traveling.

In that sense, “leaven” became a symbol for sin that spoils our relationship with God and “ferments” in our lives to destroy what is good.

In the biblical requirements for observance of Passover, writers have described the concern over leaven like this:

(Paul E. Kretzmann – New Testament Volume 2), The removal of the leaven, Exodus 12:18-19, was done on the 13^th or at the very latest on the morning of the 14^th Nisan, and carried out with the most minute care. All the places in the house where bread was kept or where crumbs might have fallen were searched with lighted tapers, and all the dark corners scraped out carefully, lest any leaven remain to spoil the festival for the family. In just the same way the Corinthians must put from their midst the incestuous person and remove all open offenses. And even so the Christians of all times clean out the old leaven of sin by daily contrition and repentance in themselves….

(Matthew Poole, Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible), As the passover prefigured Christ, who is our paschal Lamb, whose flesh we eat and whose blood we drink by believing, and sacramentally in the Lord's supper; so the Jewish subsequent feast of unleavened bread prefigured all the days of a Christian's life, which are to be spent, not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth…

In the whole context of this chapter from the beginning, Paul is equating “leaven” or “yeast” to the presence of sin in their church and in their individual lives. They needed to remove the person that was committing such blatant immorality in order to witness to the holiness of God.

v. 7 “Purge out the old leaven” – symbolically comparing the sin in the congregation with the “old leaven” that might be in the house and needed to be purged or cleansed out before Passover.

v. 8 “Let us keep the feast…nor with leaven of malice and wickedness” – Paul expands his application of “leaven” to not only include the gross immorality being practiced by one of their members, but to also include any unrighteous attitudes and deeds.

This “leaven” of unrighteousness will contaminate our lives individually and our church corporately.

So we must all make it a point to let God’s Holy Spirit sweep out every corner and closet of our hearts and lives just like the Jews would with the leaven in their homes prior to Passover.

 Conclusion:

Let me conclude and move into our hymn and communion ceremony by making these few statements.

So often, our society and culture has come to view “happiness” and “holiness” as mutually exclusive qualities.

It seems like many people think “You can’t be holy if you’re going to live happy.” Or, “You can’t live happy if your going to be holy.”

I’d like to remind us today that this is not the teaching of our text.

Let us “celebrate” the sacrifice of our Lord, remembering that He took the sentence of the “death angel” and His blood covered the “doors” of our lives as He truly became our Passover Lamb.

Let us also celebrate with holy lives. Let us purposely allow, even plead with, the Holy Spirit to purge out all the “leaven” of sin that will ferment and destroy what is good and pure if we allow it to remain.

We’re going to sing a couple verses of a hymn:

Nothing but the Blood                        # 337