A Prayer from Prison

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

This is a sermon based on Ephesians 1:17-19, which is a prayer that the Apostle Paul had prayed for the believers in Ephesus. This letter was written while Paul was in prison, thus it is a "prayer from prison." The message takes the different aspects of Paul's petitions and applies them to believers living today. 

Written Excerpts:

Ephesians 1:17-19 ^{(NKJV) 17} that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Introduction:

I do not have proof for this statement, but I imagine that there are two things that occur very frequently in prison – prayers and writing letters. For example: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison. Many others have used the time of incarceration to spend hours in prayer and if permitted, they also commit hours to writing.

The Bible has samples of both letters and prayers. In the OT, the prophet Jeremiah comes to mind. We don’t know for sure if any of his prophecy was written while in captivity, but he did write about it. He obviously spent time praying while there. In the NT, the most obvious example is the Apostle Paul. There are at least 5 books (letters) in the NT written by Paul while he was in prison. 

Many Bible scholars believe that there were two different times that Paul was in prison. Four of the letters were written during the 1^st imprisonment – Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; and Philemon. One more letter was probably written during his 2^nd imprisonment – 2^nd Timothy.

In at least 3 of the letters Paul describes specific requests that he is praying for them. In the other two letters he merely mentions that he has been praying for them but doesn’t go into detail about the content of his prayers.

According to my records, I preached a couple of sermons back in the Spring of 2010 based on a prayer recorded in Ephesians 3. Today, I want to draw your attention to another prayer that is recorded in the first chapter of Ephesians. Remember that Ephesians is one of the letters Paul wrote during his first imprisonment.

In the book of Acts, we learn that Paul went on three different missionary journeys preaching and teaching the gospel in many cities in the areas we now know as Turkey and Greece. Ephesus is a city that Paul initially visited on his 2^nd missionary journey then returned for an extended visit on his 3^rd missionary journey.

In the second half of chapter one Paul mentions that he is praying for the Christians in Ephesus. He first states in general terms (v. 17) that he is praying for God to grant them wisdom, knowledge and understanding concerning the things that God has revealed and desires for them. He then proceeds to tell them that he is praying for them to know three specific things. 

During the rest of our time this morning I want to speak to you about those three specific things that Paul prays for them to know. He prays for them to know: the hope of His calling; the riches of the glory of His inheritance; and the greatness of His power.

I.                   He prays for them to know the hope of His calling.

(Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) – “This calling can be spoken of as having taken place in the past—God has called men and women to himself (2 Tim. 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,); or as continuing in the present (1 Thess. 2:12 that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.) and so involving a life-long vocation of service and sanctification (Eph. 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called). But also, because it is the call of the eternal God, it brings to those without hope (2:12) the expectation of an eternal destiny.”

It is a hope founded in the very character and promises of God; not simply wishful thinking.

It is a hope for both a life that is pleasing to God now and assured of a future with Him.

II.                He prays for them to know the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. (or, His glorious inheritance…)

“riches” – abundance of wealth

“his’ inheritance – that is the inheritance coming from God.

Ephesians 1:13b-14 ^(NKJV) … you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

“glory/glorious” – essential quality of life in God (Tyndale).

“in the saints” – (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) “The fellowship of Christians is the sphere in which the inheritance of God is found, just as it is true also that it is in and through his church that the truth of God’s purpose becomes known and declared.”

Acts 20:32 ^(NKJV) So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Acts 26:18 ^(NKJV) to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.' 

III.       He prays for them to know the exceeding greatness of His power.

Nearly every time Paul speaks about God’s power, he utilizes superlative language. It is a constant reminder that God is able to take care of us and to enable us to weather every storm and, not only survive, but to thrive.

He reminds them in verse 20 that this power is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. He says the same thing in Romans 8:11. 

(Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) “The four words are distinguished more clearly as they are translated in RV as ‘power’, ‘working’, ‘strength’ and ‘might’. One is lost in RSV by the substitution of the adjective great. The power (dynamis) of God he would stress in particular is not just an abstract quality, but it is known according to its working which can be seen and realized. The Greek word here is energeia from which our word ‘energy’ comes… Moreover it is his great ‘strength’ (kratos), that distinctive attribute of the divine nature that is praised in the New Testament doxologies (1 Tim. 6:16; 1 Pet. 4:11; 5:11; Jude 25; Rev. 1:6; 5:13); and it is his might (ischys) which he possesses and is also able to make available to us (cf. 6:10; 1 Pet. 4:11).”

Conclusion:

Paul is confined to prison (although he apparently had some limited freedoms during this first imprisonment). 

He’s writing to Christians to whom he had preached and taught the Word of Christ.

One of the main concerns in the mind of every missionary, every pastor or preacher of the gospel is the spiritual welfare of those whom they have nurtured in the faith. If Paul was aware of the possibility of falling away from Christ after he had preached the truth to others, then certainly any of us may drift away or turn away also. We need to be on alert and constantly seeking more of God’s maturing grace in our lives.

As we close with a hymn about God’s guidance and leadership in our lives, let us purpose in our hearts to appropriate God’s grace and experience the hope, riches and power God has available for us.

God Leads Us Along

Father Abraham

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

This is a message that was given on Father's Day using comments about Abraham in Genesis 18:19. The sermon uses the four facts stated about Abraham in this verse to encourage present day fathers in their awesome role.

Written Excerpts:

Romans 4:11 ^(NLT) Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised….

Introduction:

In the month of May we have a day that we celebrate as Mother’s Day. And, in the month of June there is a day that we celebrate as Father’s Day. Those are days that have been declared as times to give special attention and affection to those important people in our lives we call our parents.

As I often say on both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, I recognize the fact that this day does not bring happy memories for some people. It might be grief over the death of your father, the horrible memories of an abusive father, or any number of other causes for sadness when the word father comes up. I truly feel sadness for everyone who has those feelings to cope with today.

I too feel a sense of sorrow and sadness because both my father and my wife’s father have died, but my sadness is mixed with many, many pleasant and fond memories of my dad. He loved Jesus and he cared deeply for his family. He was a great role model in many ways.

In the Scripture that was read earlier in the service, there is a verse that gives a brief description of Abraham and his influence with his family. I want to use this passage to point out some key qualities in Abraham’s role as a father in order to provide insights for fathers today.

Genesis 18:19 (NKJV) ¹⁹  For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him."

Perhaps you have noticed the title I chose for today’s message. I was really tempted to have us sing the kid’s chorus by the same title! “Father Abraham had many sons. Many sons had father Abraham…”

This verse reveals four different facts about Abraham and his role as a father. Before we get into those four points, lets briefly talk about the context of this verse.

In the earlier verses of the chapter we read about an encounter between the Lord, a couple of “angels” and Abraham & Sarah. Abraham extends hospitality that would have been normal for the culture. During their visit, the Lord reveals that Sarah is going to have a child at the age of 90. A little later in the chapter, the verse 18 says that God does not want to hide from Abraham the coming judgment He is going to bring against Sodom and Gomorrah. The reason for this desire to inform is due to the fact that Abraham is going to be a man of great influence for coming generations. It is also implied by these comments and by the overall context that God wants to give Abraham an opportunity to intercede on behalf of Lot and the people of those cities.

Okay, let’s now turn our attention to the four truths that are revealed in this passage.

1.            He was intimately known by His God.

v. 19a – (KJV)I know him; (NKJV)I have known him.

The word know is the most common Hebrew word that is usually translated “know” in the OT. It carries a wide range of meanings, describing man’s knowledge of people & things; learning; simple acquaintance with something or someone; or the most intimate kind of knowledge including sexual relations.

Because of the word “that” (in order that), which follows the word “know,” some Hebrew scholars translate it differently than simply with the word “know(n).” 

For example, the NIV reads, “I have chosen him.” The NLT reads, “I have singled him out.” Then, one OT commentary (K&D), renders it like this: “acknowledged him, (i.e. chosen him in anticipative love).”

The intended meaning of this phrase seems to be that God intimately knows Abraham (just like He knows everyone), and He affirms that Abraham will be the kind of person He can bless and use in a mighty way.

When the context is taken into consideration, it seems that God is not only saying I know how Abraham will lead his family, and how he will be a blessing to the whole world, but I also know he will intercede for the people that are facing judgment.

Obviously, God knows me, and He knows you. What would God’s evaluation of us be? How would God describe our influence on our families and on our world?

2.            He was a leader for his household.

v. 19b – “he will command his children after him…”

“command” – used in various OT passages to describe the instruction of a father to his sons, a farmer to his laborers, or a king to his servants. 

The word is used not only in the sense of authority (i.e. “demand”), but in the sense of teaching and instructing. When used at times of God, it included the idea of providing the knowledge, wisdom and means of accomplishing what He commands.

“after him” – probably a reference not only to his children, but to all his descendants.

God knows Abraham IN ORDER THAT he will provide the right kind of leadership for his posterity. He will inform them of what is expected, and then he will provide guidance and instruction on how to accomplish it.

Father Abraham was a leader of his family. What about us?

3.            He provided holy objectives for his descendants.

v. 19c – “they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment…”

God declares that Abraham is the kind of leader for his family who will teach them and point them in the way of the Lord. Abraham will use his influence and his authority to lead his family and his descendants to follow God’s will for them. 

What does the way of the Lord include? Justice and Judgment or, righteousness and justice.

“Justice” (KJV) – a word that is translated 15 times as “justice” but it is translated 128 times as “righteousness.” It is a word that includes the idea of conforming to a right moral/ethical standard. It is founded in the moral character of God.

“Judgment” (KJV) – This is a word that has a much broader meaning originally than what is generally given to it today. While we tend to think of judgment primarily in the sense of judicial government (courts, rulings), the Hebrew word included much more. It is a word that would include the judicial, as well as the executive and legislative aspects of government. So, it not only speaks about judging the rightness/wrongness of a matter, but also about promoting the right through laws, and enforcing the right by its sovereign authority.

God is proclaiming His knowledge of Abraham as a man who will influence and lead his household and following generations to keep the way of the Lord by personally living lives of moral integrity as well as promoting a society that upholds God’s view of right and wrong.

Adam Clarke – “… not only to preserve the truth in their creed, but to maintain it in their practice.”

Yes, Abraham would have needed to teach his children how to care for the animals, grow and harvest crops, fight against enemies, etc. But God is saying that he would also be a man who would teach his household the ways of righteousness and justice.

Fathers have a serious responsibility to lead their families to follow God’s will and God’s way. We can teach our kids everything they need to know to survive and thrive in the world, but we also need to teach them to follow Jesus. Men, our first responsibility for discipling other people in the faith lies with our families.

4.            He would reap the promises from God.

v. 19d – “that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him.”

Genesis 18:18 (NKJV) ¹⁸  since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

Verse 18 summarizes what God had spoken about Abraham in previous chapters of Genesis. God called him out of his former country and away from his ancestors to become a distinct people who follow the ways of the Lord. As Abraham obeyed and continued to follow the Lord, he was shown in greater and greater detail what all God had planned for him and his descendants. He would not only receive all the blessings that God had promised, but he would be a channel of blessing to the whole world.

In addition to these prophecies and predictions in the OT, we find in the NT that the spiritual benefits of Abraham’s faith are available to all of us.

Romans 4:11 ^(NLT) Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised….

Genesis 15:6 (KJV) ⁶  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Cornerstone Biblical Commentary – In 15:6 righteousness was imparted to him because of his faith. “Righteous” then became a description of those who were members of the covenant by faith and who were seeking to please the Lord.

Paul reminds his readers that Abraham was counted righteous because of his faith before he ever received the sign of the covenant – circumcision. To the Jews, the sign was most important, but Paul wants them to see that faith preceded the sign, so faith is the most important. And, if faith is most important, then it is possible for those who were considered outsiders to become “insiders” if they possess the same kind of faith in God.

Just like Abraham would reap all the promised blessings from God, so we too will reap the promises God has made to those who believe. Fathers, we can follow Abraham’s example by leading and influencing our families in the way of the Lord, but everyone can follow his example of faith and become “children of Abraham” by virtue of our faith in Jesus Christ.

Father Abraham does have many sons! I am one of them and so are you, so let’s just praise the Lord!

Closing song: Faith of our Fathers

The Communion Cup

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

This sermon was given for a worship service that included the sacrament of communion. It compares the words of Jesus, "This is my blood of the new covenant that is shed for many for the remission of sins," to the events connected with the sealing of the Old Covenant as recorded in Exodus 24.

Written Excerpts:

1 Cor. 10:16 ^(NKJV) The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Introduction:

What is your favorite cup? I suppose this question applies only to the coffee or tea drinkers in the congregation. I also imagine that for some of us it doesn’t really matter what cup we drink from. However, there may be some people here today who have a favorite cup that you like to use. If you have the option, you want to savor your coffee or tea from your favorite cup.

I have a cup that I really like, but I wouldn’t say it is my favorite. I guess I haven’t gotten that “attached” to any of my cups that I use. The one that I think I might like the most is a mug with the Penn State logo Nittany Lion on it. But then, there is another mug that I like a lot because of what it represents. It has the name of the seminary I graduated from. After several years of studies and lots of money, I received my diploma and a mug! Regardless of the kind of cup you or I might prefer, many of them have special meaning and significance for us. 

When Jesus shared the last supper with His disciples, He shared a special cup with them, which He said represented something very significant to Him and to them. He called it the “cup of the new covenant in my blood.” Today, as we prepare to share the sacrament of communion, we want to talk about the cup of communion that Jesus shared with His disciples at the last Supper.

I recently was reviewing a communion sermon included in a book by Dr. Stephen Olford. I had intended to borrow his outline and a few of his points but felt led to go in a little different direction after reading some additional sources in my studies.

Dr. Olford wrote that Jesus may have been thinking about a passage in Exodus 24:8 when He made the comment in Matthew 26:28, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” In the Exodus passage Moses sprinkles blood on the people to seal the covenant with the Lord on Mount Sinai. After reading that comment, I began to explore the Exodus passage more thoroughly as well as the comments offered in a commentary by Dr. John Oswalt, whom I have quoted many times before.

I discovered that there are some interesting parallels between what Jesus was saying to the disciples and what God was saying to the people of Israel. Today I want to share some of the interesting comparisons between the events of Sinai and the “communion cup” of Jesus Christ.

I.             Elements of the Covenant

Exodus 24:1-8 ^(NKJV) Now He said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. ² And Moses alone shall come near the LORD, but they shall not come near; nor shall the people go up with him." ³ So Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words which the LORD has said we will do." ⁴ And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ Then he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. ⁶ And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. ⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient." ⁸ And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words." 

These verses appear in the overall context of the giving of the Ten Commandments. (Ex. 19-24)

I want to repeat some comments I shared a few years ago about the use of covenants in the OT. These points are based on material presented by Dr. John Oswalt in his book, Called to Be Holy.

The people who had been chosen by God had been surrounded by and immersed in a pagan religion that was utterly wrong on every important point. (i.e., the nature of God [the gods], the origin and purpose of the world, the origin and purpose of humanity, etc., etc.) If God was going to succeed in teaching His chosen people the truth about Himself, He would need to go outside of the well-known religious forms and use something that the people would still be familiar with but would be separated from the religious corruption and misconceptions that existed. 

The covenant was ideal for this purpose. It was primarily legal rather than religious in nature, but it would serve as a vehicle to teach important truths about this God who had called them to be exclusively His. The ancient covenants contained several aspects that closely corresponded with the truths the people needed to understand about God, such as:

·         The concept of monotheism over polytheism could be easily explained through the common knowledge that any emperor who entered into a covenant demanded that the subjects recognize no other king than himself. (Religious culture knew nothing of monotheism.)

·         A covenant between a great king and the people began with a brief historical prologue that reviewed the historical circumstances that led up to the covenant. This feature aligned with the history of the patriarchs and God’s involvement with them. (I am the God who brought you up out of Egypt…)

·         After the stipulations had been enumerated and other details finished, there commonly were a list of gods called upon to witness the agreement, but in Israel’s case this was substituted by the erection of stone pillars or memorials as a witness and to remind the people of the covenant.

·         In an ancient covenant the bulk of the content had to do with the stipulations the people agreed to follow, but there was also a designated part where the king made promises or commitments to do certain things for the people. This also was parallel to the fact that the Creator God was obligating Himself to His people – something that was totally unheard of in those times.

·         Finally, the additional benefit of a covenant was the part where the king could stipulate absolute ethics, (i.e. require certain kinds of behavior and prohibit other behavior) as long as they were in covenant with him. (This would be totally impossible in a polytheistic “world” because the gods have too many competing desires.) But, since God is the only God, then He can require ethical behavior from his subjects. (Ten Commandments)

Having reviewed the concepts involved in the covenant, let’s look at what is taking place in Exodus 24.

In the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary Dr. Oswalt points out that this section describes the “sealing of the covenant” which included three things: a ceremonial meal between the covenant parties (introduced in 24:1-2 and described in 24:9-11), the taking of the oath before witnesses (24:3-8), and the provision for receiving the official text of the covenant (24:12-18).

(Oswalt, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary) - This is very clearly a covenant ceremony, and covenant ceremonies close with a blood oath…. When the blood is divided into halves, with one half being thrown on God (the altar) and the other half being thrown on the people, the two parties to the covenant are swearing in blood that they will keep the covenant and are calling down death on themselves if they default. That, in my judgment, is the obvious significance of the statement, "this blood confirms the covenant the Lord has made with you in giving you [lit., "according to"] these instructions" (24:8).

In the NT setting, Jesus is not sprinkling blood on the people, but He is sharing a cup of wine with them that He declares to be a representation of His blood. It represents His blood that was soon to be shed as God’s commitment to the covenant, and His followers were to drink as their commitment to the covenant. It all takes place during a meal, which we learned in Exodus is also a common part of the ceremony used to seal the covenant.

II.           The Covenant Goal

(Oswalt, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary) – …the covenant and obedience to it was not an end in itself. God wants us to know about him in order that we may know him. Thus, the covenant sealing ceremony here ended with a covenant meal in God's presence (24:9-11). 

Here in Exodus 24, we read about God bringing Moses and selected leaders of Israel up on the mountain to commune with Him. Then, Moses is called up to a higher level for a greater intimacy with God. God desires to teach us more and more about Himself with the goal that we truly come to intimately know Him. In the OT covenant, the meal is a time for the participants of the covenant to enjoy fellowship and getting closer together.

A similar parallel can be drawn with the communion cup. Each time we share the sacrament, we are eating this bread and drinking this juice in fellowship with the Lord and in celebration of the New Covenant Christ has enacted for us. Jesus has paid the price in blood so that we can have an intimate relationship with the Father and live according to His desires for us.

Conclusion:

When I look at my Ashland Theological Seminary cup, it reminds me of the years of studying, juggling family, church and schoolwork, and the insights and lessons gained in the classroom. Some of us at the graduation reception joked about how “expensive the mug was!”

When we take the cup of communion, it reminds us of the blood that Jesus shed to seal the New Covenant between God and all believers. It reminds us that God desires to celebrate that covenant by intimate fellowship with Him. This cup of communion was far more expensive and costly than my seminary mug!

Let us share the communion emblems again today in gratitude for an everlasting covenant.

Before we share the emblems, let us sing

Blest Feast of Love Divine      

Our Problem Has a Remedy

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen online, click the play button of the audio player here.)

This sermon is a follow-up to last week's message, which presented evidence from Scripture concerning the problems all humans have with sin and the sinful nature. Because of our problem, we cannot have a relationship with God. But God provided a remedy through the death of Christ and the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

Written Excerpts:

Matthew 3:11 ^(NKJV) 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.

Introduction:

One of the remarkable traits of humanity is the desire, the capability and the success in wiping out globally devastating diseases and other similar threats. This is only one of the many ways that humans differ from animals. We have a history of discovering the causes of devastating epidemics and then proceeding to eliminate them through the development of effective solutions.

One such example is the discovery of a vaccine that eventually led to the elimination of the “smallpox” disease. Edward Jenner made a discovery in 1796 that he continued to develop and experiment with until 1801 when he published a treatise “On the Origin of the Vaccine Inoculation,” in which he announced the vaccination and hopeful elimination of smallpox.

Some sources report that there were approximately 30 million deaths throughout the world that were caused by smallpox during the 20^th century, which was still a century later than when the vaccine was discovered. The Center for Disease Control reports that the last known case of death from smallpox was in September of 1978. In May of 1980 the World Health Assembly officially declared the world to be free of the disease. 

This is only one example of remarkable cures that have been discovered and implemented in the medical field, let alone the myriad of other problems that have been solved and permanently eliminated as a result of human inventions.

Last Sunday I preached a message about a problem far bigger than the smallpox epidemic. I tried to describe a problem that has plagued the entire human race ever since the Garden of Eden and continues to do so today. It is inherently a spiritual problem, but it affects every part of our lives and it not only destroys physical lives and health, but our eternal happiness as well.

It is the problem of sin that has corrupted our hearts and motivations, causing us to deliberately rebel against the authority of God and insist in having our own way. The Bible describes this condition as the fleshly mind, which is “not subject to the law of God, neither can be.” (Rom. 8:7) This inherited depravity has been the source of every kind of evil that has ever been manifested throughout all the areas of the world for all times.

I finished up last week’s message by briefly stating that God has provided a remedy, which is summed up perfectly in the words of 1 John 3:8 “… for this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

In a sermon I gave several years ago I pointed out that the meaning of this verse, when taken in context, includes the destruction of a spirit of lawlessness, which John says is the very definition of sin. The overall problem I described in the message last week was a rebellious or lawless heart. And, John says that Jesus came to destroy that work of the devil in us. 

The problem may be great, but Jesus was revealed to this world for the express purpose of destroying the work of the devil in the hearts of humanity. Jesus can and will destroy every seed of rebellion that Satan plants in the human heart. The remedy is Jesus. But what does the Bible say about how Jesus provides the remedy to our human problem?

Let us consider several other passages to find the answer to this question.

(Again, today I will be sharing bits and pieces from the notes I jotted down from Dr. John Oswalt’s messages at the Pastor’s conference I attended in 2014.)

I.          The remedy is predicted by the OT prophets

There are a number of passages throughout the OT prophets that make reference to the work of the Holy Spirit. Many of them speak about the Spirit’s work in specific individuals of the OT, and others speak about a day when the Spirit will be poured out on all of God’s people.

Isaiah 11:1-2 ^(NKJV) There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. ² The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

The Messiah would have the fullness of the Spirit like no one has ever had prior to Him.

Isaiah 32:14-15 ^(NKJV) Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks-- ¹⁵ Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest. 

When the Holy Spirit is poured upon us, he changes the desolate places into flourishing places. Things cannot remain the same when God’s Spirit comes!

Joel 2:28-29 ^(NKJV) "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. ²⁹ And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 

These and many other passages in the OT prophets predict the day when the Holy Spirit of God would be available to cleanse, fill, and empower the people of God. There were many indications that the Old Covenant written on stone would be replaced by a New Covenant written on the “tables of the heart.” That would be accomplished by the personal presence of the Holy Spirit.

The prophet Jeremiah makes a specific prediction of this sort. God will write His law on the heart rather than on stone.

II.        The remedy is predicted by the NT prophet (John the Baptist)

Matthew 3:11 ^(NKJV) 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.

John Oswalt – John the Baptist did not say, “I will baptize you with water, but He will die for your sins.” John certainly believed in the sacrifice of Jesus as the atonement for our sins, but John was describing the ultimate plan for disciples and followers of Jesus – to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Jesus would provide the possibility for His followers to be cleansed by the Spirit (analogy of fire) and to be filled up with the Spirit. John is alerting his listeners to the fact that the “Lamb of God” will provide for them something that no other person has ever provided. He will provide a baptism with the Spirit – a life lived through the power of the Spirit of God Himself.

III.       The remedy is promised by Jesus Himself

Luke 24:49 ^(NKJV) Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." 

Dr. Oswalt – There were a lot of cases in the gospels where Jesus said things to His disciples, and they would question Him about it later because they didn’t understand what He was trying to say / teach them. But when Jesus makes this promise, they do not question. It is as though Jesus has finally said something that they have expected to come from the Messiah. They expected Him to make the Spirit available to them so that they could keep the covenant or live by the covenant with God.

Acts 1:4-5 ^(NKJV) And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; ⁵ for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Dr. Oswalt – When Jesus first told the disciples these words (I read from Lk. 24:49), they did not realize that the only way He could give this gift of the Spirit was through His death on our behalf. 

Now, in Acts, Luke provides evidence to show that even after His death and resurrection, the disciples are still looking for something other than what Jesus meant. In their minds the promise of the Father – the empowerment of the Spirit – meant power to overthrow the Romans and establish a kingdom on earth. But, Jesus has to explain that this Spirit and this power would not be for political purposes. It would be a power for witnessing. They would be filled with the power to be transformed and to be a testimony to the world about what Jesus has done for us and can do in us.

IV.       The remedy is presented by the Apostles

Acts 19:1-6 ^{(NKJV) 1} And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples ² he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." ³ And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." ⁴ Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." ⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 

Writers in NT Commentaries indicate that these people at Ephesus had only been taught about John baptizing and exhorting people to repent of their sins. By the time that message had gotten to them, it had somehow gotten separated from John’s presentation of Christ. They apparently hadn’t heard about John’s words we quoted earlier, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” They knew about John and repentance, but they didn’t know about Christ and forgiveness and empowerment by the Spirit. So, as soon as they were baptized in the name of Jesus, the Spirit came upon them!

Paul not only presents the message to the people of Ephesus as recorded here in Acts, but through his epistles to the various churches he also repeatedly presents the message of what the Spirit of God can do and is expected to do for the believer.

Dr. Oswalt - Paul’s most organized presentation of the message is in the book of Romans. This is how he summarizes the first 8 chapters of the book:

Rom. 1-3 – All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (nobody comes to God on their “own hook”)

Rom. 4-5 – We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Rom. 6-8 – By the Spirit, Christians do not sin. 

6 – [The expectation is] Do not sin.

7 – If you walk in the flesh, you cannot help but sin.

8 – There is no condemnation for those who do not WALK by the flesh, but by the Spirit. [Those who are filled with the Spirit and are controlled by the Spirit find the power to overcome the flesh and live pleasing to God.]

Conclusion:

The remedy to the problem we have is a baptism of the Spirit. That baptism begins when Jesus saves us. His Spirit begins working God’s grace into our lives and actually imparts righteousness to us so that we can live victoriously over sin.

But the need of our hearts is for a complete filling by the Spirit and a perpetual refilling and refreshing provided by the Spirit. There are verses in the NT that imply some of the Spirit’s work is instantaneous. There are other verses in the NT that imply the Spirit’s work is continuous and progressive. Both are true.

So the question is, do you have the Spirit dwelling in you today? Do you have His cleansing, His filling and His abiding presence? Have you been simply contented to seek His forgiveness and failed to seek His Holy presence in your life to make you a holy person?

The closing song I’ve chosen for this morning is a hymn that asks a series of questions, then provides the answer to those questions in the chorus.

His Way with Thee     

He can have His way with you if you will ask Him and completely surrender to Him – not only today, but every day.

Humans, We Have a Problem

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen online, click the play button of the audio player here.)

This is a sermon based on various passages of Scripture that relates to the fact that all people are separated from God due to the inherited problem of sin we share. God desires for every one of us to be in fellowship and communion with Him, but our sinfulness prevents it.

Written Excerpts:

Genesis 6:5 (NKJV) Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Introduction:

I’m sure that several people here today can remember the Apollo 13 Space mission in April of 1970 which was intended to make a moon landing but was aborted due to an oxygen tank explosion. There were many tense hours as scientists worked around the clock to help the crew and spaceship make it safely back to earth. When the explosion happened, one of the astronauts radioed back to headquarters in Houston and reported, “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” Many of us remember the crisis and the anxious hours until the craft and its crew made it safely back to earth.

Years later, when the movie was made about the Apollo 13 mission, the wording was changed to read, “Houston, we have a problem.” Since the movie came out the phrase has been used as an expression of speech to indicate that there is something seriously wrong.

I was recently reviewing some of the notes that I have from a pastor’s conference I attended in 2014. The speaker was Dr. John Oswalt, whom you have heard me refer to many times since then. The theme of his presentation was about the subject of holiness and sanctification as presented in the Bible. Near the beginning of his presentation he was using various references in Scripture to express the problem of sin we all have that prevents us from sharing the holy character of God.

As I was reviewing this material, I thought of the phrase I mentioned earlier that was used during the Apollo 13 mission, and I adapted it slightly to provide the title for today’s message: “Humans, we have a problem!” Take a look at the passage of Scripture that was read earlier – Genesis 6:5-18; especially v. 5. “… every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

We do not know for sure how old the human race was at this point, but regardless of how many years had passed since God created Adam and Eve, it still seems mind-boggling that the sinfulness would have so completely overwhelmed humanity that God describes them as having evil intents in their hearts continually.

The Bible provides overwhelming evidence that we humans have a problem that started with Adam and Eve and has affected everyone who has ever lived on earth. For the message today I will try to describe the problem we humans have, and then end up by touching on the remedy. We may continue the discussion of the remedy into next Sunday’s sermon.

I.           The Problem Identified

Listen to these three statements that Dr. Oswalt gave about our problem: There is something wrong at the core of the human personality. The heart is the control panel of the person. Something wrong at the center of our motivation.

He is summarizing several of the passages in the Bible that describe the condition of our spiritual heart; the center of our life motivation. Let us look at several references that speak about this problem. [Bullet points in italics are taken from Dr. Oswalt’s presentation.]

A.      In the Old Testament:

·    The way we form the mental constructs of the heart is only evil continuously. 

Genesis 6:5 ^(NKJV) Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  

As I stated earlier, it is amazing to realize that the entire human population at this stage in history was so corrupt that God describes them as only thinking evil continually. When left to our “own devices” we gravitate toward evil. The only thing that interrupts that movement toward evil is the grace of God.

In the next few verses we discover that there is only one person who had responded to God’s grace. Noah “found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

·    The human heart is “uncircumcised”; “divided.”

Deut. 10:16 ^(NKJV) Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer. (see Hosea 10:2 ^(NKJV) Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty. He will break down their altars; He will ruin their sacred pillars.)

Moses warns the people that they have a problem in their hearts that will adversely affect them when they go in to possess the land that God had promised them. Physical circumcision was a sign of the covenant the people of Israel had with God. But, Moses is pointing out to them that they need more than a physical procedure to remedy their perpetual problem – rebellion. They need something done to their hearts. A heart that is divided and unloyal will sabotage all attempts to live right and please God.

·     The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.

Jeremiah 17:9 ^(NKJV) The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 

Jeremiah affirms that it is not really possible to understand the serious condition of a heart that is deceitful & wicked.

·     We have a spirit of prostitution

Hosea 4:12 ^(NKJV) My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, And their staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, And they have played the harlot against their God. 

Hosea 5:4 ^(NKJV) They do not direct their deeds Toward turning to their God, For the spirit of harlotry is in their midst, And they do not know the LORD. 

·     They are stubborn and rebellious children; their hearts are not “established”; their spirits are not “true.”

Psalm 78:8 ^(NKJV) And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God. 

In the previous verses, the Psalmist is talking about teaching and training the children so that they will not have the same “heart trouble” of their forefathers.

B.       In the New Testament

NT Term for the Problem: “The Flesh”

·     The body – very good

1 John 4:2 ^(NKJV) By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 

There were teachers in the early years of the Christian church who were teaching heresy because they believed all physical matter was evil. Therefore, Jesus could not be the Son of God because he had a physical body and therefore partook of evil. John rebukes the teaching by affirming that Jesus did come in the flesh and anyone who says he didn’t is not of God. Therefore, since Jesus was in the flesh, then the physical flesh is good.

·     The bodily desires – good

Genesis 3:6 ^(NKJV) So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 

Luke 22:15 ^(NKJV) Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;

God created Adam and Eve with natural spiritual, emotional, and physical desires that are not evil in themselves. Jesus says He had desires – natural, God-given, human desires. But…

·     When desires are in control (now becomes “lust” in the evil connotation of the word) – bad

Galatians 5:19-21 ^(NKJV) Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

1Jn. 2:16 – “lust of the flesh, pleasure; lust of eyes, possessions; pride of life, position/power”

·     The attitude that satisfying my desires is the only purpose in life – very bad.

·     The attitude that I have an absolute right to satisfy my desires just as far as my abilities will permit it – very, very bad 

II.           The Problem Remedied

We do not have the time to expound on the remedy that God has provided. The Lord willing, I will continue with that part of the message next Sunday.

However, let me just say before we leave today that even though the picture looks dark and grim, God has provided an adequate remedy. 

He didn’t abandon the human race to ruin and destruction. He had already planned for our redemption and our deliverance.

1 John 3:8 ^(NKJV) He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Conclusion:

In our bulletins today, I had Kris print a quote from Dr. Oswalt.

If the answer is the cross, what is the question? Of course, we all know: “How can my sins be forgiven, and I be assured of heaven?” No, the real question is: “How can a deeply corrupted human being ever share the character of a holy God?” – John Oswalt

Many people think of salvation as though it is just a “ticket to heaven.” They want to know how all the bad stuff they’ve said and done can be erased and they can be allowed into heaven at the end of life. Many professing Christians give the distinct impression that they are not very much interested in having a relationship with God in this life that will continue on into eternity. (If we don’t really desire a relationship with God now, then we won’t want a relationship with Him then.) I believe God wants us to have a deep, meaningful relationship with Him now that continues to get better and better until we move into eternity to live in His glorious presence forever.

However, the reason we can’t have a relationship with Him now is because our hearts and spirits have been deeply corrupted and we do not share God’s character, which we desperately need in order to have a relationship with Him. It’s not just because we have done some sinful things, it is also because our hearts led us down that path; we did what we desired.

So God has provided a remedy. Through the cross of Jesus Christ, He has made it possible not only for our sins to be forgiven but also for our character and life to be conformed to His image. 

I wonder if there is anyone here today who recognizes that you need the work of God’s Spirit in you own heart to transform your heart and life into one that is more compatible to God’s nature? If God has spoken to you today, why not come and pray for a genuine cleansing of your sins and your heart? If you realize that the human problem hasn’t been adequately dealt with in your life, then come and seek the Lord.

Closing Song: Just As I Am

A Family Blessing

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player here.)

This message was given on Mother's Day and it is based on the thought found in Proverbs 31:28, "her children rise up and bless her." The sermon discusses the various uses in Scripture for the word "bless," and then presents some practical ways that husbands and children can bless the wife/mother in the home.

Written Excerpts:

Proverbs 31:28 ^(NKJV) Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: 

Introduction:

(Complete Book of Zingers) Mother's Day is when everybody waits on mother and she pretends she doesn't mind the extra work.

(Draper's Book of Quotations) The commonest fallacy among women is that simply having children makes one a mother—which is as absurd as believing that having a piano makes one a musician. – Sydney J. Harris

A CHILD'S PERSPECTIVE – A little boy was talking to the girl next door. "I wonder what my mother would like for Mother's Day." The girl answered, "Well, you could promise to keep your room clean and orderly. You could go to bed as soon as she calls you. You could brush your teeth after eating. You could quit fighting with your brothers and sisters, especially at the dinner table." The boy looked at her and said, "No, I mean something practical." (Illustrations Unlimited)

The message I want to share today is going to overlap some that I have given a few years ago. As I was reading and preparing for today’s message, it seemed very familiar, so after further investigation, I discovered that I gave a sermon for Mother’s Day 3 years ago on this same passage of Scripture.

However, the bulletin was already printed with the scripture and the sermon title, so I decided to proceed.

If anything I say today sounds like you’ve heard it from me before, well, congratulations on having a good memory. (It’s obviously, better than mine!)

Prov. 31:10-31 - The passage starts out, “Who can find a virtuous woman?” Some of the newer translations use different expressions for “virtuous woman.” For example, “wife of noble character,” “worthy woman,” “competent wife,” and “capable wife.”

So, the author is really stressing the rhetorical question, “Where do you find a wife that has such ideal character and qualities?”

Prov. 18:22 – Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favor of the Lord. (NLT, The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.)

In Prov. 31:10, after the initial verse that raises the question, the rest of the chapter proceeds to describe the various qualities of such a woman (wife).

As you read down through these 22 verses, it becomes clear that there is probably no one single woman who exhibits every one of these traits. However, they are described to provide the ideals that God has placed within the heart, mind and conduct of godly women. 

In the original Hebrew OT, this section of chapter 31 was written as an acrostic – that is, each verse starts with a word that begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It was a unique way of emphasizing the message the author intended to convey in Hebrew “poetry.”

The particular part of the chapter that I wanted to emphasize today is near the end – vv. 28, 30 & 31.

In these verses we read about the family members “blessing” and “praising” the woman/wife of noble character.

If you check back through several of the verses prior to verse 28, you will notice how often her husband and her household are mentioned. See: vv. 11, 21, 23, 27.

The phrase gives the idea that the children are pronouncing blessings upon her because of who she is and what she has done. Her husband is praising her for the noble character she has displayed.

I want to do two things in my message today. First, I want to just review the meaning of the words used here – “bless” and “praise.”

Secondly, I want to suggest some ways that we can offer blessings and praise for our wives, mothers, and women in general.

I.          I.  Meaning of Words used.

“bless her” – (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) “There are two verbs in Hebrew meaning "to bless." One is bārak and the other ʾāshar. … bārak is used by God when he "blesses" somebody. But there is no instance where ʾāshar is ever on God's lips. When one "blesses" God the verb is bārak, never ʾāshar. One suggestion to explain this sharp distinction, i.e. that ʾāshar is reserved for man, is that ʾāshar is a word of envious desire, "to be envied with desire is the man who trusts in the Lord." God is not man and therefore there are no grounds for aspiring to his state even in a wishful way. Similarly God does not envy man, never desires something man is or has, which he does not have, but would like to have. Therefore God never pronounces man "blessed" (ʾashrê) (Janzen). 

[We do know of a couple of examples where a man is giving a blessing on other people and the word bārak is used, which seems to go against what I’ve just said. One case is Melchizedek blessing Abraham, and the other example is Jacob blessing the sons of Joseph. Yet, based on what we’ve learned about this word, the blessing was considered a blessing from God being passed to men through other men.]

“It should also be pointed out that when bārak is used the initiative comes from God. God can bestow his blessing even when man doesn't deserve it. On the other hand, to be blessed (ʾashrê), man has to do something. 

“Finally, bārak is a benediction, ʾāshar more of a congratulation.” 

So, when her children rise and bless her, they are expressing the thought, “she is to be congratulated. She is to be envied and praised for her accomplishments.”

“husband…praises her” – This is the same Hebrew root word that is used in the word “hallelujah.” In “hallelu-jah,” the ending of the word refers to God. But in Prov. 31:28, the word form has an ending that refers to the woman that is being discussed.

Interestingly, the root meaning of “halal” carries the idea of “giving off light” or “to shine.” It seems that it is meant to convey the idea of shining the spotlight on the admirable qualities of the object being praised. (TWOT & BDB)

When we give praise to God, we “shine” (put the spotlight on) His nature and His wonderful works.

When a husband praises his wife, he puts the spotlight on her qualities and accomplishments.

II.        Ways to bless and praise the women of noble character.

What I have to say here is not directly based on specific scripture references, but I believe it reflects the overall teaching in scripture regarding giving proper respect, honor and praise to those who deserve it.

1.            Fathers, men, if we want our children to bless, (congratulate), and praise their mothers, we need to set the example. 

We need to look for opportunities to praise and congratulate our wives and the mother of our children in front of them so they can learn by example.

Ills. – Years ago, Rev. Whitaker told a story about being a guest at someone’s house and the husband had repeatedly criticized his wife’s work/cooking, etc. At one dinner the man asked Rev. Whitaker, “How do you like that meat?” After Rev. Whitaker replied with a compliment, the husband said, “I picked it out!”

It is a fact. The kind of treatment a man gives to his wife is normally the kind of treatment his children will give her.

2.            Men, we must not only refrain from criticizing and denigrating our wives, especially in front of our children, and we must not tolerate it from our children.

Ills. – I know that things are different today, and this kind of reaction wouldn’t be condoned, but I know what it is like to get a backhand on the mouth from my dad. All it took was for me to sass my mother or say something disrespectful, when he was close enough to reach me at that moment. I’m not saying that slapping a child on the mouth is necessarily the right way to go about it. But, my parents did it to me when I deserved it. Maybe some people have a different opinion than I do, but I don’t think it ruined my character, personality or life as a result. I will say this, it definitely made me a little more careful about how I talked to my mother from then on. I didn’t require too many lessons to learn to be careful how I spoke to her.

3.            We need to focus on the positive more than the negative. Any person is much more willing to hear constructive / instructive criticism when criticism is not the norm. 

4.            Celebrate successes and accomplishments in a way that honors our wives/mothers.

I think it is especially important for children and husbands to bless, praise and honor their mom/wife in front of other people. It is one thing to do it at home, but I think it speaks volumes when we do it publicly.

Conclusion:

There is nothing more important and more powerful than when a child is able to express praise and appreciation for his mother’s faith or Christian conduct.

POWERFUL EVIDENCE UNREFUTED – When Robert Ingersoll, the notorious skeptic, was in his heyday, two college students went to hear him lecture. As they walked down the street after the lecture, one said to the other, "Well, I guess he knocked the props out from under Christianity, didn't he?" The other said, "No, I don't think he did. Ingersoll did not explain my mother's life, and until he can explain my mother's life I will stand by my mother's God." (Illustrations Unlimited)

As we go from this service today, I trust that each one of us will purpose to honor our wives/mothers and women in our lives by giving them the praise they deserve.

Let us all stand together now and sing A Christian Home

We’ve tried to give honor to the moms in our lives this morning. However, I am aware that Mother’s Day is one of those days that always has the potential to bring a fresh sense of sadness and grief to some people for various reasons. 

Closing Prayer (I want to finish our service by reading a prayer that I came across several years ago that was written by a woman specifically for all those that have reasons to experience sadness and grief on Mother’s Day.)