Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Reformation Day
October 31st is not Halloween--well, OK it is for most folks, but that is of little or no significance. October 31, 1517 years ago, a lone German monk of humble birth shook the foundations of the western world by posting on the church door at Wittenberg, Germany, a document called "The 95 Theses." This document was the opening shot of a revolution which ended up with the monolithic Roman Catholic Church suffering the loss of millions of people who answered the call of the Reformation: sola scriptura (the Bible alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli deo gloria (the Glory to God alone).
Growing Mature Christians
Growing Mature Christians
Col 1:28-29
Introductory Thoughts—What God wants believers to be—Col 1:9-11
1. What We Do: The Basic Task—28 Him we preach…” as it diagrams, this is the central declaration of the entire verse—everything is connected to it.
a. Language—“Whom we proclaim,” literally—that is, “Christ in you, the Hope of glory…”
b. This is the heart of the verse—Him we preach—The Message is Christ
(1) The Person of Christ
(a) Very God of Very God—Jehovah, the Rock of Ages, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, The Redeemer, The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Creator, the Sustainer, The King of Kings and Lord of Lords—We proclaim HIM!
(b) Man, born of a woman, born under the Law, Virgin Born
(2) The Work of Christ—Perfect life, substitutionary Death, literal, bodily resurrection, ascended unto Glory, seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, returning for us, to rule and reign!
c. “Proclaim…” The Medium is proclamation, not just preaching
(1) The word means “…to publicly declare a completed truth or happening. It is a general term, and not restricted to formal preaching…” (MAC)
(2) “we” is plural
(3) “Proclaim” is present tense
d. “We proclaim…” These actions are not restricted to preachers—these are things every believer should do— “…We proclaim (kataggellomen). …in N.T. it means to announce (aggelloô) throughout (kata), to proclaim far and wide (Acts 13:5)…” ATR
e. Bottom line, what we do is we proclaim Christ, we preach Christ, in every way possible…
2. How We Do It—Him we preach—warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,
a. Language
(1) “…warning…” and “…teaching…” are present participles.
(2) Nouthetic discipleship—
(a) Definition (NIDNTT)—“…from [two words] meaning… (mind) and …(put), describe the exertion of influence upon the … (mind), implying that there is resistance…”
(b) “…By means of admonition, advice, warning, reminding, teaching, and spurring on, a person can be redirected from wrong ways and his behavior corrected. In contrast to [the word for regular teaching] which is concerned with the development and guidance of the intellect, noutheteo has to do with the will and feelings of a man.”
(c) Didaskolos—regular teaching
b. Exposition
(1) Warning every man…Nouthetic admonitionèconfronting believers with the truth!
(a) Admonition is particularly the ministry of the men of God
(i) Acts 20:31 ""Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."
(ii) 1 Cor 4:14 "I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you."
(iii) 1 Th 5:12 "And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you…:14 "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all."
(b) However, it is also something that believers may use to minister to one another.
(i) Rom 15:14 "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another."
(ii) Col 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
(2) “Teaching…”—Didactic discipleship—Mat 28:19-20—teaching
(a) Eph 4:12-16
(b) Acts 2:41-47
(3) “…In all wisdom…” —see 1 Cor 2:1-13—Doctrinal and practical depth—
3. Why We Do It— Him we preach —“…That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. …”
a. That we may present--aorist “…the final presentation to Christ…” ATR
b. We present—the real receiver of the work is the Lord!
c. Complete— ôÝëåéïí Eph 4:13-16
(1) “…the unity of the faith…”
(2) “…the knowledge of the Son of God…”
(3) “…to a perfect man…”
(4) “…to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”
(5) “…14 that we should no longer be children…”
(6) “…tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine…”
(7) “…15 but, speaking the truth in love…”
(8) “…may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ…"
d. In Christ
(1) 2 Cor 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
(2) Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"
(3) Eph 1:6 "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved."
4. For Whom We Do It—“every man…”
a. Universal discipleship—every man—repeated three times— “…Every man (every human being), (panta anthroôpon). Repeated three times. “In opposition to the doctrine of an intellectual exclusiveness taught by the false teachers” (Abbott), From ATR.
b. Every man—discipleship, mature Christianity, is the goal for EVERY believer!
c. 1 Th 1:4ff
5. The Stress of the Work— Him we preach …29 To this end I also labor, striving…”
a. “…To this end…” Proclamation of Christ is for one purpose and for no other—to make disciples!
b. Labor—to work with the hands, “…to the point of exhaustion…” (MAC)
(1) Rev 2:3 ""and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary."
(2) 1 Tim 5:17 "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."
(3) 1 Tim 4:10 "For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."
c. Striving—agonizing, like an athlete in training
(1) 1 Cor 9:25 "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown."
(2) 2 Tim 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
6. The Power Behind the Work—Him We Preach, …according to His working which works in me mightily."
a. His working—Zec 4:6 "… Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."
(1) Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
(2) Acts 4:33 "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all."
b. Working in me Mightily
(1) The Words for “energy” and “dynamite” are both in this phrase!
(2) These are present tense participles, speaking of continuity
(3) The Gospel is a field of labor for the preacher
(Mat 9:37-38) "Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.""
(1 Cor 3:5) "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?"
(1 Cor 3:9) "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building."
(2 Cor 6:5) "in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;"
(1 Tim 5:17-18) "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine….”
(4) But the power to make it all effective comes from God Himself
1 Th 1:5 "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."
Col 1:28-29
Introductory Thoughts—What God wants believers to be—Col 1:9-11
1. What We Do: The Basic Task—28 Him we preach…” as it diagrams, this is the central declaration of the entire verse—everything is connected to it.
a. Language—“Whom we proclaim,” literally—that is, “Christ in you, the Hope of glory…”
b. This is the heart of the verse—Him we preach—The Message is Christ
(1) The Person of Christ
(a) Very God of Very God—Jehovah, the Rock of Ages, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, The Redeemer, The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Creator, the Sustainer, The King of Kings and Lord of Lords—We proclaim HIM!
(b) Man, born of a woman, born under the Law, Virgin Born
(2) The Work of Christ—Perfect life, substitutionary Death, literal, bodily resurrection, ascended unto Glory, seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, returning for us, to rule and reign!
c. “Proclaim…” The Medium is proclamation, not just preaching
(1) The word means “…to publicly declare a completed truth or happening. It is a general term, and not restricted to formal preaching…” (MAC)
(2) “we” is plural
(3) “Proclaim” is present tense
d. “We proclaim…” These actions are not restricted to preachers—these are things every believer should do— “…We proclaim (kataggellomen). …in N.T. it means to announce (aggelloô) throughout (kata), to proclaim far and wide (Acts 13:5)…” ATR
e. Bottom line, what we do is we proclaim Christ, we preach Christ, in every way possible…
2. How We Do It—Him we preach—warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,
a. Language
(1) “…warning…” and “…teaching…” are present participles.
(2) Nouthetic discipleship—
(a) Definition (NIDNTT)—“…from [two words] meaning… (mind) and …(put), describe the exertion of influence upon the … (mind), implying that there is resistance…”
(b) “…By means of admonition, advice, warning, reminding, teaching, and spurring on, a person can be redirected from wrong ways and his behavior corrected. In contrast to [the word for regular teaching] which is concerned with the development and guidance of the intellect, noutheteo has to do with the will and feelings of a man.”
(c) Didaskolos—regular teaching
b. Exposition
(1) Warning every man…Nouthetic admonitionèconfronting believers with the truth!
(a) Admonition is particularly the ministry of the men of God
(i) Acts 20:31 ""Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."
(ii) 1 Cor 4:14 "I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you."
(iii) 1 Th 5:12 "And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you…:14 "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all."
(b) However, it is also something that believers may use to minister to one another.
(i) Rom 15:14 "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another."
(ii) Col 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
(2) “Teaching…”—Didactic discipleship—Mat 28:19-20—teaching
(a) Eph 4:12-16
(b) Acts 2:41-47
(3) “…In all wisdom…” —see 1 Cor 2:1-13—Doctrinal and practical depth—
3. Why We Do It— Him we preach —“…That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. …”
a. That we may present--aorist “…the final presentation to Christ…” ATR
b. We present—the real receiver of the work is the Lord!
c. Complete— ôÝëåéïí Eph 4:13-16
(1) “…the unity of the faith…”
(2) “…the knowledge of the Son of God…”
(3) “…to a perfect man…”
(4) “…to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”
(5) “…14 that we should no longer be children…”
(6) “…tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine…”
(7) “…15 but, speaking the truth in love…”
(8) “…may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ…"
d. In Christ
(1) 2 Cor 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
(2) Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"
(3) Eph 1:6 "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved."
4. For Whom We Do It—“every man…”
a. Universal discipleship—every man—repeated three times— “…Every man (every human being), (panta anthroôpon). Repeated three times. “In opposition to the doctrine of an intellectual exclusiveness taught by the false teachers” (Abbott), From ATR.
b. Every man—discipleship, mature Christianity, is the goal for EVERY believer!
c. 1 Th 1:4ff
5. The Stress of the Work— Him we preach …29 To this end I also labor, striving…”
a. “…To this end…” Proclamation of Christ is for one purpose and for no other—to make disciples!
b. Labor—to work with the hands, “…to the point of exhaustion…” (MAC)
(1) Rev 2:3 ""and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary."
(2) 1 Tim 5:17 "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."
(3) 1 Tim 4:10 "For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."
c. Striving—agonizing, like an athlete in training
(1) 1 Cor 9:25 "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown."
(2) 2 Tim 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
6. The Power Behind the Work—Him We Preach, …according to His working which works in me mightily."
a. His working—Zec 4:6 "… Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."
(1) Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
(2) Acts 4:33 "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all."
b. Working in me Mightily
(1) The Words for “energy” and “dynamite” are both in this phrase!
(2) These are present tense participles, speaking of continuity
(3) The Gospel is a field of labor for the preacher
(Mat 9:37-38) "Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.""
(1 Cor 3:5) "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?"
(1 Cor 3:9) "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building."
(2 Cor 6:5) "in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;"
(1 Tim 5:17-18) "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine….”
(4) But the power to make it all effective comes from God Himself
1 Th 1:5 "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Romans 1:18 is coming!
We have now introduced the letter to the Romans, and beginning next Sunday, Lord willing, we will begin looking at the first of the main divisions of the Roman letter, 1:18-3:20, "Man Cannot Save Himself."
Romans 1:18 deals with one of the most misunderstood and ignored areas of biblical study--the wrath of God. This seems a foreign concept in this day of easy-believism and half gospels, but the concept of Divine wrath is thoroughly biblical, and it is one of the things that helps understand why the Son of God had to die to save us.
Join us next Sunday morning for "The Revelation of God's Wrath."
Romans 1:18 deals with one of the most misunderstood and ignored areas of biblical study--the wrath of God. This seems a foreign concept in this day of easy-believism and half gospels, but the concept of Divine wrath is thoroughly biblical, and it is one of the things that helps understand why the Son of God had to die to save us.
Join us next Sunday morning for "The Revelation of God's Wrath."
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
God’s Ministry, God’s Man Col 1:24-27
1. God’s Ministry—The Christ-Like Ministry—Col 1:24
a. A ministry of Joy— “… I now rejoice…”
(1) Xairw, joy, which the New Testament uses over 120 times, and which Paul uses continually, usually in the context of rejoicing over some aspect of spiritual fruit or progress in the people to whom he is ministering.
(2) NIDNTT says, “…The Pauline Epistles testify to the paradox that Christian joy is to be found only in the midst of sadness, affliction and care. Indeed, this is precisely where it gives proof of its power….This joy has its source beyond mere earlthly , human, joy. It is joy en kyrio, in the Lord, and therefore outside ourselves…”
(3) Joy is not an attitude or an experience, it is not a positive reaction to good circumstances, Joy is an act of the will. If we say in the midst of trials, even tragedy, “What have I got to rejoice about?”, we reveal that we don’t understand what rejoicing is.
(4) Phil 3:1 "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe."
(5) Phil 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"
(6) Paul often contrasts Joy and trials—2 Cor 6:10 "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
(7) Phil 2:17-18 "Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me."
b. Joy in suffering— “… I now rejoice in my sufferings for you,…”
(1) We should not see suffering as something unusual for the believer—2 Tim 3:12 "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."
(2) There is joy in suffering if we understand that suffering and glory are both evidence of the reality of our sonship—
(a) Rom 8: 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
(b) 1 Pet 4:13-15
c. Taking the shots aimed at Christ—“…and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ…”
(1) Acts 9: 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.""
(2) Gal 6:17 "From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." (cf 2 Cor 11)—
(3) Now, this is not talking about the Catholic superstition of the stigmata—Paul is not claiming to have marks which mimic the scars of the Lord on Calvary. Rather, Paul refers to his own scars, won in the service of his Lord, as abundantly described in 2 Cor 11
d. The purpose—the church—“…for the sake of His body, which is the church…”
(1) Christ’s sufferings were redemptive for His people, for His church—1 Pet 2:24
(2) Ours are not redemptive, but they are for the sake of the same body—2 Tim 2:10 The scars of Christ wrought our salvation, our sufferings are part of our service. It is about completing the mission, whatever it takes.
2. The God-Called Man—23 “…of which I, Paul, became a minister….25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God…”
a. God’s Call—23 “…of which I, Paul, became a minister….25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God…”
(1) God’s plan for Paul’s life—Gal 1:13-15
(2) God’s call—Acts 9, 26:9-18, Rom 15:15-16, 2 Cor 5:18, 1 Tim 2:5-7
(3) God’s Gift—Eph 4:11
b. God’s Ministry—“…to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you…”
(1) Steward—a house manager
(2) 1 Cor 9:16-17, Titus 1:7
(3) “…According to the dispensation of God… ‘According to the economy of God.’ An old word …to be a house steward…as in Luke 16:2-4; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:9; 3:9. It was by God’s stewardship that Paul was made a minister of Christ…” (ATR)
c. God’s Word for God’s People—“…to fulfill the word of God…” The NASB says, “…fully carry out the preaching of God’s Word…,” which is implied, but not specifically mentioned in the Greek.
(1) Acts 20:24-27, 2 Tim 4:1-4
(2) To fulfil the word of God (pleôroôsai ton logon tou theou). First aorist active infinitive of purpose (pleôrooô), a fine phrase for a God-called preacher, to fill full or to give full scope to the Word of God. The preacher is an expert on the word of God by profession. See Paul’s ideal about preaching in 2 Thessalonians 3:1 (ATR)
(3) We must challenge the de-emphasis on preaching.
3. The God-Revealed Mystery—26-27
a. The Hidden Mystery—26
(1) First of all, a mystery is not something which is part of some inner, hidden knowledge that is not revealed, a mystery is Truth formerly not revealed which has been revealed or is being revealed.
(2) Language—“which has been hidden” is a perfect passive participle—it speaks of something which is an accomplished fact in past time.
(3) What is the mystery? Not just salvation, which was promised in all of the types, shadows, and prophecies about Christ and His work, but that salvation would be for all men! Eph 3:1-11—We Gentiles, with few exceptions, were cut off (Eph 2:11-20), but now we have hope.
b. The Revealed Mystery—“…but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles…”
(1) The verbs and the infinitive (to be) are aorist—a sudden shift from eternally concealed to finally, fully, and definitively revealed.
(2) This does not allow for any other testaments or new prophets, such as Mohammed or Joseph Smith and the Mormons. There is a note of finality—Rom 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
c. The Riches of His Glory—“…the riches of the glory—God does not only save us—He has arranged all of this to bring us into a share of Glory—1 Cor 2:7 "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:"
4. The Heart of the Message: the Person and Work of Christ—“… which is Christ in you…”
a. His Person
(1) God—John 1:1-3
(2) Man—Gal 4:4-6, 1 Tim 2:5
b. His Work—1 Cor 15:1-4
(1) Substitutionary Death, literal burial
(2) Literal, Bodily, resurrection
(3) Bodily ascension
(4) Personal Intercession
(5) Soon Return
c. Another Mystery not previously revealed—The Indwelling Christ
(1) John 14:16-17, 20, 23
(2) John 17:23
(3) Rom 8:10
(4) Gal 2:20
(5) 1 Jn 3:24
d. He is in us corporately, but according to ATR, this language is speaking of individual indwelling.—Eph 2:20-22, 1 Pet 2:5.
5. The Bottom Line— “…the hope of glory…”
a. Hope—What is Hope?
(1) The World’s Definition of Hope
(2) The Bible Definition—to anticipate, usually with pleasure; confidence
(3) Hope is a thing of the mind—1 Pet 1:13 "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"
(4) Hope is a product of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives— Rom 15:13 "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."
(5) Hope comes from the actions of God—1 Pet 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"
(6) Hope is a product of understanding the Scriptures— Rom 15:4 "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
(7) Hope is certain knowledge based on knowing the character of God, and based on believing in the Person and Work of Christ, and based on a personal relationship with Christ—
(a) Titus 1:2 "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;"
(b) Heb 6:18-19 "That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;"
(8) Hope is an important base for our Christian character. 1 John 3:3 "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
(9) Hope is an important basis for our witness for Christ—1 Pet 3:15 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"
(10) Those without Christ have NO HOPE—1 Th 4:13 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."
b. Hope of Glory—John 17
(1) What is the Glory of God? It is the outward expression of the inward reality of Who God Is.
(2) Glory is the sum of all of God’s moral, spiritual, and tangible attributes, abilities, and graces.
(3) Glory consists of the purest physical light, which is a reflection of the purest moral and spiritual light, which we find in the face of God.
d. What is His Glory?
a. The Reason That God Made Everything is for His Own Glory—we will see more of that tonight when we talk about His Name.
(1) WE are saved “…(Eph 1:6) "to the praise of the glory of His grace…."
(2) He created us for His Glory—(Isa 43:7) "Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory…"
(3) He brought Israel out of slavery (Psa 106:8) "Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, That He might make His mighty power known."
(4) He promised to end the exile (Isa 48:9-11) ""For My name's sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another."
(5) Christ came so that “… the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy…” Rom 15:9
(6) Our entire life is to be dedicated to His Glory (1 Cor 10:31) "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
(7) (2 Th 1:11-12) "Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
(John 1:14) "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
(John 2:11) "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him."
(John 12:41) "These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him."
(Rom 3:7) "For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?"
(Rom 9:23) "and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,"
(Eph 1:12) "that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory."
(Eph 1:14) "who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."
(Eph 3:16) "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,"
(Heb 1:3) "who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,"
(1 Pet 4:13) "but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."
(Jude 1:24) "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,"
c. What is the source of this glory to be?
(1) The church—Eph 3
(2) Christ Himself
(3) The Holy Spirit
a. A ministry of Joy— “… I now rejoice…”
(1) Xairw, joy, which the New Testament uses over 120 times, and which Paul uses continually, usually in the context of rejoicing over some aspect of spiritual fruit or progress in the people to whom he is ministering.
(2) NIDNTT says, “…The Pauline Epistles testify to the paradox that Christian joy is to be found only in the midst of sadness, affliction and care. Indeed, this is precisely where it gives proof of its power….This joy has its source beyond mere earlthly , human, joy. It is joy en kyrio, in the Lord, and therefore outside ourselves…”
(3) Joy is not an attitude or an experience, it is not a positive reaction to good circumstances, Joy is an act of the will. If we say in the midst of trials, even tragedy, “What have I got to rejoice about?”, we reveal that we don’t understand what rejoicing is.
(4) Phil 3:1 "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe."
(5) Phil 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"
(6) Paul often contrasts Joy and trials—2 Cor 6:10 "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
(7) Phil 2:17-18 "Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me."
b. Joy in suffering— “… I now rejoice in my sufferings for you,…”
(1) We should not see suffering as something unusual for the believer—2 Tim 3:12 "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."
(2) There is joy in suffering if we understand that suffering and glory are both evidence of the reality of our sonship—
(a) Rom 8: 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
(b) 1 Pet 4:13-15
c. Taking the shots aimed at Christ—“…and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ…”
(1) Acts 9: 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.""
(2) Gal 6:17 "From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." (cf 2 Cor 11)—
(3) Now, this is not talking about the Catholic superstition of the stigmata—Paul is not claiming to have marks which mimic the scars of the Lord on Calvary. Rather, Paul refers to his own scars, won in the service of his Lord, as abundantly described in 2 Cor 11
d. The purpose—the church—“…for the sake of His body, which is the church…”
(1) Christ’s sufferings were redemptive for His people, for His church—1 Pet 2:24
(2) Ours are not redemptive, but they are for the sake of the same body—2 Tim 2:10 The scars of Christ wrought our salvation, our sufferings are part of our service. It is about completing the mission, whatever it takes.
2. The God-Called Man—23 “…of which I, Paul, became a minister….25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God…”
a. God’s Call—23 “…of which I, Paul, became a minister….25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God…”
(1) God’s plan for Paul’s life—Gal 1:13-15
(2) God’s call—Acts 9, 26:9-18, Rom 15:15-16, 2 Cor 5:18, 1 Tim 2:5-7
(3) God’s Gift—Eph 4:11
b. God’s Ministry—“…to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you…”
(1) Steward—a house manager
(2) 1 Cor 9:16-17, Titus 1:7
(3) “…According to the dispensation of God… ‘According to the economy of God.’ An old word …to be a house steward…as in Luke 16:2-4; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:9; 3:9. It was by God’s stewardship that Paul was made a minister of Christ…” (ATR)
c. God’s Word for God’s People—“…to fulfill the word of God…” The NASB says, “…fully carry out the preaching of God’s Word…,” which is implied, but not specifically mentioned in the Greek.
(1) Acts 20:24-27, 2 Tim 4:1-4
(2) To fulfil the word of God (pleôroôsai ton logon tou theou). First aorist active infinitive of purpose (pleôrooô), a fine phrase for a God-called preacher, to fill full or to give full scope to the Word of God. The preacher is an expert on the word of God by profession. See Paul’s ideal about preaching in 2 Thessalonians 3:1 (ATR)
(3) We must challenge the de-emphasis on preaching.
3. The God-Revealed Mystery—26-27
a. The Hidden Mystery—26
(1) First of all, a mystery is not something which is part of some inner, hidden knowledge that is not revealed, a mystery is Truth formerly not revealed which has been revealed or is being revealed.
(2) Language—“which has been hidden” is a perfect passive participle—it speaks of something which is an accomplished fact in past time.
(3) What is the mystery? Not just salvation, which was promised in all of the types, shadows, and prophecies about Christ and His work, but that salvation would be for all men! Eph 3:1-11—We Gentiles, with few exceptions, were cut off (Eph 2:11-20), but now we have hope.
b. The Revealed Mystery—“…but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles…”
(1) The verbs and the infinitive (to be) are aorist—a sudden shift from eternally concealed to finally, fully, and definitively revealed.
(2) This does not allow for any other testaments or new prophets, such as Mohammed or Joseph Smith and the Mormons. There is a note of finality—Rom 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
c. The Riches of His Glory—“…the riches of the glory—God does not only save us—He has arranged all of this to bring us into a share of Glory—1 Cor 2:7 "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:"
4. The Heart of the Message: the Person and Work of Christ—“… which is Christ in you…”
a. His Person
(1) God—John 1:1-3
(2) Man—Gal 4:4-6, 1 Tim 2:5
b. His Work—1 Cor 15:1-4
(1) Substitutionary Death, literal burial
(2) Literal, Bodily, resurrection
(3) Bodily ascension
(4) Personal Intercession
(5) Soon Return
c. Another Mystery not previously revealed—The Indwelling Christ
(1) John 14:16-17, 20, 23
(2) John 17:23
(3) Rom 8:10
(4) Gal 2:20
(5) 1 Jn 3:24
d. He is in us corporately, but according to ATR, this language is speaking of individual indwelling.—Eph 2:20-22, 1 Pet 2:5.
5. The Bottom Line— “…the hope of glory…”
a. Hope—What is Hope?
(1) The World’s Definition of Hope
(2) The Bible Definition—to anticipate, usually with pleasure; confidence
(3) Hope is a thing of the mind—1 Pet 1:13 "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"
(4) Hope is a product of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives— Rom 15:13 "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."
(5) Hope comes from the actions of God—1 Pet 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"
(6) Hope is a product of understanding the Scriptures— Rom 15:4 "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
(7) Hope is certain knowledge based on knowing the character of God, and based on believing in the Person and Work of Christ, and based on a personal relationship with Christ—
(a) Titus 1:2 "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;"
(b) Heb 6:18-19 "That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;"
(8) Hope is an important base for our Christian character. 1 John 3:3 "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
(9) Hope is an important basis for our witness for Christ—1 Pet 3:15 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"
(10) Those without Christ have NO HOPE—1 Th 4:13 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."
b. Hope of Glory—John 17
(1) What is the Glory of God? It is the outward expression of the inward reality of Who God Is.
(2) Glory is the sum of all of God’s moral, spiritual, and tangible attributes, abilities, and graces.
(3) Glory consists of the purest physical light, which is a reflection of the purest moral and spiritual light, which we find in the face of God.
d. What is His Glory?
a. The Reason That God Made Everything is for His Own Glory—we will see more of that tonight when we talk about His Name.
(1) WE are saved “…(Eph 1:6) "to the praise of the glory of His grace…."
(2) He created us for His Glory—(Isa 43:7) "Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory…"
(3) He brought Israel out of slavery (Psa 106:8) "Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, That He might make His mighty power known."
(4) He promised to end the exile (Isa 48:9-11) ""For My name's sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another."
(5) Christ came so that “… the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy…” Rom 15:9
(6) Our entire life is to be dedicated to His Glory (1 Cor 10:31) "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
(7) (2 Th 1:11-12) "Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
(John 1:14) "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
(John 2:11) "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him."
(John 12:41) "These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him."
(Rom 3:7) "For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?"
(Rom 9:23) "and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,"
(Eph 1:12) "that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory."
(Eph 1:14) "who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."
(Eph 3:16) "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,"
(Heb 1:3) "who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,"
(1 Pet 4:13) "but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."
(Jude 1:24) "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,"
c. What is the source of this glory to be?
(1) The church—Eph 3
(2) Christ Himself
(3) The Holy Spirit
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sunday
I was greatly blessed by the Lord and by His people Sunday morning. There are many needs, spiritual and otherwise among the flock here at Clinton--we need to pray that God will meet them, and that He will continue to speak to hearts through His Word.
Brother Charley
Brother Charley
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
These old hymns of the faith are in the public domain. Read the words, and if you want to have a great Bible study, see how many direct and indirect scripture references you can find, such as the obvious 1 Tim 6:12-17 in the first two lines of the first hymn.
Kudos to the reader who discovers the most references in each hymn.
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Walter C. Smith
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
But of all Thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.
All laud we would render; O help us to see’
Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, Almighty, impart,
Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.
Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah
William Williams
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
Lord, I trust Thy mighty power,
Wondrous are Thy works of old;
Thou deliver’st Thine from thralldom,
Who for naught themselves had sold:
Thou didst conquer, Thou didst conquer,
Sin, and Satan and the grave,
Sin, and Satan and the grave.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Musing on my habitation,
Musing on my heav’nly home,
Fills my soul with holy longings:
Come, my Jesus, quickly come;
Vanity, is all I see;
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
Kudos to the reader who discovers the most references in each hymn.
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Walter C. Smith
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
But of all Thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.
All laud we would render; O help us to see’
Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, Almighty, impart,
Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.
Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah
William Williams
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
Lord, I trust Thy mighty power,
Wondrous are Thy works of old;
Thou deliver’st Thine from thralldom,
Who for naught themselves had sold:
Thou didst conquer, Thou didst conquer,
Sin, and Satan and the grave,
Sin, and Satan and the grave.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Musing on my habitation,
Musing on my heav’nly home,
Fills my soul with holy longings:
Come, my Jesus, quickly come;
Vanity, is all I see;
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Real Christianity
Real Christianity, To All Peoples
(Rom 1:5) "Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,"
· Concepts not often dealt with
There are six strong assertions in this one verse!
This morning we dealt with three of them
ü It’s all through Jesus
ü Through Him we receive Grace
ü Through Him Paul received apostleship and we each receive a mission
This evening we will complete the set.
Ø Through Him we teach obedience to the faith
Ø Through Him We reach out to all nations
Ø Through Him We Glorify His Name
1. Through Him we teach obedience to the faith “…The Obedience of Faith…”
a. True Saving Faith is expressed by obedience to the gospel commands—
(1) Repent and believe—This is Paul’s own take on the whole gospel—(Acts 20:21) ""testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
(2) So, we MUST understand these words and see how they work together as two sides of the same coin.
b. Repent
(1) This was the first statement by Jesus as He introduced Gospel preaching
(Mark 1:14-15) "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.""
(Acts 3:19) ""Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,"
(Acts 17:30) ""Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent
(2) But, this creates a theological problem for some, because other verses do not specifically mention repentance
(Rom 10:9) "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
(Acts 16:30-31) "And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.""
(3) The problem comes because Gospel repentance is a word greatly misunderstood and often not correctly defined. , Rom 10:9
(a) Some make it into a separate work, part of a list of 5, 7, or more works that must be done prior to salvation
(b) Others react to this false teaching by ignoring repentance altogether—again, a false teaching
(4) What is gospel Repentance?
(a) First, what it is NOT
(i) It is not separate from faith
(ii) It is not some work that man must do before he can believe in Christ for salvation, because salvation is not of works—Eph 2:8-9
(b) There is a problem here, in that “repent” is a MARKED WORD, that is, people tend to associate it will all sorts of ideas that are not biblical, for instance
(i) The nutcase with a sign around his neck that says “repent”
(ii) The people that turn repentance into some kind of work that has to be done as a part of “x” steps to salvation
(c) What repentance IS
(i) It is a change of heart and mind
(ii) It is best illustrated by the word “turn”
(iii) It is the other side of the coin of “faith”
(iv) Repentance is turning away from our sins and toward Faith in Christ
(v) Repentance is Godly sorrow that leads to turning—2 Cor 7:9-10
Here are some examples, with “repent” further translated into its real meaning.
(Mat 3:2) "…turn from your sins and turn to God, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!""
(Mat 3:8) ""Therefore bear fruits worthy of turning from your sins and turning to God,"
(Mat 4:17) "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "turn from your sins and Turn to God, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.""
(Mat 11:20-21) "Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have turned from their sins and turned to God long ago…”
(Mark 1:15) "and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Turn from your sins and Turn to God, and believe in the gospel.""
(5) What about those situations where “repent” is not mentioned? In those you will see evidence of repentance even when it is not mentioned.
(a) The Philippian Jailer was arrogant and cruel as he locked Paul and Silas up
(b) After the earthquake, he had a whole new perspective— Acts 16:30-ff
c. Faith—again, back to Paul’s description
(1) (Acts 20:21) ""testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
(2) We must believe that Jesus is Who He Says He Is—Lord and Savior
(John 3:16) ""For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
(Mark 1:15) "and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.""
(1 John 5:13) "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."
d. A word of Caution to clear up confusion—most believers don’t ever get the theology straight nor have all the theological “i’s” dotted and “t’s” crossed.
(1) Your salvation is NOT dependent on how you prayed, what words you said, or how many tears you cried.
(2) It is not in some magical formula followed to say exactly the right thing—that is liturgy, catholic ceremonialism—
(3) Look at these New Testament salvation experiences
(a) (Acts 16:14) "Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul."
(b) (Acts 16:30-34) "And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household."
(c) The Ethiopian Eunuch—Acts 8:26-40
(d) The Proconsul (Acts 13:6-12
(e) Zacchaeus (Lk 19:2-9)
(f) The Publican—(Lk 18:10-14)
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(4) The key thing in all of these is that no two salvation experiences are exactly alike!
(5) Salvation is an individual experience. True salvation will involve sorrow for and turning from sins, and it will involve belief in Christ as the Son of God.
e. True Saving Faith will produce an obedient lifestyle—John 10:27, 14:15, Mat 7:21-23, Jn 15:10, 1 John 2:17
2. Through Him We reach out to all nations
a. No racial divisions in Gods eyes
b. Peter’s lesson—Acts 10:28-35
(1) What was the Biblical result of following God’s way?
(2) Cornelius’ household had a revival that was a little Pentecost.
(3) Some of the Pharisees who had professed Christianity raised a ruckus over letting these Romans into the church. Acts 11:1-3.
(4) Peter shut the old Pharisees down with the Truth. Acts 11:15-18.
(5) Peter understood the basic truth— “…what was I, that I could withstand God?”
c. Paul’s Insight—
(1) All men are made of one blood—Acts 17:26 (Gen 1:26-30, Gen 9:18-19. )\
(2) All human flesh is the same kind of flesh—1 Cor 15:39
(3) Jesus died for all kinds of people—1 John 2:2.
(4) We cannot restrict our mission or fellowship if we want to obey Christ—Acts 10.
(5) The kingdom of God is to be one on earth—Eph 2:11-22
(6) Everyone is equal before God. Gal 3:28
d. The diversity of Heaven—Rev 7:9-14
e. But there is a Non-diversity of Heaven as well—Rev 21:8, 1 Cor 6:9-11
3. Through Him We Glorify His Name “…For His Name”—
a. The ultimate reason that God has done everything He has done is for His Own Glory, for the repute of His great Name.
(1) He is the One in charge, He is the One with all the power, He is the One
(2) And He has many names for us to honor!
(a) Advocate
(b) Lamb of God
(c) The Resurrection and the Life
(d) Shepherd and bishop of our souls
(e) Lord of Lords
(f) King of Kings
(g) Man of sorrows
(h) Head of the church
(i) Master
(j) Faithful and True Witness
(k) Rock
(l) High Priest
(m) The Door
(n) The Living Water
(o) Bread of Life
(p) Alpha and Omega
(q) The True Vine
(r) The Teacher
(s) The Holy One
(t) Mediator
(u) The Beloved
(v) The Branch
(w) Good Shepherd
(x) Light of the World
(y) Image of the Invisible God
(z) The Word
(aa) Chief Cornerstone
(bb) Savior
(cc) Author and finisher of our Faith
(dd) The Almighty
(ee) Shiloh
(ff) The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
(gg) Prince of Peace
(hh) I AM
(ii) Wonderful Counselor
(jj) The Way, the Truth, The Life
(kk) Son of God and Son of Man
(ll) The Bright and Morning Star
(mm) Jesus, my Master, My Savior, My Lord
b. He gets all the glory and praise…” (Phil 2:9-11) "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
(Rom 1:5) "Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,"
· Concepts not often dealt with
There are six strong assertions in this one verse!
This morning we dealt with three of them
ü It’s all through Jesus
ü Through Him we receive Grace
ü Through Him Paul received apostleship and we each receive a mission
This evening we will complete the set.
Ø Through Him we teach obedience to the faith
Ø Through Him We reach out to all nations
Ø Through Him We Glorify His Name
1. Through Him we teach obedience to the faith “…The Obedience of Faith…”
a. True Saving Faith is expressed by obedience to the gospel commands—
(1) Repent and believe—This is Paul’s own take on the whole gospel—(Acts 20:21) ""testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
(2) So, we MUST understand these words and see how they work together as two sides of the same coin.
b. Repent
(1) This was the first statement by Jesus as He introduced Gospel preaching
(Mark 1:14-15) "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.""
(Acts 3:19) ""Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,"
(Acts 17:30) ""Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent
(2) But, this creates a theological problem for some, because other verses do not specifically mention repentance
(Rom 10:9) "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
(Acts 16:30-31) "And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.""
(3) The problem comes because Gospel repentance is a word greatly misunderstood and often not correctly defined. , Rom 10:9
(a) Some make it into a separate work, part of a list of 5, 7, or more works that must be done prior to salvation
(b) Others react to this false teaching by ignoring repentance altogether—again, a false teaching
(4) What is gospel Repentance?
(a) First, what it is NOT
(i) It is not separate from faith
(ii) It is not some work that man must do before he can believe in Christ for salvation, because salvation is not of works—Eph 2:8-9
(b) There is a problem here, in that “repent” is a MARKED WORD, that is, people tend to associate it will all sorts of ideas that are not biblical, for instance
(i) The nutcase with a sign around his neck that says “repent”
(ii) The people that turn repentance into some kind of work that has to be done as a part of “x” steps to salvation
(c) What repentance IS
(i) It is a change of heart and mind
(ii) It is best illustrated by the word “turn”
(iii) It is the other side of the coin of “faith”
(iv) Repentance is turning away from our sins and toward Faith in Christ
(v) Repentance is Godly sorrow that leads to turning—2 Cor 7:9-10
Here are some examples, with “repent” further translated into its real meaning.
(Mat 3:2) "…turn from your sins and turn to God, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!""
(Mat 3:8) ""Therefore bear fruits worthy of turning from your sins and turning to God,"
(Mat 4:17) "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "turn from your sins and Turn to God, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.""
(Mat 11:20-21) "Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have turned from their sins and turned to God long ago…”
(Mark 1:15) "and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Turn from your sins and Turn to God, and believe in the gospel.""
(5) What about those situations where “repent” is not mentioned? In those you will see evidence of repentance even when it is not mentioned.
(a) The Philippian Jailer was arrogant and cruel as he locked Paul and Silas up
(b) After the earthquake, he had a whole new perspective— Acts 16:30-ff
c. Faith—again, back to Paul’s description
(1) (Acts 20:21) ""testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
(2) We must believe that Jesus is Who He Says He Is—Lord and Savior
(John 3:16) ""For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
(Mark 1:15) "and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.""
(1 John 5:13) "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."
d. A word of Caution to clear up confusion—most believers don’t ever get the theology straight nor have all the theological “i’s” dotted and “t’s” crossed.
(1) Your salvation is NOT dependent on how you prayed, what words you said, or how many tears you cried.
(2) It is not in some magical formula followed to say exactly the right thing—that is liturgy, catholic ceremonialism—
(3) Look at these New Testament salvation experiences
(a) (Acts 16:14) "Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul."
(b) (Acts 16:30-34) "And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household."
(c) The Ethiopian Eunuch—Acts 8:26-40
(d) The Proconsul (Acts 13:6-12
(e) Zacchaeus (Lk 19:2-9)
(f) The Publican—(Lk 18:10-14)
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(4) The key thing in all of these is that no two salvation experiences are exactly alike!
(5) Salvation is an individual experience. True salvation will involve sorrow for and turning from sins, and it will involve belief in Christ as the Son of God.
e. True Saving Faith will produce an obedient lifestyle—John 10:27, 14:15, Mat 7:21-23, Jn 15:10, 1 John 2:17
2. Through Him We reach out to all nations
a. No racial divisions in Gods eyes
b. Peter’s lesson—Acts 10:28-35
(1) What was the Biblical result of following God’s way?
(2) Cornelius’ household had a revival that was a little Pentecost.
(3) Some of the Pharisees who had professed Christianity raised a ruckus over letting these Romans into the church. Acts 11:1-3.
(4) Peter shut the old Pharisees down with the Truth. Acts 11:15-18.
(5) Peter understood the basic truth— “…what was I, that I could withstand God?”
c. Paul’s Insight—
(1) All men are made of one blood—Acts 17:26 (Gen 1:26-30, Gen 9:18-19. )\
(2) All human flesh is the same kind of flesh—1 Cor 15:39
(3) Jesus died for all kinds of people—1 John 2:2.
(4) We cannot restrict our mission or fellowship if we want to obey Christ—Acts 10.
(5) The kingdom of God is to be one on earth—Eph 2:11-22
(6) Everyone is equal before God. Gal 3:28
d. The diversity of Heaven—Rev 7:9-14
e. But there is a Non-diversity of Heaven as well—Rev 21:8, 1 Cor 6:9-11
3. Through Him We Glorify His Name “…For His Name”—
a. The ultimate reason that God has done everything He has done is for His Own Glory, for the repute of His great Name.
(1) He is the One in charge, He is the One with all the power, He is the One
(2) And He has many names for us to honor!
(a) Advocate
(b) Lamb of God
(c) The Resurrection and the Life
(d) Shepherd and bishop of our souls
(e) Lord of Lords
(f) King of Kings
(g) Man of sorrows
(h) Head of the church
(i) Master
(j) Faithful and True Witness
(k) Rock
(l) High Priest
(m) The Door
(n) The Living Water
(o) Bread of Life
(p) Alpha and Omega
(q) The True Vine
(r) The Teacher
(s) The Holy One
(t) Mediator
(u) The Beloved
(v) The Branch
(w) Good Shepherd
(x) Light of the World
(y) Image of the Invisible God
(z) The Word
(aa) Chief Cornerstone
(bb) Savior
(cc) Author and finisher of our Faith
(dd) The Almighty
(ee) Shiloh
(ff) The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
(gg) Prince of Peace
(hh) I AM
(ii) Wonderful Counselor
(jj) The Way, the Truth, The Life
(kk) Son of God and Son of Man
(ll) The Bright and Morning Star
(mm) Jesus, my Master, My Savior, My Lord
b. He gets all the glory and praise…” (Phil 2:9-11) "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
All About Him
(Rom 1:5) "Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name…”
There are six strong assertions in this one verse!
Ø It’s all through Jesus
Ø Through Him we receive Grace
Ø Through Him Paul received apostleship and we each receive a mission
Ø Through Him we teach obedience to the faith
Ø Through Him We reach out to all nations
Ø All of this is for the Glory of His Name
1. It’s All “…Through Him…”
a. It is absolutely impossible to minister in the Spirit unless all is done through Christ Jesus and For Christ Jesus—(John 15:5) ""I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
b. He is the Head of the church
(1) (Col 1:18) "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."
(2) (Col 2:10) "and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."
(3) Eph 1:19 “…His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
c. In the end of all things, it will be His Name that is worshiped by every creature under heaven—(Phil 2:9-11) "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
d. The Reason That God Made Everything is for His Own Glory—we will see more of that tonight when we talk about His Name.
(1) WE are saved “…(Eph 1:6) "to the praise of the glory of His grace…."
(2) He created us for His Glory—(Isa 43:7) "Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory…"
(3) He brought Israel out of slavery (Psa 106:8) "Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, That He might make His mighty power known."
(4) He promised to end the exile (Isa 48:9-11) ""For My name's sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another."
(5) Christ came so that “… the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy…” Rom 15:9
(6) Our entire life is to be dedicated to His Glory (1 Cor 10:31) "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
2. Through Him We Are Saved –“…through Him we have received Grace…”
a. What is Grace?
(1) God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
(2) Unmerited favor (which does not go far enough)
(3) First, what is Grace NOT?
(a) It is not showing common mercy, as one might express in dropping a small bill in a homeless man’s lap.
(b) Grace is not something that man may produce, call forth, unleash, call down, create, or enhance—Grace is all of God.
(4) What then, IS Grace?
(a) Grace is kindness and mercy beyond human understanding
(b) Grace is power and love beyond human understanding
(c) Grace is not unmerited favor, as is commonly said—true, but not far enough at all
(d) Grace is kindness, mercy and favor of a supernatural kind, to one who has “positive DE merit” (Pink)
(e) Grace is not me giving money to a beggar. Grace is me adopting as my child a man who killed my own son.
b. Grace in the New Testament.
(1) Grace secures our justification—(Rom 3:24) "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,"
(2) Grace and faith work together to eliminate works as a part of salvation—(Rom 4:4-5) "Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness," (Rom 4:16) "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all"
(3) Grace gives us a hope and a place to stand—(Rom 5:2) "through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
(4) Grace Reigns over death—(Rom 5:20-21) "Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
(5) Grace and works do not mix in salvation—(Rom 11: 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work."
(6) Grace empowers believers to use their spiritual gifts—(Rom 12:6) "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…" (Eph 4:7) "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift."
(7) Any doctrine that ignores grace is a different Gospel—(Gal 1:6) "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,"
(8) Grace is NOT license to sin!
(Rom 6:1) "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?"
(Rom 6:14-15) "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!"
(9) Those who try to turn grace into license are denying the Lordship of Christ—(Jude 1:4) "For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
(10) Grace Makes us accepted in the Beloved—(Eph 1:6-7) "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved….”
(11) Grace Saves Us—(Eph 2: 8”… For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…"
(12) Grace, mercy, and help is found at the throne of Grace—(Heb 4:16) "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
(13) Grace is something in which the believer grows—(2 Pet 3:18) "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
(14) And we received this grace through HIM!
3. Through Him We are Empowered for service—“…and apostleship…”
a. Apostleship—again, as we have said several times, to be an apostle was a special thing which cannot be repeated and is not repeated now
(1) An apostle was an eyewitness of the risen Lord
(2) An apostle was a special messenger of Christ
(3) An apostle was given miraculous signs to prove and reinforce the authority of the Word he brought, whether written or spoken.
(4) The Apostles were foundational to the church—(Eph 2:20) "having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,"
b. The True Believer Glorifies God’s Grace by Exercising God’s Gifts: We are not all apostles, but we are all witnesses.
c. God gives to each believer a ministry and one or more gifts.
(1) (1 Cor 12:7) "… the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all…”
(a) First, if you are a believer, you have at least one spiritual gift for the building up of the body
(b) If you have no gift, you are not a believer—but if you are gifted and are not serving the Lord in your local church, then you are short changing your brothers and sisters in Christ.
(2) Every Gift must be exercised by Grace, just as it was a gift of grace.
(a) We must be realistic, neither puffed up, nor in false denial of the gifts God gives us—(Rom 12:3 "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith..”
(b) The Unity of the Body is the basis for gracious usage of the gifts given to us by God. Rom 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
(c) But this unity must NOT be false unity, a temporary truce or peace to make us think we are one.
(d) John 17:17ff and Eph 4:1-6 plainly tell us that there is no unity outside of Truth. As Amos said: (Amos 3:3) "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"
(e) We are to Use God’s Gracious gifts to us, and we are to exercise them in a godly way. Rom 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."
There are six strong assertions in this one verse!
Ø It’s all through Jesus
Ø Through Him we receive Grace
Ø Through Him Paul received apostleship and we each receive a mission
Ø Through Him we teach obedience to the faith
Ø Through Him We reach out to all nations
Ø All of this is for the Glory of His Name
1. It’s All “…Through Him…”
a. It is absolutely impossible to minister in the Spirit unless all is done through Christ Jesus and For Christ Jesus—(John 15:5) ""I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
b. He is the Head of the church
(1) (Col 1:18) "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."
(2) (Col 2:10) "and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."
(3) Eph 1:19 “…His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
c. In the end of all things, it will be His Name that is worshiped by every creature under heaven—(Phil 2:9-11) "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
d. The Reason That God Made Everything is for His Own Glory—we will see more of that tonight when we talk about His Name.
(1) WE are saved “…(Eph 1:6) "to the praise of the glory of His grace…."
(2) He created us for His Glory—(Isa 43:7) "Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory…"
(3) He brought Israel out of slavery (Psa 106:8) "Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, That He might make His mighty power known."
(4) He promised to end the exile (Isa 48:9-11) ""For My name's sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another."
(5) Christ came so that “… the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy…” Rom 15:9
(6) Our entire life is to be dedicated to His Glory (1 Cor 10:31) "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
2. Through Him We Are Saved –“…through Him we have received Grace…”
a. What is Grace?
(1) God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
(2) Unmerited favor (which does not go far enough)
(3) First, what is Grace NOT?
(a) It is not showing common mercy, as one might express in dropping a small bill in a homeless man’s lap.
(b) Grace is not something that man may produce, call forth, unleash, call down, create, or enhance—Grace is all of God.
(4) What then, IS Grace?
(a) Grace is kindness and mercy beyond human understanding
(b) Grace is power and love beyond human understanding
(c) Grace is not unmerited favor, as is commonly said—true, but not far enough at all
(d) Grace is kindness, mercy and favor of a supernatural kind, to one who has “positive DE merit” (Pink)
(e) Grace is not me giving money to a beggar. Grace is me adopting as my child a man who killed my own son.
b. Grace in the New Testament.
(1) Grace secures our justification—(Rom 3:24) "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,"
(2) Grace and faith work together to eliminate works as a part of salvation—(Rom 4:4-5) "Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness," (Rom 4:16) "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all"
(3) Grace gives us a hope and a place to stand—(Rom 5:2) "through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
(4) Grace Reigns over death—(Rom 5:20-21) "Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
(5) Grace and works do not mix in salvation—(Rom 11: 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work."
(6) Grace empowers believers to use their spiritual gifts—(Rom 12:6) "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…" (Eph 4:7) "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift."
(7) Any doctrine that ignores grace is a different Gospel—(Gal 1:6) "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,"
(8) Grace is NOT license to sin!
(Rom 6:1) "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?"
(Rom 6:14-15) "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!"
(9) Those who try to turn grace into license are denying the Lordship of Christ—(Jude 1:4) "For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
(10) Grace Makes us accepted in the Beloved—(Eph 1:6-7) "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved….”
(11) Grace Saves Us—(Eph 2: 8”… For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…"
(12) Grace, mercy, and help is found at the throne of Grace—(Heb 4:16) "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
(13) Grace is something in which the believer grows—(2 Pet 3:18) "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
(14) And we received this grace through HIM!
3. Through Him We are Empowered for service—“…and apostleship…”
a. Apostleship—again, as we have said several times, to be an apostle was a special thing which cannot be repeated and is not repeated now
(1) An apostle was an eyewitness of the risen Lord
(2) An apostle was a special messenger of Christ
(3) An apostle was given miraculous signs to prove and reinforce the authority of the Word he brought, whether written or spoken.
(4) The Apostles were foundational to the church—(Eph 2:20) "having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,"
b. The True Believer Glorifies God’s Grace by Exercising God’s Gifts: We are not all apostles, but we are all witnesses.
c. God gives to each believer a ministry and one or more gifts.
(1) (1 Cor 12:7) "… the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all…”
(a) First, if you are a believer, you have at least one spiritual gift for the building up of the body
(b) If you have no gift, you are not a believer—but if you are gifted and are not serving the Lord in your local church, then you are short changing your brothers and sisters in Christ.
(2) Every Gift must be exercised by Grace, just as it was a gift of grace.
(a) We must be realistic, neither puffed up, nor in false denial of the gifts God gives us—(Rom 12:3 "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith..”
(b) The Unity of the Body is the basis for gracious usage of the gifts given to us by God. Rom 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
(c) But this unity must NOT be false unity, a temporary truce or peace to make us think we are one.
(d) John 17:17ff and Eph 4:1-6 plainly tell us that there is no unity outside of Truth. As Amos said: (Amos 3:3) "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"
(e) We are to Use God’s Gracious gifts to us, and we are to exercise them in a godly way. Rom 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."
New Covenant Worship
1. Essential Questions and observations
a. Questions
(1) In what New Testament Scriptures do we find commands on how to worship? Actually, there are few references to specific forms of worship, and the examples we see often bear little resemblance to each other.
(2) In what New Testament Scriptures are we given examples of New Covenant Worship? We are given glimpses—the meetings in peoples’ houses, the getting together to hear special speakers, all night Bible studies, and meetings in schools. However, not even one complete New Covenant worship service is given for us to see.
(3) How are the words for “worship” used in the New Testament? They usually refer to the individual prostrating of oneself before someone else, submitting and serving that one.
(Mat 2:11) "And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh."
(Mat 28:9) "And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him."
b. Observations
(1) There are huge blocks of scripture dedicated to establishing and regulating the worship of the Mosaic Covenant.
(2) The majority of the Old Testament passages that relate to or give examples of worship are Mosaic law passages
2. True Worship
a. So, the big questions—
(1) What is New Testament worship?
(2) What form does New Testament Worship take?
(3) How and by what is New Testament worship to be regulated?
b. The bottom line up front.
(1) New Testament worship is about the internal, not the external.
(2) There are no prescribed forms for public New Testament worship, except for:
(a) the preaching of the Word—2 Tim 4:1-2, Acts 20:20-21,24
(b) the confession of Christ as Savior—Rom 10:8-10
(c) the baptism of new believers—Mat 28:19
(d) the breaking of bread—Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:17-34
(e) New Testament giving—2 Cor chapters 8 and 9
(f) speaking in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs—Eph 5:18-19
(g) The sacrifice of praise—Heb 13:15
(h) The sacrifice of giving and sharing—Heb 13:16
(i) Mutual submission—Eph 5:21-6:8
(j) Prayers—1 Tim 2:1-6
(k) And these forms are very general—there is a great deal of detail when it comes to the organization and functioning of the local church, and very little at all about how the local church is to worship.
(l) The New Testament church is NEVER told to imitate the Mosaic Covenant worship, rather, that worship form is universally depicted in the New Testament as dead after the death and resurrection of Christ.
(3) We MUST worship God in His way—4:24
(a) We must worship God—it is a heart’s cry that the true believer cannot ignore.
(i) The Must verses in John—there are four verses which relate something which believers MUST do
(ii) (John 3:7) "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
(iii) (John 3:14) "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
(iv) (John 3:30) "He must increase, but I must decrease.
(v) (John 4:24) "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
(b) WE must worship God according to His prescription.
3. True Object of New Testament Worship—the Father—a revolutionary and New Testament concept.
a. A New Testament Concept—
(1) In the entire OT, God is referred to as Father only 15 times, and some of those are prophecies of the New Covenant.
(2) There are 115 references to God the Father in John alone, and in the New Testament, there are well over 250 references to God as Father.
(3) The primary concept of God, the primary attribute of God, in the New Covenant, is that He is our Father. “He called God His Father” (John 5:18)
b. A New Testament Doctrine—God, our Father: The full revelation of the Trinity—Mat 3:16-17, Mat 28:19-20, John 1, Heb 1, Col 1, 1 John 1, 2, 4….
c. The Father-Son relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Trinity
(4) The co-eternity—(John 1:1-2).
(5) The co-equality—Jn 5:18
(6) The co-creators—Heb 1:2 “…
(7) The co-workers—John 5:17
d. The ultimate love relationship—(John 17:24) "… You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
e. The Doctrine that allows no errors—1 Jn 2:18-23, 4:1-3, 2 Jn 7-11
f. The Object of New Testament Worship—The Glory of God—Phil 2:9-11
4. The True Worshiper
a. Has been bought—by the blood of Jesus
b. Has been sought—
(1) God seeks people; they do not seek Him—1 John 4:19
(2) They did not seek God at all, because no one seeks God—Rom 3:9-12, Is 64:7
c. Has been taught—and discipled by the church (Mat 28:19-20)
(1) The true worshiper will show the fruit of love to God by their obedience to God
(a) If you love me—Jn 13:34-35
(b) 1 Jn 2:3-6
(2) Thy will show the fruit of Agape Love to other humans
(a) Husbands love their wives
(b) Christians are to love the brethren—1Jn 2:7-11, 4:7-11
(c) Christians are to love their enemies and be good to their persecutors—Mat 5:44
(3) They will show the fruit of a contrite and repentant spirit—they will be people whose hearts have been broken
(a) When true believers repent, they demonstrate an attitude which God loves—Mat 12:20, Ps 34:18, 51:17, Is 57:15
d. A true worshiper worships in spirit
(1) Not speaking of the Holy Spirit, but of the fact that true believers worship God deep down inside (Eph 5:18-19
(2) Spiritual worship is not superficial
(3) Is deep and moving
(4) Is deep and moving
(5) Cannot be taught
(6) Cannot be explained with words
(7) Is the supernatural legacy of the true believers
(8) Will naturally arise from the heart of the redeemed.
e. A True worshiper worships in Truth—1 Jn 2:18-23, 4:1-6, Gal 1:6-9
a. Questions
(1) In what New Testament Scriptures do we find commands on how to worship? Actually, there are few references to specific forms of worship, and the examples we see often bear little resemblance to each other.
(2) In what New Testament Scriptures are we given examples of New Covenant Worship? We are given glimpses—the meetings in peoples’ houses, the getting together to hear special speakers, all night Bible studies, and meetings in schools. However, not even one complete New Covenant worship service is given for us to see.
(3) How are the words for “worship” used in the New Testament? They usually refer to the individual prostrating of oneself before someone else, submitting and serving that one.
(Mat 2:11) "And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh."
(Mat 28:9) "And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him."
b. Observations
(1) There are huge blocks of scripture dedicated to establishing and regulating the worship of the Mosaic Covenant.
(2) The majority of the Old Testament passages that relate to or give examples of worship are Mosaic law passages
2. True Worship
a. So, the big questions—
(1) What is New Testament worship?
(2) What form does New Testament Worship take?
(3) How and by what is New Testament worship to be regulated?
b. The bottom line up front.
(1) New Testament worship is about the internal, not the external.
(2) There are no prescribed forms for public New Testament worship, except for:
(a) the preaching of the Word—2 Tim 4:1-2, Acts 20:20-21,24
(b) the confession of Christ as Savior—Rom 10:8-10
(c) the baptism of new believers—Mat 28:19
(d) the breaking of bread—Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:17-34
(e) New Testament giving—2 Cor chapters 8 and 9
(f) speaking in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs—Eph 5:18-19
(g) The sacrifice of praise—Heb 13:15
(h) The sacrifice of giving and sharing—Heb 13:16
(i) Mutual submission—Eph 5:21-6:8
(j) Prayers—1 Tim 2:1-6
(k) And these forms are very general—there is a great deal of detail when it comes to the organization and functioning of the local church, and very little at all about how the local church is to worship.
(l) The New Testament church is NEVER told to imitate the Mosaic Covenant worship, rather, that worship form is universally depicted in the New Testament as dead after the death and resurrection of Christ.
(3) We MUST worship God in His way—4:24
(a) We must worship God—it is a heart’s cry that the true believer cannot ignore.
(i) The Must verses in John—there are four verses which relate something which believers MUST do
(ii) (John 3:7) "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
(iii) (John 3:14) "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
(iv) (John 3:30) "He must increase, but I must decrease.
(v) (John 4:24) "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
(b) WE must worship God according to His prescription.
3. True Object of New Testament Worship—the Father—a revolutionary and New Testament concept.
a. A New Testament Concept—
(1) In the entire OT, God is referred to as Father only 15 times, and some of those are prophecies of the New Covenant.
(2) There are 115 references to God the Father in John alone, and in the New Testament, there are well over 250 references to God as Father.
(3) The primary concept of God, the primary attribute of God, in the New Covenant, is that He is our Father. “He called God His Father” (John 5:18)
b. A New Testament Doctrine—God, our Father: The full revelation of the Trinity—Mat 3:16-17, Mat 28:19-20, John 1, Heb 1, Col 1, 1 John 1, 2, 4….
c. The Father-Son relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Trinity
(4) The co-eternity—(John 1:1-2).
(5) The co-equality—Jn 5:18
(6) The co-creators—Heb 1:2 “…
(7) The co-workers—John 5:17
d. The ultimate love relationship—(John 17:24) "… You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
e. The Doctrine that allows no errors—1 Jn 2:18-23, 4:1-3, 2 Jn 7-11
f. The Object of New Testament Worship—The Glory of God—Phil 2:9-11
4. The True Worshiper
a. Has been bought—by the blood of Jesus
b. Has been sought—
(1) God seeks people; they do not seek Him—1 John 4:19
(2) They did not seek God at all, because no one seeks God—Rom 3:9-12, Is 64:7
c. Has been taught—and discipled by the church (Mat 28:19-20)
(1) The true worshiper will show the fruit of love to God by their obedience to God
(a) If you love me—Jn 13:34-35
(b) 1 Jn 2:3-6
(2) Thy will show the fruit of Agape Love to other humans
(a) Husbands love their wives
(b) Christians are to love the brethren—1Jn 2:7-11, 4:7-11
(c) Christians are to love their enemies and be good to their persecutors—Mat 5:44
(3) They will show the fruit of a contrite and repentant spirit—they will be people whose hearts have been broken
(a) When true believers repent, they demonstrate an attitude which God loves—Mat 12:20, Ps 34:18, 51:17, Is 57:15
d. A true worshiper worships in spirit
(1) Not speaking of the Holy Spirit, but of the fact that true believers worship God deep down inside (Eph 5:18-19
(2) Spiritual worship is not superficial
(3) Is deep and moving
(4) Is deep and moving
(5) Cannot be taught
(6) Cannot be explained with words
(7) Is the supernatural legacy of the true believers
(8) Will naturally arise from the heart of the redeemed.
e. A True worshiper worships in Truth—1 Jn 2:18-23, 4:1-6, Gal 1:6-9
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