A story within a story.
A love story within a love story.
Essential Impact: God is love and from His love He redeems His people.
Recap the account of Ruth
The facts: The time of the judges [Ruth 1:1]
The Family of Elimelech
Ruth and Naomi
Heading home
Ruth works
Boaz meets Ruth
Boaz protects Ruth
Boaz provides for Ruth
Naomi instructs Ruth
The threshing floor
The opportunity for Boaz
The righteousness of Boaz
The love story of Ruth and Boaz
The family begins
The full effect of Boaz [Ruth 4.17]
THE KINS_MAN REDEEMER
This phrase is used throughout this book. It’s a key and critical concept
The words kinsman and/or redeemer are used approximately 30 times throughout the book. [Hebrew goel 13 times]. The simplest meaning of the word is ‘to buy back’ something that has been lost. How that thing got lost was not the issue. It can be property that is redeemed or people. In the account of Ruth and Naomi the person who is the redeemer is Boaz. He redeems, buys back, Naomi’s land and he redeems Ruth. [later he marries her and they have a son]
Our kins-man redeemer is Jesus Christ who fulfills the qualities/conditions that a redeemer must meet in order to redeem. First, they must be ‘related.’ That is to say Boaz must have been a blood relative in order to redeem what he did. Jesus Christ, who is fully God, took on Himself humanity, thereby being like us. Secondly, the kinsman redeemer must be able to redeem. Boaz had enough wealth to cover the cost of redeeming what he did. Jesus Christ must have been the sinless sacrifice in order to redeem us from our sin and the penalty that it brings. He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf. Finally, the redeemer must want to redeem. Boaz had the desire to redeem. For example the closer relative to Naomi and Ruth needed to be dealt with according to the ‘laws’ of redemption. Boaz had the desire and he redeemed. Jesus Christ is spoken of in many places in the New Testament as loving us and wanting His Father’s will for redemption. John 3:16-17 is a base line for this redemptive desire.
Application: we are in week one of the advent season. The theme is Hope…we have a hope of salvation in our kinsman redeemer, Jesus Christ. Will you today stop trusting in your own merits for your salvation and turn to God. Trusting Jesus Christ as the only one who can redeem you?
ORDINARY PEOPLE WITH ORDINARY PRAYERS
Deep and meaningful theology happens in the ordinary lives of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. To be certain the death, famine and movement of God is supernatural in character but looking from the inside out. These people are doing what all people do everyday. They are living their lives as best they can. The conditions might be a bit extreme but they are not Kings and Queens, or Priests or Prophets. No one in this book has been called on by God to lead or judge or deliver the nation of Israel. We are, in many ways, just like them.
1.8-9 Naomi prays for God’s compassion; 1.20-21 The lament of coming home empty; 2.11-12 Boaz blesses and prays; 2.19-20 Naomi blesses Boaz; 3.10-11 Boaz blesses Ruth; 4.11-12 The elders pray for faithfulness; 4.14-15 The women bless Naomi and Ruth.
APPLICATION:
1. Advent theme of Hope = God who answers pray…ordinary people with ordinary prayers.
2. God is working in our everyday lives. In Jesus Christ we live and breath and have our being. By the presence of the Holy Spirit we are able to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord.
INCLUSION IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD
This component of the book is simple and amazing. Simply amazing.
1.1 the times of the Judges were often dark, terrible and a downward spiral into deeper apostasy. Two Israelites, Elimelech and Naomi take there family elsewhere for survival. Their sons marry foreign women. This was prohibited by God in the Mosaic Law. And yet because of Ruth’s turning to God, her commitment to Him exhibited through her confession of allegiance to Naomi she is brought into God’s kingdom. She is an outsider and yet God provides for her, He protects her and He goes so far as to see to it that she is grafted into the Messianic ‘blood’ line.
APPLICATION: The story of Boaz and Ruth is a love story of extraordinary worth. Up until this point we have seen a Holy [completely other] God, Creator, Ruler, King, sustainer, deliverer, Covenant maker, Covenant keeper demonstrate and bring a people unto Himself…He is the Law giver and the bondage breaker but here we see Him in a new light…He is a God who loves…Oh how He love you and me.
And we see this most strikingly in the book of Ruth through the lens of our kinsman redeemer.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
November 22nd, 2009..."One Year: Judges - A downward spiral"
Introduction: Joshua, Judges and Ruth all historically occur in the same general time period for the nation of Israel. Next week we will look at Ruth. Last week we considered Joshua and today we make our way through the book of Judges.
Judges as a whole stands in contrast to the book of Joshua. Joshua is a book that is vibrant and exciting. Judges is burdensome and a drudgery. In Joshua we experience the thrill of victory. In Judges there is the agony of defeat. In Joshua the people cry out, “We will serve the Lord.” In Judges the people are characterized with the infamous Biblical phrase, “Each man did what was right in his own eyes.”
Whereas Joshua was difficult to read and process because it is difficult to deal with the military conquest of the Canaanites and to see God as a Divine Warrior; it is equally difficult to read and process Judges because it is difficult to deal with the realistic absurdity of the obvious sin of the Israelites. We will be returning to this obvious absurdity in a few moments.
The book itself lays out a process of the life of the Israelites during a time when they weren’t ruled by any one particular group or person. They were in effect: leaderless. On the human plane that is. Their direct leader was to be God Almighty. The King and Ruler. He who has kept His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of their forefathers. Remember this is the generation that came from the wilderness the unbelieving generation before them is dead and gone. These individuals have seen the Lord work to sustain them. He has provided for them and the major military campaigns have been won by His strong hand. The technical term for being led by God directly is theocracy. And yet these people seems to quickly disregard His rule and fall deeply into sin and rebellion. The major portion of the text shows us a vicious cycle where the judges come in order to deliver God’s people. There are 12 or 13 judges depending on how a person counts. Each Judge delivers Israel from “bondage” or an oppressive rule but I am getting ahead of the text itself.
The thing to note about Judges as we proceed is that this cycle isn’t a cycle on a level plain. It isn’t a straight plain cycle that simply repeats itself. But rather it is a downward spiral. Each successive cycle gets worse than the one before. The “best” judge is the first one. His name is Othniel. The “worst” judge is the last. His name is Samson.
ESSENTIAL IMPACT:God, the Creator/King, is faithful
...but do not trivialize that fact.
Main 1: Trusting God is its own reward.
In Chapter 1 and 2 The people have a small amount of success but there is far more failure that is evident. We can’t say that it crept in. It is apparent from the text that the Israelite were almost at once willfully rebellious.
The success is for Judah. That tribe inquired of the Lord and obeyed and they had success. The other tribes failed in their attempts to drive out the Canaanites. Well actually lets look a bit more closely at what the text records. 1.21,27,29,30,31,33 They did not drive out the Canaanites. It wasn’t as if they lost military campaigns. They didn’t even try. Look. They didn’t even try. And so we read the opening of chapter 2 with this funny taste in our mouths. READ 2.1-5 and 11. Failure and Idolatry.
Main 2: God does not forsake His people
Chapters 3-16 record for us the deliverance of the judges and gives details about the cycles of failure and deliverance.
Read 3.5-11: This is the cycle of the Judge Othniel. He is the best Judge the book has to offer. The cycle goes as follows:
Sin Rebellion
Servitude Retribution
Supplication Repentance
Salvation Restoration
Serenity Rest
Main 3: God doesn’t hide our depravity
Chapters 17-21 Are catalogs of how deeply flawed we as humans are. In 17-18 there are examples of religious apostasy. The setting up of worship outside of the ordination of God’s declared word. There are two examples. The first is personal apostasy through the idolatry of Micah and a Levite. Chapter 18 has the same kind of thing recorded but the scale is much larger an entire tribe is shown to be idolatrous.
In chapters 19-21 the reading isn’t for the faint of heart. There is an utter breakdown in the social and moral fiber. Once again there is personal and tribal failure to an unmistakable degree.
APPLICATION:
1. Be on guard against a callousness toward sin. When we read this book it is soooo obvious what the issues and problems are. Why couldn’t they see it? Why didn’t they do anything about it? Why didn’t someone, anyone speak up and say, “Wait, this is wrong.” Before we rush to judgment…step back and ask yourself, “How would the book read about me?” Are you sensitive enough to the sin in your own life that is leading to idolatry? That is in open rebellion towards God. Ok if you survive that without any conviction of sin and you are asking, “Why hasn’t someone said anything before?” I would argue that He has. Just as He had already declared to the Israelites He has declared to us His exact expectations. We are the ones who have neglected His word and Him. The blame needs to be placed squarely upon our shoulder.
2. Observe and heed the cycle: Are you saved? Do you know Jesus Christ as your savior? Are you following Him? It isn’t about a denomination it is about the relationship you have with God.
Sin
Servitude
Supplication
Salvation
Serenity
Judges as a whole stands in contrast to the book of Joshua. Joshua is a book that is vibrant and exciting. Judges is burdensome and a drudgery. In Joshua we experience the thrill of victory. In Judges there is the agony of defeat. In Joshua the people cry out, “We will serve the Lord.” In Judges the people are characterized with the infamous Biblical phrase, “Each man did what was right in his own eyes.”
Whereas Joshua was difficult to read and process because it is difficult to deal with the military conquest of the Canaanites and to see God as a Divine Warrior; it is equally difficult to read and process Judges because it is difficult to deal with the realistic absurdity of the obvious sin of the Israelites. We will be returning to this obvious absurdity in a few moments.
The book itself lays out a process of the life of the Israelites during a time when they weren’t ruled by any one particular group or person. They were in effect: leaderless. On the human plane that is. Their direct leader was to be God Almighty. The King and Ruler. He who has kept His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of their forefathers. Remember this is the generation that came from the wilderness the unbelieving generation before them is dead and gone. These individuals have seen the Lord work to sustain them. He has provided for them and the major military campaigns have been won by His strong hand. The technical term for being led by God directly is theocracy. And yet these people seems to quickly disregard His rule and fall deeply into sin and rebellion. The major portion of the text shows us a vicious cycle where the judges come in order to deliver God’s people. There are 12 or 13 judges depending on how a person counts. Each Judge delivers Israel from “bondage” or an oppressive rule but I am getting ahead of the text itself.
The thing to note about Judges as we proceed is that this cycle isn’t a cycle on a level plain. It isn’t a straight plain cycle that simply repeats itself. But rather it is a downward spiral. Each successive cycle gets worse than the one before. The “best” judge is the first one. His name is Othniel. The “worst” judge is the last. His name is Samson.
ESSENTIAL IMPACT:God, the Creator/King, is faithful
...but do not trivialize that fact.
Main 1: Trusting God is its own reward.
In Chapter 1 and 2 The people have a small amount of success but there is far more failure that is evident. We can’t say that it crept in. It is apparent from the text that the Israelite were almost at once willfully rebellious.
The success is for Judah. That tribe inquired of the Lord and obeyed and they had success. The other tribes failed in their attempts to drive out the Canaanites. Well actually lets look a bit more closely at what the text records. 1.21,27,29,30,31,33 They did not drive out the Canaanites. It wasn’t as if they lost military campaigns. They didn’t even try. Look. They didn’t even try. And so we read the opening of chapter 2 with this funny taste in our mouths. READ 2.1-5 and 11. Failure and Idolatry.
Main 2: God does not forsake His people
Chapters 3-16 record for us the deliverance of the judges and gives details about the cycles of failure and deliverance.
Read 3.5-11: This is the cycle of the Judge Othniel. He is the best Judge the book has to offer. The cycle goes as follows:
Sin Rebellion
Servitude Retribution
Supplication Repentance
Salvation Restoration
Serenity Rest
Main 3: God doesn’t hide our depravity
Chapters 17-21 Are catalogs of how deeply flawed we as humans are. In 17-18 there are examples of religious apostasy. The setting up of worship outside of the ordination of God’s declared word. There are two examples. The first is personal apostasy through the idolatry of Micah and a Levite. Chapter 18 has the same kind of thing recorded but the scale is much larger an entire tribe is shown to be idolatrous.
In chapters 19-21 the reading isn’t for the faint of heart. There is an utter breakdown in the social and moral fiber. Once again there is personal and tribal failure to an unmistakable degree.
APPLICATION:
1. Be on guard against a callousness toward sin. When we read this book it is soooo obvious what the issues and problems are. Why couldn’t they see it? Why didn’t they do anything about it? Why didn’t someone, anyone speak up and say, “Wait, this is wrong.” Before we rush to judgment…step back and ask yourself, “How would the book read about me?” Are you sensitive enough to the sin in your own life that is leading to idolatry? That is in open rebellion towards God. Ok if you survive that without any conviction of sin and you are asking, “Why hasn’t someone said anything before?” I would argue that He has. Just as He had already declared to the Israelites He has declared to us His exact expectations. We are the ones who have neglected His word and Him. The blame needs to be placed squarely upon our shoulder.
2. Observe and heed the cycle: Are you saved? Do you know Jesus Christ as your savior? Are you following Him? It isn’t about a denomination it is about the relationship you have with God.
Sin
Servitude
Supplication
Salvation
Serenity
Monday, November 2, 2009
November 1st, 2009..."One Year:Numbers - Generations"
Introduction:
In our study through the Bible in a year we come to the book of Numbers. A book that appears at the outset to be a little bit incoherent. It doesn’t seem to have a unifying theme like Leviticus or Galatians. It doesn’t seem to have a central figure(s) like Genesis or Joshua. But we should not lose heart. There is hope if we remember the larger picture.
The Bible, as a whole, is about God and His Kingdom. The creation, establishment and continuance of His Kingdom is there from start to finish. As King of this Kingdom He alone is worthy of glory. We took the past two weeks to consider the book of Leviticus that is fully established in the complete “otherness” of God…His holiness. The book of Levitcus occurs in the history of the nation of Israel in a period of time a little over a month. The book of Numbers occurs in the history of the nation of Israel in a period of time a little over 40 years.
Number can be divided into three main sections. Chapters 1-10 marks the Old Generation. Chapter 10-25 marks the transition of Generation. and Chapter 26-36 marks the New Generation. In each of these portions we see how painstakingly God prepares His people to actually be His people. It’s a book that isn’t just “theory” about being God’s people but it is the nuts and bolts, so to speak.
A word about the two censuses recorded. I know very few people who enjoy reading the list of names and numbers recorded in the book of Numbers. Most people I know find them tedious at best and absolutely boring at the worst. Imagine, God’s Word boring? I hope that in the next few minutes we spend together we will begin to get a deeper appreciation for the God who deemed these lists important enough to inspire them into existence.
Main #1: God sets things in order.
The first ten chapter of Numbers show us part of the effort that God makes to set things in there proper place so that our relationship with Him would be healthy and right and good. He has Moses number the men who are able to fight in war. Remember that soon they will be entering the Promised Land and the people that live there are not just going to hand over the keys. It makes perfect sense to record a military census at this point.
God organizes the camp around the tent of meeting. Every tribe and person has their place in relationship to meeting with God Himself. Even those who are without their own land, the Levitical Priests are rightly related to Him in time and space. There is even a chapter or two dedicated to those who are unclean because of sin and how they are to relate to God and to the rest of the nation/camp. God goes to great lengths to tell His people how they must relate to Him.
In Numbers there is a link between Eden and the Promised Land. God places Adam in the garden and now He has promised and prepared a land for His people. The Promise/Covenant begins to gain substance. And we see a strong connection to God in the blessing that Aaron is to pronounce upon the people in Numbers 6.24-26. Then in Number 6.27 the name of God is to rest upon His people. There is an all together “new” relationship that is being forged here in the Kingdom of God. Recall the Commandment not to take the Lord’s name in vain.
Then it is time to move. Numbers 10.35-36 Moses words echo throughout history in this fine example of obedience of the Israelites. They would be wanderers but to my knowledge and reading of Numbers I haven’t come across a passage where when God moved or rested they disobeyed. It might be there. I may have overlooked it but it appears to me that they were faithful in this command.
Main #2: Learn the lesson of causing trouble. [Israel’s faithlessness]
As they head out to begin the conquest of the Holy Land. Everything is set in order. When the Lord’s presence moves they move. When He is still they are still. And so the cloud of His presence moves and they head out. Only, to fall flat on their faces. Almost immediately they begin to complain and murmur about their everyday lives. Food and Water and Leadership complaints come forth from them before they even get to the corner. Illustration: Road trip with the family…I forgot my [fill in the blank]
God in His grace and mercy provided, God’s faithfulness, for them at every turn and at the brink of the Holy Land they send in 12 spies to check things out. A little recon is in order. The spies check it out and come back and give report. The vote is ten to two against going into the Land. The same people who watched God provide for them everyday. Water from rocks thought that they couldn’t trust God to overcome the people of the Land. [1 Corinthians 10.1ff…1 Corinthians 11 = Communion] All except Caleb and Joshua. These two said, “With God nothing is impossible.” The people rebel and go with the larger report and God is not pleased. HE determines that not a single person from that generation of unbelief will be allowed into the Promised Land and so the nation of Israel wanders in the desert for 40 years. Not really learning their lesson…there is no second chance for these people. They had their chance and they wasted it in unbelief. Joshua and Caleb they were the only ones left alive after 40 years and they took the next generation into the Promised Land.
Main #3: Accept God’s new beginnings.
When they Old generation was dead the next generation needed a recommissioning of sorts (a reorganization is better). They were renumbered. The census was again taken. For the same reason the first one was taken. The regulations of life and offerings were reiterated to this new generation. And they were told exactly what they needed to do to take the land and how to live in it. You see God hadn’t changed. In the thousand of years since God hasn’t changed. He revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to the people of Israel. He reveals Himself to us in the person of Christ and that doesn’t negate all that He shows of Himself in the Hebrew Scripture for Christ did not come to abolish the Law but rather to fulfill it.
The bronze serpent connection to Christ from Numbers 21.9 to John 3.14-15. As a historical type of “salvation” when the serpent was lifted up and the men and women of Israel looked to it they were saved from their poisonous snake bite. When men and women look to the cross in faith they are saved because Jesus completed the work of salvation upon the cross. By His death and resurrection we can have out sin forgiven.
APPLICATION:
1. Two sets: generation [1-14 & 26-36]; numberings [1 & 26]; travels [10-14 & 21-27]; instructions [5-9 & 28-36] illustrating both the kindness and severity of God.
2. We follow God in trust and dependence.
3. Looking unto Jesus: for salvation = John 12.32 ff.
4. Looking unto Jesus: for our walk = Hebrews 12.1-2
In our study through the Bible in a year we come to the book of Numbers. A book that appears at the outset to be a little bit incoherent. It doesn’t seem to have a unifying theme like Leviticus or Galatians. It doesn’t seem to have a central figure(s) like Genesis or Joshua. But we should not lose heart. There is hope if we remember the larger picture.
The Bible, as a whole, is about God and His Kingdom. The creation, establishment and continuance of His Kingdom is there from start to finish. As King of this Kingdom He alone is worthy of glory. We took the past two weeks to consider the book of Leviticus that is fully established in the complete “otherness” of God…His holiness. The book of Levitcus occurs in the history of the nation of Israel in a period of time a little over a month. The book of Numbers occurs in the history of the nation of Israel in a period of time a little over 40 years.
Number can be divided into three main sections. Chapters 1-10 marks the Old Generation. Chapter 10-25 marks the transition of Generation. and Chapter 26-36 marks the New Generation. In each of these portions we see how painstakingly God prepares His people to actually be His people. It’s a book that isn’t just “theory” about being God’s people but it is the nuts and bolts, so to speak.
A word about the two censuses recorded. I know very few people who enjoy reading the list of names and numbers recorded in the book of Numbers. Most people I know find them tedious at best and absolutely boring at the worst. Imagine, God’s Word boring? I hope that in the next few minutes we spend together we will begin to get a deeper appreciation for the God who deemed these lists important enough to inspire them into existence.
Main #1: God sets things in order.
The first ten chapter of Numbers show us part of the effort that God makes to set things in there proper place so that our relationship with Him would be healthy and right and good. He has Moses number the men who are able to fight in war. Remember that soon they will be entering the Promised Land and the people that live there are not just going to hand over the keys. It makes perfect sense to record a military census at this point.
God organizes the camp around the tent of meeting. Every tribe and person has their place in relationship to meeting with God Himself. Even those who are without their own land, the Levitical Priests are rightly related to Him in time and space. There is even a chapter or two dedicated to those who are unclean because of sin and how they are to relate to God and to the rest of the nation/camp. God goes to great lengths to tell His people how they must relate to Him.
In Numbers there is a link between Eden and the Promised Land. God places Adam in the garden and now He has promised and prepared a land for His people. The Promise/Covenant begins to gain substance. And we see a strong connection to God in the blessing that Aaron is to pronounce upon the people in Numbers 6.24-26. Then in Number 6.27 the name of God is to rest upon His people. There is an all together “new” relationship that is being forged here in the Kingdom of God. Recall the Commandment not to take the Lord’s name in vain.
Then it is time to move. Numbers 10.35-36 Moses words echo throughout history in this fine example of obedience of the Israelites. They would be wanderers but to my knowledge and reading of Numbers I haven’t come across a passage where when God moved or rested they disobeyed. It might be there. I may have overlooked it but it appears to me that they were faithful in this command.
Main #2: Learn the lesson of causing trouble. [Israel’s faithlessness]
As they head out to begin the conquest of the Holy Land. Everything is set in order. When the Lord’s presence moves they move. When He is still they are still. And so the cloud of His presence moves and they head out. Only, to fall flat on their faces. Almost immediately they begin to complain and murmur about their everyday lives. Food and Water and Leadership complaints come forth from them before they even get to the corner. Illustration: Road trip with the family…I forgot my [fill in the blank]
God in His grace and mercy provided, God’s faithfulness, for them at every turn and at the brink of the Holy Land they send in 12 spies to check things out. A little recon is in order. The spies check it out and come back and give report. The vote is ten to two against going into the Land. The same people who watched God provide for them everyday. Water from rocks thought that they couldn’t trust God to overcome the people of the Land. [1 Corinthians 10.1ff…1 Corinthians 11 = Communion] All except Caleb and Joshua. These two said, “With God nothing is impossible.” The people rebel and go with the larger report and God is not pleased. HE determines that not a single person from that generation of unbelief will be allowed into the Promised Land and so the nation of Israel wanders in the desert for 40 years. Not really learning their lesson…there is no second chance for these people. They had their chance and they wasted it in unbelief. Joshua and Caleb they were the only ones left alive after 40 years and they took the next generation into the Promised Land.
Main #3: Accept God’s new beginnings.
When they Old generation was dead the next generation needed a recommissioning of sorts (a reorganization is better). They were renumbered. The census was again taken. For the same reason the first one was taken. The regulations of life and offerings were reiterated to this new generation. And they were told exactly what they needed to do to take the land and how to live in it. You see God hadn’t changed. In the thousand of years since God hasn’t changed. He revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to the people of Israel. He reveals Himself to us in the person of Christ and that doesn’t negate all that He shows of Himself in the Hebrew Scripture for Christ did not come to abolish the Law but rather to fulfill it.
The bronze serpent connection to Christ from Numbers 21.9 to John 3.14-15. As a historical type of “salvation” when the serpent was lifted up and the men and women of Israel looked to it they were saved from their poisonous snake bite. When men and women look to the cross in faith they are saved because Jesus completed the work of salvation upon the cross. By His death and resurrection we can have out sin forgiven.
APPLICATION:
1. Two sets: generation [1-14 & 26-36]; numberings [1 & 26]; travels [10-14 & 21-27]; instructions [5-9 & 28-36] illustrating both the kindness and severity of God.
2. We follow God in trust and dependence.
3. Looking unto Jesus: for salvation = John 12.32 ff.
4. Looking unto Jesus: for our walk = Hebrews 12.1-2
Thursday, October 29, 2009
October 25th, 2009...One Year: Exodus - Sanctification
I have waited to post until late in the week because I have tried to reconstruct the message from last week Sunday. Let me explain.
During the week I start early to do work in the actual text of Scripture...usually some Monday and most of Tuesday. Wednesday is devoted to other lessons and such. Thursday I usually hit the transfer from text to sermon. Last Thursday was unique because nothing happened. I sat and stared at paper most of the day. Friday came and went and still no sermon. I pretty much got sick to my stomach and thought ok...what's going on. Saturday passed and I got sicker. It is very unlike me to step in the pulpit without a reduced sermon text biut Sunday morning came and I had my text work notes and that was it. So I openend my mouth and the sermon came out.
I trust it goes without saying but here I am saying it...I called upon the Lord much from Thursday through Sunday...and was trusting Him as best I knew how. I have no idea what most people thought of the message. I did recieve some feedback and was grateful for it.
As I have tried to reconstruct what was said I can't. I could post my text notes but that probably wouldn't make sense. So I am going to leave this entry blank.
The long and short of it is that as we follow Christ our lives are characterized by a continual and consistent separation unto God in all areas and aspects of life. This is the way the King intended His citizens to be and it flows from His complete 'otherness.'
During the week I start early to do work in the actual text of Scripture...usually some Monday and most of Tuesday. Wednesday is devoted to other lessons and such. Thursday I usually hit the transfer from text to sermon. Last Thursday was unique because nothing happened. I sat and stared at paper most of the day. Friday came and went and still no sermon. I pretty much got sick to my stomach and thought ok...what's going on. Saturday passed and I got sicker. It is very unlike me to step in the pulpit without a reduced sermon text biut Sunday morning came and I had my text work notes and that was it. So I openend my mouth and the sermon came out.
I trust it goes without saying but here I am saying it...I called upon the Lord much from Thursday through Sunday...and was trusting Him as best I knew how. I have no idea what most people thought of the message. I did recieve some feedback and was grateful for it.
As I have tried to reconstruct what was said I can't. I could post my text notes but that probably wouldn't make sense. So I am going to leave this entry blank.
The long and short of it is that as we follow Christ our lives are characterized by a continual and consistent separation unto God in all areas and aspects of life. This is the way the King intended His citizens to be and it flows from His complete 'otherness.'
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
October 18th, 2009..."One Year: Leviticus - Sacrifice"
Introduction: Sometimes we slip into a comfortable place and begin, unfortunately, to take certain things for granted. The use of our vehicles, a working furnace a friend who is always willing to lend a hand. Many things and people in our lives can fall inadvertently into this category. Sometimes we even become complacent when it comes to our relationship with the Lord. We take Him for granted and forget just how awesome, how holy He is. Holiness has a basic meaning of ‘separate from’ or ‘other’.
Essential Impact: God’s ‘otherness’ demands our ‘careful’ consideration.
Because God is holy and has revealed Himself to us, Creator, Ruler, Initiator, Covenant Maker, He has every right to declare to us the conditions of our approaching Him in the relationship we have with Him. Not in some malicious series of hoops that we must jump through but because He is completely unlike anyone / anything we have ever encountered.
We can divide the book of Leviticus in two parts that help us to further understand our relationship with God, this holy = completely ‘other’ God. The first half, chapters 1-17 we will consider this morning and chapter 18-27 will be next time.
The first 17 chapters show us the way to approach God.
You may recall that when Moses approached the burning bush in Genesis the voice of God came to Moses and said, “Take off your shoes for the ground upon which you are standing is holy.” God prescribes for us the way to approach Him. We see three pieces to that approach through Leviticus.
1. The approach to God must be made by / with sacrificial offerings.
2. The approach is mediated by the Priest.
3. The approach can only be made after purification.
As you read Leviticus you probably have had the experience of getting bogged down very quickly in the details of the sacrifices and the kinds of animals and what to do with the fat portion and so on and so forth. All of those details serve, in one sense, as a reminder the entire time of the seriousness of the approach to God who is holy.
1. The approach to God must be made by / with sacrificial offerings. [Chapters 1-7]
1a. As these sacrificial offerings are listed and explained we do well to relate them to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is a savior who not only died for our sins but His sacrifice fulfilled the requirement of the Levitical Laws that governed the approach to God.
i. the burnt offering of Leviticus One demonstrates / symbolizes Christ’s total submission to His Father’s will.
ii. the meal offering of Leviticus Two relates to Christ’s sinless service
iii. the peace offering of Leviticus Three brings the believer into fellowship with God through Christ’s cross.
iv. the sin offering of Leviticus Four typifies Christ as our guilt bearer.
v. the trespass offering of Leviticus Five links for us an understanding of Christ’s payment for sin…our sins.
2. The approach is mediated by the Priest. [Chapter 8-10]
The meaning of “mediation.” Illustration from Peace makers Ministry. A third party that brings warring factions to the table for reconciliation and restoration of relationship.
In chapter 8 the priest…Aaron and the Levites chosen…are consecrated in order to perform the duties that they have before the Lord on behalf of the people. They are anointed, their hands are filled and they are consecrated with blood. This sets them apart for their work. In a sense they are ordained for ministry. In chapter 9 they must be made clean before they can serve before the Lord. As they serve as mediators between God and man they must make sacrifice for themselves. Moses gives them instruction and three times the chapter records that the Lord would appear to them…4, 6, 23. In chapter 10 there is a vivid illustration of how not to approach God with the two sons of Aaron, priests who were consecrated and set apart for ministry before the Lord brought “strange fire” and they were struck dead by God. Disobedience and departure from the directly prescribed revealed way of approach to God had catastrophic results.
Christ is our mediator and our high priest. Hebrews 3.1; 7.27; 8.6; 9.15; 10.5-22; Ephesians 2.13-18; 1 Timothy 2.5.
3. The approach can only be made after purification. [Chapter 11-17]
But what about all the people? How can they approach God? They too must be pure…and their purity comes in diverse laws and codes. The Laws of Leviticus 11-15 deal with issues of diet, issues of blood, issues of disease, and issues of bodily function. Hardly any of which have what we would consider “moral” outcomes. They occur as the normal course of live transpires. And as such we become “unclean” before God because of them. That is why there is the Levitical Law governing how to become “clean” again. However, that does not negate or absolve us from the “moral” commands of God. We too violate those aspects of approach to God and also must be cleansed. Thus, chapter 16 and 17 outline for us the most special day of the Jewish calendar. The Day of Atonemanet. YOM KIPPUR…September 28th 2009. The day the high priest went into the Holy of Holies and sacrificed before the Lord for the sins of the people.
Jesus Christ is our high priest and sacrificed the perfect sacrifice for sin on the cross. Hebrews 9.8-14.
APPLICATION: In our approaching God…
OFFERINGS: a. religious offering by way of ritual and or tradition amongst themselves are not appropriate nor adequate to approach a holy God. Tradition, regardless of it’s source, where it comes from, no matter where it is found…communion, hymnody, baptism, alter calls, Free Church congregationalism…do not make us acceptable before God in order to approach Him in worship. The Jews had their Levitical Laws and they could approach…believers have Jesus and are free to approach Him.
MEDIATION: Chapter 10 shows us the danger of approaching God on our own term and in our own merits. Disastrous results. Nabab and Abihu… Acts chapter 5 where Anninias and Saphira die because they lie to the Holy Spirit about their offerings.
1. My tithes make me acceptable because I’m obedient. Tithes and obedience are not mediators
2. I sing this type of music because it is so meaningful. Music is not a mediator.
3. I serve in the church as a Sunday School teacher, board member, choir director, host family, etc. Serving is not a mediator.
4. NO church “thing” is a mediator.
If we mix any thing with the sacrifice of Christ we are bringing strange fire before the Lord. And we should repent while we still can. Recall the warnings to the churches of Revelation where Christ warns them to repent of their sins unless He remove their lampstand.
PURITY:
Coming to Christ for salvation. Illustration of going to court where you are charged with a crime and you get all cleaned up and put on your best clothes to go before the judge. Coming to Christ is not like that in the particular aspect of getting cleaned up and wearing the best clothes. We come before the Lord with our sin and, through Jesus’ completed work on the cross, God forgives our sin as we trust in Christ. Let me ask it this way, “Do you have to get cleaned up to take a bath?”
Psalm 66.18-19 = Purity in prayer
~It isn’t about any of our ‘stuff.’ Any denominational distinctive, traditions, nor works allows us to approach Almighty God. It is about our relationship with Jesus…because Calvary covers it all.
Essential Impact: God’s ‘otherness’ demands our ‘careful’ consideration.
Because God is holy and has revealed Himself to us, Creator, Ruler, Initiator, Covenant Maker, He has every right to declare to us the conditions of our approaching Him in the relationship we have with Him. Not in some malicious series of hoops that we must jump through but because He is completely unlike anyone / anything we have ever encountered.
We can divide the book of Leviticus in two parts that help us to further understand our relationship with God, this holy = completely ‘other’ God. The first half, chapters 1-17 we will consider this morning and chapter 18-27 will be next time.
The first 17 chapters show us the way to approach God.
You may recall that when Moses approached the burning bush in Genesis the voice of God came to Moses and said, “Take off your shoes for the ground upon which you are standing is holy.” God prescribes for us the way to approach Him. We see three pieces to that approach through Leviticus.
1. The approach to God must be made by / with sacrificial offerings.
2. The approach is mediated by the Priest.
3. The approach can only be made after purification.
As you read Leviticus you probably have had the experience of getting bogged down very quickly in the details of the sacrifices and the kinds of animals and what to do with the fat portion and so on and so forth. All of those details serve, in one sense, as a reminder the entire time of the seriousness of the approach to God who is holy.
1. The approach to God must be made by / with sacrificial offerings. [Chapters 1-7]
1a. As these sacrificial offerings are listed and explained we do well to relate them to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is a savior who not only died for our sins but His sacrifice fulfilled the requirement of the Levitical Laws that governed the approach to God.
i. the burnt offering of Leviticus One demonstrates / symbolizes Christ’s total submission to His Father’s will.
ii. the meal offering of Leviticus Two relates to Christ’s sinless service
iii. the peace offering of Leviticus Three brings the believer into fellowship with God through Christ’s cross.
iv. the sin offering of Leviticus Four typifies Christ as our guilt bearer.
v. the trespass offering of Leviticus Five links for us an understanding of Christ’s payment for sin…our sins.
2. The approach is mediated by the Priest. [Chapter 8-10]
The meaning of “mediation.” Illustration from Peace makers Ministry. A third party that brings warring factions to the table for reconciliation and restoration of relationship.
In chapter 8 the priest…Aaron and the Levites chosen…are consecrated in order to perform the duties that they have before the Lord on behalf of the people. They are anointed, their hands are filled and they are consecrated with blood. This sets them apart for their work. In a sense they are ordained for ministry. In chapter 9 they must be made clean before they can serve before the Lord. As they serve as mediators between God and man they must make sacrifice for themselves. Moses gives them instruction and three times the chapter records that the Lord would appear to them…4, 6, 23. In chapter 10 there is a vivid illustration of how not to approach God with the two sons of Aaron, priests who were consecrated and set apart for ministry before the Lord brought “strange fire” and they were struck dead by God. Disobedience and departure from the directly prescribed revealed way of approach to God had catastrophic results.
Christ is our mediator and our high priest. Hebrews 3.1; 7.27; 8.6; 9.15; 10.5-22; Ephesians 2.13-18; 1 Timothy 2.5.
3. The approach can only be made after purification. [Chapter 11-17]
But what about all the people? How can they approach God? They too must be pure…and their purity comes in diverse laws and codes. The Laws of Leviticus 11-15 deal with issues of diet, issues of blood, issues of disease, and issues of bodily function. Hardly any of which have what we would consider “moral” outcomes. They occur as the normal course of live transpires. And as such we become “unclean” before God because of them. That is why there is the Levitical Law governing how to become “clean” again. However, that does not negate or absolve us from the “moral” commands of God. We too violate those aspects of approach to God and also must be cleansed. Thus, chapter 16 and 17 outline for us the most special day of the Jewish calendar. The Day of Atonemanet. YOM KIPPUR…September 28th 2009. The day the high priest went into the Holy of Holies and sacrificed before the Lord for the sins of the people.
Jesus Christ is our high priest and sacrificed the perfect sacrifice for sin on the cross. Hebrews 9.8-14.
APPLICATION: In our approaching God…
OFFERINGS: a. religious offering by way of ritual and or tradition amongst themselves are not appropriate nor adequate to approach a holy God. Tradition, regardless of it’s source, where it comes from, no matter where it is found…communion, hymnody, baptism, alter calls, Free Church congregationalism…do not make us acceptable before God in order to approach Him in worship. The Jews had their Levitical Laws and they could approach…believers have Jesus and are free to approach Him.
MEDIATION: Chapter 10 shows us the danger of approaching God on our own term and in our own merits. Disastrous results. Nabab and Abihu… Acts chapter 5 where Anninias and Saphira die because they lie to the Holy Spirit about their offerings.
1. My tithes make me acceptable because I’m obedient. Tithes and obedience are not mediators
2. I sing this type of music because it is so meaningful. Music is not a mediator.
3. I serve in the church as a Sunday School teacher, board member, choir director, host family, etc. Serving is not a mediator.
4. NO church “thing” is a mediator.
If we mix any thing with the sacrifice of Christ we are bringing strange fire before the Lord. And we should repent while we still can. Recall the warnings to the churches of Revelation where Christ warns them to repent of their sins unless He remove their lampstand.
PURITY:
Coming to Christ for salvation. Illustration of going to court where you are charged with a crime and you get all cleaned up and put on your best clothes to go before the judge. Coming to Christ is not like that in the particular aspect of getting cleaned up and wearing the best clothes. We come before the Lord with our sin and, through Jesus’ completed work on the cross, God forgives our sin as we trust in Christ. Let me ask it this way, “Do you have to get cleaned up to take a bath?”
Psalm 66.18-19 = Purity in prayer
~It isn’t about any of our ‘stuff.’ Any denominational distinctive, traditions, nor works allows us to approach Almighty God. It is about our relationship with Jesus…because Calvary covers it all.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
October 11th, 2009...One Year: The Exodus and The Law
Introduction: Do you know anyone who is dedicated and loyal almost to a fault? Think of people you know who are like that. A good example may be the men and women of our military, as a whole. Or policemen or firefighters…to serve and protect. All of these individuals train and practice and serve each day in order to achieve a goal. Different goals to be certain but each is committed beyond what we might consider “normal.” They go to extremes, sometimes even laying down their own lives to fulfill [achieve] their goals.
Essential Impact: God goes to extreme lengths to create / produce / cause to exist, for Himself a people through which His promise to Abraham will be fulfilled.
Scripture records this extreme type of work that God does. Exodus is completely dedicated to it…and we see it in the first half when God moves His people out of Egypt in chapters 1 through 18...
Main 1: Appreciate what it means to be redeemed
…and in the process, of redeeming, God shows us three aspects of His being, 3 characteristics…
I. Guidance:
a. their increase: in Exodus 1.7 reminds us what was said to Abraham in Genesis 12.1-3 and the promise of the descendants is being fulfilled…
but they find out that things aren’t always roses because of their numbers the Egyptians become afraid of them and so they are enslaved but even in their slavery God continues to fulfill His promise and they continue to increase even when things are made harder at work. And so finally the Pharaoh has a plan to stop this population growth…He plans their limited extermination by declaring all Hebrew males must be destroyed at birth. But we must recall all of Genesis 12.1-3 ‘Curse those who curse you’…ooops Pharaoh…
if all males die then there will be no nation
if all males die the Messiah will not be born
…Ooops Pharaoh has a problem because now he has placed himself in the “curse Israel” category and God speaks Exodus 4.21-23.
b. Eventually Israel calls on God for deliverance from the fairly oppressive hand of Pharaoh. God hears their cry and God calls on Moses. [Illustration: You call 911 = dispatch for help…dispatch calls County EMS = rescue] During the Divine commissioning, so to speak, God reveals to Moses a personal, significant detail about who He is…when Moses asks whom shall I say sent me…God replies, “Tell them ‘I am’ sent you.”
II. Deliverance:
c. The plagues come and the people are set free…redeemed. Moses is given the job of going to Pharaoh to secure the release of the Jews so that they may worship God freely. You have seen and have read and know the progress of the ten plagues that come upon Israel. The “wise men/magicians” of Egypt recognize God after the first few but Pharaoh continues upon the path of being an enemy of Israel and therefore an enemy of God. And so finally God moves to deliver His people through an incredible act of judgment upon Pharaoh’s house…* Passover * And the people are set free.
III. Preservation / Protection:
d. While they are leaving Egypt and in the wilderness God moves in many ways to preserve them and to protect them…some of the high points are…
1. from Egyptian military [chapter 14]
2. from thirst [chapter 15]
3. from hunger [chapter 16]
4. from defeat [chapter 17]
Before we move on to the second half of Exodus we need to pause and look a bit more closely at the idea of redemption and how this theme winds its way through the entire Bible…after all this is a sermon series on the entire Bible and we will meet redemption again and again.
Main 2: Redemption through the Bible
In today’s Christian culture the term redemption has come to be equated with God’s plan and work of salvation but Biblically speaking it is only one aspect of the whole plan and work of salvation. The idea / process of redemption involve the release of people and / or things from bondage / tyranny / oppression with the necessity of an outside agent / source. This is commonly achieved by a financial interaction. [Illustration: redeem your prize] Redemption cannot be achieved under one’s own auspices. “God helps those who help themselves”…not when it comes to redemption. [Illustration: Scene from Star Wars where Padmay, Annikan, and Obewan are prisoners in the gladiator ring and about to be devoured by monsters. They do pretty well in fighting the monsters but then as the other Jedi arrive to rescue them all the Jedi are in trouble and about to be destroyed but at the last second Yoda arrives with the clone army…the outside source of rescue.]
Exodus is the paradigm of redemption as to the work of God. First, God intervenes to free slaves from under Pharaoh who holds them against their will. Second, He breaks the cruel oppressive grip of Pharaoh upon Israel not by a monetary repayment but simply by force. Finally, God acts because of His prior relationship with Israel, “The God of your ancestors Exodus 3.6, 15-16. This role of God is echoed through the Psalms 19.14, 78.35. Isaiah and the Prophets use this picture repeatedly for the exiles and those Israelites who are judged of God.
Redemption can also simply mean to rescue from danger / death. And in Scripture not only does God do this: 2 Samuel 4.9, Job 5.20, Psalm 103.4, 25.22, 31.5, Lamentation 3.58 but friends may also “redeem” from danger as rescuers; 1 Samuel 14.45 and Job 6.23.
Before we turn to redemption in the NT there is one more thing to consider about redemption in the OT. Although limited in references there is the idea that redemption is also from sin. Psalm 130.7-8 have the most far reaching example but Isaiah 44.22-23 and 59.20 support this aspect of redemption as well.
In the NT the Gospels are quite sparse with reference to redemption although Mark 10.45 ransom is directly related to financial redemption Luke is the only other Gospel writer to use the idea of redemption. [Luke 1.68, 2.38, 24.21] Redemption is, on the other hand, prominent in Paul’s writings. Galatians 3.13 and 4.5 are particularly strong in this regard. See also 1 Corinthians 6.20 and 7.22. A final note comes from Revelation 5.8-9 and 14.3-4 where these two songs incorporate redemption as part of the praise of God.
Returning now to the Exodus and the way in which God goes to extreme lengths…
Main 3: Develop in your relationship with God as He reveals Himself through the Covenant Law
a. Why God gave the Covenant [19.3-6] 3 Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. 5 ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
b. The Big Ten plus other regulations
c. God is revealed [24.9-11] 9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. 11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.
d. Where to meet with God [Tabernacle]
e. a rough start where the people don’t do it
f. a better progress
*** g. God fills the Tabernacle 40.34-38
APPLICATION:
1. The extreme length of revealing Himself personally. Believers are God’s children…when He tells Moses His name, YHWH, He is revealing something personal about Himself. There is much to His name but one thing is for certain, there is an implication that we know God personally. Do you know Him personally. Do you relate to God in a personal way? Talking with Him, finding out about Him, listening to Him…
2. God’s promise to Abraham…curse those who curse you…Pharaoh puts himself in that position. The permanence of this promise can be watched from a believers perspective in History and in Modern Times.
3. The Passover is the divine act of redemption [rescue from death and danger as well as bondage] = Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Direct link and we need to understand the redemptive work of Christ. Those in bondage to sin can only be redeemed by Christ.
4. As God filled the Tabernacle with His presence what would your response be to such a magnificent display of His glory? What is your response to the display of His glory in Christ today in this place. We will be singing a song about redemption in just a moment…consider all the extreme lengths that God has gone to in order to redeem a people, you, unto Himself and respond appropriately in song.
5. Develop your relationship with God on His terms; as He has revealed Himself to truly be.
6. God reveals Himself and brings a people unto Himself to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Do you know the main function of ‘priests’?” Priests serve.
7. God has revealed Himself here in Exodus and ultimately in the person of Jesus. Read all about it…pick up and read.
Essential Impact: God goes to extreme lengths to create / produce / cause to exist, for Himself a people through which His promise to Abraham will be fulfilled.
Scripture records this extreme type of work that God does. Exodus is completely dedicated to it…and we see it in the first half when God moves His people out of Egypt in chapters 1 through 18...
Main 1: Appreciate what it means to be redeemed
…and in the process, of redeeming, God shows us three aspects of His being, 3 characteristics…
I. Guidance:
a. their increase: in Exodus 1.7 reminds us what was said to Abraham in Genesis 12.1-3 and the promise of the descendants is being fulfilled…
but they find out that things aren’t always roses because of their numbers the Egyptians become afraid of them and so they are enslaved but even in their slavery God continues to fulfill His promise and they continue to increase even when things are made harder at work. And so finally the Pharaoh has a plan to stop this population growth…He plans their limited extermination by declaring all Hebrew males must be destroyed at birth. But we must recall all of Genesis 12.1-3 ‘Curse those who curse you’…ooops Pharaoh…
if all males die then there will be no nation
if all males die the Messiah will not be born
…Ooops Pharaoh has a problem because now he has placed himself in the “curse Israel” category and God speaks Exodus 4.21-23.
b. Eventually Israel calls on God for deliverance from the fairly oppressive hand of Pharaoh. God hears their cry and God calls on Moses. [Illustration: You call 911 = dispatch for help…dispatch calls County EMS = rescue] During the Divine commissioning, so to speak, God reveals to Moses a personal, significant detail about who He is…when Moses asks whom shall I say sent me…God replies, “Tell them ‘I am’ sent you.”
II. Deliverance:
c. The plagues come and the people are set free…redeemed. Moses is given the job of going to Pharaoh to secure the release of the Jews so that they may worship God freely. You have seen and have read and know the progress of the ten plagues that come upon Israel. The “wise men/magicians” of Egypt recognize God after the first few but Pharaoh continues upon the path of being an enemy of Israel and therefore an enemy of God. And so finally God moves to deliver His people through an incredible act of judgment upon Pharaoh’s house…* Passover * And the people are set free.
III. Preservation / Protection:
d. While they are leaving Egypt and in the wilderness God moves in many ways to preserve them and to protect them…some of the high points are…
1. from Egyptian military [chapter 14]
2. from thirst [chapter 15]
3. from hunger [chapter 16]
4. from defeat [chapter 17]
Before we move on to the second half of Exodus we need to pause and look a bit more closely at the idea of redemption and how this theme winds its way through the entire Bible…after all this is a sermon series on the entire Bible and we will meet redemption again and again.
Main 2: Redemption through the Bible
In today’s Christian culture the term redemption has come to be equated with God’s plan and work of salvation but Biblically speaking it is only one aspect of the whole plan and work of salvation. The idea / process of redemption involve the release of people and / or things from bondage / tyranny / oppression with the necessity of an outside agent / source. This is commonly achieved by a financial interaction. [Illustration: redeem your prize] Redemption cannot be achieved under one’s own auspices. “God helps those who help themselves”…not when it comes to redemption. [Illustration: Scene from Star Wars where Padmay, Annikan, and Obewan are prisoners in the gladiator ring and about to be devoured by monsters. They do pretty well in fighting the monsters but then as the other Jedi arrive to rescue them all the Jedi are in trouble and about to be destroyed but at the last second Yoda arrives with the clone army…the outside source of rescue.]
Exodus is the paradigm of redemption as to the work of God. First, God intervenes to free slaves from under Pharaoh who holds them against their will. Second, He breaks the cruel oppressive grip of Pharaoh upon Israel not by a monetary repayment but simply by force. Finally, God acts because of His prior relationship with Israel, “The God of your ancestors Exodus 3.6, 15-16. This role of God is echoed through the Psalms 19.14, 78.35. Isaiah and the Prophets use this picture repeatedly for the exiles and those Israelites who are judged of God.
Redemption can also simply mean to rescue from danger / death. And in Scripture not only does God do this: 2 Samuel 4.9, Job 5.20, Psalm 103.4, 25.22, 31.5, Lamentation 3.58 but friends may also “redeem” from danger as rescuers; 1 Samuel 14.45 and Job 6.23.
Before we turn to redemption in the NT there is one more thing to consider about redemption in the OT. Although limited in references there is the idea that redemption is also from sin. Psalm 130.7-8 have the most far reaching example but Isaiah 44.22-23 and 59.20 support this aspect of redemption as well.
In the NT the Gospels are quite sparse with reference to redemption although Mark 10.45 ransom is directly related to financial redemption Luke is the only other Gospel writer to use the idea of redemption. [Luke 1.68, 2.38, 24.21] Redemption is, on the other hand, prominent in Paul’s writings. Galatians 3.13 and 4.5 are particularly strong in this regard. See also 1 Corinthians 6.20 and 7.22. A final note comes from Revelation 5.8-9 and 14.3-4 where these two songs incorporate redemption as part of the praise of God.
Returning now to the Exodus and the way in which God goes to extreme lengths…
Main 3: Develop in your relationship with God as He reveals Himself through the Covenant Law
a. Why God gave the Covenant [19.3-6] 3 Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. 5 ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
b. The Big Ten plus other regulations
c. God is revealed [24.9-11] 9 Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. 11 Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.
d. Where to meet with God [Tabernacle]
e. a rough start where the people don’t do it
f. a better progress
*** g. God fills the Tabernacle 40.34-38
APPLICATION:
1. The extreme length of revealing Himself personally. Believers are God’s children…when He tells Moses His name, YHWH, He is revealing something personal about Himself. There is much to His name but one thing is for certain, there is an implication that we know God personally. Do you know Him personally. Do you relate to God in a personal way? Talking with Him, finding out about Him, listening to Him…
2. God’s promise to Abraham…curse those who curse you…Pharaoh puts himself in that position. The permanence of this promise can be watched from a believers perspective in History and in Modern Times.
3. The Passover is the divine act of redemption [rescue from death and danger as well as bondage] = Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Direct link and we need to understand the redemptive work of Christ. Those in bondage to sin can only be redeemed by Christ.
4. As God filled the Tabernacle with His presence what would your response be to such a magnificent display of His glory? What is your response to the display of His glory in Christ today in this place. We will be singing a song about redemption in just a moment…consider all the extreme lengths that God has gone to in order to redeem a people, you, unto Himself and respond appropriately in song.
5. Develop your relationship with God on His terms; as He has revealed Himself to truly be.
6. God reveals Himself and brings a people unto Himself to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Do you know the main function of ‘priests’?” Priests serve.
7. God has revealed Himself here in Exodus and ultimately in the person of Jesus. Read all about it…pick up and read.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
October 4th, 2009...One Year: Covenant
Introduction: In Genesis 3, in one fell swoop, all of humanity is lost. Granted it was only two people but the entire human race was condemned to death. God had created Adam and Eve to tend the Garden and to enjoy a relationship with Him. They were the first citizens of God’s Kingdom. They were to fill the earth with more people but when sin entered the world through their disobedience paradise was lost and God set into motion the restoration of the relationship through the process of redemption. In some small but significant ways God shows His grace towards Adam and Eve at first and then to other humans. Even though sin increases tremendously God continues to move towards salvation and reconciliation. From chapters 3-11 of Genesis the promises that God makes and keep come in general and somewhat universal terms. As we enter into God’s Holy Word in Genesis 12 He zooms in with a very specific person and a specific promise. Whereas the door of redemption was only a crack open in chapters 3-11 now it is swung wide and we see through the threshold a journey of epic proportions. The door is open and we see with a wide angle lens all of the Bible accounts we have ever learned in Sunday School…look there is Adam and Eve, Noah and the Ark, Abraham with his son Isaac walking up a mountain, there is David standing over a dead giant, Ezekiel looking up in the sky at some fantastic wheel spinning, Ezra building a wall, Queen Esther outside the King’s door, Joseph with Mary riding a donkey, Jesus speaking with Peter James and John in a garden, Paul preaching on Mars Hill, John alone on an Island. And then we turn and focus on Genesis 12 and the wide angle lens moves into a close up where everything else is blocked from our view. Zooming in we see a man??? Not exclusively, for the man is not the main character, God is the main character and God speaks to a man…because
Essential Impact: God is the one who takes the initiative in the story / chronicle / account / narrative / history / journal / saga of redeeming a people unto Himself. Redeeming a citizenship of His Kingdom.
How He does this is by instituting a pledge [covenant, promise, assurance, guarantee, vow, oath, word of honor, security, sworn pronouncement] with one man whose name is Abram.
We know virtually nothing about Abram for the first 75 years of his life and then again virtually nothing about the last 75 years of his life. The information we have and are deeply interested is, where God is decidedly at work in his life, from the time he is 75 until he is 100.
Genesis 12-50 covers the “lives” of four people Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. We will cover Isaac and Jacob briefly but most of our time this morning will be spent with Abram and Joseph.
Main 1: God initiates with Abram and reveals how He works to bring about faith / faithfulness.
a. Genesis 1-11: examples galore of faithlessness
b. Contrast with Abram: Human attempt11.4 “name for ourselves”
God’s initiative 12.2 “I will make a name for you.”
c. The Covenant begins specifically:
1. Go
2. “I will…” 5 times the Lord takes action upon Abram et. al.
3. Genesis 12.2-3: “All the families of the earth will be blessed…”
Illustration: 1988 My call to ministry because God is still taking the initiative. Thus, when God made this covenant with Abram my future, our future, was set into motion in the past. Interesting food for thought.
d. Redemptive history begins with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but does not end with them. They stand for us with an emphasis upon the Divine Promise maker, God
e. We see in Abram both faith, which leads us to applaud Abram, and folly which moves us to applaud God for continuing to keep His promise.
f. Genesis 12.1-3 = Divine Initiative
Genesis 12.4 = Faith response…if it was recorded before the promise then it would indicate that the promise was made based upon obedience…and then works would take center stage in salvation but God’s initiative work is at the center of salvation by grace through faith. Important truth.
g. David Clines outlines 19 passages in Genesis where Divine promises are involved. 13 of them towards Abram, 3 towards Jacob, 2 towards Isaac, and 1 towards Hagar.
h. When we actually look at the content of the promise made to Abraham we see that their fulfillment is mostly future. Abraham didn’t “get” the promise kept it’s it fullness. So what did he get? He got the God of the promise…Friend of God.
i. Not all lollipops and gummi bears. There were lapses in faith for Abraham.
1. Has his wife lie to Pharaoh to save his own life
2. Employs the same tactic with the Philistines
3. He goes to be with Hagar and Ishmael is born
j. But there is ample evidence of faith as well
1. chapter 12 = hears voice of God and goes
2. chapter 13 = when in Egypt he asserts his own thinking and strife ensues but when it comes to Lot and the land he trusts the hand of God
3. chapter 14 = militarily defeats the big guns…
“I will curse those who curse you…”
4. chapters 15 + 17 = Conversation with God where Abraham speaks very little…God speaks…inititative
5. chapters 18 + 19 = He intercedes for the wicked
6. chapter 20 = prays for his wife’s barreness.
Main 2: God initiates with Isaac and reminds us the He will fulfill His promise.
a. Human fulfillment is Hagar + Ishmael
b. Son of Promise is still God’s prerogative…Isaac is born when it’s physically impossible
c. Chapter 26 God reiterates His promise…Abraham and Isaac.
Main 3: God initiates with Jacob and shows us the need for divine change / transformation.
The Need for Transformation…
a. from the very beginning…the struggle in the womb and God explains…at birth he grabs at his brothers heel.
b. exploits his brother and gains Esau’s birthright…family strife
c. deceives his father and gains a blessing.
The Preparation for Transformation…
a. at Jacob’s first meeting with God at Bethel he wakes and is afraid…he has a guilty conscience…unlike Abraham, Isaac and even Lot who all welcome the Lord. Jacob is like Adam who hid because he was afraid.
b. God shows Himself to Jacob at Bethel then God show Jacob himself through Laban and all of the trickery and deceit…
c. then when returning home Jacob tries to manipulate the meeting with Esau…who would you say Jacob truly needs to meet Esau or God?
The Transformation…
a. at Bethel 20 years earlier Jacob was alone and afraid of God
b. Jacob once again finds himself alone and wrestles with the messenger of the Lord. He is weak and clings on for dear life as they wrestle. Where he once was the “winner” by his deceit and manipulation now he is the “losing” party but holds on.
c. Asks for a blessing
d. “What is your name?” = Jacob = supplanter, trickster…
d1. Given a new name = transformed = Israel = strives with God
c1. Given a new blessing = 32.29
b1. Left with a reminder = bum hip
Main 4: God initiates with Joseph and shows us how He works all things for good.
a. Joseph the dreamer makes his family jealous…his father didn’t help
b. He was sold into slavery and his brothers were content to treat him as dead
c. Rises to prominence in Potiphar’s house…enter the wife
*importance of his purity*
d. Placed in prison and used but forgotten again.
e. Was remembered and able to interpret dreams for Pharaoh
f. Position of power given to him to save multiple thousand
g. Which include his own family and the line of the Messiah
h. After Jacob dies the brothers fear retribution and from the mouth of Joseph we get the jewel of God’s machinations and the results of His initiatives. Genesis 50 15-20
APPLICATION:
God initiates to bring about faith:
1. The distinct voice of God.
For me it was my call to ministry and then a 7 year wait.
Maybe God is / has / will call you to vocational ministry.
2. God’s promise(s) to His children
Has He promised you Health? Wealth? Forgiveness? His presence?
3. Life’s rhythms, trouble and our attempts to fulfill His promises…WAIT and let God fulfill His promises.
God initiates transformation
1. Who are you? Ask your self the question and look deeply at yourself. Are you a worrier? Are you a fabricator? Do you manipulate to get your way? Do you stack the deck in your favor?
2. God has shown you Himself, in His Son Jesus Christ. Have you come to Christ? Do you know Him? Have you trusted Him for the forgiveness of your sins?
3. If you have faith in Jesus can you identify the transforming effect of His life in yours? For Jacob his name was changed. Can you look at your life and point to the places where He has cause transformation.
God initiates and shows His goodness
1. The hardships of your life are the crucible of God’s goodness.
2. What others mean for evil…God is meaning for good? Can you get your hands on that? It really boils down to your view of God. How big? How faithful? How trustworthy? How able? How good? How loving? How just? How whatever…is the God you believe in?
Conclusion: As we prepare to participate together in the celebration of communion we are reminded of the words of Christ recorded in 1 Corinthians, “This is the cup of my blood the blood of a new covenant.” As it is that God initiated with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph the ultimate expression of His initiation is seen in His Son whom He sent to establish the new covenant in His blood. Each week we’ll be seeing more and more and hopefully your view of God will get bigger and more refined and as you think about Him, in His presence, you will understand and know Him so that you will love Him and worship Him more than you did before.
Essential Impact: God is the one who takes the initiative in the story / chronicle / account / narrative / history / journal / saga of redeeming a people unto Himself. Redeeming a citizenship of His Kingdom.
How He does this is by instituting a pledge [covenant, promise, assurance, guarantee, vow, oath, word of honor, security, sworn pronouncement] with one man whose name is Abram.
We know virtually nothing about Abram for the first 75 years of his life and then again virtually nothing about the last 75 years of his life. The information we have and are deeply interested is, where God is decidedly at work in his life, from the time he is 75 until he is 100.
Genesis 12-50 covers the “lives” of four people Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. We will cover Isaac and Jacob briefly but most of our time this morning will be spent with Abram and Joseph.
Main 1: God initiates with Abram and reveals how He works to bring about faith / faithfulness.
a. Genesis 1-11: examples galore of faithlessness
b. Contrast with Abram: Human attempt11.4 “name for ourselves”
God’s initiative 12.2 “I will make a name for you.”
c. The Covenant begins specifically:
1. Go
2. “I will…” 5 times the Lord takes action upon Abram et. al.
3. Genesis 12.2-3: “All the families of the earth will be blessed…”
Illustration: 1988 My call to ministry because God is still taking the initiative. Thus, when God made this covenant with Abram my future, our future, was set into motion in the past. Interesting food for thought.
d. Redemptive history begins with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but does not end with them. They stand for us with an emphasis upon the Divine Promise maker, God
e. We see in Abram both faith, which leads us to applaud Abram, and folly which moves us to applaud God for continuing to keep His promise.
f. Genesis 12.1-3 = Divine Initiative
Genesis 12.4 = Faith response…if it was recorded before the promise then it would indicate that the promise was made based upon obedience…and then works would take center stage in salvation but God’s initiative work is at the center of salvation by grace through faith. Important truth.
g. David Clines outlines 19 passages in Genesis where Divine promises are involved. 13 of them towards Abram, 3 towards Jacob, 2 towards Isaac, and 1 towards Hagar.
h. When we actually look at the content of the promise made to Abraham we see that their fulfillment is mostly future. Abraham didn’t “get” the promise kept it’s it fullness. So what did he get? He got the God of the promise…Friend of God.
i. Not all lollipops and gummi bears. There were lapses in faith for Abraham.
1. Has his wife lie to Pharaoh to save his own life
2. Employs the same tactic with the Philistines
3. He goes to be with Hagar and Ishmael is born
j. But there is ample evidence of faith as well
1. chapter 12 = hears voice of God and goes
2. chapter 13 = when in Egypt he asserts his own thinking and strife ensues but when it comes to Lot and the land he trusts the hand of God
3. chapter 14 = militarily defeats the big guns…
“I will curse those who curse you…”
4. chapters 15 + 17 = Conversation with God where Abraham speaks very little…God speaks…inititative
5. chapters 18 + 19 = He intercedes for the wicked
6. chapter 20 = prays for his wife’s barreness.
Main 2: God initiates with Isaac and reminds us the He will fulfill His promise.
a. Human fulfillment is Hagar + Ishmael
b. Son of Promise is still God’s prerogative…Isaac is born when it’s physically impossible
c. Chapter 26 God reiterates His promise…Abraham and Isaac.
Main 3: God initiates with Jacob and shows us the need for divine change / transformation.
The Need for Transformation…
a. from the very beginning…the struggle in the womb and God explains…at birth he grabs at his brothers heel.
b. exploits his brother and gains Esau’s birthright…family strife
c. deceives his father and gains a blessing.
The Preparation for Transformation…
a. at Jacob’s first meeting with God at Bethel he wakes and is afraid…he has a guilty conscience…unlike Abraham, Isaac and even Lot who all welcome the Lord. Jacob is like Adam who hid because he was afraid.
b. God shows Himself to Jacob at Bethel then God show Jacob himself through Laban and all of the trickery and deceit…
c. then when returning home Jacob tries to manipulate the meeting with Esau…who would you say Jacob truly needs to meet Esau or God?
The Transformation…
a. at Bethel 20 years earlier Jacob was alone and afraid of God
b. Jacob once again finds himself alone and wrestles with the messenger of the Lord. He is weak and clings on for dear life as they wrestle. Where he once was the “winner” by his deceit and manipulation now he is the “losing” party but holds on.
c. Asks for a blessing
d. “What is your name?” = Jacob = supplanter, trickster…
d1. Given a new name = transformed = Israel = strives with God
c1. Given a new blessing = 32.29
b1. Left with a reminder = bum hip
Main 4: God initiates with Joseph and shows us how He works all things for good.
a. Joseph the dreamer makes his family jealous…his father didn’t help
b. He was sold into slavery and his brothers were content to treat him as dead
c. Rises to prominence in Potiphar’s house…enter the wife
*importance of his purity*
d. Placed in prison and used but forgotten again.
e. Was remembered and able to interpret dreams for Pharaoh
f. Position of power given to him to save multiple thousand
g. Which include his own family and the line of the Messiah
h. After Jacob dies the brothers fear retribution and from the mouth of Joseph we get the jewel of God’s machinations and the results of His initiatives. Genesis 50 15-20
APPLICATION:
God initiates to bring about faith:
1. The distinct voice of God.
For me it was my call to ministry and then a 7 year wait.
Maybe God is / has / will call you to vocational ministry.
2. God’s promise(s) to His children
Has He promised you Health? Wealth? Forgiveness? His presence?
3. Life’s rhythms, trouble and our attempts to fulfill His promises…WAIT and let God fulfill His promises.
God initiates transformation
1. Who are you? Ask your self the question and look deeply at yourself. Are you a worrier? Are you a fabricator? Do you manipulate to get your way? Do you stack the deck in your favor?
2. God has shown you Himself, in His Son Jesus Christ. Have you come to Christ? Do you know Him? Have you trusted Him for the forgiveness of your sins?
3. If you have faith in Jesus can you identify the transforming effect of His life in yours? For Jacob his name was changed. Can you look at your life and point to the places where He has cause transformation.
God initiates and shows His goodness
1. The hardships of your life are the crucible of God’s goodness.
2. What others mean for evil…God is meaning for good? Can you get your hands on that? It really boils down to your view of God. How big? How faithful? How trustworthy? How able? How good? How loving? How just? How whatever…is the God you believe in?
Conclusion: As we prepare to participate together in the celebration of communion we are reminded of the words of Christ recorded in 1 Corinthians, “This is the cup of my blood the blood of a new covenant.” As it is that God initiated with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph the ultimate expression of His initiation is seen in His Son whom He sent to establish the new covenant in His blood. Each week we’ll be seeing more and more and hopefully your view of God will get bigger and more refined and as you think about Him, in His presence, you will understand and know Him so that you will love Him and worship Him more than you did before.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Sons of God and Daughters of man?
The "riddle" of who these individuals are is quite perplexing and different authors offer different support and objections to each proposal. There are basically four possibilities.
ONE: The sons of God are identified as the descendant of Seth and the daughter of man are identified as the descendant of Cain.
Support: a) It fits the surrounding context with respect to the previous chapters genealogies of each of those lines of descent. b) there are a couple of direct parallels i.e. the sons of God "took wives" parallels Lamech "taking two wives."
Argument against: For this to be possible then we have to take the meaning of "man" is 6.1 as different than in 6.2
Response: 2 Samuel 7 uses the word "house" to mean four different things; temple, palace, dynasty, and status.
TWO: The sons of God are identified as ancient dynastic rulers and the daughters of man are identified as their royal harems.
Support: there is some sources outside the Bible that does use the phrase sons of god to identify ancient rulers.
Argument against: a) sons of god has not been used up to this point in Scripture for this particular identification b) why then is the judgment against all of mankind? This is possible since 70,000 because David took a census. [2 Samuel 24]
THREE: The sons of God are identified as Angels and the daughters of man as human female.
Support: a) In other places in Scripture Angels are referred to as "sons of God" [Job 1, 2, 38] b) Jude 6 and 7 seem to support this interpretation.
Arguments against: Jude 6 and 7 may refer to similar sexually based sin, one of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other of angelic unnatural lust of angels. However, if the intent of Jude 6 and 7 is to provide two examples of divine judgement upon sin period one angelic and the other human than Jude has no import upon Genesis 6.
FOUR: the sons of God are identified as aliens...that's just one I threw in for those of you who are all confused and need a laugh.
POINT: The Biblical text introduces us to the sons of God and the daughters of man without any kind of roll call where we might know of whom God is referring to specifically but is this the point of the text? It seems that the judgment of God takes front and center albeit delayed, as evidence of His grace. It also appears that the reason for the judgement is upon illicit marital unions between God's children and others...read: believers and unbelievers, which has other Biblical support.
It is a wonderful exercise to think critically upon such issues but simply because we, at the end of the day, cannot say definitively one way or the other does not mean that we aren't able to decipher what God wants us to know about Himself. Here we need to focus upon the differentiation of flesh and spirit and the grace of God.
ONE: The sons of God are identified as the descendant of Seth and the daughter of man are identified as the descendant of Cain.
Support: a) It fits the surrounding context with respect to the previous chapters genealogies of each of those lines of descent. b) there are a couple of direct parallels i.e. the sons of God "took wives" parallels Lamech "taking two wives."
Argument against: For this to be possible then we have to take the meaning of "man" is 6.1 as different than in 6.2
Response: 2 Samuel 7 uses the word "house" to mean four different things; temple, palace, dynasty, and status.
TWO: The sons of God are identified as ancient dynastic rulers and the daughters of man are identified as their royal harems.
Support: there is some sources outside the Bible that does use the phrase sons of god to identify ancient rulers.
Argument against: a) sons of god has not been used up to this point in Scripture for this particular identification b) why then is the judgment against all of mankind? This is possible since 70,000 because David took a census. [2 Samuel 24]
THREE: The sons of God are identified as Angels and the daughters of man as human female.
Support: a) In other places in Scripture Angels are referred to as "sons of God" [Job 1, 2, 38] b) Jude 6 and 7 seem to support this interpretation.
Arguments against: Jude 6 and 7 may refer to similar sexually based sin, one of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other of angelic unnatural lust of angels. However, if the intent of Jude 6 and 7 is to provide two examples of divine judgement upon sin period one angelic and the other human than Jude has no import upon Genesis 6.
FOUR: the sons of God are identified as aliens...that's just one I threw in for those of you who are all confused and need a laugh.
POINT: The Biblical text introduces us to the sons of God and the daughters of man without any kind of roll call where we might know of whom God is referring to specifically but is this the point of the text? It seems that the judgment of God takes front and center albeit delayed, as evidence of His grace. It also appears that the reason for the judgement is upon illicit marital unions between God's children and others...read: believers and unbelievers, which has other Biblical support.
It is a wonderful exercise to think critically upon such issues but simply because we, at the end of the day, cannot say definitively one way or the other does not mean that we aren't able to decipher what God wants us to know about Himself. Here we need to focus upon the differentiation of flesh and spirit and the grace of God.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
September 27, 2009...OY: The Deluge
Introduction: In attempting to see / get the Big Picture by viewing the entire Bible in the course of a year we will be encountering God “progressively.” We are introduced to God in the opening verse of the Bible. He is the creator. As such He is also the Ruler of His creation. In creating man in His image and likeness God established a relationship with humanity unlike any other relationship in all the universe and Adam and Eve rebelled against God which had a disastrous effect upon their relationship and upon Creation. God as the Ruler determined and declared that they would have to be removed from the Garden of Eden and that pain would be their lot in life. He however, did not remove them from their relationship with Him. Even as He was in the middle of disciplining them He graciously made coverings for them. And we saw that their discipline was designed to bring them to God not push them away. The problem that they would face as we do today is sin. The effects of the Fall are tremendous but in this first act of God’s grace after the fall we begin a progression towards the ultimate fulfillment of His grace in the Cross of Christ. This morning we will make progress towards knowing and understanding that God makes promises and keeps them. We call these promises covenants. You see in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, we have promises made by God and in the Greek Scriptures, the New Testament, we have promises kept. As we move through a few chapters of Genesis this morning we get a view of God promise making and keeping through His deeds. Even when sin and the effects it has upon humanity is so pronounced.
Essential Impact: God intervenes in His kingdom.
Because God is active in promise making and intervening in His Kingdom…
Main 1: Trust God’s plan. Know that His ways are good and perfect.
A. Sin is prominent from the outset. Adam and Eve have two sons and one of them, Cain murders his brother, Abel.
B. God comes. His question to Cain is similar to God’s question to Adam when Adam was hiding from God. Here though, God asks Cain where Abel is. Cain outright lies and God knows it. And yet God shows “grace” to Cain by marking him with a sign to make sure that nobody murders Cain.
C. Then sin increases again as the sons of God procreate with the daughters of man. If you are wondering what is going on here in Scripture I would invite you to the One Year Web Site this week. It will be discussed in a separate post.
D. God comes again and speaks and declares that His judgment upon this outcropping will come in time, 120 years to be exact.
ILLUSTRATION: Biblical: “In the day you eat it you shall surely die.” Death did enter the world for Adam and Eve and all humanity it just wasn’t immediate physical death. : This isn’t a lynching but more like a delayed sentencing.
E. The Flood wipes everything clean. One righteous man and his family survive. Noah 6.8 finds favor in God’s eyes. God calls Noah to build an Ark and rescue the animals. And it rains. Then God comes again and He remembers Noah and the waters clear up.
F. Sin doesn’t take long to root again and Ham sins. This time God doesn’t speak but Noah does and declares a curse upon Ham’s son Canaan.
G. Sin increases more and Nimrod and his citizens build a huge city and a tower to do exactly what Eve and Adam did in their rebellion…to be like god…make a name for ourselves at the Tower of Babel.
H. God comes and confuses the people and scatters them across the face of the earth.
APPLICATION: 1. Noah is the one bright star in this mess of sin that trusts in God’s plan. Nowhere is there even a hint of Noah questioning the plan and authority of God. Even in the sin of Ham Noah’s drunkenness is not at issue. To be sure it precipitates Ham’s transgression but it also precipitates Shem and Japheth’s righteousness. When sin is swirling and rearing its ugly head in your world or in your life personally do you turn to God and trust Him to accomplish His plans. We sing the song “In heavenly armor we’ll enter the land…the Battle belongs to the Lord.”
2. God repeatedly comes in these chapters. He enters into His creation; into His Kingdom. It has been a long time since God has come, I’m referring to Jesus, but in God’s ultimate display of grace at the cross where Jesus dies to pay the penalty for sin does He need to come again? Are you trusting in Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for your sin? If not let me ask, what are you trusting in? God gave Noah instructions for the Ark. Noah built it just as God said. Noah trusted God not his own ability.
Main 2: Remember that God makes and keeps His promises.
A. Adam’s promise: Given the responsibility of caring for the Garden, Adam’s sin terminates the perfect paradise and God institutes another set of circumstances. This time not as pleasant as the first; pain in labor and pain in labor.
B. Noah’s promise 6.3: The delay of God’s judgment upon the ungodly as they have increased and do continually what is right in their own eyes.
C. Noah’s promise 9.1ff = Rainbow plus: After the Flood water receded God once again dictates a certain set of circumstances. The repopulations of the earth is reaffirmed. The animals are once again placed underneath the fear of mankind. God will not destroy the earth again with water and He sets His bow in the clouds as a reminder.
D. Abram’s promise coming in 12.1-3: Forecasting just a little…for next week read the remainder of Genesis. Whereas the promises and covenants have been general and universal in nature, Eden, Adam, and Noah’s now with Abram/Abraham the covenant becomes specific and personal.
APPLICATION: 1. Genesis 3.15 the seed of the Gospel begins in the curse of the serpent. The door of redemption has been open. As we have peaked inside we see more of why it is that God must take action to restore us to Himself. Left to ourselves in the corruption of sin we become murderers, arrogant idol worshipers, with all sorts of perversions. We need salvation from somewhere outside of ourselves and God demonstrates that He makes and keeps His promises.
Conclusion: God has intervened in His Kingdom and He has moved towards fallen humans for His own glory by demonstrating His grace in kindness. The emphasis in these chapters of Genesis has definetly leaned to show us the prevelance of sin and its effect. Still God's grace and judgement shown through His intervention gives us hope. We will see throughout the remainder of this year a more specific and intentional movement as God makes and keeps His promise.
Essential Impact: God intervenes in His kingdom.
Because God is active in promise making and intervening in His Kingdom…
Main 1: Trust God’s plan. Know that His ways are good and perfect.
A. Sin is prominent from the outset. Adam and Eve have two sons and one of them, Cain murders his brother, Abel.
B. God comes. His question to Cain is similar to God’s question to Adam when Adam was hiding from God. Here though, God asks Cain where Abel is. Cain outright lies and God knows it. And yet God shows “grace” to Cain by marking him with a sign to make sure that nobody murders Cain.
C. Then sin increases again as the sons of God procreate with the daughters of man. If you are wondering what is going on here in Scripture I would invite you to the One Year Web Site this week. It will be discussed in a separate post.
D. God comes again and speaks and declares that His judgment upon this outcropping will come in time, 120 years to be exact.
ILLUSTRATION: Biblical: “In the day you eat it you shall surely die.” Death did enter the world for Adam and Eve and all humanity it just wasn’t immediate physical death. : This isn’t a lynching but more like a delayed sentencing.
E. The Flood wipes everything clean. One righteous man and his family survive. Noah 6.8 finds favor in God’s eyes. God calls Noah to build an Ark and rescue the animals. And it rains. Then God comes again and He remembers Noah and the waters clear up.
F. Sin doesn’t take long to root again and Ham sins. This time God doesn’t speak but Noah does and declares a curse upon Ham’s son Canaan.
G. Sin increases more and Nimrod and his citizens build a huge city and a tower to do exactly what Eve and Adam did in their rebellion…to be like god…make a name for ourselves at the Tower of Babel.
H. God comes and confuses the people and scatters them across the face of the earth.
APPLICATION: 1. Noah is the one bright star in this mess of sin that trusts in God’s plan. Nowhere is there even a hint of Noah questioning the plan and authority of God. Even in the sin of Ham Noah’s drunkenness is not at issue. To be sure it precipitates Ham’s transgression but it also precipitates Shem and Japheth’s righteousness. When sin is swirling and rearing its ugly head in your world or in your life personally do you turn to God and trust Him to accomplish His plans. We sing the song “In heavenly armor we’ll enter the land…the Battle belongs to the Lord.”
2. God repeatedly comes in these chapters. He enters into His creation; into His Kingdom. It has been a long time since God has come, I’m referring to Jesus, but in God’s ultimate display of grace at the cross where Jesus dies to pay the penalty for sin does He need to come again? Are you trusting in Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for your sin? If not let me ask, what are you trusting in? God gave Noah instructions for the Ark. Noah built it just as God said. Noah trusted God not his own ability.
Main 2: Remember that God makes and keeps His promises.
A. Adam’s promise: Given the responsibility of caring for the Garden, Adam’s sin terminates the perfect paradise and God institutes another set of circumstances. This time not as pleasant as the first; pain in labor and pain in labor.
B. Noah’s promise 6.3: The delay of God’s judgment upon the ungodly as they have increased and do continually what is right in their own eyes.
C. Noah’s promise 9.1ff = Rainbow plus: After the Flood water receded God once again dictates a certain set of circumstances. The repopulations of the earth is reaffirmed. The animals are once again placed underneath the fear of mankind. God will not destroy the earth again with water and He sets His bow in the clouds as a reminder.
D. Abram’s promise coming in 12.1-3: Forecasting just a little…for next week read the remainder of Genesis. Whereas the promises and covenants have been general and universal in nature, Eden, Adam, and Noah’s now with Abram/Abraham the covenant becomes specific and personal.
APPLICATION: 1. Genesis 3.15 the seed of the Gospel begins in the curse of the serpent. The door of redemption has been open. As we have peaked inside we see more of why it is that God must take action to restore us to Himself. Left to ourselves in the corruption of sin we become murderers, arrogant idol worshipers, with all sorts of perversions. We need salvation from somewhere outside of ourselves and God demonstrates that He makes and keeps His promises.
Conclusion: God has intervened in His Kingdom and He has moved towards fallen humans for His own glory by demonstrating His grace in kindness. The emphasis in these chapters of Genesis has definetly leaned to show us the prevelance of sin and its effect. Still God's grace and judgement shown through His intervention gives us hope. We will see throughout the remainder of this year a more specific and intentional movement as God makes and keeps His promise.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Schedule Change
The schedule has changed from a previous post.
September 13th: Creation: Genesis 1-2
September 20th: Fall: Genesis 3
September 27th: Flood: Genesis 4-11
October 4th: Covenant: Genesis 12-50
October 11th: The Exodus and The Law: Exodus
October 18th: Worship/Sacrifice: Leviticus 1-17
October 25th: Worship/Sanctification: Leviticus 18-27
September 13th: Creation: Genesis 1-2
September 20th: Fall: Genesis 3
September 27th: Flood: Genesis 4-11
October 4th: Covenant: Genesis 12-50
October 11th: The Exodus and The Law: Exodus
October 18th: Worship/Sacrifice: Leviticus 1-17
October 25th: Worship/Sanctification: Leviticus 18-27
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
A word on "WORK"
In last weeks sermon, see the notes below, under the Main 1 heading in the application section I made the remark, "On more than one occasion I have invited you to check what your favorite radio or t.v. preachers have to say. And I also invite you to check what I say against God’s declared determined word."
The remark was made to encourage people to turn to the revealed Word of God and not take any one's word for it. In the context it was in reference to Eve's dialogue with the serpent and taking his word for it.
Later during the message I made a few unwritten comments about what Adam and Eve forfeited and lost when they rebelled against God making a special note of their now broken relationship with the Lord God. In my off the sermon note remarks I mentioned that they were in a perfect paradise with no disease, no etcetera and not having to work...all of it was lost. Paradise lost.
After fellowship time was winding down someone came up to me with a question about something I had said. I wasn't sure what to expect. They asked about Genesis 2.15. So I looked it up immediately and read it out loud. And was cut to the quick for my "off the sermon note comment" that they didn't have to work. I should have done my preparation more thoroughly.
BLESS GOD for this person's inquiry. They did exactly what I challenged them to do by turning to the Word of God and not just taking my word for it. Amen and Amen.
Now I did a little follow up word study and here's what I found.
Genesis 2:15 "Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it." [NASB] The NIV uses, "to work it and take care of it."
The Hebrew word used for "cultivate" and "work" has the meaning of "to serve." Man has been created to serve not to be served. And so here in the garden Adam is to make efforts to keep the garden in order growing and producing. Even in Eden plants do not look after themselves. Victor Hamilton in his commentary makes the following observation. "The point is made clear here that physical labor is not the consequence of sin. Work enters the picture before sin does, and if man had never sinned he still would be working."
Genesis 3.17-19 Now the work of Adam to produce food will involve "toil and pain." It will be physically strenuous and the only respite comes when man dies.
The remark was made to encourage people to turn to the revealed Word of God and not take any one's word for it. In the context it was in reference to Eve's dialogue with the serpent and taking his word for it.
Later during the message I made a few unwritten comments about what Adam and Eve forfeited and lost when they rebelled against God making a special note of their now broken relationship with the Lord God. In my off the sermon note remarks I mentioned that they were in a perfect paradise with no disease, no etcetera and not having to work...all of it was lost. Paradise lost.
After fellowship time was winding down someone came up to me with a question about something I had said. I wasn't sure what to expect. They asked about Genesis 2.15. So I looked it up immediately and read it out loud. And was cut to the quick for my "off the sermon note comment" that they didn't have to work. I should have done my preparation more thoroughly.
BLESS GOD for this person's inquiry. They did exactly what I challenged them to do by turning to the Word of God and not just taking my word for it. Amen and Amen.
Now I did a little follow up word study and here's what I found.
Genesis 2:15 "Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it." [NASB] The NIV uses, "to work it and take care of it."
The Hebrew word used for "cultivate" and "work" has the meaning of "to serve." Man has been created to serve not to be served. And so here in the garden Adam is to make efforts to keep the garden in order growing and producing. Even in Eden plants do not look after themselves. Victor Hamilton in his commentary makes the following observation. "The point is made clear here that physical labor is not the consequence of sin. Work enters the picture before sin does, and if man had never sinned he still would be working."
Genesis 3.17-19 Now the work of Adam to produce food will involve "toil and pain." It will be physically strenuous and the only respite comes when man dies.
September 20, 2009....OY: The Fall
Introduction: The Bible is a collection of Books about God. We should then expect that each portion of it in some way speaks to us concerning God; His nature, character, being. To be certain there is diversity in the ways in which this is accomplished. Sometimes it is done through story / narrative or poetry or prose but make no mistake, behind each and every page of Holy Scripture is God.
Last week we saw that God revealed Himself through His creative activity. In so doing, in Genesis 1 + 2 we looked into how knowing God as Creator and Ruler informs our worship of Him, our relationships with Him and others and our relationship with His world.
This week as we turn to Genesis 3 and the Fall of mankind what we see revealed about God is His absolute authority. In particular…
Essential Impact: God’s declarations are determined.
Main 1: Comprehend the seriousness of God’s commands.
a. After God placed Adam, the first created man, into the Garden, God placed a prohibition upon eating from one certain tree in the garden. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was off limits. Its fruit was not to be eaten.
b. Then God fashioned a women out of one of Adams ribs and Adam was very excited about her. Creation was complete and the happy couple was ready to live happily ever after…
c. …enter the serpent. This creature was more crafty than any other and who’s to say that before the Fall of humanity that Adam and Eve couldn’t talk with creation. {Illustration of the future: Isaiah 65.17-25} We just don’t know and we don’t need to. And so the serpent addresses Eve and they begin to dialogue. The serpent begins to tempt Eve.
d. But what is she being tempted towards? The fruit? A bigger and better Garden? A new mate? No, no, and no. She is being tempted to rebel against the authority of God. Now to be fair, we have no record that God spoke to her directly about the prohibition on the fruit of the tree and so we assume that either Adam told her or God did speak to them both at some subsequent time but we have no record of how she got the information. But from the dialogue with the serpent she certainly knew the content of the prohibition.
e. The serpent twists things right from the beginning and keeps the pressure on until she is in full rebellion and usurps the authority of God in her life. Then she turns to her husband and demonstrates her “new authority” and he capitulates and rebels as well.
Application:
1. The twisted words of the serpent = “any tree” which is a lie. God’s declarations are determined and we need to handle them with seriousness. Do not trivialize what is said by God. If you have troubles remembering what God said about something don’t just guess. Go back and look it up. Be certain to check and double check like the noble Bareans. On more than one occasion I have invited you to check what your favorite radio or t.v. preachers have to say. And I also invite you to check what I say against God’s declared determined word. {those who have asked me personally about the sinfulness of same gender relationships in light of recent events…people want to know}
2. Respond accurately. Eve’s answer includes the truth but there is just a little bit extra that gives ground to the temptation. Where this addition came from is uncertain. Did Adam add it when he spoke to Eve about the prohibition or did she begin to exercise her “self” in this dialogue? It’s almost as if she was saying, “I can make this prohibition even stronger and show this crafty serpent how much I really am sold out for God.” Well bless her heart isn’t she super spiritual?
3. Be on guard for your own reasoning. Even in a perfect situation Eve was tempted to use her natural observations to move away from God. When she saw that the fruit was delicious and nutritious and able to make one wise she rebelled against God and in effect questioned God’s authority and good intent towards her.
4. Speak up before it’s too late. Adam was silent for whatever reason he didn’t reiterate God’s prohibition. He was right there and he was silent. SYATP is a good opportunity to make a statement this Wednesday. Eve spoke up but did so of her own accord not relying on God’s declared word. So when you speak up do so fully gripped by His word.
Main 2: Live under God’s pronouncements and provisions.
a. God comes to be with Adam and Eve and asks for them. Why? Because He doesn’t know where they are? No, because Adam needs to know where he is.
b. Adam evaluates honestly his condition. He was afraid and he hid from God because of his nakedness. God pushes a bit further and gives us the reason for Adams condition. Adam did what God had told him not to do. Disobedience is serious. And then the rationalizations start.
c. Adam blames Eve…but it’s true. Eve blames the serpent…but it’s true. Then God turns to the serpent and begins His pronouncements of judgment.
d. the serpent is cursed…and the door of redemption opens.
e. Eve will have pain. She will desire Adam. He will rule.
f. Adam will have to work the ground to survive.
g. God makes them better coverings.
Application:
1. Humanity fell and what they thought they were going to get…ultimate self autonomy / another authority / to be like God with all the perks and privileges…they got none of it and in so rebelling they lost everything they had especially fellowship with God. Watch anything in your life that has the word “self” attached to it. {Illustration: Self-image and being created in the image of God or being conformed to the image of Christ. Genesis 1.26ff + Romans 8.29}
2. Jesus Christ, the second, Adam as explained in 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 5 came to defeat death. It entered the world through Adam and was conquered by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He came to pay the penalty for our sin whose wage is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Come to Him today.
Main 3: Respect the King / Creator[Ruler]
a. God then acts and removes Adam and Eve from the garden. He declares that they might stretch out their hand again. Their self-will and eat from another tree. The more they exercise their rebellion and authority the more they become gods in their own eyes. So God stretches out His hand and tosses them out. And then He places a guard in front so as to bar them entrance.
b. “Being Like God” – on the lips of the serpent and in the lips of God have two very different implications and outcomes. The twisted intent of the serpent is for Eve to question God’s good intention and thereby create in her a doubt that would lead to her “overthrow” His authority. In God’s lips the tone is more of a declarative tone in that Adam and Eve were never meant for this kind of existence and so they have violated their created intent. The role they were made for.
c. God’s better coverings: His grace preceded His judgment upon them.
APPLICATION:
1. As King and Ruler God has every right to make declaration and determination concerning His creation. We are not the authority. Adam was given by God the responsibility to rule over, as a steward, the creation. The point being God is still King and Ruler. We are not. He deserves the respect and honor and glory. We do not. He alone is worthy. We are not. When you hear any input to the contrary, regardless the source, reject it and respect the King.
2. If you are a follower of Christ and things don’t seem to be going the way you planned look at the “you” in the plan. He is King and Ruler it ought to be His plan. If you are respecting Him His way is perfect.
3. Looking at Adam and Eve and their removal from the garden we can conclude that this was their punishment. But does that really align with what we know of God as King, as Ruler, as Creator. He created Adam and Eve and it was good. Even in their falleness God compassionately makes them coverings. As they are now removed from the garden and paradise is lost. This hardship was designed to bring them to God not away from Him. Disobedience and rebellion have their consequences and God does not save us from them all. The Lord disciplines those He loves.
Conclusion: In the next 50 weeks there will be no one chapter messages. Together we have seen God in His creative activity revealing His nature as King / Creator / Ruler. Today, as King and Ruler of His “Kingdom” creation we have noted His grace and judgment because of Adam’s sin. Adam and Eve enjoyed an intimate and unbroken relationship with God but now that relationship is terribly distorted…and it will take an act of God to restore it. The door to redemption has been opened.
Last week we saw that God revealed Himself through His creative activity. In so doing, in Genesis 1 + 2 we looked into how knowing God as Creator and Ruler informs our worship of Him, our relationships with Him and others and our relationship with His world.
This week as we turn to Genesis 3 and the Fall of mankind what we see revealed about God is His absolute authority. In particular…
Essential Impact: God’s declarations are determined.
Main 1: Comprehend the seriousness of God’s commands.
a. After God placed Adam, the first created man, into the Garden, God placed a prohibition upon eating from one certain tree in the garden. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was off limits. Its fruit was not to be eaten.
b. Then God fashioned a women out of one of Adams ribs and Adam was very excited about her. Creation was complete and the happy couple was ready to live happily ever after…
c. …enter the serpent. This creature was more crafty than any other and who’s to say that before the Fall of humanity that Adam and Eve couldn’t talk with creation. {Illustration of the future: Isaiah 65.17-25} We just don’t know and we don’t need to. And so the serpent addresses Eve and they begin to dialogue. The serpent begins to tempt Eve.
d. But what is she being tempted towards? The fruit? A bigger and better Garden? A new mate? No, no, and no. She is being tempted to rebel against the authority of God. Now to be fair, we have no record that God spoke to her directly about the prohibition on the fruit of the tree and so we assume that either Adam told her or God did speak to them both at some subsequent time but we have no record of how she got the information. But from the dialogue with the serpent she certainly knew the content of the prohibition.
e. The serpent twists things right from the beginning and keeps the pressure on until she is in full rebellion and usurps the authority of God in her life. Then she turns to her husband and demonstrates her “new authority” and he capitulates and rebels as well.
Application:
1. The twisted words of the serpent = “any tree” which is a lie. God’s declarations are determined and we need to handle them with seriousness. Do not trivialize what is said by God. If you have troubles remembering what God said about something don’t just guess. Go back and look it up. Be certain to check and double check like the noble Bareans. On more than one occasion I have invited you to check what your favorite radio or t.v. preachers have to say. And I also invite you to check what I say against God’s declared determined word. {those who have asked me personally about the sinfulness of same gender relationships in light of recent events…people want to know}
2. Respond accurately. Eve’s answer includes the truth but there is just a little bit extra that gives ground to the temptation. Where this addition came from is uncertain. Did Adam add it when he spoke to Eve about the prohibition or did she begin to exercise her “self” in this dialogue? It’s almost as if she was saying, “I can make this prohibition even stronger and show this crafty serpent how much I really am sold out for God.” Well bless her heart isn’t she super spiritual?
3. Be on guard for your own reasoning. Even in a perfect situation Eve was tempted to use her natural observations to move away from God. When she saw that the fruit was delicious and nutritious and able to make one wise she rebelled against God and in effect questioned God’s authority and good intent towards her.
4. Speak up before it’s too late. Adam was silent for whatever reason he didn’t reiterate God’s prohibition. He was right there and he was silent. SYATP is a good opportunity to make a statement this Wednesday. Eve spoke up but did so of her own accord not relying on God’s declared word. So when you speak up do so fully gripped by His word.
Main 2: Live under God’s pronouncements and provisions.
a. God comes to be with Adam and Eve and asks for them. Why? Because He doesn’t know where they are? No, because Adam needs to know where he is.
b. Adam evaluates honestly his condition. He was afraid and he hid from God because of his nakedness. God pushes a bit further and gives us the reason for Adams condition. Adam did what God had told him not to do. Disobedience is serious. And then the rationalizations start.
c. Adam blames Eve…but it’s true. Eve blames the serpent…but it’s true. Then God turns to the serpent and begins His pronouncements of judgment.
d. the serpent is cursed…and the door of redemption opens.
e. Eve will have pain. She will desire Adam. He will rule.
f. Adam will have to work the ground to survive.
g. God makes them better coverings.
Application:
1. Humanity fell and what they thought they were going to get…ultimate self autonomy / another authority / to be like God with all the perks and privileges…they got none of it and in so rebelling they lost everything they had especially fellowship with God. Watch anything in your life that has the word “self” attached to it. {Illustration: Self-image and being created in the image of God or being conformed to the image of Christ. Genesis 1.26ff + Romans 8.29}
2. Jesus Christ, the second, Adam as explained in 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 5 came to defeat death. It entered the world through Adam and was conquered by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He came to pay the penalty for our sin whose wage is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Come to Him today.
Main 3: Respect the King / Creator[Ruler]
a. God then acts and removes Adam and Eve from the garden. He declares that they might stretch out their hand again. Their self-will and eat from another tree. The more they exercise their rebellion and authority the more they become gods in their own eyes. So God stretches out His hand and tosses them out. And then He places a guard in front so as to bar them entrance.
b. “Being Like God” – on the lips of the serpent and in the lips of God have two very different implications and outcomes. The twisted intent of the serpent is for Eve to question God’s good intention and thereby create in her a doubt that would lead to her “overthrow” His authority. In God’s lips the tone is more of a declarative tone in that Adam and Eve were never meant for this kind of existence and so they have violated their created intent. The role they were made for.
c. God’s better coverings: His grace preceded His judgment upon them.
APPLICATION:
1. As King and Ruler God has every right to make declaration and determination concerning His creation. We are not the authority. Adam was given by God the responsibility to rule over, as a steward, the creation. The point being God is still King and Ruler. We are not. He deserves the respect and honor and glory. We do not. He alone is worthy. We are not. When you hear any input to the contrary, regardless the source, reject it and respect the King.
2. If you are a follower of Christ and things don’t seem to be going the way you planned look at the “you” in the plan. He is King and Ruler it ought to be His plan. If you are respecting Him His way is perfect.
3. Looking at Adam and Eve and their removal from the garden we can conclude that this was their punishment. But does that really align with what we know of God as King, as Ruler, as Creator. He created Adam and Eve and it was good. Even in their falleness God compassionately makes them coverings. As they are now removed from the garden and paradise is lost. This hardship was designed to bring them to God not away from Him. Disobedience and rebellion have their consequences and God does not save us from them all. The Lord disciplines those He loves.
Conclusion: In the next 50 weeks there will be no one chapter messages. Together we have seen God in His creative activity revealing His nature as King / Creator / Ruler. Today, as King and Ruler of His “Kingdom” creation we have noted His grace and judgment because of Adam’s sin. Adam and Eve enjoyed an intimate and unbroken relationship with God but now that relationship is terribly distorted…and it will take an act of God to restore it. The door to redemption has been opened.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
September 13th, 2009.....OY: "Creation"
We begin at the beginning, Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 1.
Scripture Reading: Genesis 1.31-2.1
Essential Impact: God reveals Himself through His creative activity.
Main 1: Slow down and look for God in Creation.
“In the beginning God…”
1. God Exists: Four very significant, noteworthy, momentous, meaningful words that show us that God exists. Prior to anything else that there is He was. He has always been. He had no beginning and He will have no end. He is eternal. {Psalm 90.2 Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.}
Both of my sons have asked me, on numerous occasions, “Who made God?” The answer is no one made God. He has always been. I know that is hard for them to understand…but I also know that all of the adults in the room understand it fully. [Right] I do know it’s true and that’s as much as any of us can appreciate. The Bible does not answer all of our questions. No one ever said it had to.
2. Understanding “eternal”: The idea that someone or something is eternal is difficult to grasp. So the idea gets filed under one of two categories. One: romantic [i.e. star crossed lovers in a movie who finally end up in each others embrace and profess the love for all eternity. Nope. Two: impossible [i.e. nothing last forever] Nope. God is eternal and it is a matter of faith but not some kind of “throw my hands up in the air and call it good faith” but rather a faith in God and that He has always been and always will be.
Two illustrations:
i. the never ending library where you pick up the only book and turn to the fist page and that page represents one day…now the thing about this library is that every time you turn a page another book is added to the library…in both directions. A limited illustration but at least it is one we can fathom.
ii. space travel at the speed of light. If you travel at the speed of light you would circle the earth 7 times in one second. You would be past the moon in 2 seconds. Past Mars in four mintes. Past Pluto in 5 hours. At the speed of light, you will reach the closest star in 4.3 years, which means each second of those years you travel 186,000 miles —a total distance equivalent to 25,284,000,000,000 miles.
The band of stars you see in the night sky is part of a gigantic family of stars called the Milky Way Galaxy. Traveling at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 years to cross it from one side to the other. There are an estimated 100 billion galaxies in the Universe, many comprising billions of stars. Galaxies come in clusters and super-clusters. There are about twenty galaxies in our cluster, and thousands of galaxies in our super-cluster. At the speed of light, you will reach the next closest galaxy in 2,000,000 years …and the next closest cluster of galaxies in 20,000,000 years. At this point you have only begun to travel the Universe.
Main 2: Appreciate that God is the ruler of creation.
“God…created the heavens and the earth…”
1. Created = the activity of God
2. He created it. He owns it. He rules it.
illustration of Missionary in Papua New Guinea. As he walked around the village he would ask whose paddle is that or whose canoe is that? The tribesman would always answer, “that is so and so’s paddle.” The missionary asked, “How do you know?” They would answer, “Because so and so made it.” Taking it a step further the missionary asked, “Would it be ok if I broke this paddle.” The emphatic response came, “Only if you want trouble with the creator.” Finally the missionary asked, “Would it be ok if the creator broke it?” The tribesman thought for a moment and replied, “I guess that would be ok, he made it.” Creation is God’s doing and He is the owner and so He rules His creation.
3. Creation takes:
i. Power (-all): no raw materials, no blueprints
{Psalm 147.5 Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.}
ii. Knowledge (-all) no how to books, no architect
{Job 38.4-7 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?}
iii. Presence (-all) no shop or studio
{Jeremiah 23.23-24 “Am I a God who is near,” declares the LORD, “And not a God far off? “Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the LORD. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.}
{Jeremiah 51.15 It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom, And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens.}
4. Creation was good
a. lights [camera; action] Day 1
b. earth, water, expanse Day 2
c. land + plants Day 3 = kinds
d. Sun, Moon and Stars Day 4 = Order
e. sea life + birds Day 5 = kinds
f. beasts + Man Day 6 =kinds
- perfection reflects a perfect Creator
- intimate details reflects a creative Creator
- Mankind
~ in His image
~ companions [Adam and Eve]
~ the Garden
g. for His glory {Revelation 4.11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”}
h. mankind was His friend
i. Creation was complete and good {Genesis 1.31}
Application:
1. Knowing God as He has revealed Himself to be
2. …informs our worship
3. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with Him
4. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with His world
5. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with each other.
Scripture Reading: Genesis 1.31-2.1
Essential Impact: God reveals Himself through His creative activity.
Main 1: Slow down and look for God in Creation.
“In the beginning God…”
1. God Exists: Four very significant, noteworthy, momentous, meaningful words that show us that God exists. Prior to anything else that there is He was. He has always been. He had no beginning and He will have no end. He is eternal. {Psalm 90.2 Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.}
Both of my sons have asked me, on numerous occasions, “Who made God?” The answer is no one made God. He has always been. I know that is hard for them to understand…but I also know that all of the adults in the room understand it fully. [Right] I do know it’s true and that’s as much as any of us can appreciate. The Bible does not answer all of our questions. No one ever said it had to.
2. Understanding “eternal”: The idea that someone or something is eternal is difficult to grasp. So the idea gets filed under one of two categories. One: romantic [i.e. star crossed lovers in a movie who finally end up in each others embrace and profess the love for all eternity. Nope. Two: impossible [i.e. nothing last forever] Nope. God is eternal and it is a matter of faith but not some kind of “throw my hands up in the air and call it good faith” but rather a faith in God and that He has always been and always will be.
Two illustrations:
i. the never ending library where you pick up the only book and turn to the fist page and that page represents one day…now the thing about this library is that every time you turn a page another book is added to the library…in both directions. A limited illustration but at least it is one we can fathom.
ii. space travel at the speed of light. If you travel at the speed of light you would circle the earth 7 times in one second. You would be past the moon in 2 seconds. Past Mars in four mintes. Past Pluto in 5 hours. At the speed of light, you will reach the closest star in 4.3 years, which means each second of those years you travel 186,000 miles —a total distance equivalent to 25,284,000,000,000 miles.
The band of stars you see in the night sky is part of a gigantic family of stars called the Milky Way Galaxy. Traveling at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 years to cross it from one side to the other. There are an estimated 100 billion galaxies in the Universe, many comprising billions of stars. Galaxies come in clusters and super-clusters. There are about twenty galaxies in our cluster, and thousands of galaxies in our super-cluster. At the speed of light, you will reach the next closest galaxy in 2,000,000 years …and the next closest cluster of galaxies in 20,000,000 years. At this point you have only begun to travel the Universe.
Main 2: Appreciate that God is the ruler of creation.
“God…created the heavens and the earth…”
1. Created = the activity of God
2. He created it. He owns it. He rules it.
illustration of Missionary in Papua New Guinea. As he walked around the village he would ask whose paddle is that or whose canoe is that? The tribesman would always answer, “that is so and so’s paddle.” The missionary asked, “How do you know?” They would answer, “Because so and so made it.” Taking it a step further the missionary asked, “Would it be ok if I broke this paddle.” The emphatic response came, “Only if you want trouble with the creator.” Finally the missionary asked, “Would it be ok if the creator broke it?” The tribesman thought for a moment and replied, “I guess that would be ok, he made it.” Creation is God’s doing and He is the owner and so He rules His creation.
3. Creation takes:
i. Power (-all): no raw materials, no blueprints
{Psalm 147.5 Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.}
ii. Knowledge (-all) no how to books, no architect
{Job 38.4-7 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?}
iii. Presence (-all) no shop or studio
{Jeremiah 23.23-24 “Am I a God who is near,” declares the LORD, “And not a God far off? “Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the LORD. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.}
{Jeremiah 51.15 It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom, And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens.}
4. Creation was good
a. lights [camera; action] Day 1
b. earth, water, expanse Day 2
c. land + plants Day 3 = kinds
d. Sun, Moon and Stars Day 4 = Order
e. sea life + birds Day 5 = kinds
f. beasts + Man Day 6 =kinds
- perfection reflects a perfect Creator
- intimate details reflects a creative Creator
- Mankind
~ in His image
~ companions [Adam and Eve]
~ the Garden
g. for His glory {Revelation 4.11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”}
h. mankind was His friend
i. Creation was complete and good {Genesis 1.31}
Application:
1. Knowing God as He has revealed Himself to be
2. …informs our worship
3. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with Him
4. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with His world
5. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with each other.
"Puzzle" Introduction
Introduction: Aunt Joanie was an avid puzzler. She loved to work on puzzles. I know that some of you enjoy doing puzzles. Has anyone here ever put one of those mammoth puzzles together without having the box for a picture? How long would it take to do something like that? Do you think it is possible? Doing puzzles is made possible by knowing what it was meant to look like. You need to know what you’re aiming for.
The Bible can be like a puzzle in the same sense. In order to understand any individual part of the Bible if you grasp the whole picture you will know how the smaller parts fit together. They will become less confusing and more readily understood. That is one of our aims in this series…to gain a Biblical overview. Granted it will take a year but if you do the math it isn’t too serious a time commitment. 52 sermons = “52 hours” which is about 2 and 1/6th days time.
One of the first questions we need to answer to gain this overview is “why?” Why do we have the Bible or why does the Bible exist? The Bible exists because God breathed it into existence. The Holy Spirit inspired individuals to record the very Word of God. Why did God do this? He did this in order to reveal Himself specifically. He has revealed Himself generally by what we see…creation. His specifically reveals Himself, His nature, His character, His very being in the pages of His Word. Why would He do this? He does this for His own glory. To be known as God…because He is God.
So then another question that leads us directly into His Word is “how?” How did God reveal Himself in the pages of His Word? It is a question of context. Did He reveal Himself as a really Big Fish in a Sea community? No. Did He reveal Himself as the Principal of a school where the student learns and is tested about Him? No. He revealed Himself as the Ruler of a Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is the context of the revelation of His glory. [That is the box]
One final question before we take our first step into this year long journey through God’s Word. Is there a main/central figure in this Kingdom? Yes. God is the central figure. The Bible is not a collection of Books about us or creation or the devil or spiritual growth. The Bible is a collection of Books about God. And the most specific way in which He reveals Himself is when He comes in human flesh…God reveals Himself most specifically in the person of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Luke 24.13-32 when Jesus meets up with two disciples on there way to Emmaus He begins to explain throughout all of God’s Word the things concerning Himself. {Luke 24.27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.} [That is the picture on the box]
The Bible can be like a puzzle in the same sense. In order to understand any individual part of the Bible if you grasp the whole picture you will know how the smaller parts fit together. They will become less confusing and more readily understood. That is one of our aims in this series…to gain a Biblical overview. Granted it will take a year but if you do the math it isn’t too serious a time commitment. 52 sermons = “52 hours” which is about 2 and 1/6th days time.
One of the first questions we need to answer to gain this overview is “why?” Why do we have the Bible or why does the Bible exist? The Bible exists because God breathed it into existence. The Holy Spirit inspired individuals to record the very Word of God. Why did God do this? He did this in order to reveal Himself specifically. He has revealed Himself generally by what we see…creation. His specifically reveals Himself, His nature, His character, His very being in the pages of His Word. Why would He do this? He does this for His own glory. To be known as God…because He is God.
So then another question that leads us directly into His Word is “how?” How did God reveal Himself in the pages of His Word? It is a question of context. Did He reveal Himself as a really Big Fish in a Sea community? No. Did He reveal Himself as the Principal of a school where the student learns and is tested about Him? No. He revealed Himself as the Ruler of a Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is the context of the revelation of His glory. [That is the box]
One final question before we take our first step into this year long journey through God’s Word. Is there a main/central figure in this Kingdom? Yes. God is the central figure. The Bible is not a collection of Books about us or creation or the devil or spiritual growth. The Bible is a collection of Books about God. And the most specific way in which He reveals Himself is when He comes in human flesh…God reveals Himself most specifically in the person of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Luke 24.13-32 when Jesus meets up with two disciples on there way to Emmaus He begins to explain throughout all of God’s Word the things concerning Himself. {Luke 24.27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.} [That is the picture on the box]
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Be Encouraged
On September 13th we will begin a year long progression through the entire Bible. It may seem like a daunting task and to be certain it will be on a number of different fronts.
With only 52 weeks in a year and 66 Books in the Bible we cannot do a book a week and finish and so, our approach will have to be different. We will take a “bird’s eye view.” Sometimes we will soar high like an eagle and get an expansive view. At other times we will get a ducks view, in a sense, hovering closer to the ground and hopping from one pond to the next. And still at other times we’ll get the robin pecking for the worm view and be on the ground.
A word of encouragement for this daunting task.
52 weeks equals 52 sermons
If each sermon were an hour long that would be 52 hours.
[Now I realize it seems like the sermon is always more than an hour but it usually lands between 35 and 45 minutes.]
Doing the math with 24 hours in a day the entire sermon series end for end would only occupy 2 and 1/6th days. Not a huge time commitment when you think about it.
Please continue to pray for our congregation during this time and for those who will visit.
With only 52 weeks in a year and 66 Books in the Bible we cannot do a book a week and finish and so, our approach will have to be different. We will take a “bird’s eye view.” Sometimes we will soar high like an eagle and get an expansive view. At other times we will get a ducks view, in a sense, hovering closer to the ground and hopping from one pond to the next. And still at other times we’ll get the robin pecking for the worm view and be on the ground.
A word of encouragement for this daunting task.
52 weeks equals 52 sermons
If each sermon were an hour long that would be 52 hours.
[Now I realize it seems like the sermon is always more than an hour but it usually lands between 35 and 45 minutes.]
Doing the math with 24 hours in a day the entire sermon series end for end would only occupy 2 and 1/6th days. Not a huge time commitment when you think about it.
Please continue to pray for our congregation during this time and for those who will visit.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Schedule through October
Below you will see the schedule of messages from September 13th through the end of October. If you are using the ONE YEAR series to read through the Bible these may be a big help. If not...at least you know where we are headed.
September 13th: Creation: Genesis 1-2
September 20th: Fall: Genesis 3
September 27th: Flood: Genesis 4-9
October 4th: Nations: Genesis 10-11.9
October 11th: Covenant: Genesis 11.10-50
October 18th: The Exodus and The Law: Exodus
October 25th: Worship/Sacrifice: Leviticus 1-17
September 13th: Creation: Genesis 1-2
September 20th: Fall: Genesis 3
September 27th: Flood: Genesis 4-9
October 4th: Nations: Genesis 10-11.9
October 11th: Covenant: Genesis 11.10-50
October 18th: The Exodus and The Law: Exodus
October 25th: Worship/Sacrifice: Leviticus 1-17
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Through the Bible in One Year
A few years ago a fellow pastor up-nort here took his congregation through the Bible in one year. I thought at the time that it was quite an ambitious project. And so it was but he said the benefits were wonderful for his people.
The idea has been contemplated for a few years and now our church will begin the same endeavor on September 13th, 2009. The idea is to use this blog as a place for posting sermon notes, reading helps, and other pertinent information. If you want to comment and ask a question feel free.
The idea has been contemplated for a few years and now our church will begin the same endeavor on September 13th, 2009. The idea is to use this blog as a place for posting sermon notes, reading helps, and other pertinent information. If you want to comment and ask a question feel free.
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