Sunday Morning – Page 21 – Idaville Church

Modeling Maker

Origins

Modeling Maker

(Genesis 2:1-3)

INTRODUCTION

“A few years ago, I received a phone call at my desk. A girl in the college department called to say that her car had broken down and she was stranded about two miles from the office. So, I drove over to the location and found her leaning against her car, looking flustered.

I leaned against the car next to her and asked what happened.

‘Well, I was just driving down the road and it quit running,’ she said. ‘So I pulled off to the shoulder.’

‘Could you be out of gas?’ I asked.

‘No, I just filled it up.’

Well, that one question pretty well exhausted my automotive diagnostic abilities, but I persisted. ‘What happened? Did it make any noises?’

‘Oh, yeah,’ she replied. ‘As I was driving down the hill, it went 'brump, brump, brump, POW!’’’

In an effort to be an active listener I reflected back to her, ‘You say the car went 'brump, brump, brump, POW!'?’

‘Yep.’

I was feeling a little more confident, so I asked, ‘When was the last time you changed the oil?’

She gave me this quizzical look and said, ‘Oil?’ As it turned out, she had owned the car for a year and a half and never changed the oil.

I get that same look when I ask frazzled friends, ‘When was the last time you took a Sabbath rest?’

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2006/august/1082106.html].

BODY

ME
- I know that many people think that Pastors have this Sabbath rest thing down to a science, since we only work one day a week
- Day off
  - - For many years, I struggled to even take a full day off from work
    - There were many Saturdays when I would get up early and go to the office until lunch, so that I could finish things up for Sunday morning
    - I wanted everything to be perfect for the worship service
    - That was taking a toll on my body and my family relationships
    - A couple of years ago, the Lord prompted me to change my weekly work schedule, so that I could be home every Saturday with my family
    - That has been such a blessing to me and to Judy and the boys
- Sabbath rest
  - - A day off is one thing, but a Sabbath rest is something else
    - We do take Sunday afternoon as a time to rest (naps are encouraged and practiced often)
    - When I take Saturday as my day off, I’m still busy doing projects around the house or going out to shop, etc.
    - This is something that I continue to seek the Lord’s wisdom about
    - How do I really practice a Sabbath rest?

WE
- Perhaps every one of us is asking the same question
- Maybe we’ve stopped asking the question, because we’re so busy that we can’t even think about stopping to rest at all

Last week we learned that God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it, over a six-day period of time. Today we’re going to learn that on the seventh day, he ceased creating. God wasn’t weary or worn out from creating everything, but He knew that human beings would be. So, He modeled for us a Sabbath rest. He blessed that day and made it holy. Through God’s example, we should understand that . . .

BIG IDEA – The pursuit of holiness requires a day of rest.

Let’s pray

GOD (Genesis 2:1-3)
- Celebrating Rest (Genesis 2:1-3)
  - - God completed His creation (vv. 1-2a)
      - A couple of introductory thoughts
        The chapter break is unfortunate here, because the first three verses of chapter 2 really are a concluding statement to the six days of creation
        The seventh day is the final day of the week
      - The word “Thus/So/And” points back to the six days of creation
      - It includes all six days of creation and everything that God created
        Heavens
        Earth
        Vast array
        Other translations say “all their host/all the host of them”
        It’s definitely talking about the sun, moon, and stars
        Deuteronomy 4:19, And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon, and the stars – all the heavenly array – do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
        It also includes the animals and humans that were created on the fifth and sixth day
        That’s the vast array or all the host of them
      - The narrator tells us that by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing
        “No further creation was needed other than that which God would bring into his created order through procreation or reproduction (Gen. 1:11, 22, 28).” [Gangel & Bramer, Holman Old Testament Commentary, Genesis, 15]
        As we saw last week in Genesis 1:31, God saw all that he had made, and it was very good
        There wasn’t anything else that He needed to form or make to complete His vision for creation
      - So, God modeled something important and significant for us as human beings
    - God stopped working (v. 2b)
      - Almost every English translation has the verb as “rested”
      - “Lexicographers and commentators have reached a consensus that the Qal of the verb šbt (shä-vath’) means ‘to cease’ rather than ‘to rest.’” [Walton, The NIV Application Commentary, Genesis, 146]
      - God ceased from all his work
      - Perhaps we’re using a fine toothed comb at this point, because the opposite of ceasing/stopping work would be resting
      - PRINCIPLE #1 – God is infinite!
        Because God is infinite and all-powerful, He did not cease working, and rest, because of exhaustion or being weary
        Isaiah 40:28, Do you not now? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
        He also didn’t withdrawal from the world He created and take a hands-off approach, rather, He was taking His place as the head of His creation to oversee it and guide it operations [Walton, 153]
        Colossians 1:17, He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
      - PRINCIPLE #2 – God’s love for us is demonstrated through His modeling of rest.
        God was modeling for us what we needed to do, as finite beings – stop working and rest one day a week
        “Part of bearing the image of God involves resting as he did.” [Gangel & Bramer, 19]
        We honor God and recognize His authority over us when we follow His example of rest
        The pursuit of holiness requires a day of rest.
        #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: Thank the Lord for demonstrating His love for me by modeling a day of rest, once a week.
      - God not only ceased from working on the seventh day, but He blessed that day and made it holy
    - God’s blessing (v. 3)
      - Blessed the seventh day
        Wiersbe mentions that God didn’t bless any of the other six days [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Old Testament, Genesis-Deuteronomy, 20]
        He did bless the sea animals, birds, and human beings
        He said that what He created on each day was good or very good
        He blessed the entire seventh day, but He also sanctified it
      - Made it holy
        “The sanctification of the Sabbath institutes an order for humankind according to which time is divided into time and holy time . . . By sanctifying the seventh day God instituted a polarity between the everyday and the solemn, between days of work and days of rest, which was to be determinative for human existence.” [Westermann cited by Hamilton, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-17, 143]
        God set the seventh day apart for His purposes [Wiersbe, 20]
    - The word Sabbath is not found in Genesis 2:1-3, but the Hebrew word for “rest/cease” is the root word for the Hebrew word used for Sabbath in Exodus 16:23; 20:8
- Commanding Rest (Exodus 16:22-26; 20:8-11)
  - - God modeled, at the very beginning of our time, the concept of taking one day to rest and not work
    - He did not command that His chosen people observe this Sabbath rest until the time of Moses
    - Exodus 16:22-26
      - The Israelites were grumbling about being hungry as they wandered through the wilderness
      - God promised them quail in the evening and manna in the morning
      - Read Exodus 16:22-26
      - Notice that the Lord commanded the Israelites not to gather manna on the seventh day, but to gather twice as much on the sixth day
      - God preserved the manna overnight from the sixth to the seventh day
      - If the Israelites tried to keep leftovers on any other day, they woke up with stinky, wormy manna – not fit to eat
      - That began the command to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy
      - Next we see the Sabbath rest command, as part of the Ten Commandments
    - Exodus 20:8-11
      - Read Exodus 20:8-11
      - “Observing the design of creation weekly sanctifies Israel in several ways:” [Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary, 71-73]
        “First, it reminds Israel again and again that God completes his work.”
        “Second, by observing the Sabbath Israel confesses regularly that their God is Lord of all.”
        “Third, God blesses the Sabbath and makes it holy in the best interest of all people and all animals (Ex. 20:8-11).”
        “Fourth, the Sabbath is the sign that the Creator has set Israel apart for a special covenant relationship with him (Ex. 31:17).”
        “Fifth, Sabbath observance reminds Israel that they were slaves in Egypt but that the mighty Lord has redeemed them from servitude into rest (Deut. 5:15).”
        “Sixth, in the book of Hebrews the Sabbath rest gives concrete expression to the church’s realized eschatology (Heb. 4:1-11).”
        “Seventh, it can be inferred from the creation narrative that the Sabbath is a day to recognize and celebrate the significance of time.”
      - The significance and importance of the command for Sabbath rest, that was given to the Israelites, is still important for us today, even though that command was under the covenant of the law
    - Christians today
      - Christ fulfilled the Jewish Sabbath Law
        Colossians 2:16-17, Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
        Read Galatians 4:1-11
      - “The seventh day of the week, the Jewish Sabbath, symbolizes the old creation and the covenant of law: first you work, then you rest. The first day of the week, the Lord’s day, symbolizes the New Creation and the Covenant of Grace: first you believe in Christ and find rest, and then you work (Eph. 2:8-10).” [Wiersbe, 21]
        Ephesians 2:8-10, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
        “The old signs of circumcision, dietary laws, and sabbath observance were set aside as ‘boundary markers for the people of the covenant’ (cf. Gal 4:10). Christians are circumcised in heart (Rom 2:29), undefiled by foods (John 15:3), and free to treat every day as sacred (Rom 14:5, 12; 1 Tim 4:3-5). Sabbath has given way to the realities of the ‘Lord’s day’ – the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:1; 1 Cor 16:1-2).” [Mathews, The New American Commentary, Volume 1A, Genesis 1-11:26, 181]
        As Christians, we celebrate the covenant of grace on the first day of the week instead of the covenant of law on the last day of the week
      - So what does this mean for us as Christians?
        We should take one day each week to rest
        Taking one day to stop working and rest is important for our well-being as human beings
        Our finite physical bodies need some down time and God, as our Maker, modeled that for us
        We should follow His example
        “. . . if we have to be reminded, commanded, or coerced to observe it, it ceases to serve its function. The Sabbath is not the sort of thing that should have to be regulated by rules. It is the way we acknowledge that God is on the throne, that this world is his world, that our time is his gift to us.” [Walton, 158]
        The pursuit of holiness requires a day of rest.
        Principles for the day of rest
        Choose a day
        Most of us have Sundays off from work, so I would encourage you to choose Sunday as your day of rest
        Gather together with other believers for worship and studying God’s Word (in-person or online)
        Take time to rest and enjoy activities with family or friends
        I know that others don’t have Sundays off, so I would encourage you to choose another day as your day of rest and make sure that it’s different than the other days of your week
        Be creative
        Scripture doesn’t give us a list of rules for the Sabbath
        I know that’s frustrating for those of us who like to follow rules
        “Do whatever will reflect your love, appreciation, respect, and awe of the God of all the cosmos.” [Walton, 159]
        Isaiah 58:13-14, “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the Lord has spoken.
        A Sabbath rest is going to look different for each person or family
        Jesus had to address the Pharisees’ legalism when they confronted Him about His disciples picking heads of grain on the Sabbath
        Mark 2:23-27, One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
        Make it a priority
        Walton uses the example of Memorial Day
        It is a federal holiday that most people have as a day off
        The activities that you do on Memorial Day are based on how you honor those who have given their lives in war
        If we have a relative or friend who died in a war, we are more intentional about honoring their memory on Memorial Day
        “The more the day means to a person, the more deliberate he or she will be about scheduling appropriate activities . . . The more gratitude we feel toward God and the more we desire to honor him, the more the ceremonies will mean and the more we will seek out ways to observe the Sabbath.” [Walton, 159]
        It’s not about us as individuals, but about God
        “. . . the perfect church service would be one that we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God.” [C.S. Lewis cited by Walton, 161]
        #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: Honor the Lord by intentionally setting aside one day a week to rest and worship Him.
    - As followers of Jesus Christ and children of God we have an eternal rest that’s coming
- Coming Rest (Hebrews 4:1-13)
  - - Preparing for this coming eternal rest
      - God planned from the very beginning to provide an eternal rest to those who are His children
      - Notice that just because people hear the Gospel message doesn’t mean they will enter God’s eternal rest
        Verse 6 says that those who heard the Gospel, but continued to disobey will not enter in
        Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
        There has be a transformation that takes place
        We have to repent and turn away from our disobedience and sin
        We have to soften our hearts to the Gospel message and accept Jesus as our Savior from sin
        Ephesians 2:8-9, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.
      - #3 – My Next Step Today Is To: Accept God’s free gift of eternal life, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
    - Benefits of this eternal rest
      - We will be able to rest, for all of eternity, from our own work
      - This is the hope that we have as children of God and followers of Jesus Christ
      - We will experience the kind of rest that God did after He created the world
      - We will have a sense of completion – that everything has been accomplished

YOU
- Are you grateful that God modeled a day of rest for you – then thank Him for demonstrating His love this way
- Are you honoring the Lord by intentionally setting aside one day a week to rest and worship Him?
- Have you prepared to enter your eternal rest?

WE
- When we set aside one day a week to rest and worship the Lord, we are showing those in our community and circle of influence that we believe in the God of creation
- We are telling the world that we believe that God is infinite and loving

CONCLUSION

“A photographer was snapping pictures of first graders at an elementary school, making small talk to put his subjects at ease.

‘What are you going to be when you grow up?’ he asked one little girl.

‘Tired,’ she said.”

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2006/august/3082106.html]

Hopefully that’s not what our children want to be when they grow up. It’s our responsibility to model for them what the Lord modeled for us – the importance of rest and the Sabbath.

February 7, 2021/by Office

Sovereign Speaker

Origins Genesis Sunday Morning Stuart Johns All-Powerful (Omnipotent), Authority, Sovereignty, Worship

Origins

Sovereign Speaker

(Genesis 1:3-31)

INTRODUCTION

“An atheist once complained to a friend because Christians and Jews had their special holidays. ‘But we atheists,’ he said, ‘have no special day, no recognized national holiday. It’s just not fair.’ His friend replied, ‘Why don’t you celebrate April first?’

No one wants to be known as a fool. But a person is a fool if he doesn’t acknowledge God. The Lord has not left us without evidence of his existence. Romans 1:20 explains that ‘since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.’ Creation gives evidence in its order, design, and harmony that there is some cause for all this. And mankind must recognize that all creation points to the Creator. All of creation shouts that God exists and that he is a God of power and glory – a being worthy of worship. The fool may talk of ‘Mother Nature,’ but nature itself is powerless to produce life of any kind without the processes put into place by God himself. To substitute ‘Mother Nature’ for “God’ is to confuse the creature or creation with the Creator.”

[Gangel & Bramer, Holman Old Testament Commentary, Genesis, 17].

BODY

ME
- Things I don’t like
  - - Because of sin entering the world, I don’t have the perfected body that God originally designed
    - I’ve worn glasses since the 2nd grade (because of my extreme nearsightedness, my glasses are really thick)
    - Mitral valve prolapse (heart issue)
    - High blood pressure
    - I’m overweight
- Things I like
  - - I look young for my age
    - I have hair (you’d be surprised how many people comment about that)
    - My personality
    - My smile
- God’s creation of me was good

WE
- Everyone probably has at least one physical attribute about themselves that they don’t like
- The same is true for the physical attributes we do like about ourselves
- The key is understanding that sin has caused the imperfections that we don’t like, but God’s creation of us is good

Last week we saw the general and broad description of creation, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Today we’ll see the specifics of God’s creative ability as He sovereignly speaks everything into being. He evaluates each part of His creation by saying that it is good. Through this we should understand that . . .

BIG IDEA – Everything God creates is good.

Let’s pray

GOD (Genesis 1:3-31)
- God’s sovereignty, power, and authority
  - - Before we begin looking at the specifics of each day of creation, there are a few overarching principles that I want to highlight
    - PRINCIPLE #1 – God is sovereign!
      - The phrase, “And/Then God said . . .” is repeated nine times in the six days of creation (vv. 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29)
      - “Genesis gives us the ‘what’ of creation. The ‘how’ is assumed by the concept of ‘God said . . . and it was so.’ This demonstrates the sovereignty of God and the fact that we as finite creatures will never know everything.” [Gangel & Bramer, 16]
      - God knew exactly what needed to be created and in what order (we’ll see this as we unpack the first two points)
      - God’s sovereignty means that He has the right to rule and He rules rightly in our lives
      - #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: Worship the Lord for His sovereign work in my life.
    - PRINCIPLE #2 – God is omnipotent!
      - The phrase, “And/Then God said . . .” also shows that He is all-powerful
      - He didn’t need to use any materials to create the things we’ll discuss today
      - He simply had to speak
      - That shows an incredible power that we cannot always comprehend
    - PRINCIPLE #3 – God has authority over all things!
      - There are two phrases that are used in the creation account that show God’s authority
        “God called . . .” (vv. 5, 8, 10)
        “Naming something, both today and in the ancient world, signifies an exercise of sovereign right. Only the parent of a child, or the inventor of an item, has the legal right and authority to name.” [Gangel & Bramer, 11]
        God showed His superiority over all of creation when He named the various elements
        I once heard a story about a mother who had given birth to a little girl. After the nurses had finished doing all of the newborn tests, washed her up, and put the hospital band around her ankle, they brought her back to the mother. The mother thought the hospital had named her daughter for her, because they had put her name on the band. She thought they had named her Female. She had read the gender of the baby and thought it was her name.
        “God made/created . . .” (vv. 16 [2x], 21, 25, 27)
        In making or creating something, the person who makes or creates is the one who has authority for it
        God’s Word tells us that parents have authority over and responsibility for their children as they raise them
        God has authority over us as His created beings
        In our sinful, human state, we don’t want anyone to rule over us or have authority over us – we want to be our own boss
        In order to spend eternity with God someday, we have to submit to His Lordship in our lives
        We have to confess and repent of our sins
        We have to acknowledge and accept God’s plan to redeem us through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Perfect Son, Jesus
        #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: Acknowledge God’s authority over me, as His created being, by submitting every area of my life to Him.
      - God has created us and we are His
    - These three principles will be repeated throughout this passage today
- Formed (vv. 3-13)
  - - Day 1 (vv. 3-5)
      - God’s sovereignty and power shown in creating time
        God spoke the words, “Let there be light,” and it happened!
        The light was good, because it gave boundaries to the darkness
        Everything God creates is good.
        “Darkness is no longer boundless but is given its place in the rhythm of time.” [Noort cited by Goldingay, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Pentateuch, Genesis, 29]
        The darkness over the surface of the deep (Gen. 1:2) would be limited to a certain amount of time and it would not be complete darkness, without any light
        God then separates the light from the darkness, which will be important for the rest of the days of creation, since the same phrase is repeated, “And there was evening, and there was morning . . .”
        Where did this light come from if the sun, moon, and stars weren’t created until the fourth day?
        The simple answer – from God
        Psalm 104:2, He wraps himself in light as with a garment . . .
        Habakkuk 3:3b-4, His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.
        Think about Moses face after he met with God in the Tent of Meeting (it glowed so brightly that the Israelites asked him to wear a veil)
        Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
        Revelation 21:23, The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
        “God’s presence was now manifested (creation of light) that would allow God’s creative works to be visible.” [Gangel & Bramer, 12]
      - God’s authority shown in naming light and darkness
        God called the light, “day”
        God called the darkness, “night”
        God has authority over light and darkness, over day and night
      - Definite article
        English translations of the Bible are split on the use of the definite article, “the”
        “The” is a definite article, but the definite article is not in the original Hebrew
        Eight of the fourteen English translations have, “the first day” (using the definite article)
        Six of the fourteen English translations have either “day one,” or “one day” (without the definite article)
        The only day that has the definite article in the Hebrew is the sixth day (we’ll talk about the significance of that when we get to the sixth day)
      - God created time on the first day by separating light from darkness
    - Day 2 (vv. 6-8)
      - God’s sovereignty and power shown in separating the waters
        God spoke the words, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water,” and it happened!
        I don’t know what it looked like before God separated the waters
        Perhaps it was similar to one of those mornings here in Idaville when we have a heavy fog and visibility is limited
        It’s like the sky is touching the earth
        Adam and Eve were going to need to see the plant life and trees that they would be responsible to take care
        The Hebrew word for expanse has the idea of something being spread out, stretched out, or beaten/hammered out (like a dome) – we should think of it like a tent or canopy that is spread out, not something solid
      - God’s authority shown in naming the expanse between the waters above and the waters below
        We see that God names the expanse “sky”
        He has authority over space
      - The author reminds us of God’s first creative act of making time when he repeats, “and there was evening, and there was morning . . .”
      - Once again, the better translation would be “a second day”
      - God has formed time and space, and now He’s going to form dry ground and vegetation
    - Day 3 (vv. 9-13)
      - God does two creative acts on day 3 (he also does two creative acts on day 6)
      - God’s sovereignty and power shown in separating the waters under the sky from the dry ground and allowing vegetation to grow
        God said the words, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear,” and it happened!
        We’re not given the details about how this process actually happened
        “It is probable, however, that the separation was caused both by depression and elevation.” [Keil & Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, Volume 1, The Pentateuch, 34]
        The sea bed got deeper and hills and mountains were pushed up above the water level
        God also said, “Let the land produce vegetation,” and it happened!
        There is some more information about the vegetation that is important
        The NIV translation makes it sound like there were two kinds of vegetation that were produced – seed-bearing plants and trees that bear fruit with seed in it
        The NASB, which is a more literal translation of the original, defines three kinds of vegetation – grass, small plants that have seeds, and fruit trees with seed in it
        Whether it’s two or three kinds of vegetation, doesn’t really matter at this point
        The vegetation was formed and ready to be harvested – Adam and Eve were not going to have to wait months or years for the plants and trees to begin producing
        God is a God of order
        When He created the vegetation, He did it in such a way that when we plant a certain kind of seed, we can know with certainty that a particular kind of plant is going to grow
        Aren’t you glad for that?
        Imagine for a moment that every year when you go to plant your garden, that you plant all the seeds you bought at the store, but you have no idea what will come up
        Perhaps every seed you planted, even though the seeds looked different and were different sizes, produce the same crop (what if you don’t like lima beans, peas, green beans, brussel sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)
        How frustrating would it be if the local orchard farmers had no idea what kind of fruit would be produced on their trees when they planted them
        God created vegetation with a specific order in mind – each plant and tree that has a seed, will produce the exact same kind of vegetable or fruit
        We can worship the Lord for being a God of order and not chaos
        His order is evident in how He is forming the earth before filling it
      - God’s authority shown in naming the dry ground and waters below
        God calls the dry ground, “land”
        He calls the gathered waters, “seas”
      - It was good
        The narrator does not use the phrase, “And God saw that it was good,” after day two of creation
        Perhaps he waited to do this, because God continues to separate the waters under the sky and allows land to appear
        Once the total separation of the waters under the sky is complete, God announces that all of the separation is good
        Everything God creates is good.
      - A third day
    - God now moves from forming the creation to filling the creation
- Filled (vv. 14-28)
  - - What we see with days 4 through 6 is that they match with days 1 through 3 – there was a forming that took place in days 1 to 3, and now God will fill those same areas in days 4 to 6
    - Day 4 (vv. 14-19)
      - God’s sovereignty and power shown in creating lights in the sky to separate the day from the night
        Purposes
        To separate the day from the night (pretty simple)
        To serve as signs
        It was to mark seasons and days and years
        This is a function of time, which goes back to day one of creation when God created time
        The movement of the sun and moon would provide a solar and lunar calendar
        The Israelites would know when to conduct the morning and evening sacrifices, and when to celebrate Sabbath and all the other festivals and feasts that God would outline for them [Goldingay, 32]
        One commentator mentioned that when a POW is in an underground cell, without access to light, they have to use other ways of determining the number of days – such as when they are fed (they don’t have the luxury of seeing sunlight and moonlight
        Individuals who are blind often have a hard time knowing when to sleep, because they don’t have the cues from light and darkness
        “Mesopotamian and Egyptian religions speak of their great cosmic gods of Heaven, Air, and Earth. The Sumerians have their Anu, Enlil, and Enki; the Babylonians have their trinity of stars, Sin, Shamash, and Ishtar; and Egypt has Nut, Shu, and Geb with the preeminent astral deity, the sun god Re. Genesis declares otherwise: Israel’s God rules the heavens and the earth.” [Mathews, The New American Commentary, Volume 1A, Genesis 1-11:26, 154]
        God is sovereign!
        To give light on the earth (pretty simple)
        Vegetation needs light to grow
        We need light to function properly – sunlight helps to give us vitamin D, which helps to boost our immune system
        We see the purposes for creating lights, but what kind of lights did God create?
        Kinds of light
        The greater light to govern the day (sun)
        The lesser light to govern the night (moon)
        Stars
        Why aren’t the sun and moon mentioned or named?
        “Whereas in the ancient Near East myths, the sun and the moon are principal deities, here they are nameless objects designed by the one Creator God to serve humanity.” [Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary, 62-63]
        “. . . Genesis 1:14ff. is saying that these luminaries are not eternal; they are created, not to be served but to serve.” [Hamilton, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-17, 127]
        PRINCIPLE #4 – God desires that His people worship Him.
        God is the Creator of everything, including the sun, moon, and stars
        Therefore, they cannot and are not deities that we should worship
        Now, I’m not talking about worshipping the “s.u.n.” through sun bathing (getting a tan)
        One area of astrological worship that some people label as harmless is the daily horoscopes
        They use the position of the stars, moon, etc. to predict what will happen to us today
        This is a form of idol worship that elevates God’s created things to deity status
        Pantheists and Druids worship trees and other created things as gods
        Most of us probably aren’t using the daily horoscope or worshiping trees or rocks as gods, but we may be worshiping money, our car, celebrities, or some other possession and placing them in a higher position that God in our lives
        As followers of Jesus Christ, we should not be involved in anything like this
        #3 – My Next Step Today Is To: Make sure that I am worshiping God alone and not His creation.
        Repeated in reverse order
        We see the three purposes, for the created lights, stated again in reverse order in verses 17-18
        This highlights verse 16 as the center of a chiastic structure and the thing that we are supposed to remember
        God created two great lights and the stars
      - Everything God creates is good.
      - A fourth day
    - Day 5 (vv. 20-23)
      - God’s sovereignty and power shown in filling the sky and the seas
        Day 5 is a matched pair with Day 2, because God is now filling what He formed/separated, the waters above from the waters below
        God’s statement begins with a general description and then moves to more specifics
        The waters were to teem with living creatures
        The sky was to be filled with birds
        The narrator then gives more specifics about the living creatures and the birds
        Great creatures of the sea
        In the ancient Near East mythology there were great monsters that occupied the seas
        The Hebrew word is translated as “serpent, dragon, monster”
        Scripture speaks of the great dragon in reference to Satan
        Scripture also mentions Leviathan, a multi-headed sea serpent (Ps. 74:14; Isa. 27:1)
        Most scholars see these great creatures of the sea as whales, sharks, giant octopus, crocodiles, large snakes, etc.
        “The primeval monsters, which symbolize rebellion in ancient Near Eastern myths, are here depicted as merely a few of God’s many creatures, depending upon and ultimately serving God.” [Waltke, 63]
        Every living and moving thing in the sea
        This would include small fish
        Other aquatic animals that glide or walk across the bottom of the seas (eels, crabs, lobsters, seahorses, sea slugs, sea cucumbers, etc.)
        Every winged bird
        According to their kind
        Each sea creature and animal will reproduce its own kind
        Each different kind of bird will reproduce its own kind
        We see again that God is a God of order, not chaos
        “The great Architect of the universe does not permit the colors of his canvas to run together.” [Mathews, 157]
      - Everything God creates is good.
      - God’s blessing
        God’s blessing on the sea creatures and the birds was for them to be fruitful and multiply
        They were to fill the waters and the sky
      - God again marks time – a fifth day
    - Day 6 (vv. 24-28)
      - God’s sovereignty and power shown in filling the land
        Day 6 and Day 3 are paired together and they both have two creative acts
        God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds . . .,” and it happened
        What animals were created?
        Livestock – domesticated animals that would be used to help with farming and such (they dwell with man)
        Creatures that move along the ground – animals that are smaller and perhaps move across the ground without feet or with feet that are very close to ground (reptiles, insects, worms, etc.) [Keil & Delitzsch, 38]
        Wild animals – those animals that live apart from man
        Reproductive boundaries
        We see once again that God is a God of order
        Just as He did with the vegetation and the sea and air animals, the land animals will reproduce their own kind
        Everything God creates is good.
        God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness . . .” (two weeks from now, we’ll see the specifics about how that took place)
        Who is God talking to when He says “us” and “our”?
        Some scholars believe He is talking to a court of angels and “Sons of God” in heaven
        Others believe He is talking to Jesus and the Holy Spirit
        Even though the original author and readers of Genesis, probably did not have a theology or understanding of the Trinity, since that is introduced and taught in the New Testament, I still believe that God is talking with the Jesus and the Holy Spirit
        We see in Genesis 1:2 that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters
        John 1:1-3, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
        Humans were created in God’s image and therefore they have dominion over the other created things on earth
        Dominion over the earth
        This control is not a domineering, harsh, overload, kind of rule
        It has the idea of guiding and taking care of God’s creation
        It’s with compassion and not with a desire to exploit
        God’s image and likeness
        Humans are the only created things that are made in the image and likeness of God
        Likeness – “. . . probably involves the personality, aesthetic appreciation, authority, moral, and spiritual qualities that both God and humans share, unlike the animals.” [Gangel & Bramer, 14]
        Image – Waltke cites D. J. A. Clines characteristics of being made in the image of God [Waltke, 65-66]
        “First, the term image refers to a statue in the round, suggesting that a human being is a psychosomatic unity.”
        “Second, an image functions to express, not to depict; thus, humanity is a faithful and adequate representation, though not a facsimile.”
        “Third, an image possesses the life of the one being represented.”
        “Fourth, an image represents the presence of the one represented.”
        “Fifth, inseparable from the notion of serving as a representative, the image functions as ruler in the place of the deity.”
        God’s design for the family
        PRINCIPLE #5 – God established the family from the beginning (male and female).
        Notice here that God created man, both male and female
        That’s important, especially when it comes to the blessing He makes in verse 28
        If God’s design for the family wasn’t a man and a woman, then there wouldn’t have been a need to create both male and female
        He created both male and female, because that is how they would be fruitful and increase in number
        For procreation to take place, by God’s design, there has to be a male and female
        If we set aside the Bible and God’s design for a family and procreation, we still have the anatomical hurdle to overcome
        A man and a man cannot be fruitful and increase in number
        A woman and a woman cannot be fruitful and increase in number
        I know what some will say, “But two women can have a baby together, through artificial insemination!”
        Did you notice the one key word there? – “artificial” – it’s not by God’s natural design
        What we do is justify in our minds what we want to do, even if it goes against God’s perfect design
        #4 – My Next Step Today Is To: Embrace God’s design for the family as one man and one woman.
        God’s blessing
        God’s blessing for human beings included being fruitful and increasing in number
        They were also to fill the earth and subdue it
        God mentions again the responsibility to rule over the other created things
      - God created the land animals and the human beings on the sixth day
    - He has one more instructional item for His creation, both animals and humans
- Fed (vv. 29-30)
  - - Humans
      - God gives all the fruits and vegetables to humans as their food source
      - In the perfect created world, at the beginning, humans were probably vegans
    - Animals
      - God gives the seed-bearing plants to the animals for food
      - It appears at this point that there are no carnivores, or the animals who are carnivores today were herbivores at the beginning
      - The prophet Isaiah, in prophesying about the new heaven the new earth says this, The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 65:25)
    - God said it and it happened!
- Finished (v. 31)
  - - God saw everything he made and it was very good (this includes all six days of creation)
    - Everything God creates is good.
    - God marks time for the sixth time
      - The definite article is used in the Hebrew with the sixth day
      - So, the NIV has it right here, the sixth day
      - The definite article used here brings everything to completion

YOU
- Are you worshiping God for His sovereign work in your life?
- Are you recognizing God’s authority over you by submitting every area of your life to Him?
- Are you worshiping God alone and not His creation?
- Have you embraced God’s design for the family as one man and one woman?

WE
- As followers of Jesus Christ, we have to lead the way in modeling these principles and truths from His Word.

CONCLUSION

“Professor and journalist Terry Mattingly writes:

[In his talks, author Phillip Johnson quotes] the Gospel of John, which states: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.’

After reading this, Johnson asks: ‘Is that true or false?’

Then he turns this Scripture inside out and creates a credo for use in sanctuaries aligned with the National Center for Science Education. It sounds like this: ‘In the beginning were the particles and the particles somehow became complex, living stuff. And the stuff imagined God.’

After reading this, Johnson again asks: ‘Is that true or false?’

Johnson argues that today's debates over science, creation and morality are, literally, clashes between people who believe there is scientific evidence that God created man and those who believe there is scientific evidence that man created God.

‘If there is no Creator who has a purpose for your life, then there is no such thing as sin,’ he said. ‘Sin would mean that you are in a wrong relationship to your Creator. Well, you can't be in the wrong relationship with the particles. They don't care. So you don't need a Savior to save you from the consequences of your wrong relationship with the particles.’

‘When you give away creation, you have given away everything.’”

Terry Mattingly, senior fellow for journalism at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, from his column "Phillip E.

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2002/may/13662.html].

January 31, 2021/by Office

Continuous Creator

Origins Genesis Sunday Morning Stuart Johns All-Powerful (Omnipotent), Creation, Eternal, Infinite

Origins

Continuous Creator

(Genesis 1:1-2)

INTRODUCTION

“On Christmas Day 1968, the three astronauts of Apollo 8 circled the dark side of the moon and headed for home. Suddenly, over the horizon of the moon rose the blue and white Earth garlanded by the glistening light of the sun against the black void of space. Those sophisticated men, trained in science and technology, did not utter Einstein's name. They did not even go to the poets, the lyricists, or the dramatists. Only one thing could capture the awe-inspiring thrill of this magnificent observation. Billions heard the voice from outer space as the astronaut read it: ‘In the beginning God’ – the only concept worthy enough to describe that unspeakable awe, unutterable in any other way. ‘In the beginning God created’ – the invasive, the inescapable sense of the infinite and the eternal.

Ravi Zacharias, "If the Foundations Be Destroyed," Preaching Today, Tape No. 142.

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1996/december/2172.html].

BODY

ME
- Year I was born
  - - I was born in 1969
    - So, I tell people I’m a flower child, a 60’s kid
    - I obviously didn’t participate in any of the things that were taking place in 1969, because I was an infant
- Fun Facts from 1969
  - - President – Richard M. Nixon
    - Famous people born in 1969 (Jennifer Lopez, Matthew Perry, Matthew Mcconaughey, Mariah Carey, Jack Black, Jennifer Anniston, Jason Priestly, Gwen Stefani, Christian Slater, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Peter Dinklage, Sean Combs, Jay-Z, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, Renee Zellweger, Dave Grohl)
    - Average cost of living
      - Annual income - $8,550
      - Minimum wage - $1.30
      - New car costs - $2,822
      - Movie ticket - $1.40
      - Gallon of gas - $0.35
      - Gallon of milk - $1.10
      - Postage stamp - $0.06
      - Candy bar - $0.10
    - News headlines
      - Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are the first humans to set foot on the moon
      - Woodstock Music Festival takes place in upstate New York
      - Last Beatles public performance on roof of Apple Records in London
      - Laser printer invented at Xerox by Gary Starkweather
      - Sesame Street introduced by Children’s Television Workshop
      - Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is introduced
      - ARPA (precursor of Internet) goes online in December connects 4 major US universities
      - The $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 bills are officially removed from circulation
    - Sports highlights
      - MLB World Series – New York Mets
      - Super Bowl – New York Jets
      - NBA Champions – Boston Celtics
      - Stanley Cup Champs – Montreal Canadiens

WE
- Identifying ourselves
  - - Kenneth Mathews says, “We locate ourselves in time in terms of our beginnings and endings.” [Mathews, The New American Commentary, Genesis 1-11:26, 126]
    - I would agree with him
- Births and deaths
  - - It’s fascinating to look back at the year we were born to see what was happening and what was popular
    - Many of us can remember what was happening in the world when our own children were born
    - It’s also true that we tend to remember significant events that happened during the year when a loved one passed away
    - Mathews goes on to say that, “Thus as we see and identify ourselves by our finitude, so the Infinite One condescends by announcing his presence in the same terms – time and space.” [Mathews, 126]

We’re beginning our study of the book of Genesis. It’s where it all begins for us as humanity, but it’s not the beginning of an Infinite God. We tend to talk about creation as a finished work in the past, but God wants us to understand that . . .

BIG IDEA – He continues to create today.

Let’s pray

GOD (Genesis 1:1-2)
- Background (theme, structure, and foundation)
  - - As we begin Genesis there are some preliminary things we have to talk about to set the stage for the entire book
    - Theme
      - The first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) are called the Pentateuch
      - Originally, the names of the first five books of the Bible come from the first word or two in each book
      - This was also a common practice in the Ancient Near East for other books also
      - “For Genesis the first Hebrew word is beresit, translated ‘in the beginning.’ The English title Genesis is a transliteration of a Greek word (geneseos) used in the Septuagint translation for the key Hebrew term (toledot) which means ‘the generations of/the histories of/the account of.’” [Gangel & Bramer, Holman Old Testament Commentary, Genesis, 3]
      - The term toledot will be key as we look at the structure of the entire book of Genesis, but it’s also important to the theme of the entire book
      - The word toledot can also be translated, “origin,” which is why the theme, I’ve given for the entire book, is “Origins”
        As we study the book of Genesis we’ll see the origins of several things as Victor Hamilton points out [Hamilton, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-17, 2]
        Earth’s creation
        Humankind
        Institutions by which civilization is perpetuated
        One special family chosen by God as his own and designated as the medium of world blessing
        The Hebrew word toledot is repeated ten times throughout the entire book, but I’ll explain that in the section on structure
      - Each one of us has an origin
        We come from generations of . . . (Religious – Christians, Catholics, Mennonites, Baptists, United Brethren In Christ, etc.; Work – carpenters, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, doctors, pastors, etc.)
        We have a history of . . . (doing certain things, saying certain things, etc.)
        We can give an account of . . . (who our ancestors were and where they came from)
      - The Bible explains the origins of God’s Story within humanity
      - Genesis outlines the “beginning of the Story of the Creator” [Walton, The NIV Application Commentary, Genesis, 105]
      - So, let’s look at the structure from two angles
    - Structure
      - Two main parts of Genesis
        The Primeval History (Chapters 1-11)
        It focuses on four main events [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Old Testament: Genesis-Deuteronomy, 13]
        Creation (1-2)
        The Fall of humanity and the consequences associated with that (3-5)
        The Flood (6-9)
        The rebellion at Babel (10-11)
        That leads us to the second half of the book
        The Patriarchal History (Chapters 12-50)
        Those chapters recount the lives of four men
        Abraham (12:1-25:18)
        Isaac (25:19-27:46)
        Jacob (28-36)
        Joseph (37-50)
        These four men were the foundation of the Israelite nation
      - Repetition of toledot
        As I mentioned earlier, the Hebrew word toledot appears ten times throughout Genesis and can be translated “the history of/the generations of/the account of/the origins of . . .”
        Ten instances of this Hebrew term [Waltke, Genesis A Commentary, 18; Hamilton, 2]
        The account of the line of the heavens and the earth (2:4-4:26) – transition (4:25-26)
        The account of Adam’s line (5:1-6:8) – transition (6:1-8)
        The account of Noah’s line (6:9-9:29) – transition (9:18-29)
        The account of the line of Noah’s sons (10:1-11:9) – transition (11:1-9)
        The account of Shem’s line (11:10-26) – transition (11:26)
        The account of Terah’s line (11:27-25:11) – transition (23:1-25:11)
        The account of Ishmael’s line (25:12-18) – transition (25:1-11)
        The account of Isaac’s line (25:19-35:29) – transition (35:23-29)
        The account of Esau’s line (36:1-37:1) – transition (37:1)
        The account of Jacob’s line (37:2-50:26) – transition to the book of Exodus (46:2-50:26)
        Through this structure we see the origins of each family unit
      - As we focus on smaller portions of Scripture, we will see additional structures (chiastic) that will make the passage come alive and help us understand the main point of what God is trying to communicate to us
    - Author – Moses
    - Foundation
      - Understanding Genesis is the foundation to understanding the rest of Scripture
      - This book is the beginning of God’s Story for humanity and we see God accomplishing and completing His story throughout the Old and New Testaments
      - “If we possessed a Bible without Genesis, we would have a ‘house of cards’ without foundation or mortar. We cannot insure the continuing fruit of our spiritual heritage if we do not give place to its roots.” [Mathews, 22]
      - This book has 50 chapters, so we will be studying it for quite some time
        I’ve only mapped out the Sunday’s in 2021 where we will be jumping out of Genesis for special services
        With that said, we will end this year with Genesis 22:20-24
        Without mapping out the Sunday’s in 2022, we would end Genesis on January 29, 2023
      - While it will be long study, it promises to be a foundational study
      - I want to encourage you to prayerfully listen, learn, and perhaps challenge your own beliefs about what you were taught growing up
      - I know that as I’ve studied Scripture for myself, there have been times where I’ve realized that what I was taught as a child was not Biblically accurate
    - So, in the great words of Maria from the Sound of Music, “let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start”
- General Statement (vv. 1-2)
  - - In the beginning
      - PRINCIPLE #1 – God is infinite and eternal!
        These are two of His many attributes
        It means that He has always been and will always be
        That’s why He can say, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13)
        Ephesians 1:4, For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
        Colossians 1:15-17, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
        God exists outside of our time and space
        My Next Step Today Is To: Rejoice in the fact that God is infinite and eternal.
      - So, the beginning that God is talking about here is not His beginning, but rather the beginning of our cosmos/universe as we know it
    - God created
      - Created
        The Hebrew word for created, bara’, has some pretty amazing features associated with it
        Its subject is always God
        It’s used in the Old Testament consistently referring to a new activity [Mathews, 128]
        It never occurs in a context where materials are mentioned [Walton, 71]
        So, we realize that creation is a divine activity of God, and He is able to create something from nothing
        PRINCIPLE #2 – God is omnipotent (all-powerful)!
        This is a third attribute of God that is key for us to understand and embrace
        In our finite minds we want to understand creation
        We strive to use scientific methods to prove God’s creation, but that only leads to arguments and disunity, even within the Christian community
        We are afraid to stand solely on the truth of creation as presented in the Bible
        “We too easily accept the dictum that the only absolute is science. This presupposition causes us to think that the Bible’s authority would be jeopardized if its revelation fails to address origins in terms that reflect our worldview. This modern arrogance that insists that revelation must be packaged in our terms to be true betrays us, because even scientific thinking is in constant flux.” [Walton, 89]
        “We should not be asking (1) how the text validates my scientific understanding or (2) how the text describes the scientific system we know to be true; rather, we must ask (3) on what level the text is communicating its message.” [Walton, 94]
        We marginalize the supernatural, because it cannot be explained by the scientific/natural
        This way of thinking is backwards
        God is all-powerful and He able to do things that cannot be explained by science or nature
        “It is absurd for the Evolutionist to complain that it is unthinkable for an admittedly unthinkable God to make everything out of nothing, and then pretend that it is more thinkable that nothing should turn itself into anything.”
        
        G. K. Chesterton in The Quotable Chesterton. Christianity Today, Vol. 31, no. 13.
        
        [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/january/2185.html]
        My Next Step Today Is To: Confess that I have doubted the Biblical account of creation, because it doesn’t make scientific or natural sense.
        My Next Step Today Is To: Trust in the Biblical account of creation, even if I don’t understand it completely.
        The original audience/readers did not have the scientific advancements that we have today, so we have to strive to understand what the original author was saying to the original hearers
        “The New Testament makes clear that all things created came from God. This is a theological affirmation that all believers can agree on.” [Gangel & Bramer]
        John 1:3, Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
        Romans 4:17, As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed – the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
        Hebrews 11:3, By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
        Continuous creation
        We often refer to God’s creation of the world as a singular event in the past, yet God is continually creating all the time
        Psalm 104:30, When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.
        We’ve had some new babies born in 2020
        There are animal breeders who are providing new animals all the time
        “. . . Van Till presses the point that a biblical theology of God as Creator identifies him as Originator, Preserver, Governor, and Provider of the Creation.” [Walton, 103]
        God didn’t just create the universe and then step away and take His hands off
        He is continually involved in every aspect of our lives as preserver, governor, and provider
        God continues to create today.
        What did He create as we see in verse 1?
      - The heavens and the earth
        The statement in verse 1 is a general statement encompassing all six days of creation
        We’ll see the specifics of that creative work, outlined next week
        “. . . the author declares that both space (the heavens) and matter (the earth) were created by him.” [Gangel & Bramer, 10]
        The earth was formless and empty
        This was part of God’s creation of the universe – it wasn’t something He did before creation, but when He created the earth [Keil & Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, Volume 1, The Pentateuch, 29]
        In Hebrew, “formless and empty,” is a rhyming couplet – tōhû wābōhû [Mathews, 130]
        It has the idea of being uninhabitable and inhospitable to humans [Mathews, 131]
        “In the Academy in Florence stands Michelangelo’s sculpture of St. Matthew. It is unfinished. The inscription points out how the sculptor is about to cut away the stone from around the figure that he has perceived inside the marble block. So here creation, shapeless and formless, awaits the artistic creativity and ordering of the Creator’s hand.” [Atkinson, The Bible Speaks Today, The Message of Genesis 1-11, 24]
        Darkness was over the surface of the deep
        This is just another way of expressing that the earth was formless and empty
        Darkness, here, does not mean evil
        The reference to the surface of the deep is probably referring to water
        Spirit of God was hovering over the waters
        The Hebrew word for “Spirit” can mean “spirit or wind”
        Within the context, it’s best to translate it as spirit
        So, the Spirit of God is poised, waiting for God to speak the universe into existence

YOU
- Are you rejoicing today that God is infinite and eternal?
- Do you need to confess your doubts about the Biblical account of creation?
- Will you take the step of faith today to trust in God’s account of creation, even if you don’t completely understand it?

WE
- As followers of Jesus Christ, the Bible is our handbook for life
- If we discount or marginalize the creation story, we will not be able to share God’s story found in the rest of the Bible
- We have to make sure that our foundation is sure

CONCLUSION

God is about to speak, and change the formless, empty space into something incredible

“God was sovereignly superintending the condition of the earth and preparing the way for his creative word.” [Mathews, 135-36]

Isaiah 45:18, For this is what the Lord says – he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited – he says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.”

God continues to create new inhabitants for the earth. He is a continuous Creator!

January 24, 2021/by Office

A Blank Check

Pursuing Holiness Romans Sunday Morning Marc Webb Holiness, Love, Sacrifice

A BLANK CHECK

Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of consecration. "To give my life for Christ appears glorious," he said. "To pour myself out for others ... to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom--I'll do it. I'm ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. "We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table--'Here's my life, Lord. I'm giving it all.' "But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid's troubles instead of saying, 'Get lost.' Go to a committee meeting. Give up a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. "Usually giving our life to Christ isn't glorious. It's done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it's harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul."

Our church’s theme for 2021 is holiness and today is the last of four messages on holiness. Our memory verse for January tells us why we are to be holy. It is because God is holy and he has set us apart from the world to be his own. We are to strive to be more like Christ every day because as Christians God has given us the responsibility to continue Jesus’ work on the earth, which is to pursue, grow and multiply disciples, just as he did.

Paul, the writer of Romans, spends the first eleven chapters of this book teaching the theology of the Christian faith and expounding on the gospel of Jesus Christ. He taught an understanding of our sin problem, our need for salvation, our sanctification and the sovereignty of God that is central to our faith as Christians today. In Paul’s teaching in Romans, we have been given some of the most well-known verses in the Bible on these subjects, such as, Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans chapter 3 gives a detailed picture of what sin looks like in our lives. Then in Romans 6:23 we see what we deserve because of our sin, “For the wages of sin is death.” What we deserve is a spiritual death, an eternal separation from God. But praise God, the theology of Christianity didn’t end there. Romans 6:23 goes on to say, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God took care of our sin problem and made a way for us to be reconciled to him. All this was done while we were living in rebellion against Him. Romans 10:9 tells us what our responsibility now is: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” The ball is in our court. God doesn’t force us to accept Jesus. But salvation, the forgiveness of sins, is available to anyone who will trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Finally we see the culmination in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That is the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the good news for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and are following Him. Now in Romans 12, Paul says, “So What?” Now that we’ve made a decision for Christ, what’s next?” Now that we are saved, how should we act? It is nice to say we are to be holy because God is holy. But is holiness in my daily life even realistic? Paul’s going to show us that holiness is definitely realistic and it is practical as well. In Romans chapter 12 the way that we achieve holiness is through sacrifice which brings us to our big idea this morning that: Our holiness will be seen in being a “living sacrifice” to God and others.

There are three points this morning. First, the Exhortation to Sacrifice; Second, the Expression of Sacrifice and third, the Evidence of Sacrifice. Let’s look at the exhortation to sacrifice which is found in Romans 12:1-2. This is what God’s Word says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Paul starts off with the word, “therefore”, meaning that what follows is a continuation of what came before in chapters 1-11. He is urging us to act on the doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ that he just taught. But he doesn’t just say “do something.” He gives us a logical reason why we should act which is because of God’s mercy towards us. God didn’t have to make a way for us to be reconciled to him. He could have left us in our sinful state and to the consequences of our sin. But as John 3:16 says, God loved the world so much he sent his one and only son to die on a cross to take away the sins of the world and all we need to do is accept his son and we can have eternal life with him instead of eternal separation from him.

So because of what God did for us, the reasonable thing we should do in response is to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This response is reasonable and spiritual. What would your response be if a total stranger paid your bill at a restaurant? The reasonable response should be gratitude and maybe that prompts you to pay it forward and pay someone else’s bill in the future. In the same way, our response to what God has done for us should not only be gratitude but action. It should motivate us to obedience. Next, our response should be spiritual. In the OT, worship and gratitude was accompanied by sacrifice. In that time God had instituted animal sacrifices, which was the way for the Israelite’s to worship God and to show their gratitude to him for what he had done for them. But once Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross, once for all, they no longer needed to sacrifice animals in order to do that. Now our sacrifices are spiritual acts of worship. This spiritual act of worship comes from the heart and the mind and requires a sacrifice from us. But we don’t just make a sacrifice to God we are to “be” a sacrifice to God, not a dead sacrifice but a living sacrifice.

What does it mean to be a “living sacrifice?” First, Paul tells us we are to present our bodies to God. He means “present our bodies once and for all.” This is not just a one time commitment. It is not just sacrificing our bodies to God on Sundays and Wednesdays when we come to church. It’s is an every second of every day commitment to God. We can’t take a day off. We can’t be holy in one area of our lives and not holy in another. Holiness must permeate every area of our lives twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, three- hundred and sixty five days a year. The spiritual act of worship is an everyday worship experience that is a passionate pursuit of holiness in our daily lives.

Second, in urging us to be a living sacrifices, Paul says we need to sacrifice three things in response to what God has done for us. The first thing we need to sacrifice to God is our bodies. Before we became a Christian we used our bodies for sinful purposes but now that we are a part of the family of God we are to use our bodies for his glory and for his purposes. Holiness is sacrificing our bodies as living sacrifices so that God can use us as his instruments in the world.

The second thing we are urged to sacrifice is our minds. The world or this “age” is trying to control our minds but God wants to transform them. We are transformed by the renewing of our mind. This means we are to sacrifice our minds to God for his use and for his purposes. We can’t give our minds to both God and the world. It must be one or the other. But we all know how hard it is to resist conforming to the world around us especially when it is actively seeking to devour us and take us away from the family of God. How does the world try to conform us? It’s insidious because it is actually the same way that God transforms us. We are conformed or transformed by what we read, what we watch, what we listen to and who we hang out with. Are you reading your Bible? Do you watch Christian movies and TV shows? Do you listen to Christian music? Do you hang out with Christian friends?

We are conformed to the world by anything that we put into our minds that is worldly and we are transformed by anything that we put in our minds that is Godly. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Do you want to know if you are a conformer or are being transformed? What are you thinking on and about? Is it true, is it noble, is it right, is it pure, is it lovely, is it admirable, is it excellent and is it praiseworthy? Who controls your mind, God or the world?

This transforming of your mind will result in an outward display of obeying God’s Word. When we make a commitment to holiness as individuals and a congregation that means we are individually and corporately reading and studying God’s Word, memorizing scripture, praying to God in adoration, confession, thanksgiving and petition and the result is that our outward actions toward others will prove that we are pursuing holiness. Holiness is a practical pursuit which is why we put together the Spiritual Life Journal. We will see holiness in our lives as we obey God’s Word as it pertains to his Word, to our service, to our giving, in our relationships, in the gospel and in our worship. BIG IDEA

The third thing we are urged to sacrifice in response to what God has done for us is our wills. Your mind controls your body and your will controls your mind. It is only when we yield our will to God’s will that his power can take over and give us what we need to pursue and practice holiness. We can’t do it in our own power. We do this by knowing what God’s will is and putting it into practice. If we know and put into practice his standards, his desires, his motives and his values it will lead to spiritual growth and holy living. What we feed our minds and wills is what is inside of us and will come out of us. The difference in being conformed to this world or being transformed by the renewing of your mind and knowing what the perfect will of God is, is what comes out of us, is our actions.

These first two verses are not just asking us to sacrifice our time, talents, gifts and abilities to God and use them for his glory. They are asking for us to sacrifice our whole selves to him which includes those things. We need to sacrifice to him what we actually own. Our time, talents, gifts and abilities have been given to us by God. We can’t give away what we don’t own. But we do own our own bodies, our minds and our wills. That is what God wants us to sacrifice to him. The right to ourselves is the only thing we can give and we sacrifice our bodies, minds and wills so that his will can be done through us. That brings us to our first next step which is to be a “living sacrifice” by sacrificing my body, my mind and my will to the Lord for his purposes and his glory.

Our second point this morning is our expression of sacrifice. We express our sacrifice in the church by discovering our place in the body of Christ and seeking to build it up into a unified body. This is found in Romans 12:3-8 and this is what God’s Word says, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

In these verses we see what sacrificing and pursuing holiness looks like in our relationships with those in the body of Christ. First, we are not to think of ourselves more highly than we should. We are all on a level playing field when it comes to God. No one is better than anyone else. To have sober or realistic judgment means that we realize we are all supposed to be living sacrifices and we owe everything to God. Paul uses an analogy of the human body to show how each believer is a part of the body of Christ. We all have gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit and we are to use those gifts to build each other up. We belong to each other, we minster to each other and we need each other. We have sober judgment when we use our spiritual gifts for the health and welfare of the Church and not for our own benefit. We do this in a couple of ways.

The first is an honest evaluation of our spiritual gifts. We need to know what our spiritual gifts are or we can’t use them for the good of the body. How can you tell that you are using the gifts that God has given you? First, how are you serving here at Idaville Church? If you aren’t serving in some way you need to start. Second, if you are already serving are you happy where you are serving? If not that could mean you aren’t serving in that sweet spot where God wants you to be. It’s like having a job that you hate to go to. How does that affect you? It can be the same way in the church. If you are serving in the church and you aren’t happy then you need to change. It is not doing you or the church any good to serve in that position. God has a sweet spot in mind for you, you just need to find it.

So, if you aren’t serving right now or don’t know how or where to serve, please come see me. If you don’t know what your gifts are or how they can be used in the church, please come see me. If you are already serving here at Idaville and aren’t happy, please come see me. In all of these instances, you can take a spiritual gift survey which will help you better understand your gifts and how and where they can be used in the church. A spiritual gift survey can help you to find that sweet spot that God wants you to be in which will benefit both you and Idaville Church. Also if you look in the Spiritual Life Journal under the heading Holiness in Service you can see the steps that you can take in this area. Our goal at Idaville Church would be to have everyone serving God and doing it in their sweet spot.

That brings us to our second next step which is to take the steps necessary to be serving God in my sweet spot at Idaville Church. When the believers in a church know their gifts, accept them by faith, and use them for God’s glory, then God can bless us in a wonderful way.

The second way we use our spiritual gifts for the health and welfare of the Church is by faithful cooperation. As I said we all have been given spiritual gifts. No one has been left out and our gifts complement each other’s gifts. We have been given these gifts to be used within the church family so that it can be a healthy place to grow spiritually. Everyone’s gift is important and is to be used for the good of the body so we must all must be faithful in using our gifts.

We need to be careful to not use our gifts for selfish reasons instead of for the reasons God intended. Paul in Corinthians had to rebuke them for how they were using their gifts. They had the gifts of the Spirit but they were lacking in the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, etc. Our gifts are to be used by faith and in cooperation together to build up the body of Christ. I like this quote from Weirsbe, “Spiritual gifts are tools to build with, not toys to play with or weapons to fight with.”

Our third point this morning is the evidence of sacrifice. If the sacrificed life is expressed when we use our spiritual gifts for the health and welfare of the body of Christ than the evidence of a sacrificed life will be seen in the nitty-gritty of our day-to day relationships. This includes our relationships within the church and our relationships outside the church. We see the evidence of a sacrificed life in Romans 12:9-21, this is what God’s Word says, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

We are called to sacrifice ourselves in our relationships with others by overcoming evil with love. The key to doing this is that our love for others must be sincere. If our love is not sincere we can never do what Paul commands here and will never be able to overcome evil with love. The Greek word for sincere is the negative of the Greek word for hypocrite. Therefore, sincere love is not a hypocritical love. The word hypocrite was used for an actor of that time who wore different masks to portray the different emotions of the characters he played. This means that sincere Christians should not wear masks. What you see is what you get and Paul says that others should see a sincere love from us all the time. Also, it would be hypocritical for a Christian to hate what is good and cling to what is evil therefore we need to hate what is evil and cling to what is good.

Paul goes on to show us what this sincere love should practically look like especially in our relationships with other believers. We can only do these things if we are pursuing holiness and have offered our whole selves to God as living sacrifices. BIG IDEA. First, we must be devoted to one another in brotherly love. The same Greek root word was used for loving relationships within families. As the body of Christ we are in a spiritual family and we to love each other like the best earthly families would. This, of course, would be the ideal and not the norm. Next we need to honor one another above ourselves. The mantra “looking out for number one” has been around since the Garden of Eden when Adam, Eve and the serpent blamed everyone but themselves for their sin. We are to put others first as an expression and evidence of sincere love.

Next, we are not to be lacking in our zeal but we are to keep our spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. We are to be zealous about our worship to God. What does zealous mean? It means we are to be “on fire” or “passionate” about our worship of God and what he is accomplishing in the world. This can be seen in our sharing the good news of Christ with those who don’t know him or serving in a soup kitchen, etc. The Holy Spirit is the one who fans the flames of our passion for God. Are we asking to be filled by the Holy Spirit daily? Are we asking the Holy Spirit to give us passion for God and his son Jesus? Sometimes that passion can be misguided and harmful to the church so Paul tells us our spiritual passion must be used in obedient service to Christ. We need to remember whom we are to have passion for and what our passion is to be used for, which is serving the Lord.

Next, we are to “stay the course” as we fight the spiritual battles the world throws at us. We need to rejoice in the hope that we have that “God Wins” and show patience and endurance when trials and tribulations come our way. We also need to be faithful in prayer. We all know how important prayer is in the Christian walk. We need to be praying for others, for our church and for our world. Next, we show the familial love to the body of Christ when we share with other believers who are in need. We are also called to practice hospitality towards others.

In verses 14-16, Paul seems to shift from our relationships with other believers to our relationships with non-believers and how we are to show the same sincere love towards them. But these same behaviors still apply within the church. He starts off this section by seeming to quote from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. We are called to a sincere love of others that goes way beyond the normal boundaries of human love. We do this by blessing those who persecute us and not cursing them. We are to treat them as God treated us which is by loving and forgiving them, unconditionally. Next he talks about rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Imagine what could happen if we as Christians rejoice with non-Christians over the things they rejoice in or mourn with non-Christians over things they are mourning over. Imagine the impact and witness that we could have on them and the opportunities it could give us to talk to them about the gospel. For instance, we could share with them the reason we can rejoice mourn with them is because of what God has done for us in sending his son to die for our sins and because of that we have the hope of heaven.

If we practice these things it allows us to live in harmony with everyone. The greatest obstacle to harmony in our relationships is pride. Paul urges us to avoid pride and to humble ourselves. We have all received the grace of God and are on the same plane when it comes to sin, salvation, sanctification, etc. so no matter our wealth, prestige or position we are to treat everyone the same and better than ourselves and be willing to do even the humblest of duties. We should also not be conceited or think we are wiser than we really are. This is what will bring unity as we pursue holiness as living sacrifices to God.

The last section, verses 17-21, talks about overcoming evil with good by refusing to retaliate against those who persecute you. A sincere love for others will repay evil with kindness. But as followers of Jesus Christ we are to go one step further. We are to be careful to “do what is right in the eyes of everyone.” How can we do that especially when there are those who believe that what is right is sin? We are to be at peace with everyone as long as God’s good and perfect will allows us to be and it doesn’t contradict God’s moral demands on us. We will not always be at peace with others but that doesn’t mean we aren’t supposed to do our very best to try and live that way.

We are not to seek revenge against someone who wrongs us because God is the only one who can judge. He is the only one who knows all, sees all and is all-powerful. It is God’s right not ours to repay evil in the world. Instead we are to overcome evil with good. This is seen by feeding our enemy if he is hungry and giving him something to drink if he is thirsty. In doing these things we will heap burning coals on his head. This means that by responding to evil with good it may cause them to become ashamed of their actions and perhaps because of our witness seek reconciliation with God. Isn’t that what we want? We want the world to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior as we do. This is counter-cultural, this is going above and beyond, this is being a living sacrifice, this is a practical pursuit of holiness in our lives. Which brings us to our third next step which is to pursue a sincere love for others and to overcome evil with good in all of my relationships.

So, what does it mean to be a living sacrifice? Like I said in the beginning, it’s like cashing in a $1,000 for quarters and going through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there in loving others. Being a living sacrifice is also like giving God a signed blank check and allowing him to continually fill it out and put anything and everything he wants on it. Being a living sacrifice is going all in with God. It is surrendering your will daily for the will of God. Being a living sacrifice is the pursuit of holiness that we have been talking about for the past month. The Israelites were to be a living sacrifice. Daniel was a living sacrifice. We are to be a living sacrifice to God. Being a living sacrifice is what the Spiritual Life Journal is all about. If you have signed the commitments in the Spiritual Life Journal and have started to do the daily bible reading plan and memorize the monthly scripture verse you have essentially given God a signed blank check and have agreed to pursue holiness everyday of 2021. You have agreed to not only grow spiritually inwardly but to show your growth outwardly by your actions. Your growing relationship with God will show that you are pursuing holiness and your growing relationships with one another in the church and in the world will show that you are practicing holiness. You will be a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your true and proper worship.

Let’s pray.

January 17, 2021/by Office

Taught Not Caught

Pursuing Holiness Daniel Sunday Morning Stuart Johns Holiness, Obedience, Relationship with God, Sovereignty

Pursuit Of Holiness

Taught Not Caught

(Daniel 1:1-21)

INTRODUCTION

Bryan Chapell begins his sermon, “The Undefiled,” with this story.

“When I was in seminary, the wife of one of my classmates worked as a quality control inspector at a pharmaceutical company downtown in order to support the family. One day, through mistaken procedures, a major order of syringes was contaminated and would not pass inspection. When the wife of my friend reported the contamination to her boss, he quickly computed the costs of reproducing the order and made a ‘cost-effective’ decision: ship the order. He ordered her to sign the inspection clearance despite the contamination. She refused.

Because of government regulations, my friend's wife was the only one who could sign the clearance. The syringes did not ship that day. So the next day, a Friday, the wife got a visit from the company president. He said he would give her the weekend to think it over, but if the forms were not signed on Monday, her job would be in jeopardy.

In fact, much more was in jeopardy. This inspection job was this couple's only means of support. The husband's education and ministry future was also in jeopardy. All their hopes, dreams, and family plans of many years could be shattered as a result of a choice to be made over the next two days. For this young couple, all the abstract doctrinal instruction they had been receiving about personal consecration, world transformation, and credible witness boiled down to this one very real decision: could they afford to remain undefiled from the contamination the world was urging them to approve? Was the witness of holiness worth what it would cost?

The couple's predicament, of course, was not unique to them. In all ages God's people are pressured to pollute the purity of their dedication to God. The pressures come from lots of potential sources: bosses, finances, competitors, friends, relatives, congregations, our own desires for success and significance. This couple faced such pressures, you have faced them, Daniel and his friends faced them. The pressures face anyone who will seek to live undefiled in a world of sin. That's why the Bible, in order to help us face these pressures, speaks so plainly about the risks, reasons, and rewards of holiness.”

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2011/february/undefiled.html].

This couple was going to have to decide whether or not to follow what they were taught by their parents, church, and seminary. When it comes to tough decisions we most often return to what we were taught – our character.

BODY

ME
- Character traits developed in me by my parents
  - - Hard work ethic
    - Honesty
    - Tithing
    - Trustworthiness
    - Loyalty
    - Faith in God
- Hiring staff
  - - I remember attending a workshop at one of the UB National Conferences where former Bishop Phil Whipple was sharing about hiring staff
    - He shared that he would rather hire someone with character instead of someone with a lot of skills
    - His reasoning behind this was that it was easier to teach them the various skills they would need, than to teach them character qualities that take time to develop
    - Character is something that is taught over a long period of time, while skills can be easily caught within a short period of time

WE
- Skills caught
  - - What skills have you learned?
- Character taught
  - - What character traits were you taught? (good and bad)

Daniel and his friends were taught some pretty incredible character traits that stuck with them even when they were separated from their families. One of the main character traits they had learned was a firm commitment to God. They also learned what holiness meant and how to maintain that. From Daniel’s example in the passage today, we will learn that . . .

BIG IDEA – Holiness begins with a firm commitment to God.

Let’s pray

Kenneth Gangel does an excellent job of providing the main point headings in the Holman Old Testament Commentary for Daniel. I’ve used those headings as the main points this morning.

GOD (Daniel 1:1-21)
- Attack by Babylon (vv. 1-2)
  - - Jehoiakim’s reign
      - Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah
        Josiah was the king who returned the Israelites to the worship of God
        He was one of just a few kings who were righteous and did what was right before God
        Most of the other kings were wicked and turned away from God
        After Josiah’s death, his younger son Johoahaz was actually made king, first, but his reign only lasted three months (he was a wicked king)
        Pharaoh-neco appointed Eliakim, Josiah’s elder son, as king and renamed him Jehoiakim
      - Year of Jehoiakim’s reign
        Daniel says it was in the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign
        Jeremiah says it was in the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign (Jeremiah 25:1)
        Which one is correct?
        Both, because they are talking about the same time period
        Two different calendars [Dwight J. Pentecost, Daniel (The Bible Knowledge Commentary; ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck; Accordance electronic ed. 2 vols.; Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 1:1328]
        Jewish calendar began in September-October
        Babylonian calendar began in March-April
        Two different ways of counting [Gangel, The Holman Old Testament Commentary, Daniel, 15]
        Babylonian reckoning (Daniel) – they “considered the first year of a king’s reign the year of accession and the second year would be the official ‘first year.’” [Gangel, 15]
        Egyptian reckoning (Jeremiah) – they considered the first year as the actual first year of their reign
      - So, Jehoiakim had been king for four years (Egyptian timing), three years (Babylonian timing)
    - Nebuchadnezzar’s reign
      - Jeremiah (25:1) tells us that it was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign that he besieged Jerusalem
      - It was 605 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar became king and he didn’t waste time establishing his dominance in the region
      - He immediately began his conquest of the surrounding nations
      - While Nebuchadnezzar thought he was ultimately in control, we see the almighty, sovereign God, who is actually in control
    - God’s sovereignty
      - In God’s sovereignty and under His control, He allowed Nebuchadnezzar to overtake Jerusalem and delivered king Jehoiakim into his hands
      - PRINCIPLE #1 – God is sovereign!
        Nothing happens outside His divine control and purpose
        This is the first time, in the passage we’re looking at today, that we see God’s sovereignty, but it’s not the last
        God is still in control of world changing and nation changing events
        Whatever our political views are, we can trust that God is in control!
        Whatever our beliefs are about a world-wide pandemic, God is in control!
        Whatever financial struggles we’re experiencing, either personally or as a church, God is in control!
        How many of us would say that we feel like we are being taken captive (emotionally, spiritually, politically, relationally, financially)?
        How many of us would say that we feel like some of our most prized possessions are being carried away?
        Perhaps most of us can relate to what the Israelites were feeling at this point – we may not be going into captivity and being carried away to another land, physically, but perhaps that’s how we feel emotionally, mentally, or spiritually
        We may be experiencing the feelings of hopelessness
        God is with us and promises to never leave us or forsake us, but to be our helper (Hebrews 13:5-6)
        We can trust Him!
        #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: Trust in God’s sovereign power and turn to Him with my feelings of hopelessness.
      - God also allowed some of the articles from His temple to be carried away to Babylonia
        “Daniel tells us that twice in one verse, indicating its importance. He wants us to understand that this is not only a battle between nations but also a battle between deities – God against Marduk, great god of the Babylonians.” [Gangel, 17]
        This spiritual battle wages to the very end of time as we see in Revelation
        The temple in Babylonia would have been to Bel (Marduk)
        The purpose in carrying away some of the articles from the temple was to prove that the deities of Babylonia had conquered the God of Judah
        And yet, we know that’s not the case, as Daniel pointed out (God was in control)
        Nebuchadnezzar left some of the articles in the temple, so the Israelites, who remained in Jerusalem, could continue to worship their God
        They were a vassal state of Babylon
    - Nebuchadnezzar didn’t only take articles from the temple of the Lord, but he also took young men from Jerusalem to Babylon
- Training in Babylon (vv. 3-7)
  - - Who was to be trained?
      - Nebuchadnezzar puts the chief of his court officials, Ashpenaz, in charge of choosing those who will be taken into captivity and trained
      - This was common practice in the ancient world – taking the brightest and best of the royal family and nobility into captivity and training them, so they would eventually become advocates, for the conquering nation, with their own people
      - Attributes of those chosen
        Physically – young, without defect, handsome (I may be biased, but I think my three boys would have qualified physically)
        Young men/youths/children – Daniel and his friends would have been around 12-15 years’ old
        Their age will be significant as the events of this passage unfold – so keep their age in mind
        Intellectually – aptitude for every kind of learning, well-informed, quick to understand (again, I’m biased, but my three boys would qualify)
        We would all feel the same way about our own children
      - Now that we know who was to be trained, we can focus on what they were to be taught
    - What were they to be taught?
      - Language and literature of the Babylonians
        Language
        “The traditional language of Babylon was Akkadian, a complex and ancient language written by means of a cuneiform script (using a stylus to make wedge-shaped characters), in which each symbol represented a syllable.” [John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews, and Mark W. Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 730]
        [Show pictures of Akkadian cuneiform script]
        While the Babylonians knew Akkadian, they primarily communicated using Aramaic, which was similar to Hebrew, in that it used an alphabetic script instead of a cuneiform script
        Daniel and his friends may have already know Aramaic
        Literature
        There were certainly all kinds of general literature for these young men to learn (sciences, mathematics, etc.), but perhaps they were taught specific forms of literature based on how there were going to serve the Babylonian kingdom
        We know that Daniel served as a diviner, because God had given him the ability to understand visions and dreams of all kinds (Daniel 1:17)
        It’s probable that Daniel focused on the omen literature that would serve him well as a diviner
        We’re not really told how the other three youths served the Babylonian kingdom, so it’s more difficult to determine their course of training
      - This wasn’t a 12-week course on how to serve the king, but rather a much lengthier training that would completely indoctrinate them to the customs, traditions, and ways of the Babylonian people
    - How long was their training?
      - Their training would take them three years
      - After their training was complete, they would serve the king
      - Every aspect of their lives was regimented and set by the king – what they were to learn and what they were to eat
    - What were they to eat?
      - The king assigned a daily portion of food and wine from his own table
        This shouldn’t be seen as a way to defile the Hebrew captives
        The king probably didn’t even know about their dietary restrictions
        He was providing the best, he had to offer, for them
        Remember, the purpose in their training was to transform those who were captive from their original origins to Babylonian citizens
        We only learn later that Daniel and his three friends considered the food and wine something that would defile them
        We’re not told the exact food items that were part of the daily portion, but perhaps it included bread and meat of some kind
      - Captives weren’t the only ones who received a daily portion from the king’s table [Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, 731]
        Ranking members of the administration
        Craftsmen and artisans (native or foreign)
        Diplomats, businessmen and entertainers
      - Of those who were taken captive, we see that some of them were from Judah
    - Line of Judah (line of the king)
      - Hebrew names
        Daniel – “God is judge”
        Hananiah – “Jehovah is gracious; whom Jehovah has favored”
        Mishael – “Who is what God is?”
        Azariah – “The Lord helps”
      - Babylonian names
        “To change someone’s name is to exercise authority over them and their destiny.” [Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament,]
        Belteshazzar (Daniel) – “Bel’s (Marduk) prince; he whom Bel favors.” [Chief-god]
        Shadrach (Hananiah) – “young friend of the king; command of Aku.” [Sun/Moon-god]
        Meshach (Mishael) – “Who is what Aku is?” Could also be from Babylonian goddess Sheshach (Shak) [Earth-god]
        Abednego (Azariah) – “servant of Nebo; servant of the shining fire” [Fire-god]
    - So, Daniel and his three friends, along with the other captives, were going through a lot of changes all at once
    - Daniel accepted all of the changes, but one
- Commitment in Babylon (vv. 8-14)
  - - Daniel’s resolution
      - Daniel made up his mind that he would not eat the royal food or drink the wine
      - Why did he make up his mind about the food and drink, but not the name change or curriculum?
        Having his named changed and learning about the customs, traditions, and ways of the Babylonian people did not directly go against Jewish law
        Eating food prepared by Gentiles would have made the food unclean – it was not Kosher
        The food might have been sacrificed to idols and eating it would have meant approval of the worship of those gods
      - Firm commitment to God
        Holiness begins with a firm commitment to God.
        Where did Daniel learn this firm commitment to God?
        He would have been alive during King Josiah’s reign
        He would have seen and experienced the repentant heart of not only the King, but everyone else in Jerusalem
        Perhaps he watched his father and mother recommit themselves to the Lord – he saw, first-hand, the transformation that God’s Word had in his own family
        He was wholly committed to the Lord and would not sacrifice that commitment by eating food and drinking wine potentially sacrificed to idols
        “The great lesson from the incident is that religion should regulate the smallest details of life, and that it is not narrow over-scrupulousness, but fidelity to the highest duty, when a man sets his foot down about any small matter, and says, ‘No, I dare not do it, little as it is, and pleasant as it might be to sense, because I should thereby be mixed up in a practical denial of my God.’ ‘So did not I, because of the fear of God’ (Neh. v. 15), is a motto which will require from many a young man abstinence from many things which it would be much easier to accept.” [Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, Accordance electronic ed. (Altamonte Springs: OakTree Software, 2006), paragraph 10757]
        PRINCIPLE #2 – God is pleased when we choose holiness over worldliness.
        Application
        Holiness
        We are being bombarded every day with temptations for worldliness
        Perhaps our employer is asking us to do something that we know is not morally or ethically right (what will we choose?)
        Maybe a friend at school wants us to help them do something that we know isn’t right (what will we choose?)
        Some of us may have family members who are pressuring us to do something wrong (what will we choose?)
        A fellow college student or professor may be encouraging us to be more tolerant of a social or cultural shift that is in opposition to God’s Word (what will we choose?)
        Society wants us to be tolerant of other religions and “cultural norms” that go against the Bible (what will we choose?)
        Laws within our land (abortion, same-sex marriage, legalization of drugs, etc.) tempt us to accept what God says is unacceptable (what will we choose?)
        #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: Resolve to stand firm on my commitment to God and choose holiness over worldliness.
        Committed to God at a young age
        As I mentioned earlier, Daniel and his three friends were probably in their early teens
        They were pursuing holiness, because of a firm commitment to God
        These four young men seem to be the exception among the captives, but they are an incredible example for our young people today
        The norm
        Too often in our day and age, young men and women in their early teens are not pursuing holiness and a firm commitment to God
        We often hear them say that they will pursue God and holiness when they are older
        Many young people, who walked away from the church and the Lord in their mid to late teens and early twenties, return to the Lord and the church when they begin having children (they know the importance of training up their children in the Lord)
        This doesn’t have to be the norm
        Young people can and should be pursuing holiness and a firm commitment to the Lord
        The primary teaching and modeling for pursuing holiness should come from Dad and Mom
        They learn both from our teaching and our example
        There are certainly young people who are living in a non-Christian homes, but are striving to live for Jesus
        That’s when the body of Christ steps in and provides the teaching and modeling for these young people to follow
        #3 – (Young People) My Next Step Today Is To: Not wait until I’m older to pursue holiness and a personal relationship with God.
        #4 – (Adults) My Next Step Today Is To: Commit to teach and model a life of holiness for the next generation.
      - Daniel gives us a great example of how to handle potential conflict, especially when it pertains to defiling our moral and ethical beliefs – he appeals to those in charge
    - Daniel’s appeals
      - Chief official
        He asks the chief official for permission not to defile himself
        PRINCIPLE #1 – God is sovereign!
        We see that God is sovereignly in control again as He causes the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel
        The chief official understands Daniel’s concern about the food and wine, but he isn’t ready to choose holiness over worldliness
        He prefers having his head attached to his shoulders (he’s afraid for his life)
        The chief official wasn’t willing to question the king’s assignment of food
        That didn’t stop Daniel from continuing to appeal
      - Guard
        Next, he goes to the guard who has direct supervision over him, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah
        His appeal is to have the guard give these four a test run for 10 days
        Instead of eating the royal good and drinking the wine, they will only eat vegetables and drink water
        After the 10 days are up, the guard can compare their appearance to the appearance of the other captives who have eaten the king’s food and wine
        The guard can then treat these four young men based on what he sees
        The guard agrees to the test
    - What will happen as a result of these four young men choosing holiness, because of their firm commitment to God?
- Blessings in Babylon (vv. 15-21)
  - - PRINCIPLE #3 – God honors the obedience of His people.
    - Physical blessing
      - These four young men looked healthier than the other young men
      - They also looked more nourished/fatter (we don’t associate fatter as healthy term, but think about malnourished children who are only skin and bones – for them to be fatter, means well nourished)
      - The guard saw the results and took away the choice food and wine from everyone and gave them all vegetables to eat and probably water to drink
    - Intellectual blessing
      - The intellectual blessings all came from God!
      - All four men received knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning
      - Daniel also received the ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams
      - It didn’t matter what the king questioned them about
      - As it pertained to wisdom and understanding, these four young men were ten times more capable of providing a balanced answer, than all of the other magicians and enchanters in the kingdoms
      - That’s a pretty incredible blessing from the Lord for pursuing holiness and a firm commitment to Him
    - Employment blessing
      - These four young men were given positions within the kingdom
      - They had completed their three years of training and were ready to serve the Lord by serving the king of Babylon
      - Daniel remained as an official in the Babylonian kingdom until the first year of King Cyrus
        That was nearly the entire 70 years of the Babylonian captivity
        Daniel served under four kings
        Nebuchadnezzar (Babylonia Empire)
        Belshazzar (Babylonia Empire)
        Darius (Medo-Persia Empire)
        Cyrus (Medo-Persia Empire)
    - What blessings have you received as a result of obeying God?

YOU
- Are you feeling hopeless today? (trust God, because He is sovereign and in control)
- Resolve to stand firm on your commitment to God choose holiness over worldliness
- Young people – don’t wait to pursue holiness and a relationship with God (the blessing far outweigh the hardship)

WE
- Parents and adults – we are called to teach and model a life of holiness and a firm commitment to God

CONCLUSION

For Daniel and his three friends, holiness and a firm commitment to God didn’t stop with this one difficult situation.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose holiness over worldliness and experienced a supernatural fire walk and a promotion (Daniel 3:1-30)

Daniel chose to maintain his firm commitment to God and pursuit of holiness even when there was a 30-day prayer ban decreed by King Darius and experienced a supernatural slumber party with a den of lions (Daniel 6:1-28)

Are you ready to experience the supernatural blessings of God as you pursue holiness through a firm commitment to Him?

January 10, 2021/by Office

Ultimate Tag

Pursuing Holiness Leviticus Sunday Morning Marc Webb Holiness, Love

ULTIMATE TAG

Ultimate Tag is a reality show where competitors must vault, dodge, tumble and dive their way through several different three dimensional courses with one person trying to tag the other person. It is billed as the fastest, craziest, most intense game ever.

Everyone has probably played the childhood game of tag at some point in their lives. I can remember playing tag on the playground growing up. I remember one time in second grade being chased in a game of tag and I tried so hard to get away that I slide under a fence. I ended up ripping my shirt and actually getting stuck under the fence. And I got tagged which upset me more than ripping my shirt did.

This morning we are going to be talking about ultimate tag as it pertains to a command given us by God himself. In ultimate tag the object is to pursue another person trying to tag them so they are “it.” In the command given to us by God we are to be holy as he is holy. We are to pursue holiness daily so that we can abide in his presence. This is the ultimate tag of life because we must be relentless in our pursuit of holiness. We can’t take a day off. It must be an every second of every day pursuit.

Holiness is not just about keeping the commands of God. We can’t earn our holiness as we can only be holy through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Without his sacrifice we could never be holy. But after our justification we can be sanctified through pursuing holiness which means the way that we show our holiness to the Lord is by keeping his commands and obeying his Word. This morning we will be studying Leviticus 19 and we will see parallels with the Ten Commandments given by God to the Israelites. If we follow the Ten Commandments our relationship with God and with others will be in good standing. That brings us to our big idea this morning which is our holiness can be seen in our relationship with God and others.

Before we begin our study this morning let’s dedicate this time to the Lord. Dear Heavenly Father, as we study your Word this morning help us to be attentive to you Spirit. Help us to hear your voice and what it is you want us to learn and share with those we come in contact with this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Before we look at Leviticus, I want to give you some background information. First, what is holiness? The Hebrew word for “holiness” is a word that highlights the realm of the sacred in contrast to everything common and profane. It refers to God and what belongs to him. The word holy is used more than 600 times in the Bible. It describes something or someone that is set apart for God. We will see in Leviticus 19 that God was calling his people into a relationship with himself and he wanted them to not only to survive the experience but to be nourished by it. But for that to happen, they needed to know the ground rules, they needed to come to him on his terms not their own.

What or who can be holy? Anything can be holy, time, space, objects, and people, all can become holy if they belong to God. The temple in Jerusalem was considered a holy space, and the objects used in worship were holy objects. The Sabbaths and feasts of Israel were considered holy days or seasons. And the Israelites were called God’s holy people because he had chosen them and they belonged to him. To be holy literally means to be set apart. The Israelites were to be set apart from the other nations that they were going to be living among in the Promised Land and today we are to be holy and set apart from the world that we live in, meaning those who are against God and don’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. To be set apart means we are to live differently from the world. When the world looks at us they should see a difference between us and themselves. If they don’t then we are not living a holy life as a child of God.

As believers, we are literally set apart, made holy, because of our relationship with the one who died on a cross for our sins and brought us back into a right relationship with a holy God. How does Jesus do this? If you remember the story of King Midas, everything he touched turned to gold. Something like that happens when we come into relationship with Jesus. He is the one who entered the holy of holies in heaven to heal the rift that sin had created in our relationship with God. Jesus is the one who makes us holy, enabling us to stand in God’s presence and join the angels as they sing “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord.” It starts with our justification, our accepting of Jesus as our Lord and Savior and it continues with our sanctification.

What is sanctification? According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, sanctification is “the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” It is a continuing change worked by God in us, freeing us from our sinful habits and forming in us Christ-like affections, dispositions, and virtues. It doesn’t mean that we will never sin again, but it does mean that we strive to be more Christ-like every day and when we do sin we confess and repent. This is sanctification and it is a real transformation, not just the appearance of one.

So our holiness starts with the work of Jesus on the cross and continues as we pursue the holiness of God in our everyday lives, which brings us to our scripture this morning. It is found in Leviticus 19:1-2 but we will be talking about the entire chapter. I also want to reference Leviticus 20:7-8 and 26 in the scripture reading this morning. This is what God’s Word say from Leviticus 19:1-2: The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. And in Leviticus 20:7-8, 26: “‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy. You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.

We see the concept of holiness played out in these verses. First, we are to be holy because God is holy. Second, God is the one who makes us holy. Third, God has set us apart from the nations to be his own. And fourth, to be holy we need to keep God’s decrees by following and obeying them. The rest of those two chapters are God-given guidelines on what it practically meant for the Israelites to be holy. If they obeyed these decrees they would be different from the nations around them and would be in a close relationship with God. Another benefit from obeying these commands was that not only would they be in a close relationship with God but they would be in close relationships with each other. That reminds us of our big idea that our holiness can be seen in our relationship with God and others.

Leviticus 19 has been called the Old Testament Sermon on the Mount. In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, Jesus was laying out for His disciples His rules for those who would be subjects of His kingdom. Those whom Christ saves are to display a life that is different from the kingdom from which they have been delivered. They are different because they are pursuing holiness and striving to be holy as God is holy. The same was true for God’s covenant people. If they were pursuing holy living their lives would demonstrate that they were different from the nations living around them.

The important thing for us to remember is that holiness is definable, it is practical, and it is even measureable. But even further than that, when it comes to holiness, those who have been redeemed by the grace of God are responsible. It is our responsibility to pursue the practice of holiness in our lives. And because of God’s saving grace, we have the power to do so. If we pursue holiness, in the power of Christ, then we will find ourselves experiencing the abundant life that Jesus talked about. The pursuit of holiness is also a profitable pursuit. We will see all of this in Leviticus 19.

Our first point is the Principles of Holiness. The first principle is that holiness is a commanded responsibility. In vs. 1-2, God commanded his chosen people to be holy as he was holy. It was not merely a good suggestion but rather a covenant obligation. This is why we have been saved. We are not to be corrupted by the world around us but are to live in loyalty and obedience to the Lord who has saved us. We are to be like Him. Harris says, “The character of God is behind all his commandments. Among the sensual and foolish deities of antiquity, no god could ground all moral duty in his divine character; only the God of Israel could.” Jonathan Edwards once said that if we do not love God for His holiness then it is doubtful that we love Him at all. Think about it: we will know that we love Him for His holiness if we answer His command to pursue holiness. Every week in our worship-based prayer, we seek the face of God as we praise him for his many attributes such as his holiness, but you know what, they are empty words if we don’t answer his command to pursue holiness. It works the same way for all his attributes. If we say we love God but don’t love others our words are meaningless. If we praise him for his graciousness and mercifulness towards us but we are not gracious and merciful towards others our praise is meaningless.

Our second principle is that holiness is a countercultural responsibility. God was concerned that the people whom He had redeemed not be corrupted by the practices of the people whom they would soon encounter. They were to be holy and therefore their lifestyle was to be characterized by holiness. God is different from His creation and as believers we are called to model him. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Harrison says, “God’s holiness is to be taken as a model for individual and community life.” Currid defines holiness as “the imitation of God.” Jesus taught this principle when He said, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” in Matthew 5:48. When God called His people to holiness, He was calling them to a lifestyle and an existence that was to be different to those around them. He is calling us to the same thing today.

Christians and non-Christians are similar in many ways. Rarely can you look at someone and just from the outside tell whether they are a Christian or not. The difference is related to someone’s desires, beliefs, values and aspirations. We should be different from the culture we live in and honestly we should unapologetically be offending the culture around us. There should be a difference in our behavior that is noticeable to them. We will examine examples of that behavior in the rest of chapter 19.

Our third principle is that holiness is a communal responsibility. God’s command to be holy as he is holy, was given in the context of community. Moses was commanded by God to command the entire assembly to holiness. No one was exempt from holy living, not even the stranger or the foreigner in the assembly. This means that everyone here in our congregation of Idaville Church has a part to play in being holy and the responsibility of ensuring that holiness is part of their everyday lives.

It is essential that I pursue holiness, but it is also essential that we all pursue holiness so that together we are holy. This requires an awareness of accountability. Moses gave these commands from God to the people publicly so that they were without excuse. There was a built-in accountability factor that no one could easily escape. It is the same for you and I. We sit here and hear Pastor Stuart preaching and teaching us directly from God’ Word every Sunday. We go to Sunday school and hear teachers teaching from Word of God. We read God’s Word for ourselves at home. We are now held accountable by God but also by each other to obey what God’s Word says. That accountability is part of pursuing holiness.

Our fourth principle is that holiness is a comprehensive responsibility. In Leviticus 19:3-18, Ross says, God gave the Israelites a “rapid, panoramic tour” of what it meant to be holy. The laws he gave covered every major sphere of daily life. They started in the home, and then with the sanctuary and then with society at large. Also, each of the Ten Commandments seem to be alluded to here. We are called to be holy and obedient in every area of our lives. Sometimes we are guilty of pursuing holiness in one aspect of our lives but not worrying about holiness in another. This may be played out in loving God but not being willing to love others as ourselves. We can’t love God if we don’t love others like us who are made in his image.

That brings us to our first next step which is to obey God’s command to be holy, different from the world we live in, individually and as a church community, in every part of our daily lives.

Our second point this morning is the practice of holiness. The pursuit of holiness is a practical pursuit. There are things that we are to do as well as things that we are to avoid. First, holiness is a concrete responsibility. There is a very definite behavior that God expects of those who claim Him as their Father and there should be concrete differences in our living compared to the world around us. And, this behavior is not beyond our reach; it is attainable. Tidball says, “Holy living involved goals that were manageable, by God’s grace, rather than goals that were so far out of reach that people were condemned to perpetual failure.” James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” The pursuit of holiness is practical. It can be demonstrated, measured and attained.

In chapter 19, verses 3-18, we see what was required in the daily pursuit of holiness. The first thing that was required was to love God, and this was shown practically in several ways. First, we are to respect our parents because God has put them in authority over us. Two, we are to remember the Sabbath. Holiness begins in the home and remembering the Sabbath benefits our family life. When we have a respect for God we will have a respect for those he puts in authority over us such as our parents. And three, we are not to have any other gods before us or worship any idols. It is interesting how these are related. If you don’t remember the Sabbath and the worship of God then it won’t be long til you start to worship idols such as money, possessions, people, etc. Holiness is demonstrated in whom we worship. We were created for worship. Everyone worships; the only question is whom and how we worship.

David Foster Wallace delivered a commencement address at Kenyon College back in 2005. He makes no profession to faith in Jesus Christ, but at one point in his address he made the following statement: “Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what we worship. And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of God or spiritual-type thing to worship . . . is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.” Anything you worship other than the God of the Bible—money, fame, sex, etc. will eventually eat you alive. If we do not want to be eaten alive by that which they worship, we must teach and model a remembrance of the Sabbath and a respect for God and parents. God is the only one worthy of our worship. Everything else is worthless.

Lastly, to love God was shown practically by obeying the rules. This is seen in Leviticus 19:5-10. The first rule had to do with the peace offering. The peace offering was the culmination of all of the sacrificial rituals. It was a meal in which God shared with His people. It celebrated reconciliation with God. It was a statement expressing fellowship and oneness with Him. The second rule had to do with gleaning which was a God-prescribed means for caring for the poor among His people. When a landowner harvested his field he was not to reap in the corners of his fields or to harvest every grape and olive. He was to leave some for the poor to harvest. It was a means of feeding the poor while at the same time guarding their dignity. In other words, they could find food but they had to labor for it themselves.

What was important about these two rules being together? The peace offering was also a thank offering, in which the worshipper would bring a sacrifice to express gratitude to God for His goodness in giving them a harvest. And this thankfulness was to spill over into their lives as they went back home to their fields. They were in community together and this was a practical way to have compassion for others just as God had compassion on them.

The second thing that was required in the daily pursuit of holiness was love for their neighbor and these practical things are found in Leviticus 19:11-18. The first is honesty. If oneness, fellowship and unity were to be maintained in the community, there must be integrity among the people. To deceive others is to dishonour God and to destroy communal holiness. We should expect and even demand honesty from those who have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and call themselves Christians. Second, we are not to take advantage of others. We are not to cheat our neighbor or withhold from someone what they have earned. We are not to take advantage of the disadvantaged or the disenfranchised. The Israelites were to be compassionate and sympathetic towards those who were in such a predicament. They were not to take advantage of those who did not know or could not perceive what was happening to them. He mentions the blind and the deaf. God can see and hear how we treat others even if they can’t. Third, we are to practice justice towards others. God’s people are to be characterized by justice, truthfulness and fairness. We are not supposed to stab people in the back. Lastly, a practical way to love our neighbor is to be constructive not destructive. Verses 17-18 means that we are to be passionately concerned for the spiritual welfare of others. We are to love our fellow believers so much that we will do what is necessary to help them live differently and to be holy. We don’t love others when we refuse to hold them accountable to personal holiness, or hold a grudge against them instead of reconciling and restoring fellowship with them.

Why is holiness important especially in our relationship to God and with others? Because if we obey these concrete laws of holiness commanded by God then good will be the result. Our homes will be blessed, our church will be blessed and the overflow is that our society will be blessed. Imagine what our world would look like if we obeyed the command in Leviticus 19:17-18 to love and not hate each other. How different our communities would be if we lived by this simple yet demanding rule.

That brings us to our second next step this morning which is to love God and love my neighbors so that our homes, our church, and our society will be blessed.

I want to say one last thing about this holiness. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Does that scare you? Which one of us can be perfect? Only Jesus was perfect and perfectly lived out these laws we see in Leviticus 19. The good news is we have the power as Christians to be perfect, to be holy. It is because we are Christians, not in name but in nature, that we have the power to pursue holiness. We need to be born again as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3. Apart from being born again, all our attempts to love mercy, do justice and walk humbly with our God will be nothing but self-righteousness. Of course, we can never be perfect even though we are called to be perfect. But the key is when we aren’t perfect and we do sin, we confess our sin and repent from it and we turn to Christ alone for forgiveness and for the ability to seek his righteousness and to live a holy life. Christ through his sacrifice gives us the power to daily pursue holiness and live holy, obedient lives.

In conclusion, I want to introduce the 2021 Spiritual Life Journal to you. Our theme for 2021, if you haven’t figured it out is Holiness. In 2020, our theme was Unity, and hopefully you all feel as I do that even though 2020 was a difficult year, we come into 2021, more unified than in the past, even though we spent a little over three months apart and are spending some time apart even now from our friends here at Idaville Church. But as Pastor Stuart and I were talking about 2021, we felt that a next logical step was a pursuit of holiness. I have been praying that we as a congregation pursue holiness and I have prayed that it would start with me. We spent 2020 working on our relationships with each other and now in 2021 we want to spend time on our relationship with God and in growing closer and staying close to him.

When you look through the Spiritual Life Journal you will see the same main headings with holiness in place of unity, such as, Holiness in Prayer, Holiness in the Word, Holiness in Service, Holiness in Giving, Holiness in Relationships, Holiness in the Gospel and Holiness in Worship. There are commitments that can be made for each section and Bible verses for each section as well. There is also a daily Bible reading plan and monthly memory verses that we as a congregation will recite together on Sunday mornings. I want to challenge everyone to sign the commitments this year that are in the Journal and I want to challenge everyone to do the daily Bible reading plan and to memorize the monthly memory verses. If we all make this commitment to God and to each other and hold each other accountable we will attain a goal of holiness this year not only personally but as a community of faith as well. That brings us to our last next step which is to make a commitment to holiness in prayer, in the Word, in service, in giving, in my relationships, in the Gospel and in worship and to daily Bible reading and memorization.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in our final song, let’s pray: Holy God, I pray that we who call Idaville Church home would pursue holiness every day and I pray that it would start with me. Help us to hold each other accountable and to strive to be better in our relationships with you and with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

January 3, 2021/by Office

Real Faith

Pursuing Holiness 1 John Sunday Morning Stuart Johns Holiness, Love, Salvation

Pursuit Of Holiness

Real Faith

(1 John 3:1-10)

INTRODUCTION

“The United States Treasury Department has a special group of men whose job it is to track down counterfeiters. Naturally, these men need to know a counterfeit bill when they see it.

How do they learn to identify fake bills?

Oddly enough, they are not trained by spending hours examining counterfeit money. Rather, they study the real thing. They become so familiar with authentic bills that they can spot a counterfeit by looking at it or, often, simply feeling it.”

[Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Volume 2, 503].

“The United States Treasury uses a number of sophisticated techniques to keep counterfeiters from reproducing the look of paper currency. The exact makeup of paper bills is a secret, but it is widely known that the paper is made of 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen, with red and blue flecks of silk. In addition to the high quality of the paper, United States currency also has magnetic ink, an almost invisible ink on the left side of larger bills, and an engraved ‘United State of America’ around the face of the larger bills. The final feature that is impossible for anyone to replicate is that the paper is run through machines with high-pressure rollers that create a uniform thickness. Without these machines, this feature cannot be duplicated.

These sophisticated measures do not keep counterfeiters from trying, nevertheless, because they can get so close that many people cannot tell the difference. Deceit of course, is the whole point of counterfeiting. Someone who does not have the real thing wants someone else to believe he has. We must be aware, alert, on guard against deceit, in regard to money as well as other things in life.”

[Walls & Anders, Holman New Testament Commentary, I & II Peter, I, II, & III John, Jude, 187].

BODY

ME
- Bank training
  - - Right out of college, I worked as a bank teller
    - After being hired, I had to go through several days of training, which included learning what real currency looked like
    - They trained us to identify the attributes and characteristics of real money before they ever tested us to see if we could identify counterfeit money
    - After working with money every day for months, I was able to tell when paper money didn’t feel right
- Coins
  - - One thing I also learned while working at the bank was that Canadian coins sounded different when dropped on the counter top or floor than American coins
    - I could tell when someone gave me a Canadian coin mixed in American coins without looking at it because of the sound that it made when dropped on the counter

WE
- Counterfeit Detector Pens
  - - How many of us have every used one of those counterfeit detector pens?
    - I did when I worked as a cashier at Walmart, many years ago
- UV Counterfeit Detectors
  - - Now they have UV counterfeit detectors
    - These detectors can be used for U.S. dollars and many other currencies
    - It can also be used to check credit cards, ID’s and passports
- Carob instead of chocolate
  - - How many of you know what carob is?
    - It’s basically a chocolate substitute made from a carob pod instead of cocoa pod
    - Carob is less bitter and has a roasted, naturally sweet flavor
    - Carob is caffeine-free and high in fiber
    - I remember the first time my Mom made carob brownies (I knew something was different, but I didn’t know what)
    - How many of us are able to tell when something has been substituted in our favorite foods? (we know what the original ingredient tastes like, so we know something’s different)

John was writing to reassure Christians, in several Gentile churches, to hold on to their faith and not be led astray by antichrists that had joined, not only the Ephesian church, but other churches as well. They were spiritual counterfeiters. In 1 John 3, “God reveals the characteristics of the bad currency and the good, so that his church can grasp the good” [Walls & Anders, 187]. John compares the characteristics of those who are children of God and those who are children of the devil. John wants us to understand that . . .

BIG IDEA – Our actions show whether our faith is real or counterfeit.

Let’s pray

A faith that’s real is characterized by the pursuit of holiness

Warren Wiersbe says that “John gives three reasons for a holy life” [Wiersbe, 504]. Those are going to be our three points this morning.

GOD (1 John 3:1-10)
- God the Father loves us (vv. 1-3)
  - - What we are (v. 1)
      - We are loved
        The NIV doesn’t translate the first Greek word in chapter 3, which is ὁράω (horaō) and means “behold” or “see” (most other translations have one or the other)
        The Greek for “how great” means, “what kind/sort of or quality”
        Wiersbe translates it this way, “Behold, what peculiar, out-of-this-world kind of love the Father has bestowed on us.” [Wiersbe, 504]
        It’s an unconditional, never ending kind of love
        Jeremiah 31:3, The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
        Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
        That’s unconditional love at its best
        While we don’t want anything to do with God, He still loves us – no matter what!
        PRINCIPLE #1 – God is love!
        That is one of God’s many attributes
        His attributes are qualities about Him that we can hold on to and have confidence in
        No matter how bad you think your sins are, God still loves you – unconditionally
        His love is so great that He is willing to adopt you into His forever family
        When is the last time you’ve experienced that kind of love?
        I would venture to say, that most of us have never experienced that kind or quality of love
        We’ve experienced conditional love a lot
        Perhaps children who have been adopted understand God’s unconditional love better than children who grew up in a biological family
        God’s love for us is of such incredible quality that He calls us His children
      - We are children of God
        NOTE: most manuscripts do not have “and that is what we are!”
        John tells us in his Gospel how we become children of God
        John 1:12-13, Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
        This isn’t a natural, biological birth that John is talking about
        It’s a supernatural adoption that takes place by believing in Jesus name and receiving Him into our lives
        We have to repent (turn from our sins) and begin to follow Jesus as our Lord and Savior
        Repentance is more than saying a prayer, it’s a lifestyle change that affects every area of our life
        Application
        Have you received Jesus into your life and believed in His name?
        Have you turned from your sins and pursued a relationship with Jesus?
        #1 – My Next Step Today Is To: Receive Jesus and believe in His name, so I can become a child of God.
        When this transformation truly takes place in our lives, the world will not understand it
      - We are unknown by the world
        “[The world] Does not understand our principles; the reasons of our conduct; the sources of our comforts and joys.” [Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Accordance electronic ed. (Altamonte Springs: OakTree Software, 2006), paragraph 32512.]
        The world has a hard time understanding how we can have a smile on our face and be optimistic when everything seems to be falling down around us
        The hope that we have comes from the Lord
        We understand that this world is not the end, that the difficulties we are currently experiencing are only temporary, and the glory we will experience will far exceed the hardships we are going through
        We are in great company
        John 15:18, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”
        The world won’t understand our transformation, because they don’t know the Lord
        John 1:10, He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
        The world doesn’t know Jesus, because they have rejected Him
      - Our actions show whether our faith is real or counterfeit.
      - We know from verse 1 what we are, but verse 2 tells us what we will be
    - What we will be (v. 2)
      - Now we are children of God
        The moment that we receive Jesus into our lives and believe in Him, is when we become children of God
        It’s not something that happens later on
        “The present possession of believers requires constant reaffirmation because of what daily life present them with, as seen in Calvin’s (1988: 266) memorable words: ‘Physically, we are dust and a shadow, and death is always before our eyes. We are exposed to a thousand miseries and our souls to innumerable evils, so that we always find a hell within us. The more necessary is it that our sense should be withdrawn from the view of present things, lest the miseries . . . should shake our trust in that happiness which as yet is hidden.’” [Yarbrough, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, 1-3 John, 177]
        What John is addressing here is the tension between the already and not yet that we see throughout Scripture
        Already – Romans 8:15, For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship [adoption]. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
        Not yet – Romans 8:23, Not only so, be we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
        [show figure B] [https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/already-not-yet]
      - What we will be has not yet been made known
        John tells us a little about what we will be when he says that when Jesus appears, we will be like Him
        Scripture helps us understand what Jesus is like now, so we know what we will be like
        Colossians 3:4, When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
        2 Corinthians 3:18, And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
        2 Corinthians 4:6, For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
        Philippians 3:20-21, But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
      - We know what we are and what we will be, which should affect what we should be
    - What we should be (v. 3)
      - Because we know that Jesus is returning again, we should strive for holiness (to keep our lives clean)
        Paul expresses it this way to the Corinthian believers, Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Corinthians 7:1)
        James expresses it as standing firm (James 5:8)
        Peter tells us to be self-controlled (1 Peter 1:13)
        Our actions show whether our faith is real or counterfeit.
        Application
        Are you striving for holiness, purity, and self-control?
        Are you struggling with habitual sin, right now?
        Do you have someone to help hold you accountable?
        #2 – My Next Step Today Is To: Strive for holiness as I wait, with hope, for Jesus to return.
      - PRINCIPLE #2 – Jesus is pure (holy)!
        John tells us that our model, our guide, our standard of holiness is Jesus
        “In every case Painter’s observation (2002: 228) holds true: ‘The use of this word [καθώς] suggests that Jesus is the source and mode of the believer’s righteousness.’” [Yarbrough, 179]
      - “A group of teenagers were enjoying a party, and someone suggested that they go to a certain restaurant for a good time. ‘I’d rather you took me home,’ Jan said to her date. ‘My parents don’t approve of that place.’ ‘Afraid your father will hurt you?’ one of the girls asked sarcastically. ‘No,’ Jan replied, ‘I’m not afraid my father will hurt me, but I am afraid I might hurt him.’ She understood the principle that a true child of God, who has experienced the love of God, has no desire to sin against that love.” [Wiersbe, 504-5]
    - God’s love for us is a great reason to live a holy life!
    - John gives us a second reason in verse 4-8
- God the Son died for us (vv. 4-8)
  - - In these verses we see that there were two reasons why Jesus died for us
      - To take away our sins (vv. 4-6)
        John 1:29, The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
        Sin
        I like the NASB 1995 translation of verse 4, Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness
        The tense (present), voice (active), and mood (participle) of the Greek word for “practices” helps us understand that it is a habit of doing sin and not occasionally sinning [Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Accordance electronic ed. (Altamonte Springs: OakTree Software, 2001), paragraph 7795]
        Definitions of sin in the Bible
        Lawlessness – breaking God’s laws (1 John 3:4)
        Anything not from faith (Romans 14:23b, everything that does not come from faith is sin)
        Thought of foolishness (Proverbs 24:9a, the schemes of folly are sin . . .)
        Knowing to do good, but not doing it (James 4:17, Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins)
        All unrighteousness (1 John 5:17a, All wrongdoing is sin . . .)
        “Sin is basically a matter of the will. For us to assert our will against God’s will is rebellion, and rebellion is the root of sin.” [Wiersbe, 505]
        We can fake holiness and purity on the outside, so that other people think we’re a good person
        We can’t fake holiness and purity on the inside, and God is able to see both the inside and the outside – He knows the attitude of our hearts
        “Little Judy was riding in the care with her father. She decided to stand up in the front seat. Her father commanded her to sit down and put on the seat belt, but she declined. He told her a second time, and again she refused. ‘If you don’t sit down immediately, I’ll pull over to the side of the road and spank you!’ Dad finally said, and at this the little girl obeyed. But in a few minutes she said quietly, ‘Daddy, I’m still standing up inside.’” [Wiersbe, 505]
        We’re all born with a rebellious attitude toward God
        Isaiah 53:6a, We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; . . .
        Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
        We know that all human beings are sinners, but God had a plan to deal with our sin
        Jesus came to take away our sins
        Isaiah 53:6b, . . . and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
        1 Peter 3:18, For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.
        2 Corinthians 5:21, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
        He is the only One who can take away our sins, because He is perfect, without sin
        PRINCIPLE #2 – Jesus is pure (holy)!
        He lived a sinless life while on earth
        That’s why He was able to take away our sins when He died on the cross – He fulfilled God’s standard and required payment for sin
        Real faith vs. counterfeit faith
        John makes it clear that a genuine, real faith and relationship with Jesus Christ means that we will not keep on practicing habitual sin
        To live in Jesus means to remain in Him, to abide in Him
        John 15:5-6, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
        PRINCIPLE #3 – God completely transforms those who live/abide in Jesus Christ.
        The opposite is also true, that if we continue to practice habitual sin we have a counterfeit faith and we have neither seen or known Jesus
        Jesus not only died to take away our sins, but to destroy the works of the devil
      - To destroy the works of the devil (vv. 7-8)
        John knew that there were antichrists in the various churches trying to deceive and lead followers of Jesus Christ astray
        Actions speak louder than words
        Doing what is right
        The same Greek word is used here as in verse 4 and means practices
        Again, it means a habit of doing what is right
        1 John 3:7, Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous (NASB 1995).
        Doing what is sinful
        1 John 3:8a, the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning (NASB 1995).
        Those who follow the devil are the ones who habitually practice sin
        Our actions show whether our faith is real or counterfeit.
        Destruction of the devil’s work
        When we think of the word “destroy” we usually think of something being completely taken away (annihilated), but we know that the devil is still active in our world today
        So, what is John saying here about the purpose or reason why Jesus appeared
        The Greek word can mean, “to loosen, release; melt” or “to loosen, undo, dissolve, anything bound, tied, or compacted together.”
        We are tied up and bound by sin
        “Destroy, here, means ‘to render inoperative, to rob of power.’” [Wiersbe, 506]
        Hebrews 2:14-15, Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
        2 Timothy 1:10, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
        Acts 10:38, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
        Jesus won over sin and death when He died on the cross, was buried, and came alive again the third day
      - I don’t know about you, but I’m grateful for all that Jesus has done for me
    - Because Jesus died for us, we should pursue holiness as His followers
    - John gives us one more reason to live a holy life
- God the Holy Spirit lives in us (vv. 9-10)
  - - “A person who can enjoy deliberate sin and who does not feel convicted or experience God’s chastening had better examine himself to see whether or not he is really born of God.” [Wiersbe, 506]
    - God’s seed remains in us (v. 9)
      - Chiastic structure [Kruse, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Letters of John, 125]
        a No one who is born of God
        b will continue to sin,
        c because God’s seed remains in him;
        b’ he cannot sin,
        a’ because he has been born of God.
      - Born of God
        We already talked about this in verse 1
        We are children of God
        Everyone who receives Jesus and believes in His name is given the right to become a child of God – born of God (John 1:12-13)
      - Will continue to sin and cannot sin
        What the NIV translates as “continue to sin,” the NASB translates as “practices sin”
        The same Greek word is used here as in verses 4, 7, & 8
        This is not talking about sinless perfection
        It is talking about willful, habitual sin – being characterized as a sinner
        As children of God we will not continue to sin or cannot sin, because God disciplines His children
        Hebrews 12:4-6, In your struggle against sin, you have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punished everyone he accepts as a son.”
        In addition, we will not continue to practice sin, because we have a new nature – God’s nature living in us
      - God’s seed
        When we become a child of God several incredible transformations take place [Wiersbe, 506]
        Justification – a new standing before God (He sees us a righteous, through the blood of Jesus Christ)
        Sanctification – a new position before God (this is the ongoing, continual growth to become more like Jesus)
        Regeneration – a new nature (we have the Holy Spirit that lives within us to help us say “no” to sin and “yes” to righteousness)
        2 Peter 1:3-4, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
        “Based on his readers’ divine parentage, John is confident that God’s true children, like those of the devil, ultimately cannot conceal their identity. The nature of their inner identity will be ‘evident’ (φανερά, phanera) from their actions.” [Yarbrough, 196]
        Our actions show whether our faith is real or counterfeit.
      - In this final verse, John addresses the two families that humanity can be a part of
    - Who’s your Father?
      - Children of the devil
        John states it in the negative as it pertains to children of the devil
        Two characteristics
        Anyone who does not practice righteousness (make a habit of doing what is right)
        Anyone who does not love his brother
      - Children of God
        The positive is also true as it pertains to children of God
        Two characteristics
        Anyone who practices righteousness
        Anyone who loves his brother
        People will know that we are children of God when we love God and others
        “Augustine summarizes John’s counsel this way: ‘Love, and sin is undone’ (Bray 2000: 200).” [Yarbrough, 197]

YOU
- Questions to contemplate [Wiersbe, 509]
  - - “Do I have the divine nature within me or am I merely pretending to be a Christian?”
    - “Do I cultivate this divine nature by daily Bible reading and prayer?”
    - “Has any unconfessed sin defiled my inner man? Am I willing to confess and forsake it?”
    - “Do I allow my old nature to control my thoughts and desires, or does the divine nature rule me?”
    - “When temptation comes, do I ‘play with it’ or do I flee from it? Do I immediately yield to the divine nature within me?”
- Our actions show whether our faith is real or counterfeit.

WE
- As a body of believers here at Idaville Church, we should be characterized as people who practice righteousness
- Our community, neighbors, coworkers, and family members should be able to tell that we are children of God

CONCLUSION

“You sum up the whole of New Testament teaching in a single phrase, if you speak of it as a revelation of the Fatherhood of the holy Creator. In the same way, you sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one's holy Father.

If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.”

J. I. Packer, Knowing God, p. 182; submitted by Aaron Goerner, Utica, New York.

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2004/april/15035.html]

December 27, 2020/by Office

Don’t Be Afraid!

Advent Luke, Matthew Sunday Morning Stuart Johns All-Powerful (Omnipotent), Sovereignty

ADVENT – ANGELS (Love)

Don’t Be Afraid!

(Luke 1:5-38; Matthew 1:18-25)

INTRODUCTION

What was your greatest fear about going to the doctor as a child? Most children are afraid of getting a shot. As a parent, we try to call them down and let them know they don’t need to be afraid. It only takes a couple of seconds and it will be over.

As adults, we can be fearful of the unknown. Anything new can cause us to be fearful. Starting a new job, moving to a new city or state, going to college for the first time and being out on your own, going to a new school. All of those can cause us to be fearful.

We’re going to talk about three Biblical characters today that had reasons to be fearful. They were confronted with things that were new for them that included a visit from an angel.

After 400 years of silence, I can only imagine that the angels were eager to share the good news that Jesus was coming into the world. They were very busy for a period of time, as we will see today.

The angels had a common theme – Do Not Be Afraid!

BIG IDEA – God is in control, so don’t be afraid!

Let’s pray

BODY

Zecharias’ Angel Encounter (Luke 1:5-25)
- This was during the time of Herod’s reign
- Their background
  - - Zecharias (Jehovah has remembered) was from a priestly family – Abijah
    - Elizabeth (God is my oath) was also from a priestly family – descendant of Aaron
    - They were both upright in the sight of God – observing all the commandments and regulations blamelessly
    - In the midst of ungodly surroundings, they were in the world but not of the world
- The priesthood at this time
  - - There were nearly 20,000 young men that were eligible to serve in the temple at this time
    - They were broken up into 24 courses/divisions
    - That meant that each priest served two weeks each year
    - The rest of the year, they took care of their own farms
    - They used the lot system, “according to the custom of the priesthood,” to determine who would serve in what capacity
      - First Lot – cleanse the altar and prepare its fire
      - Second Lot – kill the morning sacrifice and sprinkle the altar, golden candlestick and the altar of incense
      - Third Lot – burning the incense (once in a lifetime opportunity)
    - Proverbs 16:33, The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord
      - This is a practical example of that verse
      - God needed Zecharias to be in the Holy Place on this particular day
      - PRINCIPLE #1 – God is sovereign! (God is in control)
        Do you believe that today?
        Are you struggling to believe that God is in control?
        What situation are you going through that’s making you feel like God isn’t in control?
        There is nothing too hard for Him
        He can handle whatever fear and anxious thought you are experiencing
      - God is in control, so don’t be afraid!
    - Zecharias was going to need that reminder
- The Angel of the Lord (Gabriel) appears
  - - Zecharias had been chosen, by God, through the lot, to burn the incense
    - As he is standing in front of the altar of incense, Gabriel appears
    - Zecharias’ is startled and gripped with fear
      - startled/troubled – Greek word is tä-rä’s-sō which means “to strike one’s spirit with fear or dread”
      - fear – Greek word is fo’-bos which means “fear, dread, terror”
      - Can you imagine burning the incense, which was a once in a lifetime experience, and being confronted with an angel from the Lord? What was going through his mind
        Was he thinking – “Does this happen to everyone?”
        Was he thinking – “I’m a dead man. Did I do something wrong with the burning of the incense.” (it could have meant divine judgment)
    - The angel dispels his fears
      - “Do not be afraid”
      - Your prayer/petition has been heard – Greek word is
        de’-ā-sēs, which means contextually, of prayers imploring God’s aid in some particular matter
        This matter could have been his prayer for a son
        It could also have been the prayer of every priest that burned the incense, that God would send the Messiah
      - Because of the next statement, the angel is probably referring to his prayer for a son
        God answers prayer three ways: Yes, No and Wait.
        Zecharias and Elizabeth had been waiting a long time and perhaps had stopped praying for a child
      - They are to name him Johanam/John (The Lord is Gracious)
        He will be a joy and delight
        There would be great rejoicing
        He will be great in the sight of the Lord
        He is to be a Nazarite – no wine or fermented drink
        He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth
        He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah
        He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children
        Malachi 4:5-6, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
        “This quotation from Malachi 4:5-6 is meaningful for more than its reference to Elijah. These were essentially the last words in the Old Testament, and now God’s revelation is resuming where it had left off.” [Guzik]
- Zacharias’ Doubt
  - - He asked the angel a question
      - How can I be sure of this?/How will I know this (for certain?)
      - I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.
      - Zacharias is looking at the natural instead of the supernatural
      - He looked at the circumstances first, and what God can do last
      - “It is simply that he feels it must be too good to be true, and he has probably protected himself from disappointment by not setting his expectations too high. We rob ourselves of many a miracle by the same attitude.” [Guzik]
      - “This, of course, was unbelief, and unbelief is something God does not accept. Zacharias was really questioning God’s ability to fulfill His own Word! Had he forgotten what God did for Abraham and Sarah? Did he think that his physical limitations would hinder Almighty God?” [Wiersbe]
      - PRINCIPLE #2 – God is all-powerful! (omnipotent)
        Jeremiah 32:17, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”
        Are you questioning God’s ability to do the supernatural in your life?
        Are you questioning God’s ability to handle the struggle that you’re currently experiencing?
        Are the physical issues you’re having too hard for the Lord?
        Is the rift in a relationship with someone in your family, at work, in your community, or at church too hard for the Lord?
        Are the financial struggles you’re experiencing beyond God’s ability to deal with?
        Is the emotional rollercoaster you’re on too difficult for God to help with?
        Is the political divide and racial tensions we’re experiencing in our country, right now, out of God’s reach?
        Are you experiencing fear about any of those situations?
        Take heart!
        God is in control, so don’t be afraid!
      - Zecharias was doubting God’s ability to fulfill His Word and we are guilty of the same thing
    - How is your faith in an all-powerful, sovereign God?
    - Zecharias’ faith was going to be strengthened, because the angel was going to give him a sign that would prove God’s power and sovereignty
- The Angel’s sign
  - - First the angel identifies himself as Gabriel
    - He explains that he stands in the presence of God
    - Zacharias will not be able to speak until John is born
    - The people are concerned about Zecharias
      - Zecharias had stayed in the temple longer than most priests who burned the incense
      - They realized that something supernatural had taken place while he was in there, because he couldn’t speak when he came out
      - He tried to communicate what had happened by making signs
        He was using body language to communicate with them
        Did you realize that 55% of our communication is nonverbal?
        Tone is 38%
        Content is 7%
        Zecharias should have been able to communicate what had happened with just hand motions and facial expressions
    - When Zecharias had completed his temple service, he returned to his home
- Zacharias returns home to the hill country
  - - After his service was done, we went back to see Elizabeth
    - Elizabeth becomes pregnant
    - Zacharias’ unbelief did not stop the work of God.
    - “Your unbelief will not stop the work of God. It will not hinder the purposes of God.” [Chuck Smith]

Mary’s Message From God (Luke 1:26-38)
- Gabriel is busy again
  - - Six months after appearing to Zacharias, he is back to earth to speak with Mary
    - He greets her by saying that she is highly favored and that the Lord is with her.
- Mary was troubled/perplexed by this greeting
  - - Greek word is dē-ä-tä-rä’s-sō which means “to agitate greatly, trouble greatly.”
    - Why would Mary have been troubled greatly?
      - She was from a poor family and not considered great in the eyes of society
      - She was a simple young girl (15-16 years)
      - Why would she be highly favored
      - This really expresses her humility as a young lady
- Gabriel sets her mind at ease and then gives her the Good News
  - - “Do not be afraid”
    - You have found favor with God
    - Gabriel tells her everything
      - You’re going to be pregnant and give birth to a son
      - Name Him Jesus (Greek) – Jehoshua/Joshua (Hebrew)
      - He will be great and called the Son of the Most High
      - The Lord will give Him the throne of David
      - He will reign over the house of Jacob forever
      - His kingdom will never end
- Mary’s reaction
  - - How would you react if you heard all of that in three quick sentences
    - When a woman is pregnant, they usually tell you that and then pause for your reaction
    - Gabriel didn’t pause
    - I wonder if Mary heard anything after, “You will be with child and give birth to a son . . .”
    - Her response leads me to believe that she didn’t
      - “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
      - This statement is different from Zacharias in the fact that Mary believed what Gabriel said, but needed some clarification of how it would come about
      - “Her question in Luke 1:34 was not an evidence of unbelief; rather, it was an expression of faith. She believed the promise, but she did not understand the performance. How could a virgin give birth to a child?” [Wiersbe]
- Gabriel’s clarification
  - - The Holy Spirit will come upon you
      - Greek word for “come” is ep-e’r-kho-mī which means “to come upon, overtake one, of the Holy Spirit, descending and operating in one”
    - Power of the Most High will overshadow you
      - “The word overshadow means ‘to cover with a cloud,’ like the cloud of Shekinah glory.” [Guzik]
      - “It is the word applied to the presence of God in the holy of holies in the Jewish tabernacle and temple (Ex. 40:35). Mary’s womb became a holy of holies for the Son of God!” [Wiersbe]
    - He relays the news that Elizabeth is six months pregnant even though she had been barren
    - He declares the power of Almighty God – “nothing is impossible with God.”
- Mary’s submission
  - - The dream, the hope, the desire of every Jewish girl was coming true for Mary – to be the instrument through which God would send the Messiah.
    - “Many young Jewish girls, when they had a boy born to them, would call his name Joshua. Hoping that maybe God would use that child to be the instrument of His salvation. And that was a reason, one of the reasons why being barren was considered such a curse.” [Chuck Smith]
    - I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said
      - What faith
      - What strength
      - She was willing to be scrutinized by her culture to fulfill the purposes of God
      - “All this took more trust in the Lord than we might think. Mary agrees to receive a pregnancy that will be seen as suspicious, and this in a culture that had a death penalty for adultery. Mary identified herself with sinners so that the purpose of God would be fulfilled.” [Guzik]
      - “A ‘handmaid’ was the lowest kind of female servant, which shows how much Mary trusted God. She belonged totally to the Lord, body (Luke 1:38), soul (Luke 1:46), and spirit (Luke 1:47).” [Wiersbe]
      - Mary didn’t need to be afraid of how this supernatural pregnancy was going to happen and how her family, friends, and neighbors would react, because God was in control
    - Application
      - God may call you to do something for Him that seems counter cultural
      - It may be supernatural
      - It will probably cause you to be scrutinized and criticized by your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors
      - But you don’t have to live in fear about following the Lord
      - God is in control, so don’t be afraid!
- We’ve seen two supernatural appearances by Gabriel, but there was one more important visit that needed to take place

Joseph’s Dream (Matthew 1:18-25)
- Joseph finds out that Mary is pregnant
  - - “Probably, it was after her return from her cousin Elizabeth, with whom she continued three months (Luke 1:56), that she was perceived by Joseph to be with child, and did not herself deny it.” [Matthew Henry]
    - Imagine for a moment how Joseph must have felt when he found out that Mary was pregnant
    - He knew what his cultural responsibility was, but he loved Mary
- Joseph was a righteous man
  - - He was very concerned about keeping the commands of God
    - He is also merciful
    - “He is a moral man who stands for rightness, but he is also merciful, which is a rare combination. Most people are either moral or merciful.” [Courson]
      - Would you agree with statement?
      - Are you more moral or merciful?
      - I would have to say that I fall more towards the moral side, but realize that I need to be more merciful
    - This rare combination would serve Joseph well
      - He was planning to divorce her quietly, so she wouldn’t be criticized and scrutinized by the community
      - Also, he was basically saving her life, since the punishment for adultery was death
    - While Joseph is trying to decide what to do, the Lord steps in
- He is considering divorcing her when an angel appears to him in a dream
  - - How many of us have experienced a dream that gives us insight into a problem we’re trying to solve?
      - Did you realize that your brain is a powerful tool?
      - It continues to work even while you sleep
    - Joseph son of David – this was serious, pay attention
      - The angel uses his full name
      - Most of us have probably experienced this with our mothers
      - When they use our full name, we know we have to listen and pay attention
    - Do not be afraid, take Mary as your wife
      - It would be very difficult for Mary to explain to Joseph the supernatural overshadowing of the Most High
      - It would not make sense in the natural world
      - Guys, we have to honest with ourselves. We strive to understand things on our own and work things out on our own before we consult God. Women are much more open to the things of God
      - We should work to be the spiritual head of our household, instead of letting our wives take the lead
    - Joseph was going to need some instruction about naming this baby
- Naming the baby Jesus was to be a fulfillment of prophecy
  - - God communicated that to Mary directly through Gabriel
    - Now he has also communicated it to Joseph in a dream
    - Naming your son after you was very important, culturally
    - They would be breaking tradition
    - Zecharias was going to be breaking tradition when he named his baby boy, John (no one in his family had that name)
- Joseph obeys immediately
  - - I’m just as impressed by Joseph’s obedience as I was with the shepherd’s obedience
    - Lord, help us to obey immediately!

CONCLUSION/ACTION

When you are faced with supernatural situations or difficult cultural circumstances, you need to remember several things:

Do not be afraid, God is in control
- He knows what is best for you and He has not been caught off guard by your situation or circumstances
- Psalm 56:3-4, When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
- My Next Step Today Is To: Put my trust in God concerning the situation I am currently fearful about.
You may not understand God’s plan, but you can trust Him by faith, because He is sovereign and all-powerful
Just Obey
- Zachariah’s obedience in naming his son, John, brought healing to him – he was able to talk again (Luke 1:62-64)
- Mary and Joseph’s obedience brought about the Messiah, the Savior of the world (becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit, taking Mary as his wife, fleeing Bethlehem at the prompting of the angel, returning to Nazareth)
- My Next Step Today Is To: Obey what the Lord is telling me to do, because He knows best.

Mary and Joseph probably had a lot to be fearful about

“The Holmes Rahe scale assigns points to various life stressors. These points are called LCUs or a life change units. Dr. Holmes and Dr. Rahe concluded that an individual experiences a total of 300 LCUs is at high risk for illness. Among other things, the list includes such events as:

Marital separation 65

Marriage 50

Marital reconciliation 45

Pregnancy 40

Adding a new family member 39

Change in financial state 38

Trouble with in-laws 29

Change in living conditions 25

Change in working conditions 20

Change in residence 20

Change in church activities 19

Change in social activities 18

Change in sleep habits 16

Minor violation of the law 11

Joseph and Mary could conceivably have experienced all of the events listed above for a total LCU count of 435. This total excludes divorce (73 points), as it was threatened but not carried out. Neither jail terms (40 points) or minor violations of the law (11 points) are included in the previously mentioned total, but Mary's pregnancy out of wedlock was a violation of Jewish law which, some contend, could have resulted in stoning. Christmas (12) is also excluded.”

David Slagle, Atlanta, Georgia

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2015/december/3120715.html]

Instead of being fearful, Mary and Joseph were hopeful, because they knew that God was in control.

December 20, 2020/by Office

Men Of Action

Advent Luke Sunday Morning Stuart Johns Obedience, Seeking, Witnessing

ADVENT – SHEPHERDS (Joy)

Men Of Action

(Luke 2:8-21)

INTRODUCTION

Do you remember the excitement of the birth of your first child? It was a joyful occasion and you wanted to tell the whole world. Instead, you made a few phone calls to family members and close friends and the grape vine took over from there.

After returning from the hospital you probably wrote out special announcements and sent them in the mail to a larger number of people, with all of the statistics about your new baby. Maybe you handed out pink or blue bubblegum cigars to everyone that you came in contact with.

Today it can be almost instantaneous if you have Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook on your cell phone or tablet. The minute the baby is born, you can broadcast it to the world within seconds.

BODY

ME
- Social media
  - - We didn’t have Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook for any of our boy’s births
    - We had to use a regular camera or digital camera
      - Do you remember the days when extended family, who lived far away, had to wait until you developed the film in your camera and then mailed a picture of your new baby?
      - Those days are long gone
      - How many of you still use a camera that takes film?
    - We did have a video camera for all three births
    - We had email capabilities for Seth and Levi’s births, but not Wade’s, if I remember correctly
- Cell phone
  - - We didn’t have a cell phone for Wade’s birth and if we had one for Seth’s birth, there was a cost per minute to use it
    - We may not have had a cell phone for Levi’s birth, but if we did, it wasn’t like cell phones today – it would have been a flip phone with calling and texting capabilities (no internet or camera capabilities)
- Waiting by the phone
  - - Our parents and siblings had to wait by the phone to hear about the birth of our children
    - I had to go home and use the land line phone in order to communicate with family and friends
    - Things have certainly changed
    - It wasn’t instantaneous

WE
- How many of us remember those days gone by?
- How many of us don’t have any idea what I’m talking about?

Well, God used an instantaneous delivery system when His Son was born. He didn’t Tweet, create a post on Facebook or Instagram, Snap Chat, or make a TikTok or YouTube video, since the electronic age had not yet arrived, instead He Angeled and used Shepherdbook.

The angels told the shepherds and the shepherds spread the news from there. They jumped into action to go see the baby and then tell everyone they saw about the news!

BIG IDEA – Jesus’ birth should cause us to be people of action.

Let’s Pray

GOD
- The Birth Announcement
  - - Mary has just delivered Jesus by herself and is wrapping Him in swaddling clothes and laying Him in a manger.
    - At the same time, there are shepherds living out in the fields around Bethlehem taking care of the flocks at night.
      - These were the third shift shepherds, who spent the night around a camp fire watching the sheep
      - It was probably a pretty uneventful job to have, although they would have seen things that others would not have
        They probably saw shooting stars
        They knew the various constellations
        Perhaps they saw certain planets in the night sky
        Maybe they saw the aurora borealis
      - These shepherds, by most commentators’ writings, were known to care for the temple flocks – these were the perfect sheep, without blemish used for sacrifices.
      - This would seem like an unlikely group of people to send your instantaneous message too, but God had a perfect plan.
        These shepherds would have been ceremonially unclean, because of their work
        They would have been away from the temple for weeks at a time so they couldn’t be made clean
        The shepherds were hearing about Jesus, whom scripture identified two ways:
        Lamb of God (John 1:29)
        Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14-15)
      - God revealed His grace to mankind when He sent the angels to visit the shepherd’s first
        They were the unclean ones, the outcasts
        Wiersbe states, “God does not call the rich and mighty; He calls the poor and the lowly.”
        Luke 1:51-53, He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
        1 Corinthians 1:26-29, Brothers think about what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
      - While these lowly shepherds are hanging out in the field, checking out the night sky, they see something they’ve never seen before
    - An angel appears
      - In the middle of the night outside Bethlehem, a bright light pierces the darkness and an angel appears.
      - Shepherds were not usually fearful of much – think about David taking on the bear and the lion.
      - They were terrified/sore afraid – Greek is fo-be’-ō, meaning “to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm, of those startled by strange sights or occurrences.”
      - The angel reassures them, “Do not be afraid.”
      - The angel’s announcement
        I bring you good news – Greek for good news is
        yü-än-ge-lē’-zō, “in the NT used especially of the glad tidings of the coming kingdom of God, and of the salvation to be obtained in it through Christ, and of what relates to this salvation.”
        It literally means that they preached the Gospel to the shepherds
        Of great joy! – this was the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Anointed One. This was definitely something to be excited about. Jesus was going to bring great joy, because He came into the world to provide a way to bridge the gap that sin had created between God and man
        For all people – this meant everyone. No one will be excluded. It was for the Jews, Gentiles, rich, poor. It includes us today. This Good News is for you!
        A Savior was born today in the town of David, Bethlehem
        They identify Him as Christ the Lord
        Messiah
        the Anointed One
        They gave the shepherds specific instructions, so they would know that they are in the right place.
        A baby wrapped in cloths – this was not unusual and could have identified any newborn baby in Bethlehem
        Interesting note – the strips of cloth used to swaddle a baby were very similar to those used in the embalming process. John Courson states, “This was fitting because Jesus came to die. Although death interrupted the ministry and teaching of Socrates, Plato, Buddha, and every other philosopher and thinker throughout history, it did not interrupt the ministry of Jesus Christ. Rather, death fulfilled Jesus’ ministry because Jesus alone came to die.”
        Lying in a manger – this would have been very unusual, a baby lying in a feeding trough?
        These two combined would identify the Christ Child for the shepherds.
        They already knew that the baby was born that day (Today!)
      - The shepherds receive an amazing free concert from heaven
        A great company of the heavenly hosts join the angel
        They glorify God
        They speak about peace on earth to men on whom His favor rests
        This was a welcome message to the shepherds and to the Israelites.
        This was the first time in centuries that the glory of God returned to earth.
        The Roman world had been under much war, so peace sounded great!
        They were currently living under the “Pax Romana” (Roman Peace), but they were not experiencing the peace that they had hoped and prayed for.
        We see that the absence of war did not bring peace to the Jewish world. They were experiencing some of the same things we are experiencing today – high taxes, high unemployment rates, poverty, immorality, division, disorder, etc.
        The Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, “While the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief, and envy. He cannot give peace of heart for which man yearns more than even for outward peace.”
        Wiersbe shares, “The Jewish word shalom (peace) means much more than a truce in the battles of life. It means well-being, health, prosperity, security, soundness, and completeness. It has to do more with character than circumstances.”
- The Shepherd’s Obedience
  - - GO
      - We see from verse 12 that there is an expectation that the shepherds will go to see baby Jesus – “This will be a sign to you”
        The shepherds were expected to do something with what they just heard from the angels.
        They were to be doers of the word and not hearers only
        This is an example for us today – when God speaks to us through His Word, we need to be men and women of action.
      - The shepherds have a quick meeting
        They decide to go to Bethlehem
        They recognized who the message was from, the Lord
        They left the flocks immediately and went to Bethlehem to find what was told to them
        Jesus’ birth should cause us to be people of action.
        We need to obey God immediately
        Has God spoken to you?
        What has He told you to do?
        My Next Step Today Is To: Obediently do what God has told me to do.
      - The shepherds obediently left the fields outside of Bethlehem and went into the city to begin their search
    - SEARCH
      - They hurry off to Bethlehem and find Mary and Joseph and the baby
        The verb found in the Greek is ä-nyü-rē’-skō, which means “to find out by search” or “found after a search”

- - - - NASB renders it this way – “So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.”
        They knew they had to look in a stable since the baby was in a manger
        They probably started going from stable to stable looking for a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger

- - - - Luke reminds us again about the specific sign that would identify baby Jesus – “who was lying in a manger.”
        That is exactly where the shepherds find Him
        They followed the signs given to them and continued to search until they found the right place
        Jesus’ birth should cause us to be people of action.
        We need to follow the signs that God gives us through His Word and the wisdom of those around us and search diligently until we find the place where God is leading us.
        Have you diligently searched until you found where God is leading you?
        Many times we search tentatively, but not diligently because we don’t want to be obedient to what God has told us to do
        My Next Step Today Is To: Diligently search until I find the place where God is leading me.
      - After finding Jesus, the shepherds can’t keep silent!
    - TELL
      - Just imagine seeing the heavenly host and having an angel speak to you and then finding exactly what they told you
      - You would be really excited!!!
      - After the shepherds see Jesus, they spread the word
        They share with everyone about what they were told about this child
        They share the Gospel with others, just as it was shared with them
        They share that the Messiah, “the Anointed One,” has arrived
        This was the long-awaited Savior of the world. Everyone would have known who they were talking about when they used the words, “Christ the Lord” or “Christos kyrios”
        They shared with everyone the Good News about Jesus
        Jesus’ birth should cause us to be people of action.
        When we are obedient to God, follow the signs and search until we find the right place, we can’t help but share with others the Good News of Jesus Christ because we have been transformed by it.
        Have you taken time to tell others the result of being obedient to God and searching diligently?
        If you have had others praying for and with you, it is important to let them know how God faithfully answered your prayers
        My Next Step Today Is To: Tell others how God faithfully guided and directed me when I was obedient to what He told me to do.
        We can experience the same response from others that the shepherds experienced
      - Everyone that heard what they had to say was amazed
      - They returned to their sheep, glorifying and praising God
        They were thankful for what they had heard
        They were thankful for what they had seen
        They had experienced God’s trustworthiness firsthand, because everything they saw and heard, was just as they had been told
        We can claim the promise today that God is trustworthy
        We can count on Him to speak to us about His plans for us and to guide us as we seek to be obedient to His plan
        When He proves to be trustworthy, we can rejoice and tell others what He has done
    - While the shepherds are excitedly sharing the good news of great joy, Mary is quietly thinking about all that has happened
- Mary is a very mature young lady for her age
  - - She treasured all these things – She kept them within herself, lest they be forgotten
    - She pondered them in her heart – she brought them together in her mind, she went over them again and again in her mind.
    - She did not want to forget how God had used her to further His kingdom and bring salvation to the world
    - She had experienced some pretty incredible things, that most everyone else had not
      - She was visited by the angel of the Lord and told that she had found favor with God
      - She had become pregnant as a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit
      - Her relative Elizabeth tells her how her baby leaped in her womb at the sound of Mary’s voice
      - Joseph still takes her as his wife even though she is not pregnant by him
      - She has strangers visit her in the stable worshipping the baby Jesus because an angel told them about this child

YOU
- Has the Lord spoken to you and told you to go do something? Have you been obedient?
- Have you diligently searched until you’ve found the place where God is leading you?
- Have you shared with others how God faithfully guided you when you were obedient to Him?

WE
- We have a responsibility as followers of Jesus Christ to be people of action
- The Christmas season is a natural time to share with family and friends about the joy we’ve experienced as a follower of Jesus Christ – His birth has transformed us in a powerful way!

CONCLUSION

Jesus’ presence on earth had transformed these shepherds. They would never be the same again, because they had experienced the glory and majesty of the Lord!

“Did you ever read Bret Harte's story The Luck of Roaring Camp? Roaring Camp was supposed to be, according to the story, the meanest, toughest mining town in all of the West. More murders, more thefts – it was a terrible place inhabited entirely by men, and one woman who tried to serve them all. Her name was Cherokee Sal. She died while giving birth to a baby.

Well, the men took the baby, and they put her in a box with some old rags under her. When they looked at her, they decided that didn't look right, so they sent one of the men eighty miles to buy a rosewood cradle. He brought it back, and they put the rags and the baby in the rosewood cradle. And the rags didn't look right there. So they sent another of their number to Sacramento, and he came back with some beautiful silk and lace blankets. And they put the baby, wrapped around with those blankets, in the rosewood cradle.

It looked fine until someone happened to notice that the floor was so filthy. So these hardened, tough men got down on their hands and knees, and with their hardened and horny hands they scrubbed that floor until it was very clean. Of course, what that did was to make the walls and the ceiling and the dirty windows without curtains look absolutely terrible. So they washed down the walls and the ceiling, and they put curtains at the windows. And now things were beginning to look as they thought they should look. But of course, they had to give up a lot of their fighting, because the baby slept a lot, and babies can't sleep during a brawl.

So the whole temperature of Roaring Camp seemed to go down. They used to take her out and set her by the entrance to the mine in her rosewood cradle so they could see her when they came up. Then somebody noticed what a dirty place that was, so they planted flowers, and they made a very nice garden there. It looked quite beautiful. And they would bring her, oh, shiny little stones and things that they would find in the mine. But when they would put their hands down next to hers, their hands looked so dirty. Pretty soon the general store was all sold out of soap and shaving gear and perfume and those kinds ... the baby changed everything.

That's the way it is for those of good will. That's the way it is for those who please God. The baby enters into their lives, and he slips into every crevice of their experience, until they say ‘Hark! Listen, the herald angels sing! God is for us. And Christmas is forever.’”

Bruce W. Thielemann, "Hark! The Herald Angels," Preaching Today, Tape No. 63.

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/october/3435.html].

December 13, 2020/by Office

Born In The Middle Of Nowhere

Advent Luke Sunday Morning Stuart Johns Salvation, Sovereignty

ADVENT - BETHLEHEM

Born In The Middle of Nowhere

(Luke 2:1-7)

INTRODUCTION

How many of you know where Florida, MO is? (show picture of MO with Florida marked on the map). Now you know where it is, but do you know why that place is significant? It was where Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born. Does that help at all? What if I told you that Samuel’s pen name was Mark Twain, would that help? Most people don’t know where Florida, MO is.

Most places where famous people were born were unknown prior to their rise to popularity. (Show picture of states where U.S. Presidents were born) The birthplaces of most of the Presidents of the United States are not familiar cities to us that we would be able to locate immediately without Googling it.

In the 1st Century there was a town that most people of the day cared little about. It was an insignificant place that would soon be well known. Its popularity was the result of it being the birthplace of someone very special.

Today we are going to learn about a well-known man that was “Born In The Middle of Nowhere.”

BODY

ME
- Our families birthplaces
  - - Florida
    - Indiana
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    - Ohio - 2

WE
- Where were you born
  - - Would most people know the place where you were born?
    - It may not be hard to know the place where you were born, especially if it was around this area
    - Would anyone like to share their birthplace with us to see if you can stump us? [If you’re joining us online, you can put your birthplace in the comments section of Facebook Live]

Facts about Bethlehem
- Bethlehem means “house of bread.”
  - - What an appropriate birthplace for someone who would later identify Himself as the Bread of Life
    - John 6:35, Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
- Historic heritage
  - - It is where Rachel died after giving birth the Benjamin
      - Gen. 35:16-20, Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have another son.” As she breathed her last – for she was dying – she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin. So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.
      - That’s a sad story related to Bethlehem
    - It was where Ruth was married to Boaz
      - Here is a happier story related to Bethlehem
      - Ruth 1:22, So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.
      - Read Ruth 4:1-16
    - David had many exploits there – it was the city of David
      - 1 Samuel 16:1, The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill you horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
      - 1 Samuel 17:34-37a, But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

From Nazareth to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7)
- Caesar Augustus
  - - His birth name was Gauis Octavius
    - His grandmother was the sister of Julius Caesar
    - Julius Caesar adopted him and made him the official heir in 45 B.C.
    - After Julius Caesar’s death, he ruled with two others until 30 B.C. when he became the soul ruler
    - He assumed the title of Caesar from his great uncle
      - Caesar in Greek means “severed”
      - As the Roman Emperors rose to power, we realize that they were severed from friends and family.
      - They could not trust those around them.
    - Augustus was added after he rejected the Roman Senate's suggestions of “king of Rome” and “dictator of Rome”
    - Augustus means “exalted” and “sacred” and has as its background, “though, of the gods”
- Decree
  - - God had allowed Caesar Augustus to rise to power in order that His will and the prophecy of Micah could be fulfilled (Read Micah 5:1-5a)
      - NASB – “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, {Too} little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” [Micah 5:2]
      - Ephrathah means “ash-heap: place of fruitfulness”
      - Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13)
      - Micah 5:3, Israel will be abandoned – there was 700 years from the time Micah spoke these words until Jesus came. We also know that there was a 400 year period where Israel had no prophet who spoke for God.
      - Micah 5:3, The returning of the brothers – part of this is fulfilled when the Israelites returned from exile in Babylon, but the remainder will be fulfilled when Christ returns.
      - Micah 5:4, Jesus’ rule and reign will reach to the ends of the earth
      - Micah 5:5, Jesus will not only bring peace, but He will be our peace. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:14 that, He is our peace
    - Poor Caesar Augustus had no idea that he wasn’t really in charge
    - We may not understand why certain things happen in politics, the medical community, or the financial world today, but we can rely on the fact that God is ultimately in control. We may not see the end result of what He is doing, but we know that all things work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
      - PRINCIPLE #1 – God is sovereign!
        Perhaps we all feel apprehensive right now
        Presidential election
        Who should we believe concerning the Presidential election?
        Did Joe Biden or Donald Trump win?
        Was there widespread election fraud?
        It all depends on who you get your news from
        COVID-19
        When should I go get tested for COVID-19?
        Are the COVID-19 tests reliable and accurate?
        Is COVID-19 really that serious, especially with a survival rate in the 99th percentile?
        Will a mask and social distancing really keep me safe?
        Should we shut down or remain open?
        Again, it depends on who you talk to or listen to
        Financial world
        Will there be another financial stimulus package provided by our government?
        Will the economy ever bounce back after COVID-19?
        Will I lose my job?
        If I lose my job, how will I survive?
        We can take all of these concerns to a sovereign God who is ultimately in control
        None of these concerns, or any other concerns we may have, come as a surprise to God
        He knew about all of these things prior to them happening
      - My Next Step Today Is To: Trust in God’s sovereignty concerning my feelings about our nation’s physical, political, social, and financial struggles.
    - Caesar Augustus was the one who made the decree about the census, but it was by God’s sovereign plan and will – He is in control!
- Census
  - - This was a registration of everyone in the Roman world.
    - Each Jewish male had to return to the city where his father was born to record his name, occupation, property, and family
    - This was not for statistical purposes like we have today, but was designed to efficiently and effectively tax everyone in the Roman empire
    - Justin Martyr, writing in the middle of the second century, said that in his own day, more than a hundred years after the time of Jesus, you could look up the registers of the same census Luke mentions.
    - Chuck Smith states, “in Egypt there are records that they have discovered where it said that the people had to return to their family homes for the census to be taken, completely confirming this account in the scriptures.”
- Parenthetical note by Luke
  - - This was the first census that was taken
    - From this point on there was a census every 14 years
    - Giving the name of the governor of Syria, Quirinius, is another historical “anchor” that confirms that this really happened and was not a fairy tale or something that Luke dreamt up after Jesus death in order to confirm His life.
- Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem
  - - They leave from Nazareth in the region of Galilee for Bethlehem in the region of Judea [show map with route]
    - It would have been approximately an 80-mile journey
      - Like walking from Sunbury, PA to Idaville, PA [show map].
      - It probably would have taken them 3 to 4 days if they traveled 8 hours a day.
    - Mary was not required to accompany him on the trip, but several factors probably led to her coming along
      - She was also of the line of David, so there was potential for seeing family while they were there
      - She was in the middle of a controversial pregnancy that was probably the talk of the town
      - Liefeld states, “It is possible that he used the emperor’s order as a means of removing Mary from possible gossip and emotional stress in her own village. He had already accepted her as his wife (Matthew 1:24), but apparently continued in betrothal (Luke 2:5), pledged to be married, till after the birth.”
      - Wiersbe says that “Mary and Joseph were already husband and wife but since they did not consummate the marriage until after Jesus was born, she is called his ‘espoused wife’”
- Jesus is born!
  - - We don’t know how long they were there, because it says “while they were there”
    - Mary gives birth to her firstborn, a son
      - It does not mention that anyone else was there to help Mary with the delivery
      - Usually there was a midwife to take the child and to wrap it in swaddling clothes and to take care of it
      - Mary was only 16 ½ to 17 years old giving birth for the first time on her own
      - Bruce says, “The narrative runs as if Mary did these things herself”
      - We know from studying Acts that Jesus had other half-brothers, so this was Mary’s firstborn, Jesus.
    - Cloths/Swaddling Cloths
      - Mothers in that day wrapped their infants in long bands of cloth to give the limbs strength and protection
      - The fact that Mary wraps Jesus in cloths is another indicator that she probably went through deliver by herself
    - Placed Him in a manger
      - It can mean a feeding trough or an enclosure for animals
      - Most scholars believe that Jesus was born in a cave and not a wooden shed/shack as we see in modern manger scenes
    - No room in the inn
      - We realize that Jesus struggled to be accepted all of His life
      - His brothers thought He was crazy and didn’t believe in Him
      - The Pharisees thought He was a blasphemer
      - Isaiah 53:3, He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
      - Many people have gotten so caught up in the materialism of Christmas that they have no room for Jesus either
      - We have time for everything else in our lives except for Jesus

YOU
- Whether we’ve believed in Jesus for salvation or not we can all get caught up in the cultural pressures of the Christmas season
- Perhaps as a follower of Jesus Christ you need to stop and reflect to see if you have made room for Jesus
  - - If you recognize that He has been pushed to the side, what steps do you need to take in the coming weeks to make room for Him
    - My Next Step Today Is To: Evaluate whether or not I have made room for Jesus during this Christmas season and make the necessary changes.
- Perhaps you’ve never made room in life for Jesus Christ before
  - - Christmas is a celebration of the fact that Jesus came from heaven to earth
    - His purpose was to seek and to save what was lost (Luke 19:10)
    - You may be thinking, “I’m not lost!”
    - Isaiah 53:6 – we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way (we are lost to God’s plan of redemption for mankind)
    - Romans 6:23 – wages of sin is death (separation from God for all eternity)
    - Luke 15:7, I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
    - Acts 16:31, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
    - My Next Step Today Is To: Make room in my life for Jesus and believe in Him so I can be saved.

CONCLUSION/ACTION

“The Christmas scene that Anthony arranged under the altar [was] probably the most meaningful ‘crib’ I have ever seen. Three small wood-carved figures made in India: a poor woman, a poor man, and a small child between them. The carving is simple, nearly primitive. No eyes, no ears, no mouths, just the contours of the faces. The figures are smaller than a human hand – nearly too small to attract attention at all.

But then – a beam of light shines on the three figures and projects large shadows on the wall of the sanctuary. That says it all. The light thrown on the smallness of Mary, Joseph, and the Child projects them as large, hopeful shadows against the walls of our life and our world. While looking at the intimate scene we already see the first outlines of the majesty and glory they represent. ... Without the radiant beam of light shining into the darkness there is little to be seen. ... But everything changes with the light.”

Henri J. M. Nouwen in The Genesee Diary. Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 14.

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/october/3430.html]

December 6, 2020/by Office

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