Scott LaPierre Ministries

Exodus 20:17 says, “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” What does covet mean?” The Old Testament Hebrew word for “covet” is ḥāmaḏ, meaning “to lust after or long for with great desire.” The New Testament Greek word for “covetousness” is pleonexia, which comes from the two Greek words pleiōn, meaning “more,” and echō, meaning “to have.” Covetousness is a strong desire to have more. Read this material from Being Content God's Way, or watch the accompanying sermon, to learn what coveting means and how dangerous it is. https://youtu.be/mcXanxrQJVM Exodus 20:17 says, “You shall not covet your neighbor's house, wife, male servant, female servant, ox, or donkey.” What does covet mean?” Table of contentsJesus’s Warning About CovetousnessThe Danger of CovetousnessCovetousness Is A New Testament Command in the Old TestamentCovetousness Is a Sin Even Paul CommittedCovetousness Is a Heart IssueWhen Covetousness Takes RootThe Unhealthy Relationship Is the ProblemCovetousness Is Desiring Too Strongly Sometimes, when people are at sea without fresh water, they become so thirsty that they drink the saltwater. The one thing they desire more than anything else—water—surrounds them. They must look at it until the craving becomes uncontrollable. They are dehydrated when they give in and drink it, making them thirstier. They drink more, and the cycle continues. They are getting what they want while it is killing them. This illustrates what covetousness does. We desire something, and the craving seems uncontrollable. We give in and pursue what we covet, but satisfying covetousness only increases it. Coveters don’t need their covetousness satisfied any more than drug addicts need drugs or alcoholics need alcohol. Picture a family trying to have a nice dinner together. Their dog starts begging at the table. To get the dog to go away, they give it some food. But all they have done is increase the likelihood that the dog will return. This is covetousness. Giving into it only increases the likelihood it will keep coming back. Jesus’s Warning About Covetousness When Jesus was teaching, He encountered a covetous man. We can learn much from how Jesus responded to him. Hint: He didn’t give him what he wanted! But first, the account’s background. Luke 12:1 says, “In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, [Jesus] began to say to his disciples first, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.’” Jesus was teaching “many thousands.” The crowd was so large people “were trampling one another” to hear Him. He taught about hypocrisy (verses 2-3), fearing God versus man (verses 4-7), and the danger of denying Him (verses 8-12). Jesus never taught anything unimportant, but these were particularly heavy topics. Right then, an interruption allowed him to teach on an equally important topic: covetousness! Luke 12:13 says, “Someone in the crowd said to [Jesus], ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’” Deuteronomy 21:17 says, “Acknowledge the firstborn…by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.” The firstborn received a double portion of the inheritance to care for the family in the father’s absence. The man was either the firstborn and wanted his inheritance, or he believed his older brother received too much. Jesus was a recognized rabbi, and it was common for them to settle disputes, but not in the middle of their teaching! Not only did he interrupt with something trivial compared to what Jesus was saying, he even told Jesus what to do! But the interruption didn’t surprise Jesus. He used it to speak to the man and then the crowd. We can learn from both addresses. Jesus said, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” (Luke 12:14). When I die and meet Jesus, I hope He calls me friend, brother, disciple, or—my personal preference—good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21, 23). But I don’t want Him to call me “Man.” This term is used for a stranger, like “Mister.” There is no affection or acknowledgment of a relationship. Considering how gracious Jesus was, even to tax collectors and sinners, it is noteworthy that He responded this way. In answer to Jesus’s question, God the Father made Jesus a Judge: “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). Because Jesus was a judge and an injustice had been committed, why didn’t He help? Jesus is the judge over all the earth, but not over petty disputes. This was unrelated to His primary purpose, which was heavenly and spiritual rather than earthly and physical. Jesus is a good example of how we don’t need to get involved in every cause. Just because a wrong has been committed doesn’t mean it is our bu

God told Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, "If you seek great things for yourself, seek them not" (Jeremiah 45:5). As we consider why God didn't want Baruch to seek great things, we can learn why God might not want us to seek great things. Read this material from Being Content God’s Way, or watch the accompanying sermon, to learn why God didn't want Baruch (and us!) to seek great things, and what He wanted him (and us!) to seek instead. https://youtu.be/WmIzUoHD0T4 God told Baruch, "If you seek great things for yourself, seek them not" (Jeremiah 45:5). Learn why God might not want us to seek great things. Table of contentsDiscontent Being Jeremiah’s ScribeWhy Didn’t God Want Baruch to Seek Great Things?God Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because We Seek Them for OurselvesGod Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because They Won’t LastGod Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because They Aren’t Part of His Plan“Great Things” Often Aren’t That GreatSeeking Great Things in God’s EyesMoses Sought Great Things in God’s EyesJonathan Sought Greatness in God’s EyesJohn the Baptist Sought Greatness in God’s EyesContent with Despised Roles that Please God Before doctors administer a shot, they say, “Try to relax as much as possible. This will be worse if you resist.” The doctor tells you to accept what will happen because resisting worsens it. Elizabeth Elliot said something similar: “There is joy in acceptance.” We can’t change certain circumstances, and resisting worsens them; therefore, it is best to trust that God wants to use them for our good and His glory. This is what it means to choose contentment, and it can bring great peace. Conversely, refusing to be content, which is to say choosing discontentment, can bring severe turmoil and suck the joy out of life. To some extent, all of us would say our lives are not exactly what we want. Maybe we wish we made more money, lived elsewhere, had a different job, or enjoyed a bigger house. If we are single, maybe we wish we were married. If we are married, maybe we wish our marriage was better. We all have something (or some things) we wish were different. There is a man in scripture, Baruch, who wished his life was different. He was Jeremiah’s faithful scribe, and we can learn much from him. Discontent Being Jeremiah’s Scribe Baruch is one of the unsung heroes of the Old Testament. Jeremiah was the most despised man of his day, and throughout much of his ministry, Baruch was his only friend. Jeremiah faced rejection and persecution from his countrymen. Being the closest person to Jeremiah meant that when Jeremiah suffered, Baruch often did too. At one point, Baruch wanted something different for himself. The Lord learned of his discontentment and had the following words for him: The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: You said, ‘Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’ Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go” (Jeremiah 45:1-5). Baruch was discouraged. The words “woe,” “pain,” “groaning,” and “find no rest” reveal that he suffered physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I hate to be critical of Baruch because I’m sure I would have been worse than him if I were in his situation, but he should have been content with his circumstances. The phrase “the Lord has added sorrow” reveals that he attributed his suffering to God. How did God respond? Did He feel sorry for Baruch or apologize to him? No. Instead, He criticized Baruch for “[seeking] great things for [himself]” and told him to “seek them not.” This is the opposite of the Prosperity Gospel, Health and Wealth Doctrine, or Name-It-and-Claim-It Movement, which teaches people to “seek great things for [themselves].” In Joel Osteen’s New York Times best-selling book, Your Best Life Now, he writes: God wants us to constantly be increasing, to be rising to new heights…God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions…God wants this to be the best time of your life. But if you are going to receive this favor, you must enlarge your vision. You can’t go around thinking negative, defeated, limiting thoughts. If you will keep the right attitude, God will take all your disappointments, broken dreams, the hurts and pains, and He will add up all the trouble and sorrow that’s been inflicted on you, and He will pay you back with twice as much peace, joy, happiness, and success…God wants t

In Philippians 4:11, Paul wrote, “I have learned in all things to be content.” Sometimes, we look at people and think, “It must be nice to be them. They are so content. I wish I were like that. Sadly, God made me a miserable, discontent person.” However, contentment is not something fortunate people are born with, while others are not. Instead, content must be learned. https://youtu.be/0IIL_tpWI4U Philippians 4:11 reads, “I have learned in all things to be content.” Contentment is not something people are born with. It must be learned. Table of contentsPhilippians 4:13 Is a Wildly Popular and Wildly Misinterpreted VerseThe Background to Paul Writing, "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"Paul's Credibility to Write "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"First, Contentment Is LearnedSecond, Contentment Is a Choice Versus a FeelingThird, Contentment Is not the Absence of TrialsFourth, Contentment Is not the Same as Happiness"I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content" Even When ProsperingDon’t Give Me… Riches ?Christ Strengthens Us to Do “All Things” He Wants Us to DoA Tale of Two InterviewsA Better Time to Quote Philippians 4:13The “Secret” to Being Able to Say, "Writing, "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"Roots that Go Down Deep into ChristHow Good is Christ?Footnotes On January 12, 2013, the number 4-seeded Baltimore Ravens (10-6) played on the road against the number 1-seeded Denver Broncos (13-3) during the NFL Divisional Playoffs. The Broncos, who had defeated the Ravens earlier in the season, were heavily favored to win this meeting. However, the game went into double overtime before the Ravens upset the Broncos in what came to be known as “The Mile-High Miracle.” After the game, a very emotional Ray Lewis, the Ravens' Hall-of-Fame linebacker, attributed their victory to his faith, saying, “No weapon formed against us shall prosper. No weapon. No weapon. No weapon. God is amazing. And when you believe in Him...Man believes in the possible, but God believes in the impossible.” Ray loosely quoted Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” This is one of the best-sounding verses in the Bible. Who doesn’t want to believe every weapon and accusation against them will fail? The context of the verse is God's promise to destroy the nation of Israel’s enemies in the future. Ray Lewis, in a metaphorical sense, made his team into Israel and the Denver Broncos into Israel’s enemies. Perhaps “every weapon” referred to the Broncos’ offensive and defensive weapons, such as Pro Bowl selections quarterback Peyton Manning, offensive tackle Ryan Clady, cornerback Champ Bailey, and linebacker Von Miller. Maybe “every tongue” referred to the Broncos’ offensive and defensive coordinators’ coaching during the game. Although Ray meant well, instead of God vindicating Israel against their enemies so that His promises to His covenant people are maintained, Ray told the nationally televised audience that God wanted to give the Ravens victory over the Broncos. Philippians 4:13 Is a Wildly Popular and Wildly Misinterpreted Verse Ray Lewis quoted Isaiah 54:17, but the most popular verse among athletes is Philippians 4:13, which reads, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Well-meaning athletes are interviewed after winning a big game. They are excited and want to give God credit, so they quote Philippians 4:13. When all-star running back Adrian Peterson tore his ACL, he said, "This is a blessing in disguise. I’ll come back stronger and better than I was before…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” You can find Philippians 4:13 on posters and other inspirational art, keychains, rings, buttons, t-shirts, stickers, postcards, bracelets, and handbags. Like Isaiah 54:17, the verse is popular because it sounds wonderful. On the surface, you will be able to do anything you’ve ever wanted to do. The verse is a blank check for whatever you want: a slogan of personal empowerment, a declaration of self-achievement, ambition, and accomplishment, and a motivating motto for prosperity, advancement, and success. I know I sound critical of people misusing this verse. You might say, “They are trying to give God glory. How can you give them a hard time?” Whenever people misinterpret Scripture—even well-meaningly—it is problematic. Those listening are left with nagging questions, such as “Did God care who won the game? Did the winning team have more faith or commit more time to prayer? Did the losing team have more heathens or atheists?” Picture a young man watching his favorite athlete on television, and he thinks, “This is wonderful. I can also do all things through Christ who strengthens me! As long as I have enough faith, I will win at

We experience biblical contentment primarily through our relationships with Christ. Secondarily, it comes from simple things like eating, drinking, and finding joy in our labor. But biblical contentment does not come from riches and possessions. Read this material from Being Content God’s Way, or watch the accompanying sermon, to learn how to develop biblical contentment. https://youtu.be/qh8iveH2m1o Table of contentsHoarding Is a Threat to ContentmentThe Importance of Remembering We Take Nothing With UsLearning from Malcolm Forbes and No FearGodliness with ContentmentHow Can We Experience Biblical Contentment?Biblical Contentment Does not Come from Wealth and PossessionsBiblical Contentment Does Come from Simple ThingsFootnotes I covered Ecclesiastes 5:11-12 in Being Content from a Missionary Trip to Malawi, Africa. I'm picking up at verse 13. Hoarding Is a Threat to Contentment Ecclesiastes 5:13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners. If I had to write down a list of grievous evils, I’d probably say murder, adultery, hurting children, stealing from the less fortunate. But hoarding probably wouldn’t even make the list. But that’s the grievous evil Solomon had in mind. Hoarding is so devastating that a reality show fittingly called Hoarders depicts people suffering from a “compulsive hoarding disorder.” The show is a record of people whose lives are ruined by their possessions. Even if we aren’t hoarders, our possessions can still cause problems because of the time they consume and the choices they create. We have to figure out what to buy, where to get it, how to make the trip to get it, where to store it, where to put the old stuff that the new stuff replaces, and how to use it when we buy it. We bought it; we will make sure we use it to feel like we got our money’s worth. These choices can consume us, so our possessions start possessing us. We become consumers consumed by our consumption. They don’t have these problems in Malawi. Most people’s homes don’t have furniture. The floors are dirt. There’s no electricity; say nothing about televisions or the Internet. In Third World countries, the problem is not having enough. But in First World countries like ours, the problem is having too much. Mark Twain once defined civilization as “a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.” 43 Self-storage is one of our biggest industries. An article titled “The Hottest Industry Right Now Is Storing All Your Stuff” reads: “A day hardly passes without the U.S. retail industry sustaining fresh wounds as malls and outlets shut their doors. Americans are still shopping, though online, in their pajamas and physics dictates that their new stuff, and old stuff, go somewhere. Welcome to the renaissance of self-storage.” Another article, “Self-storage: How Warehouses for Personal Junk Became a $38 Billion Industry,” reads: “Despite recessions and demographic shifts, few building types have boomed like self-storage lockers. The self-storage industry made $32.7 billion in 2016, nearly three times Hollywood’s box office gross. Self-storage has seen 7.7 percent annual growth since 2012, and now employs 144,000 nationwide. One in eleven Americans pays an average of $91.14 monthly to use self-storage. The United States has over fifty thousand facilities and roughly 2.31 billion square feet of rentable space. To give that perspective, the volume of self-storage units in the country could “fill the Hoover Dam twenty-six times with old clothing, skis, and keepsakes.” Our lives are filled to overflowing with possessions. When I drive down the road and pass storage facilities, I wonder, “What’s in the units people don’t need and can’t easily access but still pay money to keep? How many owners are still paying off the credit cards that bought the stuff in the first place?” The Importance of Remembering We Take Nothing With Us Ecclesiastes 5:14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. Wealth can disappear! Even though he’s a hardworking father, he has nothing to give to his son because he lost everything. People lose wealth through bad business decisions or other misfortunes, such as accidents, fires, or medical bills. Even if we don’t lose riches in this life, we lose them when we die, which is Solomon’s next point: Ecclesiastes 5:15 As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? My dad, John LaPierre, passed away in 2021. He choked on some food. My associate pastor and I took turns administering CPR until the paramedics arrived, and then they worked on him for over an hour. So, it was hard to know when he passed. The paramedics might say it was when he stopped breathing, his heart stopped beating, or

When I was in Malawi, Africa, I spent one week teaching at a Bible college and the following week at a pastor's conference. I was exposed to the common false teaching among the students and pastors. We see much of this false teaching in the church today, including in the United States, versus only in Africa. https://youtu.be/ptozRMIOQRE Table of contents1. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because the Descriptive Is Confused with the PrescriptiveWhat If People Don't Hear Audibly from God?2. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because of Belief in Modern-Day Apostles and Prophets3. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because Wealth Is Considered a Sign of GodlinessThe False Prophet, Bushiri4. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because People Are Elevated Above ScriptureTeaching Under the New Covenant5. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because Theatrics Are Elevated Above UnderstandingEzra Wanted the People to UnderstandOur Accountability Is High in the United States In Malawi, Africa, I kept notes about things I felt burdened to share with the congregation when I returned. Many of my notes were about the false teaching I observed. I attended a Bible college the first week and a pastor’s conference the second week, which gave me insight into church leaders' beliefs. The title is “Five Reaons for False Teaching in the Church Today” rather than “Five Reaons for False Teaching in Malawi,” because much of the false teaching is prevalent in our country, too. So, I’ve chosen reasons that apply anywhere. 1. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because the Descriptive Is Confused with the Prescriptive Malawi is a very charismatic country. There’s a strong belief in the supernatural, but not in a good way. I don’t mean believing the supernatural events in Scripture. I mean believing the same supernatural events are happening today. One of the most common mistakes people make when reading Scripture is turning a descriptive passage (or one that merely describes what happened) into a prescriptive passage (or one that prescribes). In Malawi, this is a huge problem! For example: Acts 5:12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that AS PETER CAME BY AT LEAST HIS SHADOW MIGHT FALL ON SOME OF THEM. Do you see the problem with making descriptive language prescriptive? You could be led to believe that you can healed by a false teacher’s shadow falling on you. Acts 8:26 Now AN ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID TO PHILIP, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And THE SPIRIT SAID TO PHILIP, “Go over and join this chariot.” Should we expect the angel of the Lord or the Holy Spirit to speak audibly to us? No. That wasn’t my point with these verses last week. My point was that we step out in faith – like Philip – and walk in obedience, and God’s plan tends to unfold. Usually, we don’t get to see the second step until we take the first step. That’s part of the application of these verses. But if we looked at this account and thought that the angel of the Lord or the Holy Spirit would speak audibly because He did with Philip, we would be in trouble. What If People Don't Hear Audibly from God? When we don’t hear audibly from God, there will be four possible outcomes, and all are bad: We’ll doubt our salvation because God isn’t speaking to us like He supposedly speaks to others Or we’ll doubt God loves us because He doesn’t speak to us like He supposedly speaks to others Or we’ll conclude we’re not spiritual enough Or we’ll conclude the Bible is untrue Consider this account: Acts 19:11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. If you take this account prescriptively rather than descriptively, you will believe false teachers who claim that their handkerchiefs and aprons can heal the sick. I know that’s the case in Malawi because this account was mentioned to me to defend people being healed this way. One of the other big problems with taking descriptive accounts and making them prescriptive is that you believe the teaching of the people who claim to be able to perform miracles. If you believe t

On a recent mission trip to Malawi, Africa, I learned three lessons about God’s plan for our lives. Things didn’t go how I expected at times, but God’s agenda was better than mine. I hope these lessons encourage you when God’s plan seems different than yours. https://youtu.be/EG7D-ivgWLY On a recent mission trip to Malawi, Africa, I learned three lessons about God’s plan for our lives. God’s agenda was better than mine. Table of contentsGod’s Plan for Our Lives Is Better than OursGod’s Plan Often Involves Wondering What’s NextOur Tuesday Night GroupStepping Out in Faith Isn't License to Be FoolishSharing the Gospel with Another SchoolGod’s Plan Requires Staying MarriedDave and Naida's Gomes's TestimonyAndy and Lisa Langdon's Testimony When we went to Malawi, there were two teams. I was on the teaching team that spoke at the Sola Scriptura Bible College in the first week and at the pastor's conference in the second week. One particular day began very frustratingly. I am not one to blame everything on spiritual warfare or see the devil or a demon behind everything bad that happens. Sometimes, things happen simply because we live in a fallen world. But one morning, it seemed like we had difficulty getting to the Bible college on time. I joked with the teaching team that maybe we had a few Billy Grahams in the Bible college class that the devil didn’t want us to reach. First, we got pulled over: https://youtu.be/Kqj3cgEIxx4 Then we got pulled over again: https://youtu.be/56pqTpsupRU Then we got a flat tire: https://youtu.be/aKqBCTOYPSc We broke down on the side of the road and had to wait for someone from the nursery to bring us tools to change the tire. Because we went to the Bible college each day from early morning until late evening, I hadn’t seen much of Malawi, so I decided to walk around. There were some buildings nearby, and I went to check them out. God’s Plan for Our Lives Is Better than Ours It turned out to be a school, but all the classes were canceled because it was a holiday. I was walking past the classrooms, expecting them to be empty, but one teacher, Mr. Moya, who you will meet in a moment, decided to have a class that day. I have no idea why he wanted to have class on a holiday, and I have no idea how he got his students to come to class on a holiday, but that’s what happened. When I walked past his classroom, the students were excited because they saw a white person. I kept walking because I didn’t want to interrupt his class, but then I decided to walk back and see what would happen. The teacher, Mr. Moya, seemed like a serious man who wasn’t easy to read. So, I couldn’t tell how he felt about me at first, but I did get him to smile, which made me happy: https://youtu.be/GgF2ujFyS9Y I wanted to stay longer with the class, but I didn’t know if they had the tire changed, and I didn’t want them to wait for me. So, I returned to the truck, but they still didn’t have the tools. So I asked Eddie if he wanted to return to the classroom with me, and he was glad to do so: https://youtu.be/qwOXPME6MyA Now, there’s more to the story, but I can only show you so many videos, so let me briefly tell you what happened. Eddie told the class we would return the next day and bring them gospel tracts. When we returned the next day, Andrew and Andrey came with us because they wanted to spend one day at the Bible college. The school was in session, so we had to check in at the principal’s office. When we went to the principal’s office, she seemed glad that we were there and told us we could preach the gospel to other classrooms: https://youtu.be/Epg7omXz-lc I couldn’t help thinking that day about how much better God’s plan for our lives is than ours. God orchestrated many things for us. For example, if we didn’t have the flat tire: I wouldn’t have visited the school. Eddie wouldn’t have shared the gospel with the class We wouldn’t have returned the following day to share the gospel again I wouldn’t have had the idea to visit another school the following week because it went so well the first time. I'll share more about this in a moment. And, of course, I have no idea why one teacher happened to be having class on a holiday. God’s plan for our lives was much better than ours! God’s Plan Often Involves Wondering What’s Next When Eddie and I returned to the school, I liked how he said, “If the Lord provides an opportunity, let’s do it.” This summarizes what ministry often feels like: we don’t know what will happen next. We simply step out in faith and hope that God will provide an opportunity. It reminds me of Jonathan attacking the Philistines with his armor bearer. Listen to what he said: 1 Samuel 14:6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. IT MAY BE THAT THE LORD WILL WORK FOR US, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” This is a great example of what we say in ministry: maybe the L

From April 26, 2024, to May 11, 2024, I went to Malawi, Africa, to teach at a Bible college and preach at a pastor's conference. On the mission trip, God burdened me with a sermon about being content, which I preached when I arrived home. Table of contentsThinking About Those with Less Should Help Us Being ContentComplaining in the Book of NumbersWealth in the United StatesWealth Doesn’t Produce ContentmentBeing Content Isn't Easier in a Large, Fancy HouseDiscouraged for the People in MalawiSolomon: A Rich Man with CredibilityWe Often Think We Need MorePossessions Can Cause ProblemsBeing Content Through ChristBeing Content Because the Lord Said, "I Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You"Footnotes https://youtu.be/IQ0xjm91z5k God burdened me with a sermon about being content during a mission trip to Malawi to speak at a Bible college and pastor's conference. This video will give you an idea of the poverty in Africa: https://youtu.be/cG5PgCh-yiI The poverty driving in Malawi, Africa Mike is our Malawian driver who works at the nursery. Andy asked him if the mouse on a stick was in season. That’s one of the common things people eat during certain times of the year. A little background: There were two teams when we took the trip to Africa. I was on the teaching team with Andy Langdon, Andy’s Pastor, Mark Hoeffner, and Eddie Brzezinski, who had accompanied them on many trips before. Andrew shared in Sunday school about the other team traveling during the day to evangelize and visit people’s houses. For my team, we spent the first week, Monday through Friday, teaching at the Sola Scriptura Bible College, about an hour away. I spoke two hours away the second week at a pastor's conference. Here is a video of the Bible college: https://youtu.be/aHuBqx9YMPg Sola Scriptura Bible College in Malawi, Africa Thinking About Those with Less Should Help Us Being Content The morning Johnny and I left for Africa, the kids cooked on the stove. One left a can of Pam cooking spray on a hot burner. The can exploded. The bottom shot out and destroyed the burner, and the can shot up into the microwave and destroyed it, too. Shards of glass and metal flew out as far as the dining area, so we did two things. First, we prayed and thanked God that nobody was injured. Second, we had a physics lesson about gases expanding when they heat up. I began a claim and left for the airport. When I got to Malawi, I started getting messages from my insurance company that they couldn’t reach me. I would email them back in the evening, but they said they needed to talk to me on the phone. I couldn’t get the claim moving, so Katie couldn’t get a new microwave or stove. I apologized to Katie because I knew this was inconvenient. I sent lots of photos to Katie, and here’s one of them: These wonderful women volunteered to cook our lunch at the Bible college each day. When I apologized to Katie that she had to cook without a microwave and stove, she wrote back, “I won’t be complaining after seeing those women cooking over an open fire.” I hope that’s what these sermons do. I will be transparent with you about something that has happened to me. When I first came back from Malawi, guess how I felt? I was super content. I was super grateful for our house, stores, water, Wi-Fi, electricity, and roads that don’t make me feel like I’m throwing out my back while driving on them. But then, over time, I’m no longer grateful. It is human nature to gradually forget our blessings and take things for granted gradually. Complaining in the Book of Numbers Think about the location of the Book of Numbers. Numbers was originally called “The Book of Murmurings,” you know why if you’ve ever read it. It is about the Israelites complaining in the wilderness. The location of this book is so shocking because it is one month after Israel was delivered from Egypt, when you think they would be super thankful for all God had done for them. Instead, they constantly complained. Wealth in the United States We have probably all heard before about how wealthy the United States is compared to the rest of the world. Let me provide some statistics that make this clear. Disposable income is the amount of money households have for spending and saving after income taxes have been accounted for. Visualizing Countries with the Highest Household Wealth reveals: Russia’s disposable income is less than $17,000. France's disposable income is $60,000. The United Kingdom’s disposable income is $83,000. Canada’s disposable income is $86,000. The nation in second place is Switzerland, with $128,000. The United States is in first place with a disposable income of $176,00, which is almost 40% more than the nation in second place. There are 7.5 billion people in the world. China is the world’s most populous nation, with 1.4 billion people, or 18.6%, and 10.5% of the world’s wealth. The United States has 327 million people, or a little more than 4% of the world’s population,

James 1:15 says, "Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." James 1:15 compares sin with pregnancy, pictured in Proverbs 7:24-27. When the foolish young man sinned with the harlot, the union's most obvious and natural result is pregnancy. The child produced from that pregnancy, or sin, is death! Table of contentsSin Begins in the HeartEven the Strong and Mighty Must Be on GuardThe Wages of Sin Is DeathSin Is Compared to Pregnancy Because It Gives Birth to DeathSin Is Compared to Pregnancy Because It Is a ProcessSin Is Compared to Pregnancy Because It GrowsBut What About When We Still Sin? https://youtu.be/RM8pfYAUiLs James 1:15 describes pregnancy: "Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." Consider these people who were killed by, of all things, their pets: Sandra Piovesan had nine half-wolves, half-dogs that she raised, and after they grew, they killed her. Kelly Ann Walz raised a black bear from when it was a cub. When it reached 350 pounds, it killed her. Marius Els had a pet hippopotamus, which ended up killing him after it grew. We know many animals are deadly. There are lots of stories of people being killed by animals. These stories stand out because the people kept the animals as pets. All these people had one thing in common: they thought the animals didn’t threaten them. They thought the animals could be tamed and controlled. They thought they could have these animals in their lives without problems. Marius owned the hippopotamus, and the article reads, and I quote, that he was “[warned repeatedly] that it was a wild animal that could never be tamed.” But he said, “There’s a relationship between me and the hippo, and that’s what some people don’t understand. They think you can only have a relationship with dogs, cats, and domestic animals. But I have a relationship with the most dangerous animal in Africa.” This sounds crazy to us. Most of us agree that keeping wolves, bears, and hippopotamuses is a bad idea. These people thought the animals were safe because they got them when they were small and harmless. Over time, the animals grew and became deadly. This illustrates what can happen with sin. We tend to treat our sin like a pet. It starts small and seemingly harmless, but then it grows into something deadly and kills us as well. This is the main point of James 1:15: "Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." And it is illustrated in Proverbs 7:24-27: Proverbs 7:24 And now, O SONS, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. 25 LET NOT YOUR HEART TURN ASIDE TO HER WAYS; DO NOT STRAY INTO HER PATHS, 26 for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. 27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death. Don’t you hear the father pleading with his son? Proverbs 1:8 Hear, MY SON, YOUR FATHER'S INSTRUCTION, and forsake not your mother's teaching… Proverbs 1:10 MY SON, if sinners entice you, do not consent… Proverbs 1:15 MY SON, do not walk in the way with them; Proverbs 2:1 MY SON, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you Proverbs 3:1 MY SON, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, Proverbs 4, 5, 6, and 7 begin the same way. The word “son” occurs almost 50 times because Proverbs is written as a father speaking to his son. Proverbs is indeed for everyone. It is the book of wisdom, and we all benefit from gaining wisdom; however, because Proverbs is written as a father talking to his son, young men receive a special benefit. So, young men can read these verses and hear me pleading to resist the harlot. Young men hear Solomon, the human author of Proverbs, pleading to resist the harlot. But I hope even more that you look past Solomon and me to the even greater Person pleading with you in these verses, and that is God the Father. We know from the previous verses that the foolish young man was killed by the harlot. So, the Father lovingly reaches out to his sons, trying to prevent them from experiencing the same. He says, “After seeing what happened to the foolish young man, listen to me, pay attention to my words, so you don’t end up like him.” Sin Begins in the Heart Proverbs 7:8 [He passed] along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house Now, I’m not trying to sound overly simple, but the foolish young man physically headed toward her house. Now look at what the Father says in verse 25: Proverbs 7:25 Let not YOUR HEART TURN ASIDE TO HER WAYS; do not stray into her paths, So, which is it? Did he turn aside toward the harlot, or did his heart turn aside toward her? Yes! In verse 25, the words “turn aside” suggest walking somewhere, but obviously, our hearts don’t walk anywhere. So why does it say this? The heart is being personified as someone with the potential t

What does sin do to us? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies sin. We can see how she acts toward the foolish young man to see what sin does to us. Table of contentsSin Lies to UsSin Says, “You Won’t Get Caught”God Won't Be MockedWhen It Looked Like David Wouldn't Get CaughtSin Makes Us More Like AnimalsSin Produces a Slow, Painful DeathSin Hunts the FoolishSin Is a Baited HookThe Way Joab Approached Abner and AmasaTurn to God from Sin https://youtu.be/-JeVOMo2fhY What does sin do to us? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies sin. We can see how she acts toward the foolish young man to see what sin does to us. Radio personality Paul Harvey shared about how Eskimos kill wolves: First, the Eskimo coats a knife blade with seal blood because seals are easy to trap. He allows the blood to freeze and then adds another layer of blood and another until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up.When a wolf follows its sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, it licks it, tasting the fresh, frozen blood. The wolf licks the blade more vigorously until the keen edge is bare. But the wolf doesn’t notice the razor-sharp sting of the blade because his tongue is numb from the cold, nor does it recognize that its insatiable thirst is being satisfied by its own warm blood. The wolf’s carnivorous appetite just craves moreuntil the dawn finds it dead in the snow. The account is grisly but illustrates sin's consuming, self-destructive nature. When we see people engaged in habitual sin, we can share this story with them and tell them to stop licking the knife. I looked at over ten websites to determine if Eskimoes do this because I don’t like when pastors use illustrations that aren’t true (something pastors are famous for doing). I found many websites with this story. But they were pastors’ websites or websites for sermon illustrations, so I’m not sure they can be trusted. I think an even better illustration of sin’s destructiveness is found in Proverbs 7 with the harlot. We can swap the wolf for the foolish young man. Like the wolf, he is killed because of his desires. If you want to see just how much the foolish young man looks like an animal being hunted, notice the theme of verses 22 and 23: "an ox to the slaughter...a stag caught in a trap...a bird stuck in a snare." Sin Lies to Us I will pick up at verse 18 with the harlot speaking to the foolish young man: Proverbs 7:18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. In the same sentence, the harlot twice mentioned the word love. This is a lie: she’s known this young man for about five minutes, yet she talks to him about love. She would’ve said the same words to any young man. She is like a prostitute or woman on the Internet who has no concern for the men she entices. But this is what sin does. Take your mind back to the fall. God said: Genesis 2:17 Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” When the devil tempted Eve: Genesis 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. The devil told Eve the exact opposite of what God said. Sin does the same with us. Romans 7:11 Sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, DECEIVED ME and through it killed me. Paul said sin deceived him. Hebrews 3:13 Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN. We should exhort each other daily so we aren’t deceived by sin. What are some of the ways sin deceives us? What are some of the lies it tells us? This won’t ruin your family. This won’t hurt your friends and loved ones. This won’t become an addiction. You’ll be able to stop whenever you want. Sin Says, “You Won’t Get Caught” There is one lie in particular that sin always tells us, and it’s in verses 19 and 20: Proverbs 7:19 For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; 20 he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.” Unbelievably, right after talking to the young man about love, she talks to him about her husband, whom she’s supposed to love. All the verses we read up to this point would have led us to believe the harlot was unmarried. But now we see she was some poor man’s wife. When he went out of town, she went out to hunt. The harlot said her husband is gone, but that’s not her point. She’s trying to tell the foolish young man he won’t get caught, which is one of the main lies sin tells us. If you think about it for a moment, there’s almost always one thing people must be convinced of before they sin, and it’s this lie the harlot was telling the foolish young man: "Nobody will know. You can get away with it." Who would have stolen, committed adultery, lied, or gossiped if they thought they would be caught? Proverbs 7:9 says he went out “in the twilight, in the

Paul wrote that “Christ died for our sins [and] was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The Old Testament doesn’t just prophesy that Jesus would die and be raised; it also prophesies that he would be raised on the third day. Where is the Old Testament prophecy of Jesus' death and resurrection on the third day? There are four possibilities. https://youtu.be/o0HdYqct2pU Where is the Old Testament prophecy of Jesus' death and resurrection on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4)? Four possibilities exist. Table of contentsThe Gospel's Two Essential ElementsFirst, Jesus Died for Our SinsPsalm 22 Prophecies of Jesus' DeathIsaiah 53 Prophecies of Jesus' DeathSecond, Jesus Was Raised from the DeadWhere Is the Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third Day?The Feast of Firstfruits Is an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayHosea Contains an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayIsrael as a Type of ChristThe Veil and Jesus’ Body TornJonah Is an Old Testament Prophecy (or Sign) of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayJonah's "Death" and BurialJonah Was "Raised" on the Third DayIsaac Is an Old Testament Prophecy of Jesus' Resurrection on the Third DayDon't Try not to BelieveFootnotes Growing up we had a handful of movies on VHS tapes. I feel old knowing some of you don’t even know what VHS tapes are. One of the movies we had was Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I don’t know how often I watched this movie, but it was a lot. Let me tell you how it ended. The dying Khan activated a bomb that would blow up his ship and the nearby Starship Enterprise, finally delivering his revenge against Captain Kirk. The Enterprise’s engine was damaged, so it couldn’t enter warp speed and escape the explosion. With the lives of all the crew in jeopardy, Spock entered the nuclear reactor to restore power to the warp drive so the ship could escape. In the process, he was exposed to a lethal dose of radiation. When Kirk realized Spock was missing, he ran to the engine room, where he saw his friend within minutes of death. Spock used his last words to ask Kirk if the ship was out of danger. Then he said, “The needs of the many outweigh…” Kirk interrupted to say: “the needs of the few,” showing he learned from his logical friend. And then Spock added, “Or the one. I have been and always shall be your friend.” Spock made the Vulcan salute, which Kirk mirrored, uttered, “Live long and prosper,” and then died. Spock died for his friends, and our minds could even go to Jesus’s words: John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You don’t have to worry about Spock, though, because he only stayed dead until the beginning of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Spock rose from the dead, and the filmmakers wanted to make him look so much like Jesus there was even an empty coffin complete with nearby burial clothes paralleling Jesus’ empty tomb and burial clothes. Resurrections are common in fiction. J.R.R. Tolkien has a clear resurrection in The Lord of the Rings. The wizard, Gandalf the Grey, dies only to return to life as the more powerful Gandalf the White. Tolkien’s friend and fellow author, C.S. Lewis, has a clear resurrection in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Aslan the Lion, a picture of Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, sacrificed himself to save Edmund. Then, Aslan returned to life and defeated his enemy, the White Witch, I suspect picturing the way Jesus’s death and resurrection defeated the devil. The Gospel's Two Essential Elements I might sound like a fan of resurrections in fiction, but I wouldn’t say that’s the case. My biggest problem is that, with only a few exceptions, people are borrowing from Christianity without being Christian. There are allusions to Christ, but there’s no Christ. Nobody will be saved from these portrayals because they lack the essential elements of the gospel. Paul presents the essential elements in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. If you want to remember different chapters in the Bible, this is the Resurrection Chapter. We’ll focus on verses 3 and 4, but let’s start at verse one for context: 1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to youunless you believed in vain. 3a For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: Notice Paul said he delivered the gospel he received. Or you could say he delivered what was delivered to him. Paul did not come up with the gospel. Instead, he is a link in the long chain of people who have been preaching the gospel since its inception back in the Garden of Eden at the fall.49 Also, notice Paul said the gospel is “of first importance.” There are many important thi

What is temptation? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies temptation. The harlot pursues the foolish young man like temptation pursues us. The foolish young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation. Studying her helps us understand how temptation works and better equips us to resist. Table of contentsFoolish People Are Outmatched Against TemptationThe Harlot in Proverbs 7 Personifies TemptationTemptation Is AggressiveTemptation Makes Itself Sound GoodJustifying Giving InTemptation Appeals to Our PrideBalak Appealed to Balam's PrideWhy Would Temptation Want to Appeal to Our Pride?Temptation Appeals to Our SensesTemptation Appeals Most Often to Our SightLook to the Great High Priest https://youtu.be/p8pRdQz8afA What is temptation? The harlot in Proverbs 7 personifies temptation. The harlot pursues the foolish young man like temptation pursues us. The foolish young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation. Studying her helps us understand how temptation works and better equips us to resist. We like showdowns. When I say the word, our minds probably go to Westerns with two cowboys staring each other down while they stand on a dirt road in the middle of a small town with a saloon on one side, a bank on the other, and a few other buildings scattered about. A tumbleweed rolls by, and we hear the familiar whistling sound while we wait to see who draws first. There are many famous showdowns in fiction outside of Westerns. For example, Achilles and Hector’s fight in the Illiad. My favorite showdown is Gandalf’s fight with the Balrog in the Lord of the Rings. There are also famous showdowns in Scripture. The first few chapters of 2 Samuel record the conflict between the House of Saul and the House of David. Saul’s forces, led by Abner, ran into David’s forces, led by Joab: 2 Samuel 2:12 Abner and the servants of Saul and Joab and the servants of David met by the pool of Gibeon…one on one side…and the other on the other side. Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15 Then they arose…16 And each caught HIS OPPONENT BY THE HEAD AND THRUST HIS SWORD IN HIS OPPONENT'S SIDE, SO THEY FELL DOWN TOGETHER…17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. Some other showdowns in Scripture are David and Goliath, Elijah and the prophets of Baal, and Jesus in the wilderness with the devil. I could go one step further and say Jesus’ earthly ministry was a showdown between the kingdom of God that Jesus rules over and the kingdom of darkness that Satan rules over. Foolish People Are Outmatched Against Temptation Proverbs 7 contains another showdown: the foolish young man against the harlot. The foolish young man’s description: Proverbs 7:7 and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense The young man is “Simple” and “Lacking sense,” which are both ways of saying he is foolish and lacking wisdom. The NKJV says he’s "devoid of understanding," the NASB says he’s "naïve," and the Amplified says he’s "gullible." His opponent: Proverbs 7:10 And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. The showdown is about to begin, but let me make one point about the foolish young man. It says the harlot “meets him.” He had to reach this point. He wouldn't be in this situation if he hadn’t taken all the previous compromising steps: going to her corner, taking the road to her house, and doing this at night when he thought nobody would see. We can’t help being tempted. Even Jesus was tempted. But we can avoid putting ourselves in tempting situations: Don’t grab your phone or look at your computer at the wrong time. Don’t be alone with that person of the opposite sex. Don’t go to that bar or club. We saw how the foolish young man is described. The harlot is described as “wily of heart.” The NIV says, “with crafty intent,” the NASB says, “cunning of heart,” and the HCSB says, “having a hidden agenda.” So, here’s the showdown: a foolish young man lacking sense, wandering around aimlessly and naïve, versus a crafty harlot, who is cunning of heart, aggressive, and on a mission. It isn’t tough to figure out who is going to win. The foolish young man has about as much of a chance as Goliath had against David, the prophets of Baal had against Elijah, and Satan against Jesus The Harlot in Proverbs 7 Personifies Temptation James 1:14 Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. “When he is lured” is one word in Greek, exelkō, a metaphor for a harlot’s seduction. In other words, when James wants to describe temptation enticing us, he uses the imagery of a harlot. When we see this harlot tempt the foolish young man, we are witnessing temptation in action: The harlot pursues the foolish young man like temptation pursues us. The foolish youn

In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus taught the Parable of the Rich Fool. Ironically, the rich fool looked smart, accumulating wealth and succeeding as a farmer and businessman. Learn why God said he was a fool when his life ended. Read, listen, or watch this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn from the parable of the rich fool. https://youtu.be/XlQwaVEw090 Jesus taught the Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12:16-21. Learn why God called him a fool despite looking smart and successful. Table of ContentsEverything Comes From GodWise In the World’s Eyes, But Fools to GodThe Rich Man Was a Fool Because He Didn’t GiveThe Rich Man Was a Fool Because He Didn’t Plan for EternityThe Rich Man Was a Fool Because He Didn’t Know to Whom His Soul BelongedThe Rich Man Was a Fool Because He Wasn’t Rich Toward GodWhat Money Can’t DoWhat The Gospel Can Do Malcolm Forbes was an American entrepreneur who is most well-known as the publisher of Forbes magazine. He’s also remembered for several sayings, and one that he repeated is, “He who has the most toys wins.” As you would expect from someone who said this, he lived an extravagant, flamboyant lifestyle. He spent millions (or perhaps billions) on parties, traveling, and his collection of yachts, aircraft, art, motorcycles, castles, hot-air balloons, and Fabergé eggs, some of which cost over one million dollars each. Growing up, there was a popular line of clothing called No Fear. They had one shirt that corrected Malcom’s quote: “He who dies with the most toys still dies.” The people working for the secular clothing company were considerably more biblical than Mr. Forbes. They recognized that regardless of how much a man has, he can’t “add a single hour to his span of life,” as Jesus said (Matthew 6:27). The No Fear clothing company also recognized that we can’t take any of our toys or possessions with us because if we could, then the one who died with the most toys would be the winner. Malcolm Forbes makes me think of the parable of the rich fool. They both lived only for this life: The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, “What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?” And he said, “I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’” But God said to him, “Fool!This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21). The rich fool’s harvest was so great that he ran out of room to store it. As a farmer, because his crops are money, it’s like he has more money than he knows what to do with. How would you like to have this problem? Believe it or not, it was a big problem for him! He didn’t understand stewardship and that anything he had ultimately belonged to God and was meant to be used for His glory. Everything Comes From God Some things are more challenging to be viewed as coming from God. For example, if you study for a degree, it’s hard to say, “God gave this to me” because you feel like you earned it. The same can be said if you’re faithful at work and get promoted, practice an instrument and become an accomplished musician, or train for a race and win. But seeing God’s hand in them is easier with some other things. For example, we have nothing to do with where and when we are born. We are expecting our eleventh child, and we see God’s hand in each birth because we can’t create life. Only God can do that. One more thing we should view as coming from God is a good harvest, or “land [producing] plentifully.” Although I haven’t been a farmer, I know it’s a profession that greatly depends on circumstances outside our control. My father-in-law, Rick, is a farmer. Katie says she remembers growing up watching her father stand at the window, looking at the clouds with concern after he had cut the alfalfa because the rain would ruin his crop. One of the elders I serve with is a farmer. Over the years he has asked people to pray for his crops because he knew that ultimately, the crops were in God’s hands—He must provide and withhold the rain at the right times, as well as warm the earth and make the seed grow: “God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7). Farmers can do all the right things, but if God doesn’t bless their efforts, the land won’t produce plentifully. The farmer asked, “What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?” This is a good question, and there are many good answers, such as, “Because God gave me such a great crop, I’ll give back to Him! I’ll donate to the temple, the synagogue, the poor, widows, or orphans.” But he didn’t come up with any good answers. Instead, he thought only about one person: himself. Wise In the World’s Eyes, Bu

God personifies temptation as a harlot in Proverbs 7. The chapter gives us one of the greatest pictures of temptation in Scripture. The harlot pursues the young man the way temptation pursues us. The chapter also gives us one of the greatest pictures of the foolishness of giving in to temptation. The young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation. Here are three ways to resist temptation from Proverbs 7:6-9. Table of contentsTo Resist Temptation, Don’t Take the First StepSome Sins Don't Require Taking StepsThe Steps David Took to Commit Adultery with Bathsheba"When He Fell, He Didn't Fall Far"To Resist Temptation, Guard Your HeartCounsel for Parents Who Want to Help Their Children Guard Their HeartsCounsel for Young Men and Young Women Who Want to Guard Their HeartsCounsel for Children Who Have Parents Who Help Them Guard Their HeartsTo Resist Temptation, Stay in the LightWanting to Hide in Darkness Starts at a Young AgePursue the Light https://youtu.be/9BlInZgE7lQ Here are three ways to resist temptation from Proverbs 7:6-9. The young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation. God is a visual teacher. He wants us to have pictures in our minds. Think of how God had prophets use object lessons in the Old Testament so the people had images of the preached truths. Think of the poetic language used throughout the Bible, such as: Exodus 19:4 I bore you on eagles’ wings. God didn’t literally carry Israel with eagles, but this creates wonderful imagery of him swooping in to save his people from Egypt. Psalm 6:6 Every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. David wasn’t literally lying on a soggy bed of tears, but it creates the imagery of his sleeplessness and sorrow. Think of the way Jesus taught in parables, causing people to picture: A sower sowing seed A friend coming in the middle of the night A king throwing a wedding for his son A greedy farmer who kept building barns for his crops. This creates pictures that help us understand spiritual truths more easily. God does the same thing in Proverbs 7. He personifies temptation as a harlot. This chapter gives us three things: The harlot gives us one of the greatest pictures of temptation in Scripture. Because temptation can be so strong, God wants us to have an equally strong picture of how terrible it is. The harlot pursues the young man the way temptation pursues us. The foolish young man gives us one of the greatest pictures of the foolishness of giving in to temptation. The young man should have resisted the harlot like we should resist temptation. The end of the chapter gives us one of the most dramatic pictures of the danger of giving in to temptation. The harlot killed the young man like sin kills us. James 1:14 says, "Each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his own desire." "When he is lured" is one word in Greek, exelkō, which is a metaphor for the seduction of a harlot. In other words, when James wants to describe temptation enticing us, he uses the imagery of a harlot. We get to see what that looks like in this chapter. What is temptation? Some synonyms for ‘tempt’ are: allure, attract, entice, seduce, and tantalize. Each word generates an emotional picture. We are allured by the temptation. We are attracted to it, enticed by it, seduced by its seeming pleasure, tantalized by the fantasy of what it would be like. Dangers Men Face by Jerry White, 1997, p. 80 If you didn’t know better, you would think Jerry is describing a harlot enticing someone versus temptation enticing us. Because we are dealing with a harlot, there’s lots of application for young men, but because the harlot personifies temptation, and we all face temptation, there is application for all of us. That’s why the sermon title is “Three Ways to Resist Temptation” versus “Three Ways for Young Men to Resist Harlots.” When we are tempted, we should have this chapter's strong, sobering imagery to help us resist. To Resist Temptation, Don’t Take the First Step Proverbs 7:6 For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, 7 and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, A YOUNG MAN lacking sense, Proverbs 7:8 passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house Proverbs 7:9 in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. The young man is “Simple” and “Lacking sense,” which are both ways of saying he is foolish and lacking wisdom. He shows us what not to do. The harlot has a “corner” because harlots have corners. For most of today’s harlots, it is a corner of the Internet. “Her house” is where she lures her victims. This is the website she wants young men to click on. The young man ends up with the harlot, but his sin didn’t “just happen.” He wasn’t walking along, tripped and fell, and suddenly found himself with a harlot. He took numerous steps to sin: He went to her corner. He took

In 1 John 2:12-14 progressive sanctification is divided into three stages: children, young men, and fathers. Twice, the verses mention young men overcoming the evil one. They do so by being spiritually strong, being in God’s Word, being self-controlled, and resisting the harlot in Proverbs 7. Table of contentsYoung Men Overcome the Evil One By Being Spiritually StrongYoung Men Overcome the Evil One By Being in God’s WordYoung Men Overcome the Evil One By Being Self-ControlledYoung Men Are Fighting the Toughest BattleYoung Men Overcome the Evil One By Resisting the HarlotA Father's ResponsibilityYoung Men Wrongly Think Noone Sees God Sees the Good, TooFootnotes https://youtu.be/wOlsoFelGao Twice, 1 John 2:12-14 mentions young men overcoming the evil one. They must be spiritually strong and resist the harlot in Proverbs 7. Let me tell you about the different units in the Army. I will briefly break them down, starting at the brigade level: A brigade has 2-3 battalions and about 5,000 soldiers. A battalion has 4-6 companies and about 1,000 soldiers. A company has 3-4 platoons and about 200 soldiers. A platoon has 2-3 squads and about 36 soldiers. A squad has about 10 soldiers. Squads make up the platoons, companies, battalions, and brigades They are the building blocks of the Army, and they are filled with young men. We don’t send children, women, or old men to battle. We send young men. They are in the trenches and on the front lines. When a general decides to storm a beach, take a hill, or drop men behind enemy lines, he sends young men. They exert the greatest effort and make the greatest sacrifices. The greatest strength is required of them. First John 2:12-14 divides our progressive sanctification into three stages: children, fathers, and young men. It says to young men twice, "Young men have OVERCOME THE EVIL ONE." Young men are fighting the enemy. They are in the trenches and on the front line. They must exert the greatest effort and make the greatest sacrifices. The greatest strength is required of them. Maybe this is why they are listed last in the verses. Children are addressed first, then fathers, and THEN young men, versus children, young men, and fathers as expected. Maybe John addresses them last because the most is expected of them, and he wants to give them the most attention: 1 John 2:13b I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. 1 John 2:14b I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Young men know more than the gospel basics of children, but they don’t yet have the deep knowledge and understanding fathers have.76 Three things are said to young men, but only one thing is said to them twice, once in verse 13 and again in verse 14: they “have overcome the evil one.” It seems that if you are wondering when you move from being a child to being a young man, it is when you have victory over temptation. And this could be why some people spiritually remain children: they don’t overcome sin. Now, there must be some balance because none of us stop sinning completely. I think the balance is young men have victory over life-dominating sin. They still sin, but not habitually, or it does not dominate them. Let’s talk about each thing said to young men so we can equip them to overcome the evil one. Young Men Overcome the Evil One By Being Spiritually Strong Because we are talking about young men, we immediately think of physical strength, and that’s probably part of it. Hopefully, you young men are using your strength and energy in positive, productive ways, not wasting your time on frivolous activities. But spiritual strength is even more in view. And there is a relationship between a young man’s spiritual strength and – as it says – “the Word of God abiding in [him].” God’s Word is the source of a young man’s spiritual strength. Young men can’t be spiritually strong if the Word of God does not abide in them. Notice the statement about young men overcoming evil; one follows the statement about the Word of God abiding in them. In other words, the Word of God allows them to overcome the evil one. Young Men Overcome the Evil One By Being in God’s Word Psalm 119:9 How can a YOUNG MAN keep his way pure? By guarding it ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from YOUR COMMANDMENTS! 11 I have stored up YOUR WORD in my heart, that I might not sin against you. We’re talking about young men. It doesn’t say, “How can a child, father, old woman, or young woman keep their way pure.” It’s not that these people don’t need God’s Word, but when we’re talking about being “keeping [our] way pure,” or say we’re talking about purity, God speaks right to young men. We see the importance of God’s Word for young men to be spiritually strong and pure. There are many reasons young men should abide in God’s Word, as 1 John 2:14 says: So they move from being children to young

Progressive sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus. Justification is the once-for-all-time moment God declares us righteous by faith in Christ. Progressive sanctification begins after justification and continues throughout our Christian lives until we receive glorified bodies. In 1 John 2:12-14 progressive sanctification is divided into three stages: children, young men, and fathers. God’s spiritual family is like human families, with members at different maturity levels. Table of contentsChildren’s Progressive Sanctification Begins with Gospel BasicsChildren’s Progressive Sanctification Begins with Moving from Knowledge to RelationshipGinosko Versus EpistamaiBaby Christians Are Still ChristiansWhat About Unbelievers?A Father’s Progressive Sanctification Comes from the WordA Father’s Progressive Sanctification Comes from TrialsKnowing God Is the Height of Progressive SanctificationWhat Shouldn't We Boast About?One Thing We Can Boast AboutThe Balance with Progressive Sanctification https://youtu.be/uNJ6aP7w2gk Progressive sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus; 1 John 2:12-14 divides it into stages: children, young men, fathers. When we moved to Washington in 2010, Johnny was only a few months old but wasn’t growing. He was classified as “failure to thrive.” It was scary because his skin was hanging from his face and arms, he couldn’t tell us what was wrong, and the doctors couldn’t figure out what to do. I think it was particularly hard on Katie, who tried to nurse him around the clock but couldn’t get him to gain any weight. As concerning as it is when people do not grow physically, it is even more concerning when they do not grow spiritually: Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain…TO MATURE MANHOOD, to the MEASURE OF THE STATURE of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may NO LONGER BE CHILDREN…15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to GROW UP IN EVERY WAY into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes THE BODY GROW SO THAT IT BUILDS ITSELF UP in love. These verses describe progressive sanctification, which is the process of becoming more like Jesus. In 1 John 2:12-14 progressive sanctification is divided into three stages: children, young men, and fathers. God’s spiritual family is like human families, with members at different maturity levels. We will look at children and fathers in this sermon and young men separately. The verses are written uniquely: There are two sets of three addresses. The three addresses are for children, fathers, and young men. In the first set, the address begins with, “I am writing to you,” and in the second set, the address begins with, “I write to you.” The verses are written TO US instead of ABOUT US. In other words, they don’t say, “Children know their sins are forgiven, fathers know him who is from the beginning, and young men have overcome the evil one.” Instead, the verses say, “I am writing to you, or I write you children, young men, fathers.” This makes it personal and shows John’s desire to assure us of these truths. These verses are not about biological children, young men, and fathers. They are about spiritual children, young men, and fathers. Children’s Progressive Sanctification Begins with Gospel Basics 1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake...2:13c I write to you, children, because you know the Father. Because children, or baby Christians, only have a basic understanding of the gospel, these are two wonderful yet simple truths to share with them. First, John assured them their sins were forgiven. Sometimes new believers need to be reassured of this truth. If you’re a new Christian, or you remember being a new Christian, you probably remember being amazed at God’s grace and mercy in forgiving and saving you. When I was Catholic, I thought I was saved by my works, so there wasn’t much amazement. But after hearing the gospel and believing, I was in awe of what God did for me. Children’s Progressive Sanctification Begins with Moving from Knowledge to Relationship Second, John told them God was their Father, which is fitting to say to children because children have a Father. Children, or baby Christians, learn to see God as our caring Father and see ourselves as his dependent children. I’m still learning to apply this truth, so in this way, I’m still a child. "Know" is one of the weaker words in the English language. For example, I say, “I know my wife and kids,” and I say, “I know of Bill Gates.” Obviously, I know my kids much differently than I know Bill Gates, but I use the same word. We distinguish between the two ways of knowing by adding the word “of.” Ginosko Versus Epistamai In Greek, there is one word for “knowing” and another word for “knowing of.” The Greek word epistamai refers to knowing of something or kn

Paul said, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). Paul says young people should set an example in five ways. Table of contentsWhen Young People Set an Example That Should Be Looked Down OnThe LaPierre HouseholdAddressing One of My Weaknesses as a FatherThe Journey to a Family BusinessThe 12 Disciples Were Probably in Their TwentiesGod Told the Prophet Jeremiah He Was Not Too YoungAccording to 1 Timothy 4:12 Young People Should Set an Example in Five Ways...First, Don't Let Anyone Look Down on You Because You Are Young by Setting an Example in WordSecond, Don't Let Anyone Look Down on You by Setting an Example in ConductThird, Don't Let Anyone Look Down on You Because You Are Young by Setting an Example in LoveFourth, Don't Let Anyone Look Down on You Because You Are Young by Setting an Example in FaithFifth, Don't Let Anyone Look Down on You Because You Are Young by Setting an Example in PurityGrace and WorkFootnotes https://youtu.be/cEbcuvyEqf4 Paul said, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers" (1 Timothy 4:12). The text in this post is from Work and Rest God's Way. There is also an accompanying Family Guide. Both are available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. I'm praying God uses them to exalt Christ in your lives and family and encourage you as you serve Him. People with lazy childhoods rarely grow up to be diligent adults because they’ll bring the habits they developed in their childhood into adulthood; therefore, the best approach is to start training children to have a strong work ethic when they’re young. Their work depends on their strength and maturity, but even at a young age, they can do jobs around the house and sometimes even in the surrounding neighborhood. In the church I pastor, we strive to take care of our needs ourselves as opposed to paying people to do it for us. This means we have a schedule for families to clean the church, instead of hiring a janitor to do it. We have church workdays versus hiring people for maintenance and repairs. When church cleaning and workdays take place, families perform these tasks together. Children work alongside adults. Unfortunately, in some churches, children might be the least likely to serve, but this is the opposite of what should be the case. In Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20, Paul charged, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right,” and “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.” Performing chores faithfully and with a good attitude is one of the primary ways children obey their parents. Parents can remind their children that 2 Thessalonians 3:10 teaches that people who don’t work shouldn’t eat. Are parents going to starve their children? No, but rare is the child who wouldn’t benefit from the lesson that missing a meal teaches. How many children would work more diligently if they were told the meal wouldn’t be served until all the work is done? When Young People Set an Example That Should Be Looked Down On Unfortunately, society makes children think they aren’t adults until they’re twenty-one, but they can behave maturely years earlier. Paul said, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11). According to this verse, becoming an adult has more to do with putting away childish things than it has to do with age. Some children are mature because of the childish things they’ve put away. Conversely, some older people are immature because of the childish things they haven’t put away. According to a 2017 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, 57 percent of today’s children will be obese by the time they’re thirty-five. The Centers for Disease Control found that obesity puts children at risk for many chronic health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, joint pain, and sleep disorders. That same year, Harvard Health Medical School recommended children be active for at least one hour per day because, along with genetics and diet, the other major factor contributing to health problems is physical inactivity. Long periods of time in front of screens are the most common culprit. A 1995 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that children are 21.5 percent more likely to be overweight if they watch four hours of television per day.85 This bar of one hour of activity per day is so low I’m surprised it must be set. While the activity could be walking, playing outside, or riding a bike, chores and work have the added benefits of teaching responsibility and building character. When children grow up without learning to work, they become entitled teenagers and young adults. They expect everything to be don

David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband, Uriah, in 2 Samuel 11. We wouldn’t know it from that chapter, but David was paying an excruciating price while he wouldn’t confess. He wrote, “When I kept silent about my sin,” and then described the consequences he experienced in Psalm 32:3-5. Table of contentsOutline for Psalm 32:1-5Psalm 32:3-4 Describes David's Misery When He Kept Silent About His SinSin Is a Heavy BurdenIf We Keep Silent About Sin, It Can Physically Affect UsIf We Keep Silent About Sin, It Can Bring God’s DisciplineDavid's ConfessionA Confession Can Bring ReliefIf We Keep Silent About Our Sin, We Fail to Prosper or Obtain MercyA Confession Can Be Short If It Is SincereSincere Confessions Can Bring Habitual Sins to an EndNathan's Response to David's Confession https://youtu.be/NmTSVy4EhL0 David wrote, “When I kept silent about my sin,” and then in Psalm 32:3-5 described the consequences he experienced when he wouldn’t confess. I want to tell you about one of the most difficult students I had as an elementary school teacher, who also became one of my favorites. His father was in jail. I still remember reading a letter he wrote him encouraging him to be strong because he knew prison must be really difficult. Imagine a son writing that to a father! I don’t think his mother was in the picture. His aunt, who also had her children to care for, raised him. I don’t think she was married, so she had to work full-time to care for herself and the children, which didn’t leave much time for him. Even though he behaved poorly, regularly disrupting class and getting in trouble, I would have had him in class every year if I could have. So, what gave me so much affection for him besides his difficult background, which made me want to see him succeed? He never argued, made excuses, lied, or blamed others when he got in trouble. He made foolish decisions but admitted what he did wrong whenever I confronted him. I found this to be very refreshing because the first two words out of most students’ mouths when they were in trouble were the word “But” followed by the name of the student they wanted to blame: “But Brian hit me first,” or “But Jessica was talking to me when I was trying to work.” The humility to accept responsibility is endearing and impressive. I have often wondered how King David could be the Man after God’s Own Heart after committing adultery with Bathsheba and then trying to hide his sin by murdering her husband, Uriah. David’s actions were so wicked that we would doubt the salvation of anyone else who did the same. I’m convinced that at least part of the reason God spoke so highly of David was his humility in accepting responsibility for his actions. Outline for Psalm 32:1-5 In Psalm 32, which David wrote after confessing, he did two fascinating things: In Psalm 32:1-2 David wrote about the blessedness for those whose sins God covers. In Psalm 32:3-5 David wrote about the misery he experienced when he kept silent about his sin. Psalm 32:3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah When David said, “When I kept silent,” he criticized himself. He meant: “When I wouldn’t confess my sin.” “When I pretended to be deaf to the Holy Spirit’s conviction.” “When I was stubborn, proud, and rebellious.” If Cain, Absalom, or Ahab had written these words, we wouldn’t wonder what they were thinking because we expect men like them to keep silent about their sins. But David wrote these words, and he was the Man after God’s Own Heart. So, we can wonder what a deeply spiritual and godly man could have been thinking when he kept silent about his sin. I have wondered this many times. Some of you might remember that the first books I chose to preach through when I came to WCC were 1 and 2 Samuel. I don’t think it would be too much to say that second only to Jesus, I have spent more time thinking about and studying David than anyone else in Scripture. I have come to believe that David likely hoped the conviction and shame would go away with time. If that wasn’t the case, then why wouldn’t he confess? But conviction is a painful feeling that doesn’t disappear, at least for believers. Romans 1 describes reprobates who have been given over to their sin, and their conviction goes away. Ephesians 4:19 describes people “who, BEING PAST FEELING, have given themselves over to sin.” Their conviction has gone away. 1 Timothy 4:2 describes “liars whose CONSCIENCES ARE SEARED.” Their conviction has also gone away. But these are unbelievers. For believers, conviction doesn’t disappear. The struggle gets worse with each passing day. Sometimes, getting caught can be a relief. We want our sin brought to light, so we are forced to deal with it. We don’t want to be able to hide any longer or keep living a double life because it is exhausting and painful. Ps

God took away Adam and Eve’s fig leaves and clothed them himself. He stopped them from covering themselves, and he covered them. This is a physical picture of a spiritual reality. God doesn’t want us to cover our sins. He wants to cover our sins for us. In Psalm 32:1 David wrote, "Blessed are those whose sins are covered." We can't cover our sins. When we try, we fail. We still see our sin. It is always before us. But when we confess our sin, and God covers it, it is hidden from sight, never to be seen again. Table of contentsOur Flesh Tempts Us to Cover Our SinsCovering Their Nakedness Pictures Them Covering Their ShameThe Word Atone Means "To Cover"God Wants to Cover Our SinsGod Wants to Forgive our TransgressionsGod Doesn’t Want to Count Our Iniquity Against UsGod Doesn’t Want Us Living DeceitfullyWe Can't Cover Our Sins https://youtu.be/dW0Uplz5hPs "Blessed are those whose sins are covered" (Psalm 32:1). We can't cover our sins, but when we confess them and repent God covers them for us. Last Wednesday, January 10th, Charis and Chloe baked cookies, walked around our neighborhood and quickly sold out. Two days later, they wanted to bake and sell more cookies on Friday morning. I knew the big storm was coming, but I told them I would take them around a different neighborhood to support their entrepreneurial efforts. When we were leaving the house, George wanted to go too. I brought him even though he wasn’t dressed warmly, and it should have occurred to me that he didn’t know how cold it was or what we were doing. As a two-year-old, he saw people leaving the house and didn’t want to miss out. Plus, I thought he might help us sell cookies. Ignore the fact that it was about 20 degrees outside, and he wasn't dressed very warmly. Things were going well until, actually, things were never going well. It was freezing. People didn’t seem interested in buying cookies. Charis and Chloe were walking down different sides of the street, and they wanted me to stay out of sight. I think everyone who opened the door thought, “What is this little girl doing outside my door all by herself, selling cookies with a National Weather Service warning? Where are her parents? Is that why she’s selling cookies? Is it because her parents don’t care for her, and she needs the money? And is that a little boy with her?” At one point, a man came out of his house to tell Chloe to bring George home. I quickly ran up to explain the situation. I said, “Well, you see, my girls sold out of cookies the other day, and I told them that if they baked more, I would take them out again. I thought I should keep my word even if the weather is bad. I brought my son along so that Katie could have a break from him because he’s very busy, and we have nine other kids. Yes, I did say nine, so that makes ten total.” Believe it or not, my story didn’t convince him that I wasn't being a foolish father. And did you know cold weather is hard on car batteries? That was another fun part of the night. I couldn't get the car started when we tried to leave. Fortunately, I had my portable battery charger. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get it to work. Katie called to see where we were because she knew we were only a neighborhood over, and it shouldn’t take long to sell eight boxes of cookies. I told her what happened, and she asked, “Do you want me to pick you up in the bus?” This was code for, “I hate my kids being outside when it’s freezing, so let me come pick you up.” I said, “Well, they aren’t outside. They are inside the car.” Unsurprisingly, that didn’t make her feel better because she knew the heat wasn’t on. After all, the battery was dead. Nothing really gets by Katie. She said, “Just let me come pick you up.” I said, “I bought a car battery charger, and now I can learn how to use it.” This also didn’t make Katie feel better because she knows I’m not the handiest with this sort of stuff. After trying for 5, 10, or 47 minutes, I still couldn’t start the car. Katie called again to see how things were going, which really means Katie called again to see if she could pick us up. I reassured her that I was going to get the battery charged. But that didn’t really reassure her. Do you remember that guy who came out of his house to tell us to bring George home? It turns out he’s a very nice guy. He came out to see if we needed help. I said, “No, I’ve got it. You sound like my wife.” Just kidding. I told him that I couldn’t get the battery charged. He told me he didn’t trust those chargers, which made me feel better because I didn’t think it was owner error. But it probably was. He pulled his truck up next to us to jump the battery, and his fiancée came out with blankets and invited the kids into his truck, which was nice and warm. She also gave the kids hot chocolate and, I think, some microwave popcorn, which, of course, made me appreciate them even more. Our Flesh Tempts Us to Cover Our Sins I share this story

Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22 at the end of the parable of the vineyard owner: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." In a few days, the religious leaders arrest Jesus and murder him. They look victorious, and he looks defeated, but this verse lets everyone know he will be victorious, and they will be defeated. Even though they rejected Jesus, God the Father chose to exalt him. https://youtu.be/BxNl1tYVTUo "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone" (Psalm 118:22) This is about Jesus' victory even though he was crucified. Table of contentsGod Stopped Focusing on Israel and Focused on GentilesGod Gave His Vineyard to Tenants Who Produce FruitActs Shows the Transition from Jews to GentilesJews Were Losing an Inheritance Versus Gaining OneThe Stone Represents the Son, and the Builders Represent the TenantsNot Just Any Stone or Rock, but the CornerstonePsalm 118:22 Is About Jesus' Victory and the Religious Leaders' DefeatFall on Christ’s Mercy, or He Falls on You in JudgmentJesus' Warning Is Loving Not long after Katie and I moved to Washington, my parents followed us. They found what seemed like the perfect house. It was beautiful, and the price was low. I wondered how this house could have stayed on the market for so long. I came to find out there was a crack in the foundation. The house was so unstable no bank would back a loan. On one hand, I thought It was sad that such a beautiful house seemed to lose everything because of a poor foundation! On the other hand, I thought, How valuable is a house with a poor foundation? Buildings are not the only things that need strong foundations: marriages, families, and nations do, too. When the nation of Israel rejected Jesus as their foundation or cornerstone, they also lost their value. Let’s briefly review what we have covered so far: Luke 20:9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. From Isaiah 5, we know the vineyard owner represents God, and the vineyard represents Israel. Luke 20:10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. The servants the vineyard owner sent represent the Old Testament prophets, whom Israel repeatedly rejected and mistreated. Much of the parable would seem absurd to Jesus’ listeners. It was hard to believe the tenants would respond this way. The worst tenants would do is refuse to provide the expected fruit, not beat the servants, and send them back empty-handed. It was hard to believe the owner would respond this way. No owner would keep sending mistreated servants without getting upset at the tenants. It reveals God’s long-suffering nature. Luke 20:13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ With this verse, the owner reaches the height of absurdity. No reasonable father would send his son to check on tenants who severely beat the servants sent to them. Sending a son would be the LAST thing a father would do. How do the tenants respond to this incredible demonstration of love, patience, and compassion? Would they go so far as to beat the vineyard owner’s son, too? They do even worse than that: Luke 20:14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? The tenants’ wickedness reached an all-time high with this decision. They didn’t even talk about murdering the servants, but they murdered the beloved son. They represent the religious leaders who want to murder Jesus. Luke 20:16a He will come and destroy those tenants I want to break up this verse into three parts. We covered this part last week. God is longsuffering, but his longsuffering ends when his Son is rejected. God Stopped Focusing on Israel and Focused on Gentiles Luke 20:16b and give the vineyard to others.” Because the vineyard represents Israel, how do we interpret the vineyard being given to others? Although God did give the nation of Israel over to other nations to punish them, such as when Assyria conquered the northern kingdom and Babylon conquered the southern kingdom, that’s not what’s in view in this verse. Instead, it is better to understand God takes his attention off Israel and puts it on the Gentiles. Turn one chapter to the right and look at Luke 21:21-24. Your Bibles probably have a title for this section, such as “The Destruction of Jerusalem” or “Jesus Foretells the Destruction of Jerusalem.” We know this is re

The Parable of the Vineyard Owner and the Wicked Husbandmen is in Matthew 21: 33-46, Mark 12:1-12, and Luke 20:9-18. As the owner continued to send servant after servant after servant (the way God sent prophet after prophet after prophet), it says much about the tenants and how stiff-necked and rebellious they were. But it says even more about the vineyard owner (God) who kept sending them because of how longsuffering he is. Table of contentsGod Pursues PeopleGod's Pursuit in the Parable of the Vineyard Owner and the Wicked HusbandmenThe Wicked Husbandmen Represent the Religious LeadersThe Servants Represent Old Testament ProphetsGod's Longsuffering in the Parable of the Vineyard Owner and the Wicked HusbandmenWhy Did Jesus Preach Something So Absurd?Two Shocking Points About the Owner's ResponseThe Vineyard Owner's Son Represents JesusWhat Could the Wicked Husbandmen Have Been Thinking?God’s Longsuffering Comes to an End https://youtu.be/jhI1_Q45-5k The parable of the vineyard owner and the wicked husbandmen is in Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12, and 20:9-18. Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, Nate Saint, and Pete Fleming were the missionaries who tried to preach the gospel to the incredibly violent Auca Indians in Ecuador. It was well-known that the Aucas had killed many people around them, including the workers at a nearby oil company drilling site. The oil company closed their site because people were afraid to work there. Jim Elliot and the other missionaries wanted to show the Aucas they were friendly. Nate Saint, their pilot, devised a way to lower a bucket filled with supplies to the Indians on the ground while they flew overhead. They thought this would win the Aucas’ trust while keeping the missionaries safe. They began dropping gifts to the Aucas while using an amplifier to speak friendly Auca phrases. After months, the Aucas put a gift in the bucket that the missionaries could bring to their plane. Jim and the other missionaries felt the time had come to meet the Aucas face-to-face. The five missionaries built a base a short distance from the village. After four days, an Auca man and two women appeared. The missionaries shared a meal with them, and Nate took the man up for a flight in the plane. Later, two Auca women walked out of the jungle. Tragically, as the missionaries approached these women, a group of Auca warriors killed all five heroic men on January 8th, 1956. Although, this wasn’t the end of the story. In less than two years, Jim Elliot’s wife, Elisabeth Elliot, their daughter, Valerie, and Nate Saint’s sister, Rachel, moved to the Auca village and continued trying to reach the Aucas. Many of them became Christians. They are now a friendly tribe with some missionaries, including Nate Saint's son and his family, continuing to live among them. God pursued the Aucas using Jim Elliot, the four missionaries with him, and some of their family members. God Pursues People While God might not pursue everyone as dramatically as he did the Aucas, he has pursued man since the fall. Isaiah 59:2 Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God. Because we are the ones who sinned and separated ourselves from God, I would think we would then have to be the ones to pursue God. But instead, God pursues us. We see this beginning at the fall, right after Adam and Eve ate from the tree: Genesis 3:8 They heard the sound of the Lord God [and] hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” God has continued pursuing man with the gospel throughout all human history. Think of some of the common metaphors we use for the gospel to communicate God’s pursuit. We say the gospel is a call to salvation: 2 Thessalonians 2:14 HE CALLED YOU THROUGH OUR GOSPEL, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. He calls us to be part of his kingdom: 1 Thessalonians 2:12 Walk in a manner worthy of God, who CALLS YOU INTO HIS OWN KINGDOM AND GLORY. A common illustration of God pursuing us is an invitation to a wedding. Think of the Parable of the Wedding Feast: Matthew 22:1 Jesus [said] 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent…servants to CALL THOSE WHO WERE INVITED TO THE WEDDING FEAST, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent…servants, saying, ‘TELL THOSE WHO ARE INVITED…9 Go…to the main roads and INVITE TO THE WEDDING FEAST AS MANY AS YOU FIND.’ In Luke 15, in the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, the shepherd who pursues the lost sheep and the woman who pursues the lost coin represent God pursuing lost sinners. Think of the way, or ways, God pursued you: Maybe it was through a friendly neighbor. Maybe it was through a gospel tract. Maybe it was through a coworker. In my case, it was fellow teachers. Maybe it was through the Christian family God graciously placed you in, and as a result, you’ve heard

The owner comes looking for fruit in the Song of the Vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7. He didn't send servants too early when the tenants were not ready. God is not expecting us to produce fruit that we are not ready to produce yet. But because of all God has done for his vineyard, whether Israel in the Old Testament or the church in the New Testament, he still expects fruit. Table of contentsDon't Take God’s Grace for GrantedGod's Grace in My LifeWe Should Examine Our FruitGod Only Needs to Remove His Protection to Discipline UsGod Removed Job's Hedge of ProtectionIsrael's DesolationJesus Expanded on The Song of the VineyardGod Expects Fruit in the Song of the Vineyard and Our LivesThe Right Motivation to Produce Fruit https://youtu.be/RyO3zw6Y2Ms The owner comes looking for fruit in the Song of the Vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7. He didn't send servants early when the tenants were not ready. My dad was always a big fan of working outside. To give you an idea of how much he liked it, I once asked him what he thought would be his favorite job, and he said – and I’m not kidding – “Working on a railroad in the hot sun.” Yes, he said the words, “In the hot sun.” And he didn’t mean inspecting railroad cars. He meant laying down ties to build the track. As a kid, I couldn’t imagine many things that sounded more unpleasant, and I feel pretty much the same as an adult. I thought this was what they made inmates do in prison for punishment. Because Dad liked working outside so much, it seemed like he was always finding things for us around the house, even if I didn’t think they needed to be done. If I was home on the weekend or during the summer, I had to work outside with Dad. I tried to get a job as soon as possible for two reasons. First, so I could be inside with air-conditioning. Second, so I could get paid. One thing Dad loved was having a garden. I remember many hours in the backyard on our hands and knees, removing rocks and picking weeds. Dad would come into the house with vegetables he grew and ask us to try them. He was proud that he thought they tasted better than anything we could find at the supermarket. It didn’t matter to me how good they tasted. I didn’t think they were worth the effort. I couldn’t understand all that hard work for something we could buy at the store for a few dollars. But I think that misses the main reason my dad, and probably others, have a garden: the satisfaction from watching things grow. But what if you planted a garden and it didn’t grow? What if it never produced anything? Worse, what if it produced what it wasn’t supposed to produce? That would be very frustrating, but this is what happened to God. He had a vineyard that produced the wrong kind of fruit, and it is described in the Song of the Vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7: Isaiah 5:1 Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2a He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; Isaiah speaks in the first person and refers to God as “My beloved.” Notice the wonderful advantages the vineyard enjoyed: It belonged to a loving person: my beloved. It was planted in a great place: a very fruitful hill. The ground was carefully prepared: dug and cleared it of stones. Good plants were used to get it started: choice vines. It was protected: a watchtower [was] in the midst of it. Provision was made for the fruit to be processed: a wine vat [was] in it. My dad would’ve been proud! 1 Corinthians 10:11 These things [in the Old Testament] happened to [Israel] as an example [for us, and], they were written down for our instruction. So, this account with Israel is an example for us. It’s not a question of whether we should learn from it. It’s a question of what we should learn from it. And there’s much we should learn from it! Don't Take God’s Grace for Granted I was challenged by this passage because God showed great care and concern for his vineyard or Israel, and he has shown great care and concern for me. The vineyard enjoyed many wonderful advantages, and I have enjoyed many wonderful advantages. Because of all this, if the vineyard did not produce good fruit, it reflects the vineyard and not the ground, the owner, or the work that went into it. Similarly, if I do not produce good fruit, it is a reflection of me and not – let’s say – the ground, the owner, or the work that God has done in my life. F.B. Meyer wrote, “It will be seen then…that every soul of man had the chance of becoming a fruitful vineyard; and if it became the reverse, it was due to no failure in either the wisdom or grace of God.” I was conversing with Rick DeVos, and he shared something that stuck with me and caused me to appreciate God’s grace in my life even more. He was reflecting on his salvation and how blessed he was to be born where and when he was: in the United States, where the

John the Baptist told people to “Prepare the way of the Lord.” There’s no record of Jesus walking around saying, “Man, these roads are terrible. Why didn’t anyone fix things up for me?” The preparation he wanted was spiritual instead of physical. Jesus didn’t care about having better roads to walk on, but he did care about people having better hearts to receive him. Table of contentsThe Old Testament Prophesied a King Was ComingWhen Kings CameIs This What Jesus Really Wanted?Jesus Wants Heart Construction Versus Road ConstructionPrepare the Way of the Lord by RepentingPrepare the Way of the Lord By Providing a Straight PathPrepare the Way of the Lord By Being JoyfulPreach to Your SoulThe Joy of ChristmasPrepare the Way of the Lord By Being HumblePrepare the Way of the Lord By Acting JustlyPrepare the Way of the Lord By Smoothing Out Rough EdgesSeeing Jesus Is Seeing "the Salvation of God"Jesus' Robe, Crown, Scepter, and Servants https://youtu.be/lCn8cZopKZI John the Baptist told people to “Prepare the way of the Lord.” Jesus wanted people to prepare for him spiritually versus physically. On November 30th, Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida and presidential candidate, debated Gavin Newsom, governor of California. Governor DeSantis criticized how Governor Newsom prepared San Francisco for China’s president, Xi Jinping’s, visit. Governor DeSantis held up a map of San Francisco that showed areas Governor Newsom wanted cleaned up. Because it is so disgusting, I won’t tell you what Governor Newsom wanted cleaned up from the streets of San Francisco, but I will read part of what Governor DeSantis said: “When a communist dictator [came] to town. Then [Governor Newsom] cleaned up the streets. [He] lined the streets with Chinese flags. [He] didn’t put American flags there. [He] cleaned everything up. So, [he’s] willing to do it for a communist dictator, but [he’s] not willing to do it for [his] own people.” Governor DeSantis was upset Governor Newsom prepared San Francisco for a Chinese president, but not for the American people. I mention this because it is a present-day example of the practice described in this morning’s verses: preparing for the arrival of an important or powerful person. In our day, we do it for presidents, and in the ancient world, they did it for kings. The Old Testament Prophesied a King Was Coming When Jacob was blessing his twelve sons, he said to Judah: Genesis 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. In ancient times, scepters represented a ruler or king’s power. This is a prophecy a king would come from the tribe of Judah. Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy, which is why he’s called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. We learn more in David’s day when God made a covenant with him about his son: 2 Samuel 7:13 I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son…16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” Jesus fulfills this prophecy, so he’s also called the Son of David. Listen to the way the angel Gabriel described Jesus’ birth to Mary: Luke 1:32b The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Gabriel told Mary that Jesus’ birth was the coming of the prophesied King. When Kings Came The Old Testament also prophesied what people were supposed to do when that King came: Isaiah 40:3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.” This describes what happened in the ancient world when kings came. They sent messengers, or forerunners, ahead to announce their coming. The people would begin preparations. They would get busy picking up trash and cleaning up the town until it was good as new…or at least as good as a town could be in the ancient world. The people also prepared the roads to the town so the king would be comfortable while he was being carried in his coach. People would fill in potholes, smooth out rough spots, flatten hills, fill in valleys, and straighten out curves. When the king arrived, messengers ran ahead shouting, “The king is coming! The king is coming!” Banners waved, and people lined the streets cheering as the king made his grand entrance. Is This What Jesus Really Wanted? Now, let’s be honest about something that might bother you. I’m talking about kings being spoiled and coddled. All these poor people are already working hard to stay alive. The ancient world was a tough place to live. Now, they are using resources and spending time to pamper a king…who is already pampered. So, yo

Jesus' authority was questioned by the elders, chief priests, and scribes in Matthew 21:23-27, Mark 11:27-33, and Luke 20:1-8. The religious leaders “were afraid of the people” (Mark 11:32). They wouldn’t obey Jesus, but they would obey man because we obey what we fear. Table of contentsThe Chief Priests, Scribes, and Elders Questioned Jesus' AuthorityThe Chief PriestsThe ScribesThe EldersThe Religious Leaders Tried to Trap Jesus, but He Trapped ThemThe Religious Leaders Played DumbJesus Would not "Give What Is Holy to the Dogs"We Obey What We FearSaul Disobeyed Because He Feared the PeopleLove and Fear Produce ObedienceAbraham Obeyed Because He Feared GodThe Hebrew Midwives Obeyed Because They Feared GodIsrael's Fear Would Produce ObedienceLack of Fear Produces Disobedience https://youtu.be/qKES6njGGJc Jesus' authority was questioned by the elders, chief priests, and scribes in Matthew 21:23-27, Mark 11:27-33, and Luke 20:1-8. Henry Kissinger served as secretary of state and national security advisor during Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford’s presidencies. He wrote about the seven people he believed to be the most powerful in history: Number 7: The American President since 1945 because of the nuclear weapons at his disposal Number 6: President Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) Number 5: Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) the Emperor of the French Empire Number 4: Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) the leader of the Indian Independence Movement Number 3: Peter the Great (1672-1725) the czar of the Russian Empire Number 2: Qin Shi Huang (259 B.C.-210 B.C.) the emperor of Unified China Number 1: Julius Caesar (100 B.C.-44 B.C.) the Emperor of the Roman Empire It’s a good thing nobody asked me who I thought the seven most powerful men in history were for two reasons. First, I don’t think I would have guessed many of the names on the list. Second, the Person I would have said is number one didn’t even make the list, and that’s Jesus. He said: Matthew 28:18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Nobody has ever had more authority than Jesus because he has all authority. But you wouldn’t know that from the gospels. The religious leaders didn’t even think Jesus had the authority to cleanse the temple. The context for this account is important. The triumphal entry is in verses 28 through 40. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem in verses 41 through 44. This was on Sunday, also known as Palm Sunday, and it began the last week of Jesus’ earthly life leading up to his crucifixion. Then, in verses 45 and 46, which was probably Monday, Jesus cleansed the temple. This went over terribly with the religious leaders. Not only did it make them look bad, it also cost them lots of money. If that wasn’t enough, Jesus followed this up by calling them robbers and thieves: Luke 19:47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words. They want to murder Jesus, but they can’t. This shows why they questioned Jesus' authority: they couldn’t directly get rid of Jesus because of his popularity, so they try to indirectly by trapping him. After Jesus cleansed the temple, even though the religious leaders were trying to murder him, he decided to stay in the temple teaching during the week leading up to the crucifixion. In our sermon on these verses, I said it was like Jesus set up his headquarters in the middle of enemy territory. Think about what it looked like when Jesus cleansed the temple. He bursts in, and we know by looking in all three synoptic Gospels he drove out everyone who was selling and buying, and overturned the tables of the money changers and knocked over the chairs of those selling pigeons. Mark 11:16 says he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple, which makes it seem like he interrupted everything that was happening. He rebukes them for being thieves. After all that, he’s bold enough to set up shop in the middle the temple and teach everyone. If you were watching this, what might you say? “This Man must have an incredible amount of authority to be able to do this!” But if you hated Jesus, what might you say? “Who does this guy think he is? Where does he get the authority to do this?” Which is exactly what the religious leaders asked: Luke 20:1 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” More than likely this is Tuesday of the Passion Week. The Chief Priests, Scribes, and Elders Questioned Jesus' Authority Because each of these groups was part of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council, more than likely they met together to orchestrate this attack. They didn’t think Jesus had the authority t

The blood of the lamb of God saves us. Jesus’ life was important. He had to be unblemished to serve as our Passover Lamb. But if Jesus had stayed alive, he wouldn’t have helped us anymore than any Passover lambs would’ve helped anyone if they weren’t sacrificed. Table of contentsThree Things That Could not Deliver Israel from EgyptFirst, Moses Could not Deliver IsraelSecond, the First Nine Plagues Could not Deliver IsraelThird, the Passover Lamb Could not Deliver IsraelThe Blood of the Lamb Provided Immediate DeliveranceLooking Forward to ChristThe Lamb's Death Is More Important than Its LifeThe Blood of the Lamb's ImportanceThe Blood of the Lamb ProtectedThe Blood of the Lamb Was not to Be Trampled OnThe Blood of the Lamb Must Be Personally AppliedThe Lamb's Sacrifice Becomes PersonalEveryone Needs the Blood of the LambGod Was Willing to Do What He Wanted to Spare People From Suffering https://youtu.be/yErE5hFzuFA Charles Spurgeon said, “Morality may keep you out of jail, but it takes the blood of Jesus Christ to keep you out of hell.” Billy Graham said, “Be assured that there is no sin you have ever committed that the blood of Jesus Christ cannot cleanse.” Charles Spurgeon and Billy Graham had high views of Jesus’ blood. By the end of this post, you too, will have a high view of Jesus’ blood, and if you already have a high view of it, you will have an even higher view. Three Things That Could not Deliver Israel from Egypt I want to begin by sharing three things that could not deliver the Israelites from Egypt. Then, I will share the one thing that did deliver them. First, Moses Could not Deliver Israel We say that Moses delivered Israel – and God used him to do that – but if you’re familiar with Moses’s attempts, you know how poorly they went. Exodus 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”...6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.” Not only was Moses unable to deliver Israel, but he actually made their bondage worse. How did the Israelites respond? They weren’t happy with Moses at this point, as you might expect: Exodus 5:20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” The people were like, “Some deliverer you are. I hope God punishes you for what you’ve done.” Second, the First Nine Plagues Could not Deliver Israel What did the first nine plagues accomplish for the Israelites? Were the Israelites any less slaves after the plagues were unleashed than they were before? Were they in any less bondage? Had their oppression been improved whatsoever? Even though these were the most dramatic plagues the world has ever known, they didn’t change anything for the Israelites. Third, the Passover Lamb Could not Deliver Israel Exodus 12:3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household. The Israelites got a lamb for Passover on the 10th day of the month of Nisan. We could argue that this is when Passover began. They had their lambs from the 10th day to the 14th day, and at any time during those days, were they delivered? No. So, when exactly was Israel delivered? Or I should say, what exactly delivered Israel? Exodus 12:6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. 7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. The word blood introduces one of the themes of the passage. It occurs six times. The Blood of the Lamb Provided Immediate Deliverance Exodus 12:13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL PASS OVER YOU, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.Exodus 12:23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he SEES THE BLOOD ON THE LINTEL AND ON THE TWO DOORPOSTS, THE LORD WILL PASS OVER the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. Not to sound overly simple, but twice, we are told that God had to SEE the blood. It was not enough to see the lamb itself. When God saw the blo

According to Exodus 12:1-6, families were to get a lamb on the tenth day of the month of Nisan, examine it, and sacrifice it on the fourteenth. The five days between the tenth and fourteenth look forward to the days between the triumphal entry and crucifixion when Christ, our Passover Lamb, was examined. https://youtu.be/3SbLjawBeKU The days between Nisan 10th and 14th (Exodus 12:1-6) look forward to the days when Christ, our Passover Lamb, was examined in Jerusalem. Table of contentsJesus Is Our Passover LambWholehearted Service to GodLooking to Christ in JerusalemChrist Our Passover Lamb Was Examined Before Being SacrificedJesus' Six TrialsChrist Our Passover Lamb Was Without BlemishChrist Our Passover Lamb Passed God the Father’s Examination During ROTC, after we fired live rounds, we had to clean our M-16s and then have them examined before they could be turned back in. My freshman year was the first time I went through this tedious process. I would guess I cleaned my gun for about 30 or 45 minutes, and then stood up to go have it examined. The cadet I was sitting across from was a junior who had done this numerous times, and he said, “What are you doing?” I responded, “I’m going to have my gun examined to see if it’s clean enough to turn in.” He said, “Don’t bother. There’s no way your gun is clean enough yet. Nobody gets to turn their gun in until they have been cleaning for at least three hours.” I can’t remember if I brought my gun up at that moment or not, but I do remember that when I did bring it up, it was rejected numerous times before finally being accepted. Sure enough, it took about three hours, which seemed average for almost everyone. So, I was only off by about two hours and 15 minutes. The cadre examining the M-16s would search every spot. They sent you back to continue cleaning if they could pull out their finger or a cotton swab with the tiniest black speck on it. I had never seen anything in my life examined like those guns, until I studied this week. I think Jesus faced greater examination than those M-16s did. During the last five days of his earthly life there seemed to be no part of his life they didn’t inspect. I assume many of you already know this, but it's worth mentioning even if a few of you don’t. We use the title “Last Supper” so often we can almost forget that the Last Supper was when Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples. Then after the meal Jesus went out to be crucified. So, Jesus celebrated Passover, and then became our Passover Lamb. Jesus Is Our Passover Lamb 1 Corinthians 5:7 Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Every Passover lamb that was ever sacrificed – and there were millions of them – were shadows and types of Christ. Or another way to say it is, every Passover, beginning with the first one back in Exodus, looked forward to, or prefigured, Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. Because Passover – like so much else in the Old Testament – looks forward to Christ, let me be clear about what is happening in this chapter: Egypt is a picture or type of the world. When the Israelites, God’s people, were delivered from Egypt, it looked forward to us, God’s people, being delivered from the world. When the Israelites were delivered from their bondage to the Egyptians, it looked forward to us being delivered from our bondage to sin and death. When the Passover lamb was sacrificed and its blood covered the door so the firstborn sons would not experience physical death, it looked forward to Christ, our Passover Lamb being sacrificed and his blood covering our sin so we would not experience eternal death. Consider these verses: Colossians 2:17 These [things in the Old Testament – including Passover] are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Hebrews 10:1 [The Old Testament is] a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities. Passover was a shadow of the good things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. He is the true form of these realities. And here’s why it’s so important to see Jesus in the Passover: If we read every passage in the Old Testament related to Passover, if we memorize every detail that’s recorded, but we fail to see Christ, then we have made the same mistake the religious leaders made in Jesus’s day, which Jesus condemned them for: John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. The religious leaders thought they would obtain eternal life simply by learning the Scriptures. But Jesus said they were missing eternal life because they didn’t see Jesus in the Scriptures they were learning! Eternal life doesn’t come from knowing Scripture: eternal life comes from knowing the Christ of the Scriptures! Let’s keep this in mind as we look at these verses in Exodus 12 so we can see Jesus in them. Exodus 12:1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be fo

The second instance of Jesus cleansing the temple of corruption is in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew 21:12-16, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-48). The first instance is only in John 2:12-25 right after the wedding at Cana when Jesus’ ministry began. The first thing Jesus did after his ministry began was cleanse the temple, and the first thing he did after making his triumphal entry into Jerusalem was cleanse the temple. These two cleansings serve as bookends on Jesus’ three-year ministry and reveal his heart for "pure and undefiled religion" (James 1:27). https://youtu.be/IRhPakgaiLY Jesus cleanses the temple of corruption in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew 21:12-16, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-48). Table of contentsJesus Cleansed the Temple Because Jews Were Ripping Off GentilesMisusing the Temple CourtyardThe MoneychangersThe Animal VendorsForbidden in the LawFalse Teachers Rip Off People TodayOld Testament Verses Were Quoted Because of Their Context"My House Shall Be A House Of Prayer" (Isaiah 56:7)"You Have Made It A Den Of Robbers” (Jeremiah 7:11)Jesus Cleansed the Temple Because He Cared More About Religious Corruption Than Roman OppressionJesus Cleansed the Temple and Then Remained in the Heart of Enemy TerritoryWas Jesus Really in More Danger When He Remained in the Temple?God the Father Was Always in Control During one summer in Army ROTC, I attended air assault school at Fort Drum in upstate New York. We had a weekend off, so we decided to travel across the border to Canada. We went to a restaurant, and after we ate, we told the cashier that we only had US dollars. We didn’t know the conversion rate between US and Canadian dollars, so we simply had to trust the cashier when he told us how much our meal cost. The one thing I did know was that I had never paid that much for a meal before. But we were in no position to argue because we had no familiarity with the exchange rate between Canadian and US dollars, and we didn’t have cell phones that let us say, “Okay Google.” Now I feel old. The cashier also pointed toward the cash in his register and said that he didn’t have any US money, so he would not be able to give us change. As we were walking out, I saw him lift the till containing the Canadian money. He put our US dollars underneath it…on top of what looked to me like quite a bit of US money. I said, “I thought you said you didn’t have any US dollars?” I don’t remember what he said in return, but it was obvious that he took advantage of us. This Canadian cashier ripping off his American neighbors reminded me of the Jewish vendors in the temple courtyard who were doing the same to their Gentile neighbors. At least until Jesus came along. Jesus Cleansed the Temple Because Jews Were Ripping Off Gentiles Luke 19:45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, This is the second instance of Jesus cleansing the temple. The first instance is only in John’s Gospel. It took place right after the wedding at Cana, which is to say, right after Jesus’ ministry began. So, it is interesting that: The first thing Jesus did after his ministry began was cleanse the temple. And the first thing he did after making his triumphal entry into Jerusalem was cleanse the temple. These two cleansings serve as bookends on Jesus’ three-year ministry. Why would Jesus cleanse the temple at the beginning and end of his ministry? It reveals his heart for pure and undefiled religion: James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James says that pure and undefiled religion does two things. It is loving. It does things such as visit orphans and widows. This is not an exhaustive list. James mentions these as examples to show what pure and undefiled religion looks like. It keeps itself unstained from the world, which is to say it produces holiness. When people claim to be religious, but their religion produces, or at least allows, unholiness, it is not pure and undefiled religion. When Jesus looked at the temple, he didn’t see pure and undefiled. He saw corrupt and unscrupulous religion. Instead of lovingly serving others, he saw a religion that manipulated and exploited others. Misusing the Temple Courtyard The different courts of the temple were: The outermost court was the court of the Gentiles. This is where the cleansing took place. Next was the women's court. Then there was the court of Israel, also known as the court of men. Finally, there was the court of priests which, as the name implies, only priests could enter. The court of the Gentiles, or the outermost court, was the only area of the temple that non-Jews could enter. We say Jesus cleansed the temple, but both times he wasn’t in the temple. He was outside in this courtyard. Because this area was accessible to Gentiles, it was intended as a place for evangelism and outreach. The Jews could witnes

Jesus weeps over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41-44. After the triumphal entry, in the midst of the shouting, worshiping, multitude, was a weeping King. Jesus saw the Jews' coming judgment for rejecting him in five days. Table of contentsThe Bible Contains Vivid Descriptions of Men CryingJeremiah’s Weeping Is a Type of Jesus’ WeepingWhy Did Jesus Weep Over Jerusalem?The Jews Rejected Peace When They Rejected the Prince of PeaceJesus Saw the Jews' Coming JudgmentHow Did Jesus Weep Over Jerusalem?Weep in Hell or Have Your Tears Wiped Away in Heaven https://youtu.be/KcgGSqCu7iI Jesus weeps over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41-44, because he saw the Jews' coming judgment for rejecting him in five days. We had our tenth child, Hudson Taylor LaPierre at the end of October. So far, he has been a great baby. But if he cried a lot, it wouldn’t surprise us because we expect babies and infants to cry. We understand God created men and women differently. Women tend to be more sensitive and emotional than men. Because of that, we are not surprised when women cry. But because we don’t expect men to cry, at least not as much as babies or women, there can be something dramatic, and even moving about men, especially grown men, crying. The Bible Contains Vivid Descriptions of Men Crying When David and his men were hiding from Saul, they returned to Ziklag where they were staying with their wives and children. They found Ziklag burned to the ground and their wives and children kidnapped: 1 Samuel 30:3 When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. This isn’t what we normally think of as weeping. Weeping doesn’t sap all your strength. David and his men wept, or probably more like sobbed or wailed, until they were completely exhausted. When you consider the type of men these were, I think their weeping looks even more dramatic. They were used to killing other men with swords or their own hands when they were close enough to look in their faces. These included David’s mighty men who had been hardened by war, hunger, thirst, fighting, and fear of death. But there’s no record of anything driving them to this point before. But now they weep like this because they know their wives and children were captured by some of the wickedest people in history: the Amalekites. If there was ever a group you would want to keep as far away from your family as possible, it was them. They were so evil that decades earlier God commanded Saul to exterminate them. But because he failed, they were able to attack David and his men’s families. Another example that stood out to me was when Esau realized he would receive no blessing, because he gave away his birthright: Genesis 27:34 As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!…38 Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. Esau was another man’s man. He was a hunter. He was hairy, even as a baby. You know you’re a man’s man when you’re hairy even as a baby. But when he learned that he would receive no blessing from his father, he wept loudly. It is sad picturing a grown man sobbing and begging his father to give him something. I also thought about Job’s friends because they wept, not for themselves, but for Job. When they heard the news about what happened, they went to visit him: Job 2:12 When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. These grown men wept loudly for their friend because his trials left him unrecognizable to them. Jeremiah’s Weeping Is a Type of Jesus’ Weeping Jeremiah has the unique distinction of being known for his weeping: Matthew 16:13 Jesus…asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Let’s briefly talk about each of these guesses, because they give us a unique insight into how people viewed Jesus during his earthly ministry. First, some people said he was John the Baptist. John 10:41 says John never performed a miracle. So, they didn’t think Jesus was John because Jesus and John performed miracles. They more than likely thought Jesus was John because of their similar preaching. They both preached repentance and truth regardless of how it was received and confronted the religious leaders. There are multiple reasons people could have guessed Elijah. Elijah and Jesus were both famous miracle workers. They were known for bold, uncompromising preaching. Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind without dying, which made it easier to believe he returned as J

The Jews misunderstood Old Testament prophecies of Jesus' Coming. The Old Testament compressed prophecies of Jesus' first and second coming, leading the Jews to believe all the prophecies would be fulfilled in one coming. Table of contentsThe Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus' Coming Were CompressedJohn the Baptist Questioned Whether Jesus was the Messiah, Because He Misunderstood Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus' ComingA 2,000 Year-Old CommaThe Jews Expected Old Testament Prophecies to be Fulfilled in One ComingThe Jews Wanted Salvation from Rome Versus Salvation from SinUnderstanding Jesus' Two ComingsFootnotes https://youtu.be/iKJpHR5GTgE The Jews misunderstood Old Testament prophecies of Jesus' Coming, because they believed they would be fulfilled in one coming. This past week I read about some of the greatest misunderstandings in history. I settled on the Treaty of Wuchale as the second greatest misunderstanding. On May 2, 1889, Ethiopia and Italy signed this treaty to promote friendship and trade, but the two countries wrote the treaty in their own language. One part, Article 17, was particularly problematic. The Ethiopian version stated that their Emperor could use the Italian embassy to conduct his foreign affairs if he wanted. But Italy understood the Ethiopian Emperor was committing to using the Italian embassy. This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it led Italy to believe Ethiopia had given up its independence and become a colony under Italy’s protection. Italy informed all the European governments that they could no longer conduct diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, and instead could only deal with Italy. Ethiopia did not like this, so they denounced the treaty. Italy attempted to enforce it, and when this failed, Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1895. Ethiopia ended up winning, safeguarding its independence. You heard that correctly: because of a misunderstanding over the wording of a treaty – that was supposed to promote friendship and trade – two nations went to war. I told you this is the second worst misunderstanding in human history. Of course, you want to know what’s first? The Treaty of Wuchale pales in comparison to the misunderstanding at Jesus’s triumphal entry. The people in attendance completely misunderstood what they were witnessing. I think the best way to understand this misunderstanding is by looking at the Old Testament to see how it happened. The Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus' Coming Were Compressed Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. Ephraim is another name for Israel because Ephraim was the largest tribe. Zechariah is prophesying of the Second Coming when Jesus defeats the nations that assemble against Israel: he cuts off the chariot, warhorse, and battle bow. Jesus’s rule stretches from the river, referring to the Euphrates, to the ends of the earth.91 He speaks peace to the nations, because with all the enemies destroyed peace is established. The order of prophetic events: Jesus returns, destroys enemies at the battle of Armageddon, and then sets up his kingdom on the earth. Many well-known verses describe this as a time of peace: Isaiah 2:4 They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Isaiah 11:6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. Zechariah 9:9 is about Jesus’s first coming, and Zechariah 9:10 is about Jesus’s Second Coming. The arrival of the Savior in verse 9 is immediately followed by a description of his reign in verse 10. There have been at least 2000 years between verses 9 and 10, but the Bible puts them back-to-back. This is known as “prophetic compression.” Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. So, talk about a compressed prophecy! Now we don’t even have verses back-to-back. In the same verse we just went from Jesus’s birth to Jesus ruling the nations. You don’t expect to see words like this about a child. A child can’t carry the government on hi

At the triumphal entry Jesus's "disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice" (Luke 19:37). The Pharisees said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples” (Luke 19:40). Jesus responded, "I tell you, if these were silent, even the rocks will cry out." This was the only time Jesus permitted a public demonstration on his behalf. On this day there would be no silencing the welcoming of the Son of David, Israel’s king. https://youtu.be/OXYG89Hzyuc Table of contentsEven the Rocks Will Cry Out, Because Jesus Was Following a Divine TimelineThere Was a Time to Be SilentThere Was a Time "Even Rocks Will Cry Out"There Was a Time to DieJesus Repeatedly Said, “My Hour Has Not Yet Come”Jesus Finally Said His Hour Had ComeThe Triumphal Entry Ensured Jesus Would Die on TimeGod Has a Course for Our Lives When I was in Army ROTC at Florida Tech, there was an ITT (individual tactical training) course. You’ve probably seen courses like this in movies that depict basic training, or if you’ve been in the military, you’ve probably been on courses like this multiple times. Unlike other obstacle courses, which teams typically go through together to build teamwork – think of soldiers helping each other over walls – ITT courses are performed individually. Hence, the word individual is used in the acronym. ITT courses include numerous obstacles that involve running, climbing, swinging, balancing, high crawling, low crawling, jumping, dropping, and sometimes swimming. You move from one obstacle to the next as quickly as possible with soldiers yelling that you are moving too slowly and need to pick it up…regardless of how fast you are going. The entire course is laid out for you. You don’t get to decide whether to go left or right. You can’t skip any obstacles or do them out of order. You move from one to the next in the order laid out for you. Even the Rocks Will Cry Out, Because Jesus Was Following a Divine Timeline A you read the gospels, you might notice that Jesus’ ministry seemed like this. He moved from one event (or obstacle) to the next in the order laid out for him by God the Father. Listen to Jesus describe his ministry this way: John 5:30 “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me." John 6:38 “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me." Matthew 26:39 “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus was describing the course that was before him. At least once he even described his earthly ministry as a course: Luke 13:32 “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.” Jesus didn’t get to decide whether to go left or right. He didn’t get to skip obstacles or do them out of order. He moved from one obstacle to the next. There Was a Time to Be Silent Let me show you some examples from Jesus’s life. In Mark 1:40-42 Jesus cleanses a leper. Then: Mark 1:43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. It is surprising that Jesus told this man not to tell anyone about the miracle. Why would he do that? One reason is it wasn’t time for the people to recognize Jesus was the Messiah. That might sound odd, but he was following the divine timeline set by His Father. Another reason is large amounts of publicity would hinder Jesus’s mission and divert public attention from his message to his miracles. He wanted to continue teaching ministry in an uninhibited way. He needed to be able to move around easily. If people knew about his miracles, he would be swarmed by so many people he would be unable to enter towns where he could preach. This is exactly what happened because this man disobeyed him. Unfortunately, the man did the exact opposite of what Jesus asked: he talked to everyone but the priests. You can see the problems it caused. Before Jesus cleansed the man he was able to minister in the town. But after the man told everyone, Jesus was forced “out in desolate places” where there were fewer people for him to reach. You could ask, why did Jesus perform miracles if it was going to hinder his ministry? First, because he loved people and he wanted to help them. But more importantly, they served as signs that he was the Messiah. Beginning at Mark 5:21 Jesus raises Jairus’s daughter from the dead. Then he said to feed her, but not tell anyone: Mark 5:43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. In Mark 7:31 Jesus healed the def man. Then: Mark 7:36 And Jesus charged t

Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem is one of the unique accounts that's found in all four gospels (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:28-40, and John 12:12-19). The account fulfills the prophecy in Zachariah 9:9 and reveals Jesus's Messiahship and Kingship. Table of contentsThe Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Fulfilled ProphecyA Surprising ProphecyA Full Understanding of the Triumphal EntryWhy Did Jesus Send the Disciples to Get the Donkey for Him?The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Reveals Jesus’s MessiahshipThe Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Reveals Jesus’s KingshipWhy a Donkey "On Which No One Has Ever Sat"?We Should Be Willing to Give Up Whatever the Lord NeedsThe Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Reveals Jesus’s OmniscienceJesus Came to Bring Peace Between God and ManFootnotes https://youtu.be/k5xubljPTVc Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem is found in all four gospels: Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:28-40, and John 12:12-19. George IV’s coronation as king of the United Kingdom took place at Westminster Abbey in London on July 19, 1821. George’s extravagant tastes and lifestyle greatly influence the ceremony. It ended up costing 238,000 pounds, which would be 21,000,000 pounds today, or converted to dollars, almost $26,000,000. You heard that correctly: King George IV’s coronation would cost almost $26,000,000 today. The money went toward renovations and furnishings for Westminster Abbey, costumes and uniforms, jewels and plate armor, and a coronation feast for all 4,656 guests. It proved to be the most lavish and expensive of any British monarch. It was over twenty times more expensive than the previous coronation. Unlike King George’s coronation, the coronation of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, involved no cost whatsoever. The coronation, like the rest of Jesus’s earthly life and ministry, was characterized by modesty: born in a manger in Bethlehem, parented by two poor people in Joseph and Mary, raised in Nazareth, and baptized in the Jordan. All of these speak of Jesus’s humility. There is nothing impressive about Bethlehem, Joseph, Mary, Nazareth, or the Jordan. The only reason we know about them is because they are associated with Jesus. But if I had to choose one earthly event that pictured Jesus’s humility better than others, second only to the cross, it would be the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The traditional calendar for events has this taking place on the Sunday before resurrection Sunday. In other words, this is five days before the crucifixion. Typically, we call this Palm Sunday, which is the beginning of Holy week or Passion week, or the last week of Jesus’s earthly life leading up to the crucifixion. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Fulfilled Prophecy Let's begin by looking at the prophecy of the triumphal entry: Zechariah 9:9a Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; Because Zion is another name for Jerusalem, saying daughter of Zion and daughter of Jerusalem are both ways of referring to Jerusalem’s inhabitants, the Jews. They are told to show great exuberance, and rejoice greatly and shout aloud, because their king is coming. A coronation is a time of celebration, but the Jews have even more reason to celebrate, because listen to the way their king is described: Zechariah 9:9b righteous and having salvation is he, They should celebrate because of who Jesus is (righteous or just), and what he brings (salvation). Many kings throughout history have been selfish. Instead of serving people, they used people for personal gain. When Israel rejected God as king, and asked for an earthly, human king, God could have justly given them what they wanted and let them suffer for it. But first, he graciously warned them what it would be like to have their earthly king. Listen to the repetition of the word take: 1 Samuel 8:11 [Samuel] said, “The king who will reign over you will take your sons…13 He will take your daughters…14 He will take the best of your fields…15 He will take the tenth of your grain…16 He will take…the best of your young men and your donkeys. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.” If you would expect anyone to have a good king, it would be Israel. But God said their kings would be unjust takers. But when Zechariah prophesied about Jesus, he would be the ideal ruler. He would be just and give people the greatest gift: salvation or eternal life. A Surprising Prophecy Now the prophecy becomes completely shocking and contrary to anything anyone would have imagined for such a king: Zechariah 9:9c humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. These words don’t reconcile with the previous part of the verse. You would expect to read, “Behold, your king is coming to you, great, mighty, and powerful, riding on a magnificent horse.” Instead, we read this. Though the triumphal entry was a joyful celebration, anyone w

Romans 11:22 says, "Behold the kindness and severity of God." We see the kindness and severity of God to two faithful servants and one wicked and lazy servant. Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way to see the relationship to money. https://youtu.be/qOcVaIPKFYU We see the kindness and severity of God (Romans 11:22) to two faithful servants and one wicked and lazy servant. Table of ContentsThe Master’s Kindness To The Faithful ServantsBringing God JoyExperiencing God’s JoyThe Master’s Severity to the Unfaithful ServantPeople Can Be Wicked Because of What They Don’t DoThe Master Expects SomethingAre We Saved by Works?Faithful Versus Unfaithful ServantsUse or Possibly Lose What God’s Given YouBelievers and Unbelievers Experience the Kindness and Severity of GodFootnotes Before I became a Christian, I believed in God. I wasn’t an atheist, but I hadn’t heard the gospel, repented of my sins, and put my faith in Jesus Christ. At that time, if you had asked me about God, I would’ve told you how good, gracious, loving, and kind He is. But I would not have told you how severe, holy, just, and righteous He is. When we describe God with some of His attributes but leave out others, we create a false god, or idol. Instead, we must do what Romans 11:22 commands and “note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you.” We see the kindness and severity of God on full display in the parable of the talents as He deals with the three servants. Let’s consider the first two servants, who were recipients of God’s kindness, and then the third servant, who was a recipient of His severity. The Master’s Kindness To The Faithful Servants Because the first two servants had been “faithful over a few things,” it would make sense for the master to make them rulers over a few things. Instead, he said he would “make [them] ruler over many things.” God is gracious. We will receive more from Him than we’ve done for Him. It should encourage us that the master was pleased with the servants even though they had been “faithful [only] over a few things.” If we thought we had to be faithful over many things to please the Lord, we might feel like failures. Instead, God is pleased with faithfulness over only a few things if that’s all He’s given us. In addition, the “few things” needn’t be big. In Matthew 10:42, Jesus said, “Whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” Talk about being faithful over little! What’s littler than giving someone a cup of water? With God, even the smallest acts will be rewarded. When the master said, “I will make you ruler over many things,” he promoted those men. They went from being servants to rulers. The reward for serving the Lord is greater service in the future. Bringing God Joy I’m sure that when we have marriages that reflect Christ and the church when we raise children in fear and admonition of the Lord, and when children obey their parents, it brings God joy. However, there’s one thing in Scripture that seems to bring God more joy than anything else: people being saved. In Luke 15 are three well-known parables about salvation, and joy is the theme of each. In the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, Jesus said, When he has found [the lost sheep], he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance…When she has found [the lost coin], she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!” Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (verses 5-7, 9-10). There’s joy in heaven not just over the salvation of hundreds or thousands but “over one sinner.” And though the joy is in heaven, it’s “in the presence of the angels.” Who is in the presence of the angels? God! This is His joy. The parable of the prodigal son takes a different approach. Instead of using the words joy or rejoicing, it shows the Father’s joy at the lost son’s repentance: The father said to his servants, “Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” And they began to be merry. Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing (verses 22-25). This is great joy! We should keep in mind how our salvation makes the Lord feel. If ever we start to feel like we’re just one of many Christians and, therefore, insigni

In the parable of the minas, the servants have been “entrusted with the gospel” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). To be faithful stewards, we must preach the gospel so that the minas multiply. The servants are told they will be “over cities” (Luke 19:17, 19), which means ruling with Christ during the Millennium. Read on to learn insights from the parable of the minas! https://youtu.be/UHIBdts_Lg8 In the parable of the minas (Luke 19) the servants were “entrusted with the gospel” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). We must preach to be faithful. Listen to this expository sermon for insights from the parable of the minas! Table of contentsThe Parable of the Minas and the Parable of the Talents Are not the SameBackground to the Parable of the MinasWe Have Been Entrusted with the Gospel (Represented by the Mina)Faithfulness with the GospelGod Judges Our Faithfulness Versus Our SinThe Parable of the Minas Is About the Spread of the GospelThe Multiplication of Minas (Spread of the Gospel) in the Early ChurchFaithfulness with the Gospel Is Rewarded with Greater ResponsibilityThe Parable of the Minas Looks to the MillenniumThe Prophetic TimelineWho Are We Ruling Over During the Millennium?Why Are We Entrusted with the Gospel? All Christians are but God’s stewards. Everything we have is on loan from the Lord, entrusted to us for a while to use in serving him. John MacArthur, 1 Corinthians, Moody, 1984, p. 108. The Parable of the Minas and the Parable of the Talents Are not the Same The parable of the minas is one of the premier parables on stewardships. It is similar to the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30, but they are not the same. Here are the main differences. The parable of the talents was preached on the Mount of Olives after Jesus already reached Jerusalem, but the parable of the minas was preached on the way to Jerusalem. The parable of the talents deals with three servants, but the parable of the minas deals with 10 servants and some number of enemies. In the parable of the talents, the three servants receive five talents, two talents, and one talent. But in the parable of the mina,s the 10 servants receive one mina each. Talents and minas are different amounts: A talent was about 20 years’ wages. A mina was about three months’ wages. In the parable of the talents, the two faithful servants doubled their investments, but in the parable of the minas, one servant reports earning tenfold, and the other servant reports earning fivefold. In the parable of the talents, the faithful servants receive the same reward, which was hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” But in the parable of the minas the faithful servants are put in charge of cities corresponding to the investment they returned. Be encouraged that even if you’ve heard teaching on the parable of the talents, this parable is different and hopefully you will learn some new truths. Background to the Parable of the Minas In Luke 18:31-34 Jesus foretold his death a third time. Luke 18:34 says, "But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said." Jesus spelled out how he would die, but they didn’t understand. Jesus is about to enter Jerusalem. But because they don’t believe he is going to be killed, they think he is going to set up the kingdom! He is the Messiah, the Son of David, who will sit on David’s throne. Passover is only a few days away, which intensifies the anticipation of Jesus’s kingdom. It was always an emotionally charged time for the Jews because it reminded them of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt and made them even more upset about their bondage to Rome. During Passover the Jews looked forward to the Messiah delivering them from Rome like Moses delivered the Hebrews from Egypt. And this is the context for the parable of the minas: Luke 19:11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ Jesus preached the parable of the minas to dispel the belief that he would be setting up his physical kingdom soon. The nobleman is Jesus, and the far country is heaven. This is Jesus’s way of saying, “I not setting up my kingdom on the earth right now. I must ascend to heaven and I will set up my kingdom when I return.” Jesus preached the parable of the minas because wants his all his disciples, including us, remaining faithful between his ascension and return. The servants were supposed to use the minas, or money, to do business. When the master returned they were supposed to give back to him more than they had received. We Have Been Entrusted with th

Sometimes people wonder, “Is restitution needed for salvation? I committed all these sins before becoming a Christian. Do I need to do anything about them now?” If there’s one place in Scripture that could cause us to think restitution is needed for salvation, it is the account with Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. Let’s look at it in detail to see what it does and doesn’t teach about restitution for salvation. https://youtu.be/eRRpAwAEV68 Sometimes people wonder, “Is restitution needed for salvation?" Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10 is one place that could cause us to think this. Table of contentsZacchaeus's ExampleUnderstanding Tax CollectorsFirst, Zacchaeus Was Curious Versus IndifferentSecond, Zacchaeus Responded Well to ConvictionThird, Zacchaeus Didn't Let His Height Hold Him BackFourth, Zacchaeus Didn't Let His Pride Hold Him BackFifth, Zacchaeus Sought JesusWhen Jesus Calls You by NamePeople Aren't Always Happy When Others Come to ChristZacchaeus Was the Opposite of the Rich Young RulerThree Reasons Restitution Is Not Needed for SalvationReason One: Restitution Is not Needed for Salvation Because Zacchaeus’s behavior is descriptive versus prescriptiveReason Two: Restitution Is not Needed for Salvation Because There Are Too Many Sins to CountReason Three: Restitution Is not Needed for Salvation Because We Are Saved by Grace Through FaithZacchaeus Is an Example of Repentance Producing FruitWhen "The Buzzsaw" Asked for ForgivenessGod Might Convict Us to Make RestitutionJesus Sought Zacchaeus FirstDon't Put Off the Gospel InvitationFootnotes Zacchaeus's Example Here’s part of an email I received from someone I don’t know… Scott,As I reflect on my past and my many sins, I am more aware of how wretched and worthless I am. I am also convicted of sins I wonder if I need to undo? For example, when I was 16 and I worked at Ross I stole clothes. I am pretty sure I don’t own any of the clothes now, nor do I know the amount or worth of what I took. However, will I go to hell if I don’t find a way to pay back what I stole? There are so many other things I could list. I feel like my past is like Humpty Dumpty, and I can’t fix it. Someone else sent me a message about a certificate he received after cheating on the exam. He didn’t know how to handle this. He wondered if he should stop using the certificate or go back and try to be recertified. But he didn’t know if he could do this because he was already certified. I think messages like these capture something people commonly wonder: "Is restitution needed for salvation? I committed all these sins before becoming a Christian. Do I need to do anything about them now?" If there’s one place in Scripture that could cause us to think restitution is needed for salvation, it is the account with Zacchaeus. Let’s look at it in detail to see what it does and doesn’t teach. Understanding Tax Collectors Luke 19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. In the previous verses Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus as he approached Jericho. Now he entered the city. Because we're reading about a tax collector, let me briefly explain them. Eight times in the synoptic Gospels it says, “tax collectors and sinners,” instead of “murderers and sinners,” or “adulterers and sinners.” Why is it written as though being a tax collector is the worst sin imaginable? Because to the Jews, it pretty much was! The Romans severely taxed the Jews, and the Jews who collected taxes for Rome were considered traitors to their people. Tax collectors were wealthy, and it was a wealth made off the backs of their already oppressed brethren. Tax collectors had to collect a certain amount and anything they collected over that amount they were able to keep for themselves. Because they worked for Rome they had Rome’s support, which prevented Jews from resisting them. The only thing worse than a tax collector is a chief tax collector…which Zacchaeus was! Luke 19:3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. Zacchaeus’s name means pure, which is ironic because tax collectors were anything but pure. But when we reach the end of this account, we will see Zacchaeus became pure through Christ. There are commendable things about him that we can learn from: First, Zacchaeus Was Curious Versus Indifferent John Calvin wrote, “Curiosity and simplicity are a sort of preparation for faith.” I would rather deal with the staunchest atheist, Mormon, or Buddhist, than an indifferent person. Indifferent people simply don’t care. There’s nothing to work with. Zacchaeus cared enough to try to find out about Jesus. Second, Zacchaeus Responded Well to Conviction I believe Zacchaeus was dealing with conviction because of the way h

Paul said, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands" (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Read this material from Being Content God’s Way to learn to be content with a quiet life and mind your own business! Table of contentsContent Leading a Quiet LifeMost of Us Will Be a Thaddeus or a BaruchThe Premier Example of Leading a Quiet Life Content Leading a Quiet Life Paul said, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Instead of “seeking great things” (Jeremiah 45:5) and “despising days of small things” (Zechariah 4:10), we should “aspire to lead [quiet lives].” The world tempts us to crave fame, attention, and recognition. Can you imagine anything less attractive in society’s eyes than a quiet life? What God wants from us is the opposite of what the world promotes. It pleases God if we lead simple, humble lives of obedience, often filled with small, ordinary routines. The days are far from glamorous. While this might sound discouraging, it should be encouraging because it frees us from striving to become big, noticed, and heard. First Corinthians 10:31 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Why did Paul mention eating and drinking? Because there aren’t many “[smaller] things” than these! What could be simpler or more routine? Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Whatever we do, no matter how small or insignificant, can be done for God’s glory and pleasure! Most of Us Will Be a Thaddeus or a Baruch The judges were important, but could most Christians tell you what they did? They could probably discuss Samson and Gideon, maybe Ehud and Othniel, but would they even remember the names of Tola, Jair, Elon, or Abdon? Consider the kings. People could tell you about David and Solomon, maybe Hezekiah and Josiah, but would they remember anything about Amaziah and Jotham? Consider the prophets. Most people know Samuel, Elijah, and Jeremiah, but do they know anything about Amos and Obadiah? Consider the apostles. Second only to Jesus, they are the most important men in the New Testament. Ephesians 2:20 says the church is “built on the foundation of the apostles,” and Revelation 21:14 says, “The wall of the [New Jerusalem] had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles.” Could these men sound more important? Yet most people could not name half of them. Besides Peter, James, John, Judas, and Thomas (only because of the account of his doubting), what do we know about the other apostles? If you ask people which apostle they most identify with, they will probably tell you, Peter. He was known for opening his mouth when he should have been quiet, and we have the same problem. The other reason we can relate to Peter is that so little is written about the rest of the apostles that we can’t identify with them! Judas, the son of James, is also known as Thaddaeus, which distinguishes him from Judas Iscariot. He’s mentioned in the lists of the disciples (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:16, and Acts 1:13), and John 14:22 records, “Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, ‘Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?’” He’s on the list of the disciples, and he asks Jesus one question. That’s all that’s recorded about him. How famous are apostles, judges, kings, and prophets if people hardly know anything about them? The point is that even the people in Scripture we think were extraordinary were ordinary. This should encourage us because if we are going to “live quiet lives” filled with “small things,” we are going to be more like Thaddaeus, Tola, Jair, Jotham, and Amos than Peter, Gideon, David, and Elijah. The Premier Example of Leading a Quiet Life If it isn’t God’s will to have, accomplish, or experience something, we must give up what we want and choose to be content with what God wants. God wanted Baruch to be content with His will for his life, with who He had called him to be, and what He had called him to do. So, let me ask: Are you content with God’s will for your life, who He has called you to be, and what He has called you to do? We must prayerfully pursue God’s will. Not our will or someone else’s will. Jesus demonstrated this throughout his earthly life: “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 5:30; see also John 6:38 and Matthew 26:39). Jesus also modeled leading a quiet life and being faithful in small things. If we strip away the miraculous and supernatural, we see His life was characterized by modesty, humility, and simplicity. There was a lack of extravagance and glamor. Why did the Jews reject Jesus? They thought the Messiah would deliver them from their oppression like Moses delivered Israel from Egypt. He would be a great military leader like David—the Messiah was “the Son of David”—and give Is

The account of Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus is found in Matthew 20:29-34, Luke 18:35-43, and Mark 10:46-52. Unbelievers are as spiritually poor and blind as Bartimaeus was physically poor and blind. When they cry out for mercy, he gives them spiritual sight. Like blind Bartimaeus they move from darkness to light, become Jesus’s follower, and glorify him. Table of contentsMeet Blind BartimaeusHow Much Did People Want to See Jesus?Jesus’s Miracles Were Signs Illustrating Spiritual TruthsMuch of What Jesus Did Physically Pictures What He Wants to Do for Us SpirituallyDon't Miss the "Sign" with BartimaeusLike Blind Bartimaeus, Unbelievers Are BlindLike Blind Bartimaeus, Unbelievers Are PoorContrast the Paralytic's Friends with Bartimaeus's CrowdWhy Was Blind Bartimaeus So Persistent?Like Blind Bartimaeus, Unbelievers Must Cry Out for MercyJesus Healed Blind Bartimaeus Physically and SpirituallyMoving from Unbeliever to BelieverLike Bartimaeus, Believers Move from Darkness to LightLike Bartimaeus, Believers Become Jesus’s FollowersLike Bartimaeus, Believers Glorify GodLike Bartimaeus, Believers Lead Others to Glorify GodSalvation Requires Faith, but not Persistence https://youtu.be/nqmndvjYzmk Unbelievers are as spiritually poor and blind as blind Bartimaeus the beggar (Matthew 20:29-34, Luke 18:35-43, and Mark 10:46-52). Spiritual blindness is an inability to understand spiritual truths: As it is difficult to convey an idea of color to the blind, so it is difficult to describe to [the spiritually blind] the [spiritual truths understood by those] whose eyes have been opened by the Spirit…[Think] of a man who sees, but has no sense of beauty…such is the case of a natural man…on whose ear the sound of the Gospel falls without awakening music in his soul. James Buchanan, Office and Work, 1842. In this account a man who serves as a picture of all who are spiritually blind, but then given spiritual sight. Meet Blind Bartimaeus Luke 18:35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. In the parallel account in Mark 10:46 we learn the blind beggar’s name is Bartimaeus. In narratives you should do more than simply read the verses. You will get much more out of your Bible reading when you picture what the verses describe. If you are a parent, when you read the Bible with your children, describe the accounts for them, or ask them to describe the accounts to you. In this account we can appreciate it much more if we picture what we are reading. As we move through the verses, I will do my best to help us understand what this looked like, because I believe it would have been very dramatic to witness. In Jesus’s day, blindness was a common affliction that had no cure. Because blind people could not work, they had to make their living as beggars. Bartimaeus spent his days sitting by the side of the road begging for money from people who passed by. It is hard to imagine a more miserable existence. Perhaps only a leper's life could rival Bartimaeus’s depressing life. If he was fortunate enough to receive money, he would make his way into Jericho and struggle to buy food. This was a good day. On a bad day, he would spend the night hungry. Thinking about Bartimaeus’s life, one of the words that comes to mind is boring. I cannot think of many things more boring than spending days sitting on the side of the road begging. One of the only things that could make the boredom worse would be blindness, because then you can’t even see anything of any interest while the hours pass by. But on this day Bartimaeus noticed the excitement: Luke 18:36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” Bartimaeus had no idea what was happening. He asked those around him, hoping they would be kind enough to answer. Because as we will see in a moment, the crowd was very inconsiderate. He would not have expected the answer he received. This would have been an exciting moment for anyone, and we know that because so many people had gathered for the occasion. But for blind Bartimaeus, a man whose life was characterized by boredom and monotony, this likely would have been the most exciting moment of his life. How Much Did People Want to See Jesus? Just so you can picture this scene better, consider what happened right after this when Jesus entered Jericho: Luke 19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. Huge crowds were following Jesus and people, like Zacchaeus, wanted nothing more than to be able to see him. As Jesus approached Jericho numerous others gathered on the sides of the road. Jesus’s Miracles Were Signs Illustrating Spiritual Truths We must pause the account with blind Bartimaeus for a moment to make sure we vie

Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 loosely state that, "With God all things are possible." This verse and some others (such as Isaiah 54:17 and Philippians 4:13) sound wonderful, but are they true the way people quote them? Table of contents“You Keep Using That Verse. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means.”Does Isaiah 54:17 Teach That No Weapon Formed against You Shall Prosper?Does Philippians 4:13 Teach That You Can Do Anything?What's Wrong with Misinterpreting Scripture?Do Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 Teach that With God All Things Are Possible?Two Applications from Jesus's Statement about Rich People Entering the Kingdom of GodWith God It Is Possible for Man to Be Saved by Divine Grace"But What about All We Have Sacrificed?"Jesus Wants Us Looking Forward to RewardsJesus Didn't Rebuke Peter for Wanting RewardsWhat Rewards Do We Receive in This Life?Jesus’s Sacrifice Puts Our Sacrifices in PerspectiveThe Incredible Victory...the Disciples Didn't UnderstandTwo Possible Reasons Jesus's Death Was Hidden from the DisciplesThe Main Things Are the Plain ThingsFootnotes https://youtu.be/hu-SVNg_vUQ Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 loosely state that, "With God all things are possible." This verse sounds wonderful, but is this what they mean? Throughout The Princess Bride, Sicilian boss Vizzini repeatedly describes events as “inconceivable.” When Westley, also known as The Man in Black, also known as The Dread Pirate Roberts is climbing a rope, Vizzini cuts the rope to kill Westley. But of course, because Westley is the hero of the movie, he clings to the cliff. Vizzini says, “Inconceivable!” The honorable swordsman, Inigo Montoya, says, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” This statement comes to mind when I hear people take verses out of context. “You Keep Using That Verse. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means.” Let me give you a few examples with some of the most misquoted verses… Does Isaiah 54:17 Teach That No Weapon Formed against You Shall Prosper? On January 12, 2013, during the NFL divisional playoffs, the number 4 ranked Baltimore Ravens, who were 10-6, played on the road against the number 1 ranked Denver Broncos, who were 13-3. The Broncos defeated the Ravens earlier in the season and they were heavily favored to win this game too. The game went into double overtime before the Ravens upset the Broncos in what came to be known as “The Mile-High Miracle.” After the game, a very emotional Ray Lewis, the Ravens Hall-of-Fame linebacker, was interviewed. He said, "No weapon formed against us shall prosper. No weapon. No weapon. No weapon. God is amazing. And when you believe in Him...Man believes in the possible but God believes in the impossible." Here’s what Ray Lewis was trying to quote… Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord. This is one of the best sounding verses in the Bible. Who doesn’t want to believe every weapon and accusation against them will fail? But the context is God destroying Israel’s enemies in the future. Ray Lewis made his team, the Baltimore Ravens, into the nation of Israel, and the team they were playing, the Denver Broncos, into Israel’s enemies. Perhaps every weapon fashioned against the Baltimore Ravens referred to the Broncos’ Pro Bowlers: quarterback Peyton Manning, offensive tackle Ryan Clady, cornerback Champ Bailey, and linebacker Von Miller. And maybe every tongue that rose against the Baltimore Ravens referred to the Denver Broncos’ coaching staff? Although Ray meant well, when he quoted this verse, instead of God vindicating Israel against their enemies so that his promises to his covenant people were maintained, Ray told the nationally televised audience that God wanted to give the Ravens victory over the Broncos. Does Philippians 4:13 Teach That You Can Do Anything? I don’t think Isaiah 54:17 is the most popular verse among athletes. That honor goes to: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Well-meaning athletes have been interviewed throughout the centuries after winning a big game and, like Ray Lewis, they are excited, they want to give God credit, and so they love to quote this verse. When all star running back, Adrian Peterson, tore his ACL, he said, "This is a blessing in disguise. I'll come back stronger and better than I was before…[say it with me!] I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 is incredibly popular. You can find it on posters and other inspirational art, keychains, rings, buttons, t-shirts, stickers, postcards, bracelets, and handbags. Philippians 4:13 is so popular, because, like Isaiah 54:17, it sounds wonderful. You will be able to do anything you’ve ever wanted to d

The account of Jesus and the rich young ruler is sobering (Luke 18:18-23 and Mark 10:17-27). The rich young ruler looks zealous, humble, and sincerely interested in spiritual matters. But he was willing to walk away from Jesus because earthly wealth meant more to him than heavenly wealth. Read, listen, or watch this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn more. https://youtu.be/a3DW9WFj3S8 The account of Jesus and the rich young ruler is sobering (Luke 18:18-23 and Mark 10:17-27). He walked away because of his earthly wealth. Table of contentsWhy Didn't Jesus Preach the Gospel to the Rich Young Ruler?Not Courtroom LawyersWe Would Be Justified by the Law If We Kept It PerfectlyWe Must Be Justified by Faith Because We Can’t Keep the Law PerfectlyThe Rich Young Ruler Is the Opposite of Little ChildrenFollowing Jesus Requires RepentanceDo We Need to Sell All that We Have and Give It to the Poor?Giving Up Earthly Treasure for Heavenly TreasureJesus Loved the Rich Young RulerJesus Isn’t Chasing Us DownRiches Choked Jesus Out of the Rich Young Ruler's Life The problem with greed is not so much seen in our possessions, but rather what is possessing our hearts. Sermon, Greed’s Graveyard, Luke 12:13-21, June 16, 2019. Randy Smith. Read on to see how the rich young ruler's possessions possessed his heart. Luke 18:18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The parallel account in Mark 10:17 says, "As [Jesus] was setting out on his journey, [the rich young ruler] RAN UP and KNELT BEFORE HIM." The rich young ruler sounds: zealous: he ran up to Jesus. humble: he knelt before him. respectful: he called him Good Teacher and seems to think highly of him sincerely interested in spiritual matters: he asked one of the most important questions we can ask: What must I do to inherit eternal life?" He believes in God and he wants to go to heaven. Jesus responded... Luke 18:19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. Jesus isn’t saying he isn’t good, and he isn’t saying he isn’t God. Instead, He’s saying there’s only One who is good and that’s God. If the rich young ruler calls Jesus good, he must also recognize he is God. Or another way to say it is, if the rich young ruler doesn’t recognize that Jesus is God, he shouldn’t be calling him good. Luke 18:20a You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, The seventh commandment. Luke 18:20b Do not murder, The sixth commandment. Luke 18:20c Do not steal, The eighth commandment. Luke 18:20d Do not bear false witness, The ninth commandment. Luke 18:20e Honor your father and mother.’” The fifth commandment. Apparently, when you’re Jesus, you can put the commandments in whatever order you want! Why Didn't Jesus Preach the Gospel to the Rich Young Ruler? If you weren’t familiar with this account, or in other words, if you didn’t already know how Jesus answered the rich young ruler’s question about inheriting eternal life, what would you expect Jesus to say? What would you say if someone asked you about inheriting eternal life? "Repent and believe!" Our minds can go to Paul and Silas receiving this question from the Philippian jailer… Acts 16:30 [the Philippian jailer] said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 [Paul and Silas] said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” So, why did Jesus respond this way? Was he describing another way to be saved? I’m not trying to sound irreverent, but did he forget the gospel? And believe it or not, this isn’t even the only place Jesus responded this way! This account has similarities with the lawyer who tested Jesus. Luke 10:25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The similarity between the lawyer and the rich young ruler is they both asked the same good question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The difference is they had completely different motives: The rich young ruler asked to learn. The lawyer asked to put [Jesus] to the test. He wanted to trap him and make him look bad. Not Courtroom Lawyers When you read about lawyers, don’t think of courtrooms. Instead, think of the way lawyers in our day study the law for a living, and the lawyers in Jesus’s day studied the Mosaic Law for a living. Even priests and Levites didn’t know the law as well as them because they spent so much of their time performing sacrifices and serving in the temple. The NIV and amplified Bibles say "expert in the law" versus lawyer. In the NKJV and NASB there’s a footnote that says lawyer could also be translated as "expert in the law." If anyone who could contend with Jesus in a debate, it would be a lawyer. But Jesus responded as brilliantly and effortlessly as every other time: Luke 10:26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your hea

In Luke 11:49, Jesus called Himself “The wisdom of God.” Paul wrote, “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God…Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God…in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30, Colossians 2:3). Read or listen to this chapter from the Work and Rest God’s Way Family Guide to learn why Jesus is the wisdom of God. Table of contentsJesus Is Wisdom IncarnateJesus Is Wiser Than SolomonJesus Is Wiser than the TeachersJesus is the Wisdom of the Book of ProverbsQuestionsFootnotes Saying our children need the gospel is saying they need Christ. Work and Rest God’s Way and the accompanying Family Guide are meant to help you point your children toward Christ by giving them wisdom. Giving your children biblical wisdom is giving them Jesus because Jesus is the wisdom of God. Consider these verses: 1 Corinthians 1:24—To those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:30—You are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Colossians 2:3—In [Jesus] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Luke 11:49—Therefore the wisdom of God (referring to Jesus) said, "I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute." Notice, it doesn’t say some of the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Jesus. It says all the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Him. Jesus Is Wisdom Incarnate When God became a Man in the Person of Jesus Christ, it was as though wisdom itself became a man; wisdom was incarnated. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This refers to Jesus, and then John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Greek word for word is logos, which captures the Greek idea of divine reason or the mind of God. When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, the wisdom of God became flesh and dwelt among us. Since the wisdom of God became flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ, we see wisdom manifested in Jesus’ life. Jesus Is Wiser Than Solomon It’s easier to appreciate Jesus’ wisdom if it’s contrasted with the wisdom of others. There were wise men in the Old Testament, such as Joseph and Daniel, but it doesn’t mean much to say Jesus was wiser than they were because they were not considered the wisest men in the Old Testament. That title belongs to Solomon, a man whose very name is associated with wisdom as much as Job’s name is associated with suffering. God told him, “I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you” (1 Kings 3:12). There had never been anyone as wise as Solomon, and there would never be anyone as wise as Solomon. “Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt” (1 Kings 4:30). Solomon went on to write most of Proverbs, which is the book of wisdom. When you’re the human author of the Book of Wisdom, you’re wise, but Jesus said: “The queen of the South will rise up in judgment against this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42). If God told Solomon “nor shall any like you arise after you,” how can Jesus say He’s greater than Solomon? Jesus is in a class by Himself. While Solomon was wise, Jesus is wisdom. Jesus Is Wiser than the Teachers Jesus’ wisdom manifested itself at a young age. There’s almost nothing recorded about His early life. Following His birth, we only have one story about Him when He was in the temple with the teachers (Luke 2:41-51). This account is about—of all things—His wisdom. Two verses serve as bookends: Luke 2:40—The Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. Luke 2:52—Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. In between these verses is the only account in the Bible from His childhood. Part of it reads: After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers (Luke 2:46-47). When Jesus was twelve-years-old, He was engaged in a theological dialogue with the teachers of the Law. These men, the wise men of the day, were amazed by what Jesus said. They recognized His wisdom. As Jesus grew, His wisdom continued to be manifested through His teaching: “They were astonished at His teaching…He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him?’” (Mark 1:22, 6:2). Jesus’ wisdom was also manifested through His life. Seeing Jesus’ life is seeing wisd

All three synoptic Gospels record one of the most beloved accounts: Jesus blessed little children (Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17). Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Learn why Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to infants and those like them. Table of contentsJesus Said, “Let the Little Children Come to Me,” Because the Kingdom of God Belongs to ThemTwo Points About Jesus Blessing the ChildrenWhy Would the Kingdom of God Belong to Infants?Jesus Said, “Let the Little Children Come to Me,” Because They Exemplify Salvation Apart from WorksWhat Have Infants Done to Be Saved?Jesus Said, “Let the Little Children Come to Me,” Because the Kingdom of God Belongs to People Like ThemTwo Reasons Humility Is Needed to Enter the Kingdom"Receiving" the Kingdom of God Like ChildrenThe Kingdom of God Probably Also Belongs to the Mentally HandicappedWhen We Were Told We Were Having a Down Syndrome ChildFirst, God Is Sovereign over DisabilitiesSecond, Disabilities Are not the Results of Parents' SinsThird, God Wants to Use Disabilities for His Glory https://youtu.be/M-oi3bLugF4 In Luke 18:15-17 Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to infants. I preached four earlier sermons explaining why the kingdom of God belongs to infants: Are Children Innocent? The Biblical Age of Accountability Sin Is Not Imputed Where There Is No Law Do Babies Go to Heaven When They Die? If you are reading this post, listening to the sermon, or watching the sermon, and you have questions, they were probably answered in these sermons. All three synoptic Gospels record the beloved account of Jesus blessing little children (Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17). We will be focusing on Luke's version: Luke 18:15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Jewish parents commonly sought out prominent rabbis, which Jesus was, to bless their infants. Not only did the disciples try to stop the parents from bringing their children, they rebuked them. It looks like the disciples rebuked the parents, but then Jesus rebuked the disciples. This is not one of the shining moments for the disciples. If you ever wonder if God can use you, think of some of some of the things the disciples did, and you will be encouraged he can. When I look at the behavior of the disciples at times, I’m encouraged that God can use me. In the parallel account Mark 10:14 says, "When Jesus saw [what the disciples did], HE WAS INDIGNANT." Based on what Jesus said, he seemed to be indignant because the disciples were destroying a spiritual truth he was trying to communicate. Infants were supposed to be able to come to Jesus physically, because it pictures infants being able to come to him spiritually, not just in this life but in the next. Preventing infants from being brought to Jesus could communicate they don’t have access to him. Jesus Said, “Let the Little Children Come to Me,” Because the Kingdom of God Belongs to Them Jesus made it clear infants have access to him with the words, “To such belongs the kingdom of God.” The words "to such" are incredibly important. In the NIV, NASB, and Amplified, it says, "such as these." These words show Jesus wasn’t only saying the kingdom belongs to the infants brought to him. The kingdom also belongs to EVERY infant. I’m not alone in interpreting this as a guarantee of babies’ salvation. When preaching on this passage John MacArthur said: I am convinced that the Scripture is absolutely clear that when babies die and children die before reaching the point of personal accountability, they go to heaven. And I have collected all that material in a book. I have a copy of John's book, Safe in the Arms of God, which I referenced during these sermons. If you desire to understand infant salvation deeper than what I have taught, I highly recommend this book. [This] passage gives Kingdom citizenship to both children and those who are like children. [They] have not yet any understanding to desire His blessing but when they are presented to Him, He gently and kindly receives them and dedicates them to the Father by a solemn act of blessing. It would be cruel to exclude that age from the grace of redemption. It is an irreligious audacity to drive from Christ’s fold those whom He held in His arms and shut the door on them as strangers when He did not wish to forbid them. John Calvin (2013). “Commentary on Matthew”, p.388, Ravenio Books. I rejoice to know that the souls of all infants, as soon as they die, speed their way to Paradise. Think what a multitude there is of them! C. H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography, Vol. 1, ch. XVI, “A Defence of Calvinism,” Passmore and Alabaster, 1897, p. 175. Two Points Ab

People ask, "Do babies go to heaven when they die?" This applies to people who have lost babies, but all believers should be able to answer this question to be equipped to minister to others. In 2 Samuel 12:23, when David lost his child, he said, "I will go to him, but he will not return to me." There are Bible verses about unborn babies going to heaven. Read on, watch, or listen if you want to know, "Do unborn babies go to heaven?" Table of contentsThere Are Babies Who Were Going to Go to HeavenDavid Was Going to Go to Heaven as a BabyThe Prophet Jeremiah Was Going to Go to Heaven as a BabyJohn the Baptist Was Going to Go to Heaven as a BabyDavid's Child of Adultery Was Going to Go to Heaven as a BabyDavid Knew His Baby Would Be in HeavenFour Reasons It Is Wrong to Think David Was Only Saying He Would Die tooFirst, David Wouldn't Simply Acknowledge His DeathSecond, David Knew He Was Going to HeavenThird, David Comforted Himself with His WordsFourth, David Responded Differently to Absalom's DeathDavid Never Said He Would Go to AbsalomDavid Wanted to Die in Absalom's PlaceBabies Can Go to Heaven Without Exercising Personal FaithStriving to Understand How Babies Go to Heaven Without Saving FaithWayne Grudem Supports Babies Going to Heaven without Saving FaithGotquestions.org Supports Babies Going to Heaven without Saving FaithJohn Calvin Supports Babies Going to Heaven without Saving FaithGod Can Save Those Unable to BelieveJesus’s Sacrifice Is Sufficient for All to Be SavedUnderstanding a Wonderful but Confusing TruthThose Who Can Exercise Saving Faith Must Do So https://youtu.be/6TwBoxL7Epk People ask, "Do babies go to heaven when they die?" In 2 Samuel 12:23, King David said, "I will go to him, but he will not return to me." There Are Babies Who Were Going to Go to Heaven This post answers the question, "Do babies go to heaven when they die?" by building off the previous posts: Are Children Innocent? The Biblical Age of Accountability Sin Is Not Imputed Where There Is No Law Because babies are innocent, they haven’t reached the age of accountability, and sin is not imputed to them, we see examples of saved babies in the Bible. Don’t focus on the fact that there are few saved babies in the Bible. Instead, focus on the fact that there ARE saved babies in the Bible. If there was only one saved baby in the Bible, that would be significant, because it demonstrates that a baby can be saved. David Was Going to Go to Heaven as a Baby Psalm 22:10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God. David didn’t say he knew God or had faith in God, as those are impossibilities for babies. But he did make two points. First, he said he was cast on God from his birth. This sounds like he was saved when he was born. Then he backed up even further and said God had been his God when was in the womb. To say God is someone’s God is Old Testament salvific language. David said he was saved before he was born. The Prophet Jeremiah Was Going to Go to Heaven as a Baby Jeremiah 1:5 [God said,] “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” God said two things to Jeremiah and the second doesn’t necessarily mean he was saved. God said he "consecrated," or some translations say "sanctified" (KJV and NKJV), which means "set apart." That’s how it’s translated in the NIV. This can simply mean that God set Jeremiah apart as a prophet as it said right after that. But at the beginning of the verse God said he knew Jeremiah. Again, this is Old Testament salvation language. This language is carried forward in the New Testament. Speaking to believers Paul said: Galatians 4:9 Now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, When people are unbelievers, on the day of judgment Jesus will say to them: Matthew 7:23 “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” Also, God said he knew Jeremiah BEFORE forming him in the womb. This is foreknowledge, which we also see in the New Testament: Ephesians 1:4 [God] chose us in [Christ] BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and blameless before him. Or… 1 Peter 1:2 Those who are elect…2 according to THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD the Father, The idea is just like God foreknew and chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, he foreknew and chose Jeremiah unto salvation before he was even in the womb. John the Baptist Was Going to Go to Heaven as a Baby Luke 1:15 [The angel Gabriel said, “John] will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and HE WILL BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, EVEN FROM HIS MOTHER'S WOMB. If you’re filled with the Holy Spirit, you’re saved, and John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was born: We might say that John the Baptist was ‘born again’ before

One of the reasons babies go to heaven is sin is not imputed to them. Romans 5:13 says, "Sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not imputed where there is no law." The law brings sin, and sin brings death. If there is no law, there should be no sin. There was no law between Adam and Moses, but people still died because of original sin: "Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam" (Romans 5:14). Babies die in the womb because of original sin. Table of contentsBabies Have Not Disqualified ThemselvesBabies Are Not "Without Excuse""These People Will Not Inherit the Kingdom of God"We Have Committed the Listed SinsBabies Have Not Committed the Listed SinsBabies Would Not Know Why They Were in HellWhat About Original Sin?Sin Nature Is Different than SinningSin Is Not Imputed to BabiesSin Is Imputed When People Have Knowledge of SinSin is NOT Imputed When People Lack Knowledge of SinSin Is Not Imputed Where There Is No LawSin Is Not Imputed Where There Is No LawDid God Really Not Impute People's Sin Where There Is no Law?There Should Have Been No DeathBabies Die Because of Original SinThree Ways Adam Is a Type of JesusFootnotes https://youtu.be/d41QGwfEtXQ One of the reasons babies go to heaven is sin is not imputed to them. Romans 5:13 says, "Sin is not counted where there is no law." Babies Have Not Disqualified Themselves By disqualifying, I mean disqualifying from heaven. Babies haven’t committed sins that disqualify them from heaven, such as those in Romans 1:20-21. We will start at Romans 1:18 for context. Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron’s Way of the Master's strategy involves helping people recognize their sinfulness, so they see their need for the Gospel. Paul takes this approach in Romans. He explains the Gospel in Romans 3 and 4, but before that he shows us our need for the gospel by convincing us of our sinfulness: Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. This helps us understand what the gospel does: it delivers us from the wrath of God. The end of the verse says people "suppress the truth." People can only suppress truth that is known to them. If they were ignorant of the truth, they would not be able to suppress it. The truth they suppress is that that there is a Creator. They deny that God exists. Romans 1:19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. The truth that God exists "is plain" or obvious. It is not difficult or complicated to believe that God exists. Instead, it is difficult or complicated to believe that God does NOT exist. God plainly revealed his existence through creation: Romans 1:20a For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. "Have been clearly perceived" is similar to "is plain to them" (verse 19). Creation makes the evidence for God overwhelming: The painting is evidence there is a painter. The building is evidence there is a builder. The invention is evidence there is an inventor. Similarly, creation is evidence there is a Creator. Because of the greatness and majesty of creation, it is evidence that the Creator is great and majestic. The verse identifies two things we can learn about God from his creation: he has "eternal power and [a] divine nature," because only a being with these qualities could create a universe like ours. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. The universe gives God’s glory. Creation is the display case for his beauty and attributes. When Isaiah received his famous vision of the throne room of God immediately before his commissioning, he described what the angels were saying: Isaiah 6:3 One [Angel] called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY!” The angels recognize that creation itself reveals God’s glory and they worship him for it. Babies Are Not "Without Excuse" Because the evidence for God is so strong, when people deny it, they [have no] excuse: Romans 1:20b So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. The verse says "they knew God" because creation revealed it to them. There are no atheists. The problem is not that man does NOT know God. The problem is that man does know God, but as verse 18 says, he "[suppresses] that truth." He pushes it down and tries to deny it. Man does this because he does not want to give God two things in verse 21 that he deserves. First, he because of God’s greatne

Is work a blessing or a curse? Genesis 3:19 says, "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground.” Life is very different because of the fall. Read or listen to this chapter from Work and Rest God's Way to see why work is still a blessing. Table of contentsWork Is a Blessing Because God WorksGod’s Work Brings Him GloryOur Work Should Bring God GloryWork Is a Blessing Versus a CurseGod Put Adam to Work in the Garden Before the FallOur Work Can Be Satisfying and FulfillingThe Fall Can Make Work Feel Like a CurseOur Workplaces Don't Feel Like EdenThe Immorality of Laziness Most of us probably feel like we could have a good argument with ourselves about whether work is a blessing or a curse. Bob Black, an American anarchist and author, wrote in his essay, The Abolition of Work: No one should ever work. Work is the source of nearly all the misery in the world. Almost any evil you’d care to name comes from working or from living in a world designed for work. In order to stop suffering, we have to stop working. Bob Black, The Abolition of Work and Other Essays (Port Townsend: Loompanics Unlimited, 1986). Not only does Black think work is curse, he thinks it’s the cause of all suffering. How do we determine whether this author is correct in his assessment? How do we know if work is a blessing or a curse? We look to the Bible because it is the authority. The question is not, “What does Bob, or me, or you, or anyone else think?” The question is, “What does the Bible teach?” Work Is a Blessing Because God Works Morality (or goodness) is defined by God: For the Lord is good. Psalm 100:5; see also 1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 25:8, 34:8, 86:5, 135:3, and 145:7. Good is what God does, and what God does is good. Just as listening and speaking are moral, so is work. The Bible opens with God working: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Then: And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. Genesis 2:2–3 The words “His work” occur three times in two verses. God is the first worker, revealing work is good and moral! God’s Work Brings Him Glory Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows the work of His hands.” God’s work is creative, purposeful, thorough, and it benefits us: “For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands” (Psalm 92:4). Jesus said, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John 5:17). Isaiah 6 showcases the wonderful vision of God sitting on His throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Angels fly around Him, and Isaiah 6:3 says, “One cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’” Creation is the display case for God’s work. Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” The greatness of creation reveals the greatness of the Creator. God reveals Himself to the world by His creation because work reveals something about the worker. Work speaks of character, motivation, and skills. God’s work is of the highest quality because it is an expression of who He is. Our Work Should Bring God Glory We should work because we want to be like God. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” We are made in the image of God with some of His attributes. We work because we are His image-bearers! Ephesians 5:1 commands us to “be imitators of God.” To work is to be like God because it reflects what He does. In Isaiah 43:7, God said, “Everyone…I have created for My glory,” which is why in 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul said, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Giving glory to God means representing Him well; therefore, what we do should give others an exalted view of God. Since God’s work is of the highest quality, ours should be of the highest quality. We strive for excellence because our work says something about the God we represent. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Why do we work as though our labor brings God glory? Because it does! People look on, see what we do, and when it is done well, it gives glory to God. Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Why do we work as though we’re laboring for Christ? Because we ar

Children are innocent until they reach the biblical age of accountability. Isaiah 7:15-16 twice states that until a certain age a baby will not know, "how to refuse the evil and choose the good." Similarly, Deuteronomy 1:39 says, "little ones...have no knowledge of good or evil." This post will allow you to read, watch, or listen if you want to learn about the age of accountability in the bible. Table of contentsAdam and Eve Knew It Was Wrong to Be Naked Because of Their ConsciencesJews Are Guilty Because of the LawGentiles Are Guilty Because of Their ConsciencesBabies "Have No Knowledge of Good or Evil" Until They Reach the Biblical Age of Accountability The Famous Sign to AhazThe Child Is Named Jesus or Immanuel?Babies Can't "Refuse Evil and Choose Good" Until They Reach the Biblical Age of AccountabilitySo, What Is the Biblical Age of Accountability?Two Other Thoughts About the Biblical Age of Accountability...Babies "Cannot Discern Between Their Right and Their Left" Until They Reach the Biblical Age of AccountabilityBabies Are IgnorantFoolishness Versus IgnoranceGod Is Merciful to the Ignorant (Such as Babies)Examples of God's Mercy to the IgnorantJesus's Mercy to the Ignorant Crucifying HimGod's Mercy to the Ignorant Jews Who Crucified JesusGod's Mercy to Paul Because of His IgnoranceGod's Mercy to Babies Who Haven't Reached the Biblical Age of AccountabilityGod Is Less Merciful to the KnowledgeableBabies Are Innocent, But We Are NotFootnotes https://youtu.be/xM4W5BO1VGM Until babies reach the biblical age of accountability they can't, "refuse evil and choose good" (Isaiah 7:15-16 and Deuteronomy 1:39). Before Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they could not choose between good and evil. The evidence of this: Genesis 2:25 The man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. They had so little knowledge of good and evil they didn’t know there was something wrong with being naked. They ate and then: Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE NAKED. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. This marked the end of the Dispensation of Innocence, and the beginning of the Dispensation of Conscience. Adam and Eve Knew It Was Wrong to Be Naked Because of Their Consciences Romans 2:12-14 discusses two groups of people: the Gentiles and Jews. They both think they are innocent for different reasons: The Jews think they are innocent because they have the law. They thought having the law made them good. The Gentiles think they’re innocent because they didn’t receive the law. They think they are not accountable because they didn’t know better! Paul wants to convince both groups they are sinners, so they see their need for the Savior: Romans 2:12a For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, These are Gentiles and they’ll perish because they’re sinners. Paul elaborates on this in verses 14 and 15. Jews Are Guilty Because of the Law Romans 2:12b and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. These are Jews who have the law, and they’ll be judged because it’s not enough to have the Mosaic law. The Jews had to obey it. This might seem obvious to us, but it wasn’t obvious to them. Having the law actually made them MORE accountable before God because it gave them the knowledge of good and evil, but they still chose evil. When the Jews received the Mosaic law, it was like Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Then they had knowledge of good and evil. Gentiles Are Guilty Because of Their Consciences The Gentiles didn’t have the law telling them right from wrong, but they did have something else: Romans 2:14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. Gentiles do not have the Mosaic law, but they still obey parts of it. People who have never heard the Ten Commandments or read the Bible still recognize certain things, such as lying, stealing, and murder, are wrong. These people can choose between good and evil. They have this knowledge passed on to them from Adam and Eve. Notice it says "they are a law to themselves." Their conscience serves as a law for them. Romans 2:15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while THEIR CONSCIENCE ALSO BEARS WITNESS, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. These are the two things our consciences do: Accuse us when we choose evil. Excuse us when we choose good. When Gentiles disobey their conscience, which serves as a law telling them not to do things, they are as guilty as Jews breaking the Mosaic law. Babies don’t have either: the Mosaic law or a con

We repeatedly see Jesus Christ in the book of Job. Read or listen to this chapter from Enduring Trials God’s Way to see Job as a type of Christ. Table of contentsJesus Christ in the Book of Job as MediatorJob Looked Forward to His Mediator by FaithWhat Can We Learn from Job?Jesus Christ in the Book of Job as AdvocateJesus Christ in the Book of Job as RedeemerThe Typology of Jesus Christ in the Book of JobFirst, Job as a Type of Christ in His Sacrifice and IntercessionSecond, Job as a Type of Christ in that God Accepted HimThird, Job as a Type of Christ in His Rejection and ExaltationFourth, Job as a Type of Christ as an Innocent, Righteous SuffererFifth, Job as a Type of Christ in Saving His Friends Job longed for Someone during his trials, and his words provide some of the greatest revelation of the Messiah in the Old Testament. Although Job did not have the revelation of Jesus that we have, he still looked forward to Him in faith. Centuries later, Jesus would reveal Himself to be the reality and substance of Job’s words. Jesus Christ in the Book of Job as Mediator Job longed for a Person to stand between him and God: Job asked: “Truly I know it is so, but how can a man be righteous before God?” Job 9:1-2 This is the most important question people can ask, because it determines where we spend eternity. Job answered his question and explained why “a man [cannot] be righteous before God": If one wished to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? Job 9:3-4 Nobody can stand before God and respond to His questions. Job learned this the hard way when he was finally given his audience. At the end of the chapter, Job explained the problem and necessary solution: For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him, and that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator between us, who may lay his hand on us both. Job 9:32-33 He needed a Mediator to stand between God and him. First Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” The words “lay his hand on us both” refer to bringing people together, which is how it is translated in some Bibles. Job was looking for Someone to reconcile him to God, and 2 Corinthians 5:18 says, “God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.” Let Him (the Mediator) take His (God’s) rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me. Job 9:34 A rod administers punishment, and Job wanted the Mediator to take away the judgment he deserved. But if God took it from him, He would have to administer the punishment to Someone else. Sins can't go unpunished or God wouldn’t be just. Job expected his Mediator to receive his punishment. Isaiah 53:5 says Jesus “was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.” Then I would speak and not fear Him, but it is not so with me. Job 9:35 Job could approach God confidently if the Mediator did what he described, but he knew that had not been done for him. Jesus has done this for us though: “We have boldness and access [to God] with confidence through faith in [Jesus]” (Ephesians 3:12). After the Mediator took God's rod away from Job, he would no longer "fear God." But the words “it is not so with me” mean he knew it wasn’t within his power to accomplish this. Job longed for the Mediator during his trials, and He is available to us when we suffer. Jesus allows us to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Job Looked Forward to His Mediator by Faith Job couldn’t see his Mediator. He didn’t know who He was, but he could look forward to Him in faith. This is Old Testament salvation, and it’s just like New Testament salvation: justification by faith. Consider the ways Job is described: “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1; see also Job 1:8 and 2:3). As far as earthly righteousness goes, nobody could do better than Job. But God says, "There is none who does good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:2-3, 53:2-3, quoted in Romans 3:10; see also Ecclesiastes 7:20, 1 Kings 8:46, 2 Chronicles 6:36, and Psalm 143:2). Job was arguably the greatest man in the Old Testament, but he wasn’t righteous enough in God’s eyes. What Can We Learn from Job? Job teaches there’s no righteousness man can attain that's “good enough.” The religious leaders were the picture of self-imposed righteousness, but Jesus said: Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven Matthew 5:20 If Job and the religious leaders couldn't attain a righteousness that’s acceptable to God, nobody can. Our hope comes from the righteousness that’s freely available by grace through faith in ou

Do you wonder, "Are children innocent?" There are many bible verses about children's innocence, such as Jeremiah 2:34 Jeremiah 19:4, 2 Kings 21:6, and Psalm 106:38. Children are innocent until they reach the biblical age of accountability. Table of contentsEven Babies Wouldn't Go to Hell as BabiesThe Dispensation of InnocenceAdam and Eve's Lack of ShameHow Shame Is CreatedAdam and Eve Had to "Trust and Obey"Adam and Eve’s Innocence Was LostThe Connection to Children Being Innocent...Jeremiah 2:33 and 19:4 Teach Children Are InnocentGod Is not Too SeverePsalm 106:38 Teaches Children Are InnocentSecond Kings 21:6 Teaches Children Are InnocentFirst Kings 14:10 Teaches God Is Pleased with ChildrenEzekiel 16:20 Teaches Children Belong to GodJob Thought Children Escape SufferingChildren Are Made HolyOur Older Children Are Not InnocentFootnotes https://youtu.be/b9X-WfijBGU Do you wonder, "Are children innocent?" There are many bible verses about children's innocence, such as Jeremiah 2:34 Jeremiah 19:4, 2 Kings 21:6, and Psalm 106:38. Many people’s beliefs about babies going to heaven come more from wishful thinking or sentimentality than Scripture. We all want to believe babies go to heaven. We would probably all say that it seems right for babies to go to heaven. But the question is NOT, "Do we think babies go to heaven?" or "Does it seem right that babies go to heaven?" The question is, “Does the bible TEACH that babies go to heaven?” Even though I want to believe that babies go to heaven, and it seems right to me that babies to go to heaven, that is not why I believe that babies go to heaven. I believe this because that’s what the Bible teaches. If you have experienced a miscarriage, I don’t want you wondering what happened to your child and whether you will see that child again. I also don’t want you saying things like, "I believe my baby is in heaven because that’s what so many people have told me,” or “I think my baby is in heaven because the alternative is too terrible to imagine.” I want you saying, “I know my baby is in heaven because that’s what the Bible teaches.” If you read this as a young person, you face the very real possibility of experiencing a miscarriage, or miscarriages, yourself. But even if, by God’s grace you never have to know the loss of a baby, you are going to meet people who have lost a baby. Few things cause people as much heartache. I want you equipped to minister to people experiencing that trial. I want you to be able to comfort these people, not with clichés and platitudes, but with a biblical defense for their baby’s salvation. When those parents say something like, “How do I know I will see my child again?” I want you to be able to share Scripture with them. Even Babies Wouldn't Go to Hell as Babies Everyone, believers and unbelievers alike, receive resurrection bodies. Nobody spends eternity in their earthly body. Here are a few verses making the point that our earthly bodies are much different than our resurrection bodies: 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown (referring to our earthly bodies) is perishable; what is raised (referring to our resurrection bodies) is imperishable. 43 It (referring to our earthly bodies) is sown in dishonor; it (referring to our resurrection bodies) is raised in glory. It (referring to our earthly bodies) is sown in weakness; it (referring to our resurrection bodies) is raised in power. 44 It (referring to our earthly bodies) is sown a natural body; it (referring to our resurrection bodies) is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body (referring to our earthly bodies), there is also a spiritual body (referring to our resurrection bodies). We can tell there are considerable differences between our earthly bodies and resurrection bodies. From what I have learned, most scholars don’t believe that our resurrection bodies will be the same age as our earthly bodies. This means that if a 90yo Christian woman dies, she doesn’t spend eternity looking like a 90 year old. If people thought they would spend eternity at the age they died, they might not want to live as long. So, for lack of a better way to say it, what age will we look like for eternity? Many scholars believe we will be the age Adam and Eve were when they were created. We don’t know exactly what age that was, but we know they were old enough to work and reproduce. If I had to guess, I would say twenties or thirties. If a baby dies, the baby doesn’t spend eternity looking a few months old. Or if we back up even further, if a woman miscarried early in the pregnancy, the baby would not spend eternity in that undeveloped condition. Instead, that baby would receive a resurrected body and look like a mature, developed adult. We hate the thought of babies going to hell, but a baby would not go to hell like we imagine. 133 Instead, that baby would become an adult for eterni

The tax collector prayed, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner," and went home justified, or declared righteous (Luke 18:13). How do we explain this when he didn't offer any sacrifices? He offered what God wanted: "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart" (Psalm 51:16-17). https://youtu.be/BCLWCeepQhc The tax collector prayed, "God, be merciful to me a sinner" and went home justified, or declared righteous (Luke 18:13 and Psalm 51:16-17). Table of contentsThree Things to Observe about the Tax CollectorWhy Did the Tax Collector Beat His Breast?The Most Significant Difference Between the Pharisee and Tax CollectorGod's Grace to the Humble (or Those Who Pray, "God, Be Merciful to Me a Sinner")Justification Is Receiving Forgiveness and RighteousnessIf We Were Only ForgivenWhy Was Jesus Baptized?“God, Be Merciful to Me, a Sinner!” Embodies the Beatitudes“God, Be Merciful to Me, a Sinner!” Requests PropitiationPropitiation Is Turning Away WrathPropitiation with AchanPropitiation with the GibeonitesPropitiation with the PhilistinesPropitiation in the New Testament“God, Be Merciful to Me, a Sinner!” Receives JustificationWhere are the Sacrifices?God Didn’t Want Physical Sacrifices as Much as Spiritual OnesThree Reasons God Wouldn't Want Animal Sacrifices...After Commanding Them"God, Be Merciful to Me a Sinner" Is the Sacrifice God WantsHow Did This Parable Sound to Pharisees? What About to Tax Collectors?Footnotes Last post discussed the Pharisee in the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector. Now we will discuss the tax collector. Eight times in the synoptic Gospels it says "tax collectors and sinners," instead of murderers and sinners, or adulterers and sinners. Why is it written this way, as though being a tax collector is the worst sin imaginable? Because to the Jew, it pretty much was! The Romans severely taxed the Jews, and the tax collectors who collected the taxes for Rome were Jews. The Jews hated the Romans and the Jewish tax collectors who worked for them were traitors to their own people. Tax collectors were wealthy and it was a wealth made off the backs of their already oppressed Jewish brethren. Tax collectors had to collect a certain amount and anything they collected over that amount they were able to keep for themselves. They had Rome’s support, which prevented Jews from resisting them. Tax collectors were notoriously dishonest. When they came to be baptized by John they said, “Teacher, what shall we do?” [John] said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” (Luke 3:12-13). John said to stop stealing because that was their major sin. Three Things to Observe about the Tax Collector Luke 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ There is so much to learn about the tax collector just from this verse. I don’t want to miss anything so we will break it up one part at a time. First, it says he was standing far off. Let me ask you a trick question that reveals the tax collector’s brokenness: Did he want to approach God? You want to say he did because "[he] went up to the temple to pray" (Luke 18:10), but you also want to say no, because he was standing far off. You can see the struggle: he wanted to have a relationship with God, but he also felt too sinful to approach God. Second, it doesn’t say the tax collector DID NOT lift up his eyes to heaven. It says he WOULD NOT even lift up his eyes to heaven. He was so aware of his sin that he felt unworthy to even look up to heaven where God dwells. Third, he hit himself. More than likely he did this because he was angry about his sin, and he knows he is the source of it. He wasn’t blaming anyone or anything other than himself. He hit his heart, because that's where sin comes from: Matthew 15:18 What comes out of the mouth proceeds FROM THE HEART, and this defiles a person. 19 For OUT OF THE HEART come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. All this comes out of the heart! Why Did the Tax Collector Beat His Breast? The only other place in Scripture we see people beat their breast is at the cross just after Jesus died: Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last...Luke 23:48 And ALL THE CROWDS THAT HAD ASSEMBLED FOR THIS SPECTACLE, WHEN THEY SAW WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE, RETURNED HOME BEATING THEIR BREASTS. We want Scripture to interpret Scripture, which means when we see something in Scripture and want to know what it means, we look elsewhere in Scripture where we see the same thing. If we consider why they were beating their breasts it helps us understand why the tax collector did the same. John MacArthur said: “There has never been a more horrific event than the cross. Theref

The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector reveals how righteousness is and is not attained. The Pharisee in Luke 18:9-12 shows that righteousness is not attained by works. The tax collector shows that righteousness is attained by grace through faith. Table of contentsOur Works Can’t Make Us Righteous Before GodEven Job Was Not Righteous EnoughEven the Pharisees Were not Righteous EnoughThe Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Teaches How Righteousness Is and Is not Attained“I’m a Good Person” Is the World’s Most Common LieWe Need the Law to Reveal Our SinfulnessThe Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Teaches Pride Leads Us to Look Down on OthersThe Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Teaches Pride Comes from Thinking About What We Don’t DoThe Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector Teaches Pride Comes from Thinking About What We DoWe Can Do the Right Things the Wrong WayOnly One Person Was Righteous EnoughPaul Said, "I Count It All as Loss" https://youtu.be/DnAtVJhcnxw The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector reveals how righteousness is and is not attained. The Pharisee in Luke 18:9-12 shows that righteousness is not attained by works. The tax collector shows that righteousness is attained by grace through faith. Job asked the most important question: Job 9:2 (NKJV) How can a man be righteous before God? The question comes up again later in the book… Job 25:4 (NKJV) How then can man be righteous before God? This is the most important question we can ask because it determines where we spend eternity. There can’t be a more important question than this one. This is the question that every religion asks. This sounds good at first, because it means religions are asking the most important question. But the problem is, every religion outside of Christianity gets the answer wrong. Every religion believes we are righteous, or right before God by being good, or by works. But the Gospel is that we are righteous, or right before God by grace through faith. Our Works Can’t Make Us Righteous Before God Job continued wrestling with being righteous before God: Job 9:15 (NKJV) Though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge. Job said he couldn’t even be righteous enough to ANSWER God. Instead, he would have to beg for mercy. Job 9:20 (NKJV) Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. Job said even if he was righteous, his mouth, or his words would still condemn [him] and show him to be perverse. Even Job Was Not Righteous Enough It is interesting that Job, of all people, recognized he couldn’t be righteous before God, because if there is anyone who looked righteous before God, it is him. Consider how God himself described Job to Satan: Job 1:8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM ON THE EARTH, A BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT MAN, WHO FEARS GOD AND TURNS AWAY FROM EVIL?” Can you imagine a better description of someone, from God himself? Satan told God that Job only feared God because of how much God blessed him, so God let Satan remove almost every blessing Job had, and then again: Job 2:3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM ON THE EARTH, A BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT MAN, WHO FEARS GOD AND TURNS AWAY FROM EVIL? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Job was so righteous, even Satan himself couldn’t turn him from God! Yet he still couldn’t be considered righteous before God. Even the Pharisees Were not Righteous Enough Consider what Jesus said to the people in his day who thought they could be righteous enough: Matthew 5:20 I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The religious leaders were the picture of righteousness attained by human effort. Everyone knew it was impossible to be more righteous than them. When Jesus said this people would’ve said, “There is no way we can, not just match, but EXCEED the righteousness of these men.” At this point it should be obvious we can’t be righteous in our own effort, but is there a sacrifice we could bring that would allow us to be righteous before God? Is there an offering we could bring that would allow us to be in God’s presence? The prophet Micah asked this: Micah 6:6 “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” In other words, "Will this allow me to come before God? With this unimaginable number of animal sacrifices? Or tons of oil? What about the most extreme sacrifice: human sacrifice?" Micah asked about human sacrifice, no

Christ in the house of Martha and Mary reveals devotion is more important than service. Read or listen to this chapter from Work and Rest God’s Way to learn why Jesus didn't rebuke Martha in John 12:1-8, even though He rebuked her when serving earlier. Table of contentsChrist in the House of Martha and MaryMary and Martha Reveal Devotion Is More Important than ServiceMary and Martha Reveal Sitting at Jesus’ Feet Is a ChoiceMary Chose the BetterMartha Later Avoided the Rebuke from JesusJesus Didn’t Rebuke Martha Because She Didn’t Have Something Better to ChooseJesus Didn’t Rebuke Martha Because She Served with the Right Heart Christ in the House of Martha and Mary The average foot contains six hundred sweat glands per square centimeter, which is hundreds more than the armpits. Our feet secrete salt, glucose, vitamins, and amino acids that provide the perfect diet for bacteria to thrive. In appreciation for the food, bacteria leave us with fatty acids that produce the common foot odor. Given our anatomy, no matter how clean we are, foot odor is almost unavoidable. Feet might smell bad in our day, but we can be sure they smelled even worse in Jesus’ day. While most of us don’t like the idea of being too close to people’s feet, Mary didn’t let it hold her back. Luke 10:38–42 records: Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” The village is Bethany, which was about two miles east of Jerusalem on the slope of the Mount of Olives. Mary and Martha were sisters, and their brother was Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. More than likely, all three of them lived together in this house. Mary shows up three times in Scripture, and each time she’s at Jesus’ feet (See also John 11:32 and John 12:3). When Jesus arrived, the sisters responded differently: Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to His teaching, and Martha was “distracted with much serving.” While it’s easy to condemn Martha, let’s put ourselves in her place. She has Jesus—the Christ, the Lord, the Son of God—for dinner. She “welcomed Him into her house” and wanted everything to be perfect. She’s busy with all the food preparations and formalities that we would expect. All the while, her sister, Mary, seemed to be relaxing! Would you be frustrated if you were Martha? Mary lived under the same roof. She should have felt equally responsible for making sure things went well, but she seemed to be doing nothing more than sitting idly at Jesus’ feet. How do we explain Martha being rebuked, and Mary being commended? Making it more striking, Martha was serving Jesus! It would be one thing if she were serving someone else, but she was serving the Lord! Mary and Martha Reveal Devotion Is More Important than Service Unfortunately, people contrast Mary and Martha and teach that Christians must make a choice: be a worshiper like Mary or a servant like Martha. They think it’s “either/or” when it’s actually both: we should be worshipers and servants. What do we hope to hear when we stand before the Lord? “Well done good and faithful person who sat at Jesus’ feet” or “Well done good and faithful person who prayed and read the Bible every day.” No. We hope to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, 23). This account is not minimizing service. Instead, it is elevating devotion. “Martha was distracted with much serving,” but distracted from whom, or from what? From Jesus and His teaching! She was so busy with excessive preparations for Jesus; she ended up neglecting Him. She brought Him into her home but then didn’t give Him the attention He deserves. Warren Wiersbe said, “What we do with Jesus is more important than what we do for Him.”160 God is more interested in our spiritual relationship with Him than He is in our physical service for Him: “For I desire mercy (relationship) and not sacrifice (service), and the knowledge of God (relationship) more than burnt offerings (service)” (Hosea 6:6). We know what it looked like two thousand years ago for Mary to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His teaching, but what does it look like for us today? Committing time each day to praying and reading God’s Word Meditating on Jesus’ words and listening to Him with an open heart and mind Imitating Mary’s example and making our devotional time a priority over other things, even good things, such as serving Learning from Martha’s example and removing things that distract us from focusing on the Lord We must make every effort to

What is spiritual rest? Hebrews 3 (quoting Psalm 95) discusses a rest for the people of God in the spiritual promised land. Are you looking for a sermon on spiritual rest? Try reading or listening to this chapter from Work and Rest God’s Way for a better understanding! Table of contentsThe Promised Land and Spiritual RestRebellion with the Twelve SpiesUrgently Enter the RestUnbelief Is a Heart IssueMoving from the Physical Rest to the Spiritual RestAn Important WarningThe Need for FaithThe Gospel in the Old TestamentGod Preached the Gospel to AbrahamGod Preached the Gospel to Adam and EveCombining the Gospel with FaithA Continual RestA Spiritual Rest That Is Still AvailableGod’s Spiritual Rest Is Not about a Physical LocationFootnotes John Eliot was a Puritan missionary to the American Indians, pastor of the First Church in Roxbury, and founder of the Roxbury Latin School in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He fulfilled his pastoral duties, including preaching biweekly into his eighties, while ministering to the Indians. He took up court cases for their property rights, pleaded for clemency for them, fought against them being sold into slavery, sought to secure lands and streams for their use, and established schools for them. He labored to consolidate Indians so they could enjoy a Christian society, and at one point, there were fourteen towns of “Praying Indians.” Eliot learned their tongue so he could translate sermon transcripts, the Bible, and twenty other books into their language.166 Eliot was busier than most of us can imagine. He seemed as though he lived the lives of many men. Why do many of God’s most faithful servants work the hardest, and yet are rested and at peace? The answer is there’s a rest that’s not physical. The most important rest is spiritual, and they experience it. Conversely, why do some of the laziest people, who do the least, seem overwhelmed and filled with anxiety? They experience physical rest, but they lack spiritual rest. The Promised Land and Spiritual Rest The clearest passage explaining spiritual rest is Hebrews 3:7–4:11. Rest is the theme of the verses as the word occurs twelve times. The author of Hebrews also references the Old Testament extensively in these verses. Unfortunately, sometimes people read the Old Testament and think, “What does this have to do with me? How can I learn from people who lived so long ago and whose lives are so different from mine?” These are unfortunate questions because the New Testament states the Old Testament provides us with examples and instruction: “For whatever things were written [in the Old Testament] were written for our learning” (Romans 15:4). “Now all these things happened to [the Israelites] as examples, and they were written for our admonition” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Often, the Old Testament provides a backdrop for New Testament instruction. One such example takes place as the author of Hebrews reveals that the Promised Land is a type and shadow of the spiritual rest God offers His people. Rebellion with the Twelve Spies We must be familiar with Israel’s rebellion on the border of the Promised Land. In Numbers 13 and 14, the twelve spies returned after spending forty days examining the land. They shared their report with the nation, that while the land was as wonderful as God said, it was also filled with enemies. Ten of the spies said Israel couldn’t defeat the enemies, but Joshua and Caleb said God would give them victory. Tragically, the people believed the ten spies, so they didn’t believe God; therefore, God said the nation couldn’t enter. They would’ve received the land the next day, which means what was about to be a wonderful blessing for them, ended up being a moment of historic discipline. Israel was forced to wander in the wilderness for forty years—one year for each day the spies were in the land (Numbers 14:34). The generation of unbelief would die, but their children, whom they accused God of trying to murder, would enter the land (Numbers 14:3 cf. Numbers 14:31). The author of Hebrews has this rebellion in view as he presents the Promised Land as a picture of spiritual rest. We will consider this passage piece by piece throughout this chapter. Urgently Enter the Rest Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice” (Hebrews 3:7). Psalm 95 records the rebellion as God saw it, and the author of Hebrews quotes Psalm 95:7–11 in Hebrews 3:7–11. Although Psalm 95 was written by David as a wonderful affirmation of the inspiration of Scripture, it is attributed to the Holy Spirit. David was the human author, but the Holy Spirit is the true and greater Author of all of God’s Word. To convey urgency, this is the first of four times the author uses the word “Today” (also in Hebrews 3:13, 15, and 4:7). Don’t put off entering God’s rest! Live as though you might not have the same opportunity tomorrow. The Israelites serve as a warning to us. They were to enter the Promised Land, but they rebelled and were

What is Sabbath rest in Hebrews 4? What does the bible say about rest in the finished work of the cross? How is rest described in Hebrews 4:1-13? Read or listen to this chapter from Work and Rest God’s Way for answers. Table of contentsEntering the Sabbath RestWhat Does the Bible Say About Rest in the Finished Work of the Cross?Work Hard to Rest?Are You in the Wilderness, or Have you Entered the Sabbath Rest?Joshua Is a Type of JesusEgypt Is a Type of the WorldMoses Is a Type of the LawDelivered from Egypt, but Dying in the WildernessFollowing the True and Greater Moses and Joshua Into the Sabbath Rest Entering the Sabbath Rest For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his (Hebrews 4:8–10). A right is a freedom given to people and protected by a government’s laws. For example, American citizens have the right to express themselves, worship as they wish, and vote in elections for public officials. A privilege is an opportunity or advantage given to people who meet certain conditions. For example, driving is a privilege for people who have reached an age, passed a test, and agreed to obey the rules of the road. The author of Hebrews wrote to his readers about a privilege they could be given, and that’s entering “a Sabbath rest.” The condition they had to meet is contained in the words “for the people of God.” If the readers became God’s people, they could experience His rest. Since Gentiles were coming into the church, the Hebrew readers felt as though they were losing their status. The author of Hebrews explains that the only way they could remain the “people of God” was not by descending from Abraham, but by believing: Unbelieving Jews would lose their privileged status even if they were in the Promised Land and even if they observed the Sabbath. Believing Gentiles became the people of God even if they weren’t in the Promised Land and even if they didn’t observe the Sabbath. The words, “there remains” reveal the rest is available now, as opposed to only being available in the future when we get to heaven. The Greek word for “rest” in the previous verses is katapausis, but the word for “Sabbath rest” in Hebrews 4:9 is sabbatismos, and this is the only place it occurs in Scripture. The words “there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” are similar to Hebrews 4:1 “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest,” but whereas the Promised Land was in view earlier, now the Sabbath is in view. Just as the Promised Land prefigured God’s rest, so too does the Sabbath. The point the author of Hebrews is making is spiritual rather than physical; he is not primarily referring to physically resting from work. Instead, he is referring to spiritually resting from working for salvation. The Sabbath rest also looks back to creation when “[God] rested from His works.” He rested on the seventh day because His work was finished, and we can rest because the work for our salvation is finished. Just as God didn’t resume working again on the eighth day, we don’t resume working for our salvation on a later day. We enter God’s rest by trusting what Jesus has already and fully accomplished on our behalf. Notice it doesn’t say those who have entered will cease from their works. It says they “[have already] ceased from [their] works as God did from His.” We don’t enter the rest and then cease working for salvation. We have entered the rest because we have ceased working for salvation. What Does the Bible Say About Rest in the Finished Work of the Cross? The priests might have been the hardest workers in the Old Testament. Jesus said, “On the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless” (Matthew 12:5). They didn’t even get to rest on the Sabbath! The tabernacle and temple had many furnishings, but none for resting because the priests’ work was never done: Every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:11–12). Priests had to continually offer sacrifices because none of them could “take away sins.” This meant they did not experience permanent rest. In contrast, Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). As our High Priest, He “sat down” because His work was done. Jesus rested, and He offers that rest to us: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus offers rest to “all who labor and are heavy laden,” which is how anyone must feel trying to keep the Mosaic Law to be saved. Peter sa