Scott LaPierre Ministries

In Luke 17:20-21 Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is in your midst." Jesus said this because He was on the earth and people could see Him, hear Him, and touch Him. He had the kingdom with Him. To be near Jesus was to be near the kingdom. Table of contentsThe Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven Are the SameJesus's Purpose During His Earthly MinistryThe Changing Message of the Unchanging GospelThey Preached the Kingdom of God in the GospelsThey Preached the Coming Messiah in the Old TestamentThey Preached Christ Crucified in the ChurchJesus Spiritually Established the Kingdom of God at His First ComingWhy Look and Pray for the Kingdom of God When It Already Came?Jesus Will Physically Establish the Kingdom of God at His Second ComingNobody Is Born into the Kingdom of GodFootnotes https://youtu.be/W5PC5vvR-g8 In Luke 17:20-21 Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is in your midst" because He was on the earth and to be near Him was to be near the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is one of the most important topics in Scripture. This is the Kingdom Jesus rules over. Every Kingdom has a king, and this is the Kingdom where Jesus is King: 2 Peter 1:11 There will be richly provided for you an entrance into THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. Jesus brought His Kingdom Him in His first coming when He came from heaven to earth. Every believer is part of this Kingdom, because it’s the Kingdom for people who have Jesus as their King. Matthew 3:2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” John the Baptist paved the way for the Messiah. He said the kingdom of God is "at hand" because He knew Jesus was bringing the kingdom of God with Him. The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven Are the Same Kingdom of Heaven is the same as the Kingdom of God. The title Kingdom of Heaven only occurs in Matthew’s Gospel because it’s the Jewish Gospel and the Jews were sensitive to the word “God” being used. To avoid offending his Jewish readers, Matthew says Kingdom of Heaven.244 John told people what to do to prepare for the kingdom: repent. We enter the Kingdom by repentance and faith in King Jesus. That was and still is how to enter the kingdom. Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The ESV and NKJV read "at hand," but they have footnotes that they could also read "has come near," which is how it reads in the NIV. "Has come near" is preferrable for two reasons: It is past tense: the kingdom HAS COME, which it had, because Jesus brought it with Him. The Kingdom was NEAR is also fitting because Jesus was on the earth and people could see Him, hear Him, and even touch Him. He had the kingdom with Him. To be near Jesus was to be near the kingdom. Jesus's Purpose During His Earthly Ministry The phrase Kingdom of God occurs 54 times in the gospels, and 32 of those times are in Luke. Luke is THEE Gospel that gives the most attention to the Kingdom of God. Luke 4:43 is the first time the phrase Kingdom of God occurs, and it’s very fitting: Luke 4:42 the people sought [Jesus] and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” People were trying to keep Jesus from leaving, but He told them he had to go so he could preach the kingdom. He went so far as to say this was his purpose. We see Him fulfill this purpose throughout His earthly ministry. A few examples: Luke 8:1 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and BRINGING THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. And the twelve were with him, Jesus goes through the cities and villages preaching the kingdom of God, and then He commissions the twelve to do the same: Luke 9:1 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he SENT THEM OUT TO PROCLAIM THE KINGDOM OF GOD and to heal. The word proclaim contains kingdom imagery, because it describes a herald coming and making an announcement for the King. The Twelve Apostles would: announce that the King – or Messiah – had arrived tell people about the acts – the miracles and teachings – of the King escribe the King’s Kingdom tell people what the kingdom was like tell people how to enter the Kingdom Jesus, the King, attracted huge crowds, and He preached the kingdom to them: Luke 9:11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. Jesus sent out the seventy and told them: Luke 10:9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of

In 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Paul hypothetically discussed "for if Christ is not raised." Read, listen, or watch to learn what it means for believers if Christ was not raised, and what it means for unbelievers that Christ was raised. Table of contentsWe All Have DoubtsWhat Makes People Heretics?What It Means for BelieversFor If Christ Is Not Raised a Believer’s Preaching is WorthlessFor If Christ Is Not Raised New Testament Authors Are LiarsFor If Christ Is Not Raised a Believer’s Faith Is WorthlessFor If Christ Is Not Raised a Believer’s Sins Are UnforgivenFor If Christ Is Not Raised the Dead Cease ExistingFor If Christ Is Not Raised a Believer Should Be PitiedWhat It Means for UnbelieversBecause Christ Was Raised an Unbeliever’s Works Are WorthlessBecause Christ Was Raised New Testament Authors Are WatchmenBecause Christ Was Raised an Unbeliever’s Sins Are UnforgivenBecause Christ Was Raised the Dead Live Eternally in Hell or HeavenBecause Christ Was Raised an Unbeliever Should Be Most Pitied https://youtu.be/r3v2SV_Bm1c "For if Christ is not raised" is a hypothetical situation in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. Learn what it means for believers and unbelievers. We All Have Doubts Having doubts is common. Sometimes we have doubts about insignificant things like our orders at restaurants or the clothes we put on. Other times we have doubts about more significant things: "Should I have taken this job, moved here, made this purchase, or married this person?" You should not have this last doubt, because as soon as you’re married your spouse became the right person. The Corinthians were having doubts about, of all things, the resurrection! 1 Corinthians 15:12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? Paul makes a logical point: “If you believe Christ was raised from the dead, you should believe Christians, or those in Christ, will be raised from the dead as well.” Why Gentiles and Jews Doubted Christ's Resurrection Gentiles doubted the resurrection, because of their pagan philosophies and religions. When Paul was at Athens he preached about the resurrection, and Acts 17:32 says, "When they heard [Paul preach the] resurrection of the dead, SOME MOCKED." They mocked because they thought everything physical was bad, and couldn’t believe God would raise physical bodies from the dead. John MacArthur said the idea was “repulsive and disgusting” to them. The Jews struggled with resurrection because of the Sadducees., who didn’t believe in anything supernatural. Acts 4:1-2 says, "As [Peter and John] were speaking to the people…the Sadducees [were] greatly annoyed because [Peter and John] were…proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead." The Sadducees were prominent Jewish religious leaders, more than likely they influenced the Jews not to believe in the resurrection. What Makes People Heretics? If they doubted Christ’s resurrection, they wouldn’t be believers, because there are certain non-negotiables in the Christian life, and Christ’s resurrection is one of them. People who deny Christ’s resurrection are heretics. The Corinthians had many problems, as the previous 14 chapters reveal, but they weren’t heretics. One fourth of professing Christians don't believe in the resurrectionfrom, which means one fourth of professing Christians are heretics. Unfortunately, most of the articles said, “one fourth OF CHRISTIANS don’t believe in the resurrection.” This language is terrible, because it implies people can be Christians AND NOT believe in the resurrection. So, it’s worth noticing I said “one fourth of PROFESSING Christians” deny the resurrection. This one fourth must not be familiar with these verses, because Paul explains the terrible problems associated with doubting the resurrection. He plays a game with the Corinthians: “Let’s pretend Christ was not raised.” What It Means for Believers For If Christ Is Not Raised a Believer’s Preaching is Worthless 1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. Paul is working backward. If there’s no resurrection, then Jesus hasn’t been raised from the dead. If Christians can’t be resurrected, then Christ couldn’t have been raised. The Greek word for vain is kenos, which means “empty.” It’s related to the word for "emptied Himself" in Philippians 2:7, where we get the doctrine of the kenosis, that at the Incarnation Christ emptied Himself. We’ll talk more about our faith being vain after verse 17, when Paul says the same thing. If Christ wasn’t raised, then preaching vain or empty. Every Gospel presentation, sermon, Sunday school teaching, Bible study, funeral message promising people their loved ones were in heaven and they would see them again, were vain. They were empty without the resurr

The parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 is about faithful stewardship. Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn what the parable of the talents teaches us about managing money. Table of ContentsEncouraged By the Parable of the TalentsGod Judges Christians’ Stewardships Versus Their SinsFirst, God Gives What We Can HandleSecond, God Judges Our Proportion Versus Our PortionThird, God Does Not Compare Us with OthersThe First Danger of Comparing: DiscouragementThe Second Danger of Comparing: PrideThe Same Reward for Going to Battle and Guarding the SuppliesAre You the 400, 200, First Servant, or Second Servant?Footnotes Everything belongs to God. Deuteronomy 10:14 says, “Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it.” God said, “Every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine” (Psalm 50:10-11). Psalm 89:11 says, “The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness, You have founded them.” First Corinthians 10:26 quotes Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” Of course, God’s possessions include all the wealth throughout history. This means your money isn’t your money! It’s God’s money. In Haggai 2:8, God said, “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine.” David wanted to build a house (or temple) for God. When he was told he couldn’t, he did everything he could to help his son Solomon make this happen, only stopping short of doing the building himself. David collected the materials, including the silver and gold. After the people gave even more than was needed, David prayed in 1 Chronicles 29:14, 16: Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your hand we have given You…O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own. David understood they were giving back to God what He had given them. John 3:27 says, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” Our entire perspective of money changes when we understand that all wealth belongs to God. We come to view our finances correctly as one big stewardship. If we understand money is a stewardship, we will be wiser with the money God has given us. We will be less likely to waste it because we understand it is God’s money versus our own. We will even find it easier to be generous and give it away because we know it is God’s money versus our own. Encouraged By the Parable of the Talents The apostle Paul said, “It is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). If you’ve ever put someone in charge of something that belongs to you, you know the one thing you value more than anything else is faithfulness. The parable of the talents gives us the encouragement we need to be faithful. A talent was the largest denomination of money in the Greco-Roman world, estimated to be worth as much as 6,000 denarii. Because a denarius was one day’s wage, this was approximately 20 years’ work. Although the talents in the parable can represent any stewardships in our lives— time, marriage, children, abilities, possessions, positions in life—because Jesus chose a unit of money, the parable of the talents particularly applies to the stewardship of finances. John MacArthur said parable of the talents “illustrates the tragedy of wasted opportunity.”250 Second only to time, there aren’t many things we waste more than money. This parable should inspire us to act otherwise and be faithful stewards: The kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, “Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.” His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” He also who had received two talents came and said, “Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.” His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:14-23).

James 1:4 says, "Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." Read or listen to this chapter from Enduring Trials God's Way to learn how to let trials make you better versus bitter. Table of contentsWe Must Choose to "Let" Patience Have Its Perfect WorkLet Patience Have Its Perfect Work to Avoid Becoming BitterBitterness Is the Temptation During TrialsDavid Was Made Better by TrialsDavid Trusted God's SovereigntyAsa Became Bitter by TrialsDiscussion Questions I would love to be able to say, “Trials always produce patience, and patience makes you perfect and complete, lacking nothing,” but sometimes it would be more accurate to say, “Trials produce bitterness.” God wants to use trials for our good, but it's tempting to become bitter. When people are suffering, there is greater potential for them to question, criticize—or worst of all—turn from God. Perhaps you can think of people experiencing a trial and they said something like, “How could God let this happen to me? I do not deserve it! I wish I could give Him a piece of my mind!” If we're honest, we can probably think of times trials did not produce patience or maturity in us. Instead of making us better, they made us bitter. We Must Choose to "Let" Patience Have Its Perfect Work The wording of James 1:3-4 is odd. If we never read the verses before we would probably expect them to say, “…the testing of your faith produces patience, which makes you perfect…” Instead, there are instructive words: “let patience have its perfect work.” The Greek word for let is echō, and it's a verb because James is commanding us to do something. We must “let” trials “work.” Echō means, “To have, hold, own, possess, lay hold of.” Here are two places it's used: Matthew 3:13–14—“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need (echō) to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’” Acts 2:44–45—“Now all who believed were together, and had (echō) all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had (echō) need.” Of the 712 times echō occurs in the New Testament, 613 times it is translated as “have,” because it is not simply about accepting trials in our lives. We must take ownership of them. Instead of resisting trials, we must embrace them. This is how we “let” God use them for our benefit. The alternative is to fight against trials, which hinders the “perfect work” they can accomplish. Before doctors administer a shot, they say, “Relax. Try to remain as calm as possible. This will hurt, but it will be worse if you resist.” The doctor is telling you to accept what is about to happen because failing to do so will only make an already painful situation even worse. It is the same with trials. We cannot avoid them. They hurt, and we make them worse when we resist. Instead, we must accept them, trusting God wants to use them for our good and His glory. This is how we "count it all joy" and “let” trials make us better. Let Patience Have Its Perfect Work to Avoid Becoming Bitter Trials and temptations are not the same. Trials are tests from God, and He uses them for our benefit. Temptations, on the other hand, come from our flesh: Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. James 1:13-14 As much as God uses trials to bring out the best in us, Satan uses temptations to bring out the worst in us: Every person in the world will encounter various trials throughout life. Satan seeks to defeat you by tempting you to trust your own wisdom, to live according to your self-centered feelings, and to gratify the desires of your flesh. In contrast, God’s will is for you to be an overwhelming conqueror in all of these tests for His honor and glory. Broger, James. Self-Confrontation Manual, Lesson 8, p. 3, Used by Permission of the Biblical Counseling Foundation. Although trials and temptations are different for each person, bitterness is one common temptation everyone faces. There are many sins in Scripture, but there is no root of lying, stealing, or adultery. Why does Hebrews 12:15 discuss a “root of bitterness?” Roots grow and become difficult to remove, which is also the case with bitterness. Roots can be destructive, ruining sidewalks and the foundations of buildings. Similarly, bitterness can be destructive, ruining relationships in families, workplaces, and churches. When people experience trials, especially particularly difficult ones such as a disease or the loss of a child, they might feel betrayed by God. Bitterness can come on quickly, “springing up” as the author of Hebrews warned. Bitterness Is the Temptation During Trials Revelation 3:10 calls the Tribulation “the hour of trial which shall c

In Luke 17:11-19 Jesus cleansed ten lepers of their physical leprosy. Only one of them returned and ended up being cleansed of his spiritual leprosy. https://youtu.be/13bpSzKhUjk In Luke 17:11-19 Jesus cleansed ten lepers of physical leprosy. One of them returned and ended up being cleansed of his spiritual leprosy. Table of contentsUnderstanding LeprosyLeprosy's Physical EffectsLeprosy's Spiritual EffectsLeprosy's Mental EffectsLeprosy's Emotional EffectsWhy Lepers (Sadly) Weren't PitiedWho Might Lepers Approach?Cleansed Leprosy in the Old TestamentMiriam's CleansingNaaman's CleansingThe Ritual for Cleansed Lepers in Leviticus 14Cleansing Physical Leprosy Identified the Messiah’s ComingGreater than Moses and ElishaJesus Noticed the Ten Lepers Thanklessness and ThankfulnessLook Past the Ten Lepers' Physical Leprosy to Their Spiritual LeprosyLeprosy Is a Picture of SinA Beautiful Picture of Cleansing Spiritual LeprosyJesus Wants to Cleanse Our Spiritual LeprosyThe Greatest Cleansing Any of the Ten Lepers Received Leprosy and its variants are mentioned 68 times in the Bible. The number of references alone makes it worth understanding. Regarding the account of the ten lepers in Luke 11:17-19, understanding leprosy helps us better understand: The lepers’ desperation when they came to Jesus How dramatic and wonderful it was for Jesus to heal them How thankful they should have been when Jesus healed them Understanding Leprosy Leprosy's Physical Effects Leprosy began as small, red spots on the skin. Before long the spots grew and turned white, with a shiny or scaly appearance. Then the spots would become dirty sores and ulcers because of the poor blood supply. The sores and ulcers would spread until they covered the body. Lepers would lose feeling in affected areas, and without pain as a warning system they’d experience other injuries: They might twist an ankle but continue walking, worsening the tearing of the ligaments. If they were cooking with a fire, they wouldn’t know if they got too close and burn themselves. Because they were forced to live away from civilization in unsanitary environments, they might not notice – and I’m not kidding – if rodents were chewing on them while they slept. The body would start to fall apart: Hair would fall out. Fingernails and toenails would become loose and fall off. The joints of fingers and toes would rot until the fingers and toes themselves fell off. Gums would shrink until teeth fell out. The disease would affect the larynx, producing a grating quality in the leper’s voice. The skin around the eyes and ears would begin to bunch, with deep furrows between the swellings, so the face started to look like that of a lion. Leprosy would eat away at the victim’s face until their nose, palate, and even their eyes would rot away. Since lepers had parts of their bodies rotting, they put off a terrible odor, and these are only the physical consequences. There were spiritual, mental, and emotional consequences as well. Leprosy's Spiritual Effects Spiritually, because lepers were unclean, they were removed from the religious life of the nation. Say goodbye to ever being able to corporately worship the Lord again. Leprosy's Mental Effects Mentally, leprosy was terrible because there was no cure. Lepers had to live with the reality that their condition would only get worse. As terrible as this week was, the next week would be even worse and the week after that even worse. Leprosy's Emotional Effects Emotionally, leprosy was terrible because it meant the end of human relationships. Unless you want to risk your spouse, parents, children, siblings, or friends contracting leprosy you stay away from them. All suffering is helped by the love and support of family and friends, but lepers couldn’t even experience that. Imagine for a moment, you can never kiss your spouse again, hug your children or parents again. Because lepers were like living dead people who could have no more relationships with others, there would be funerals for them while they were alive.256 Lepers became complete outcasts, shunned by the rest of society. The only relationships they had were with other lepers, but even this was painful, because the relationships served as constant reminders of the fate that awaited them: they had to watch other lepers rot away knowing the same would happen to them. Why Lepers (Sadly) Weren't Pitied You could read this and think, “Everyone must have felt terrible for lepers." No, and let me explain why: Luke 13:1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do

Hebrews 13:5 says, "Avoid covetousness and be content with what you have, for He has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" This verse instructs us to put off covetousness and put on contentment. We do so, not physically, but spiritually by focusing on Christ's promise to always be with us. Read this material from Being Content God’s Way, or watch the accompanying sermon, to learn how to avoid covetousness and be content with what you have. Table of contentsRepentance Involves Stopping and StartingPut On the Opposite of What You Put OffBe Content with What You Have by Putting Off CovetousnessBe Content with What You Have Versus Pursuing WealthDiscontentment and Covetousness Caused by Social MediaDiscontentment and Covetousness Caused by Endless AdsContentment Is a Spiritual IssueYour Relationship with Christ Allows You to Be Content with What You HaveApplying Hebrews 13:5 https://youtu.be/oLxvCPELgD4 Hebrews 13:5 says, "Avoid covetousness and be content with what you have." We're told to put off covetousness and put on contentment. The single greatest reason we fail in our repentance is that we “put off” without “putting on.” If we want to stop a certain behavior, there’s a corresponding behavior we must also start. John the Baptist is a man whose message can be summarized in the word “repent.” He said, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8 and Luke 3:8). These words tell us something about repentance that we don’t often consider. When we repent of something, we must also produce corresponding fruit. This can be a dramatic revelation for many, because when they think of repentance, they think only of stopping. If that’s been the case with you, then from now on, remember that’s only the first step. The second step is starting the accompanying behavior. The Apostle Paul also knew how to preach repentance, and he said, “Repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26:20b). Like John, he said repentance would bear fruit, or be accompanied by “works.” Repentance Involves Stopping and Starting Paul explained this most clearly in Ephesians 4. Verse 25 says, “Put away lying.” This is what we put off, followed by: “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor.” This is what we put on. It is not enough to simply stop lying. We must also make a conscious effort to start telling the truth and ensure what we say is accurate. Verse 28 says, “Let him who stole steal no longer.” This is what we put off, followed by: “Rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” We can’t simply stop stealing. We must replace theft with hard work and generosity. I want to give this example more attention, because it relates so closely to covetousness, contentment, and giving. Why do most people labor, especially those struggling with covetousness? To have more for themselves. They do the opposite of what Paul commands. They don’t labor to “have something to share with [others] in need.” They labor according to their greed. This is characteristic of our consumer-driven society. We constantly seek to raise our standard of living. But if we want victory over covetousness we should raise our capacity to give. One way we can tell whether we struggle with covetousness is by asking, “Who am I working for? Who is the recipient of all my stuff? Luke James 4:3 says, do you want more money “to spend it on your own passions?” Verse 29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth.” This is what we put off, followed by: “But what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” We can’t simply stop saying unwholesome things. We must intentionally speak words that edify and encourage. Verse 31 sums it up: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.” Put off all this, and then put on verse 32: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Paul makes the same point in Colossians 3: Verse 8 says, “Now you are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.” Verse 12 says, “Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another.” If we repent of the sins in verse 8, we will produce the fruit in verse 12. Put On the Opposite of What You Put Off You probably noticed the verses contain opposing pairs. This is important to keep in mind because the list of sins in Ephesians 4 is not exhaustive. If there’s a sin in your life that’s not mentioned, think of the opposite. More than likely that’s the fruit you must produce. If you put off without putting on then a vacuum is created. In the Parable of the Unclean Spirit, Jesus described the danger when it’s not filled. Matthew 12:43–45 records: When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking

On Sunday mornings, we are working our way verse by verse through the Gospel of Luke, and we now arrive at Luke 17:7, where Jesus teaches what is commonly called The Parable of the Unprofitable Servant. These verses confront one of the most subtle dangers in the Christian life: spiritual pride that grows out of faithful service. Illustration: Why Movement Matters Over the years, I’ve learned an important lesson through repeated injuries: healing requires movement. In high school, I pole vaulted competitively. One year, eager to begin practice, I skipped warming up and immediately tore my hamstring. My instinct was to rest it completely. Each time it felt better, I tried running again—only to feel the pain return. That season, I jumped two feet lower than the year before. Later, someone explained that light movement increases blood flow, and blood brings healing. Years later, during college, I severely separated my shoulder playing tackle football—with no pads. The orthopedic surgeon explained that my injury was worse because the tendons tore off the bone, where there is little blood. Again, the absence of blood meant slower healing. Then, in 2020, I experienced debilitating sciatic pain. I stayed in bed, thinking rest would heal me. Instead, I worsened. Every doctor I listened to said the same thing: complete inactivity makes things worse. Slowly getting up and walking—painful at first—was the beginning of recovery. Whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually, God has designed us to be active. Stagnation weakens us. Movement strengthens us. https://youtu.be/qsYtrLd5NWE In Luke 17:7-10 Jesus preached The Parable of the Unprofitable Servant. Our response should always be, “We are unworthy servants.” Table of contentsServing God… and the Danger That Comes With ItThe Parable Explained (Luke 17:7–9)Lesson One (Part One): We Always Have More Work to DoLesson One (Part Two): We Prefer the Master to OurselvesLesson One (Part Three): We Have Never Gone Above and BeyondThe Stunning Reversal: The Master Who ServesConclusion: Grateful, Indebted Servants Serving God… and the Danger That Comes With It At this point, you might expect Jesus to emphasize the importance of serving. And serving is important. But in Luke 17:7–10, Jesus addresses something else: the danger that faithful service brings with it. That danger is pride. Even when serving the Lord, our flesh tempts us to think: “God must be impressed with me.” “Surely I’ve gone above and beyond.” “After all I’ve done, doesn’t He owe me something?” There is little uglier than spiritual pride, because it quietly denies God’s ongoing grace—not saving grace, but sanctifying grace. We forget that everything we do for Christ is empowered by Him. The Parable Explained (Luke 17:7–9) Jesus asks whether a master would invite his servant—after a long day of plowing or shepherding—to recline at the table. The expected answer is no. Instead, the servant prepares the master’s meal, serves him, and only afterward eats himself. This imagery was not shocking to Jesus’ audience. The servant was not a volunteer. He was doing what was commanded. Jesus’ point is not about earthly employment, but our relationship with Him. Lesson One (Part One): We Always Have More Work to Do Faithful servants do not decide for themselves when the work is finished. Until Christ returns, there is always more obedience, more faithfulness, more service to render. Lesson One (Part Two): We Prefer the Master to Ourselves Notice the order in Luke 17:8: “Prepare supper for me” “Serve me” “Afterward you will eat and drink” The Christian life is not centered on what we want, but on what Christ wants. Lesson One (Part Three): We Have Never Gone Above and Beyond Jesus concludes: “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:10) Like children calling out, “Watch this!”, we can be tempted to think our obedience is impressive. But even our best service never exceeds our duty—especially when we remember what Christ has done for us. Charles Spurgeon captured it well: “Our service put beside Christ’s is like one single grain of dust in comparison with the mighty orb of the sun.” The Stunning Reversal: The Master Who Serves Here is the shock of the gospel. Though Luke 17 emphasizes duty in this life, Luke 12 reveals what Christ will do in the next life. Jesus promises that when He returns, He will seat His faithful servants at the table and serve them (Luke 12:37). This is not contradiction—it is completion. It echoes John 13, when Jesus girded Himself and washed the disciples’ feet. The Master served His servants then, and He will do so again. Conclusion: Grateful, Indebted Servants Jesus does not call us to false humility that says, “I am useless.” He calls us to true humility that remembers how infinitely more Christ has done for us than we could ever do for Him. When we see that clearly, we gladly say, “We are unprofitab

Physical rest in the Bible is an important topic. Read or listen to this chapter from Work and Rest God’s Way to learn the Bible verses about rest. Table of contentsThe Need for Physical Rest in the BibleTransition from the Seventh Day to First DayThe Need for Sleep in the BibleThe Consequences of Inadequate SleepMortalityDiabetesObesityCardiovascularMentalImmune SystemSocialWhen Science Catches Up with the BibleThe Spiritual Helps Us Rest PhysicallyRest Produced from Obeying the LordRest Produced from the Lord’s LeadingRest Produced from the Lord’s SovereigntyRest in the Bible Requires BalanceFootnotes The Need for Physical Rest in the Bible On the surface, work and rest seem like opposites, as though one undoes the other. They appear to be mutually exclusive. To do one must mean that we reject doing the other. There’s a conflict: do we work or rest? The answer is, yes! We’re commanded to do both. Rest is as much a theme from Genesis to Revelation as work. God introduced the concept of rest at creation. Genesis 2:2–3 says, “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.” God is omnipotent. He wasn’t tired. He didn’t need to rest. Instead, He was establishing a pattern for His people to follow. The Ten Commandments made resting on the Sabbath a requirement of the Law. The fourth commandment in Exodus 20:8–11 reads: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. God said, “Remember the Sabbath,” because it wasn’t something new; it had been around since creation. The command to rest was not an excuse to be lazy, considering they had to work six full days before the seventh. Since the Sabbath preceded the Mosaic Law, we can “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy” as a creation mandate. Transition from the Seventh Day to First Day Jesus and the disciples kept the fourth commandment, just as they kept the other nine commandments. But there was a transition. Jesus instituted the New Covenant at the Last Supper with these familiar words: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). With the institution of the New Covenant there was a shift from the seventh day of the week (the Sabbath/Saturday) to the first day of the week (Sunday) in honor of Christ’s resurrection.259 Thus, we see the first day of the week emphasized in the New Testament. The phrase “first day of the week” occurs eight times: Six times in the Gospels identifying the day of Jesus’ resurrection: Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, 9, Luke 24:1, John 20:1, and John 20:19 Once in Acts 20:7 identifying the day the early church met: “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread”260 Once when Paul encouraged believers to set aside something to give financially: “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). More than likely Paul told them to set their collections aside on the first day of the week, because that’s when they gathered for worship. If we only had Acts 20:7 stating the early church met on the first day of the week, this would be enough to encourage corporate worship on Sundays. Pastor John MacArthur writes, “The writings of the early church Fathers confirm the church continued to meet on Sunday after the close of the New Testament period.”261 Matthew Henry writes, “The first day of the week is to be observed by all the disciples of Christ; and it is a sign between Christ and them.”262 While the first day of the week is emphasized in the New Testament, the seventh day (or Sabbath) is de-emphasized. The phrase “first day of the week” occurs eight times, but the phrase “seventh day of the week” never occurs. Understandably we’d expect the seventh day to be called, “Sabbath.” The Sabbath is mentioned in the Gospels, but only because the transition to the first day of the week had not yet taken place. When the Sabbath is mentioned in Acts, it’s associated with the practice of Jews who had not yet embraced Christ, but it’s never associated with the practice or worship of the early church. After Acts, the Sabbath only occurs in one verse: “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festiv

What is the family integrated church movement? Why do people attend family integrated churches? Here are seven reasons! Table of contentsFirst, a Family Integrated Church Fits the New Testament PatternJesus Had Children Present When He TaughtPaul Had Children Present When He TaughtPaul Expected Children to Be Present When His Letters Were ReadSecond, a Family Integrated Church Allows Parents to Spend More Time with Their ChildrenThird, a Family Integrated Church Encourages Fathers to Be Spiritual LeadersEncouragement for WivesFourth, a Family Integrated Church Allows the Church and Home to Look Alike"What If My Children Don't Sit Perfectly in Church?"Fifth, a Family Integrated Church Surrounds Children with Adults and InfantsSixth, a Family Integrated Church Surrounds Children with Wisdom Versus FoolishnessSeventh, a Family Integrated Church Gives a Family to Those Without FamiliesWhy Aren't More Churches Family Integrated?My Personal Burden Because I must "Give an Account" https://youtu.be/j6V15FxM4FU What is the family integrated church movement? Why do people attend family integrated churches? Here are seven reasons! My previous post on having children in worship examined Old Testament verses. This is part two and it examines New Testament verses. First, a Family Integrated Church Fits the New Testament Pattern Matthew 21:12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” The religious leaders were upset about two things: First, what Jesus was doing—healing the blind and the lame. Second, the children in the temple—they didn't want them making noise and crying out praises to the Lord. But Jesus wanted the children there, and He defended their presence and praise. Jesus Had Children Present When He Taught Mark 9:35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” Notice not what Jesus said, but what He did. Jesus was in the middle of teaching, and He reached down and grabbed a child. He didn’t have to tell one of the disciples to go get a child from somewhere to serve as an object lesson. He had children around when He was teaching. Mark 10:13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. First, we see another instance of Jesus rebuking people who tried to keep children away. Second, He argued that children are central to the kingdom of God. That’s a strong statement that I think argues for children to be present during worship. If the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like children, then we should probably have children worshiping with us. Paul Had Children Present When He Taught Acts 20:9 And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted. Paul was teaching late into the night when Eutychus fell out the window and died. The Greek word for youth in verse 12 is pais and it means child or infant. It is the same word used in in Matthew 2:16 to describe the infants Herod murdered and Matthew 21 to describe the children in the temple who were calling out. The young child was there while Paul was preaching. Acts 21:5 When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the c

Should we have children in worship? Should we have a separate worship service for children? Learn why worshiping with children is so valuable. https://youtu.be/woc8VB_Tz8c Should we have children in worship? Should we have a separate worship service for children? Learn why worshiping with children is so valuable. Table of contentsWhy the Need to Explain Having Children in Worship?Having Children in Worship Is the Biblical PatternChildren Were Present When RejoicingChildren Were Present When God's Word Was ReadChildren Were Present When Seeking the LordChildren Were Present When Confessing SinChildren Were Present When Praising the LordChildren Were Present When RepentingWe Should Have Children in Worship to Foster a Positive View of ChildrenWhen My Son Learned We're Expecting Our Tenth ChildDon't Argue from Silence Against Children in WorshipHaving Children in Worship Is not an Essential Growing up, I played soccer, basketball, and baseball. I switched to football, wrestling, and track in junior high and high school. As an elementary school teacher, I coached high school and junior high wrestling, elementary school flag football, and girls' basketball. In all my experience playing and coaching, I found that football coaches receive by far the most criticism. The reason is play calling. Whatever plays the coach calls, there will always be fans convinced the coach should have called another play instead. Katie and I attended a small school. There were fewer than twenty guys on the football team, which meant that if you had a pulse, you probably played offense, defense, or special teams. On offense, I played running back, and I had my own thoughts about the play calling. There were times I thought it would have been better if the coach had called a different play. But then something happened that changed everything for me. I overheard the coach explaining the play calling. He said, “We run this play to set up this play. Then we run this play to set up this play. And if they respond this way, then we run this play, but if they respond this way, then we run this play.” And just like that I understood what our coach was doing. Hopefully this post serves the same purpose and helps you understand why we would have children in the worship service. Why the Need to Explain Having Children in Worship? We tend to be convinced of whatever we first experience. This is why people raised Buddhist typically stay Buddhists, people raised Mormon typically stay Mormons, people raised Pentecostal typically stay Pentecostal, and so on. If you go into many churches nationwide, the norm is for parents and children to be separated for events and activities. There is a worship service, and the kids are removed for children’s church. There is a midweek service, and the children go to youth group. Because this is so common, it is what many people first experience. They become convinced it is right because it is all they know. A paradigm shift can be required for people who never thought about church any other way. They are not opposed to having children in worship. Instead, they’ve never seen it differently, so it’s not on their radar. Many people might be surprised to know it was the norm throughout most of church history and it is still the norm throughout most of the rest of the world today for families to worship together. We are part of a Christian hospitality network we highly recommend called, “A Candle in the Window.” A Chinese family stayed with us. They came to the United States so the father, Peter, could receive pastoral training and return to China to plant churches. He said they had always seen children in worship until coming to the United States. A pastor friend, Cary Green, and his wife, Lois, were missionaries in Germany. They came to the United States after being told they could no longer homeschool. They shared about church life in Germany, and that children are in worship. But even if the norm throughout human history and throughout the world today is having children in worship, that’s not what we should base our decision on. We want to answer this the same way we answer everything: What does God’s Word say? Having Children in Worship Is the Biblical Pattern Children Were Present When Rejoicing Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter… “You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter. Deuteronomy 16:10-11, 13-14 They were to celebrate the Feast of Weeks and Booths as families with their sons and daughters present. They offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also

How do you deal with fools who slander you and "despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7)? David sets a great example. When Shimei cursed him, he said, “Leave him alone, and let him curse.” Read on to learn why silence is the best response to proverbs fools. Table of ContentsLeave Fools Alone and Let Them CurseLet a Clear Conscience Keep You SilentRespond to Fools with Godly BehaviorThree Ways David Resembles Jesus in His Response to a FoolDon’t Respond to Fools with WordsHezekiah’s Silence to a FoolJeremiah’s Silence to a FoolFools Fish for ResponsesUnderstanding Proverbs FoolsIdentifying Proverbs FoolsProverbs Fools Hate CorrectionSo, How Do You Deal with Fools?Three Encouragements When Dealing with Proverbs FoolsFirst, God Knows It’s Hard NOT to Respond to Proverbs FoolsSecond, Remaining Silent Is a Sign of MaturityThird, Remaining Silent Looks Like Christ https://youtu.be/APOjm5cCgVg How do you deal with fools who "despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7)? Learn why silence is the best response to proverbs fools. David was experiencing one of the lowest points in his life. He lost the throne. His wicked son, Absalom, is the one who stole it from him. Much of the nation joined Absalom. David was fleeing Jerusalem, and when you think things couldn’t get any worse, Shimei finds him: 2 Samuel 16:8 The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.” 9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” 10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” 11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. Shimei is related to Saul. Even though Saul lost the throne and died decades earlier, he still blames David for all of Saul’s misfortune. We tend to think that with time people move on. Sometimes they do, but other times the roots of bitterness continue to go grow and become even deeper as each year passes. That was the case with Shimei. He probably despised David more now than he did when Saul died. Leave Fools Alone and Let Them Curse David said, “Leave him alone, and let him curse.” The longer I’m a pastor, the greater wisdom I see in these words. Circle them, underline them, highlight them, or do whatever you need to do to remember them so you can come back to them when people slander you. Gossip is spreading negative information about people to others who have no business knowing that information. But at least the information is true. Slander is spreading lies about people. Let a Clear Conscience Keep You Silent Shimei is slandering David. He falsely accused him of violently overthrowing the house of Saul. But it was just the opposite: David played music to alleviate Saul of his torment, repeatedly spared his life, was friends with Saul’s son, Jonathan, and was gracious to Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth. David knew what Shimei was saying was untrue and this allowed him to remain silent. When David became king again Shimei did a 180, came back to David, and apologized. He said, “Do not let the king take it to heart” (2 Samuel 19:19). David didn’t have to take it to heart because he knew it wasn’t true. When people fools slander us, we don’t have to take it to heart, because it isn’t true. 1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. Having a good conscience allows us to remain silent when slandered: If you know the slander against you is untrue then you can disregard it. You don’t have to give it a second thought, let it ruin your day, or let it weigh on you or keep you up at night. Instead, we should respond with, “good behavior.” Respond to Fools with Godly Behavior 1 Peter 2:12 Keep your conduct among the gentiles honorable, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation...15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. All three verses emphasize responding to slander with godly behavior: “your good behavior…your conduct…your good deeds…by doing good” (1 Peter 2:12, 2:15, 3:16). This is how “to silence the ignorance of foolish people,” or fools. This means keep serving the Lord, remaining faithful, having joy, and investing your time and energy with brothers and sisters in Christ. The pastors I have developed close friendships with have told me about times that they had to put up with their own Shimeis. One of those friends is Cary

Genesis 22:13 says, "Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son." Read this material from my book, A Father Offers His Son, to see how the ram died in Isaac's place, prefiguring Jesus's substitutionary atonement for us. Table of contentsJesus's Substitutionary Atonement Means He Died for Us and As UsThe Ram's Substitutionary AtonementJesus and the Ram's Crown of ThornsWhy Did God Provide a Ram Instead of a Lamb?Abraham Saw Jesus through IsaacGod revealed the New Covenant to AbrahamDiscussion Questions Substitutionary atonement refers to Jesus dying in the place of sinners. The Bible teaches that all men are sinners (Romans 3:23), and the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23). Romans 6:10 says, "For the death Jesus died he died to sin, once for all." There must be a death for our sins, but God is so gracious in that it doesn’t have to be our deaths, at least not eternally. Christ is willing to die in the place of wicked sinners, and this is substitutionary atonement. Jesus's Substitutionary Atonement Means He Died for Us and As Us We say Christ died “for us,” which is to say He died as our substitute. This is true, but He also died “as us,” which is to say He died as our representative. His death became our death. When He died, it’s as though we died. Therefore, the death that’s owed for our sin has been paid. Consider the story of a young man who didn’t want to serve in Napoleon’s army: “When he was drafted a friend volunteered to go in his place. The substitution was made and his replacement died in battle. Through a clerical error the young man was drafted again. He told the officers, ‘You can’t take me, b/c I’m dead. I died on the battlefield.’ They argued that they could see him standing in front of them, but he insisted they look on the roll to find the record of his death. Sure enough, there on the roll was his name w/ another name written beside it. The case was finally brought before Napoleon himself, who after examining the evidence said, ‘Through a substitute, this man died; therefore, there’s no claim on him.’” D.L. Moody The man was freed because someone died in his place. The same is true for us! We’re freed from the death we deserve because Jesus died in our place. We deserved to be the ones placed on that cross because we are the ones who sin. But Christ took the judgment on Himself in our place. He substituted Himself for us and received the punishment we deserve: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 A few verses later: For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18 Not only do these verses teach that Jesus died as our substitute, they also teach He made atonement. This means He satisfied the payment our sins deserve. The Ram's Substitutionary Atonement One of the clearest examples of substitutionary atonement occurred when the ram died in Isaac's place. After the Angel of the Lord stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, we read: Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Genesis 22:13–14 The words “instead of his son” are the language of substitutionary atonement. Earlier, in Genesis 22:7, Isaac asked, “Where is the lamb?” Abraham replied, “God will provide a lamb” (Genesis 22:8). The ram they found was not the lamb: The Hebrew word for “lamb” in verses 7 and 8 is seh, and it means, “one of a flock, lamb, sheep, goat.” The Hebrew word for “ram” in verse 13 is avil, and it means, “ram.” Rams were used as sacrifices. The trespass (or guilt) offering was a mandatory sacrifice, and it was exclusively a ram (Leviticus 6:6). These offerings were given as atonement for unintentional sins that required reimbursing an offended party, and to cleanse from defiling sins and physical maladies. The fat, kidneys, and liver were offered to God, and the remainder of the ram had to be eaten inside the court of the tabernacle. On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), a ram was sacrificed as a burnt offering (Leviticus 16:3–5). Rams could also serve as burnt offerings, which is what God called for Isaac to be in Genesis 22:2. Since rams could serve as burnt offerings, Abraham could offer this one “caught in (the) thicket…instead of his son.” This is the language of substitutionary atonement that found its true and greatest fulfillment in Jesus. Consider the language: He was wound

The way David responds to Shimei provides wonderful biblical advice on forgiveness. The account reveals what David said to his men that allowed him to respond so patiently to a man who was mistreating him unjustly. Was David always this patient? Not in the account with Nabal! What took place in David’s life that caused him to respond to Shimei so much differently than he responded to Nabal? Table of contentsFamily Worship Guide for Biblical Advice on Forgiveness from DavidSermon Notes for Biblical Advice on Forgiveness from DavidLesson One: We can forgive others easier by thinking about (part one) God’s sovereignty.Lesson One: We can forgive others easier by thinking about (part two) God’s goodness to us in return.Lesson One: We can forgive others easier by thinking about (part three) our sins.Lesson Two: Christ’s forgiveness is greater than David’s. https://youtu.be/bCo03fiVfb8 The way David responds to Shimei provides wonderful biblical advice on forgiveness. The account reveals what David said to his men. Family Worship Guide for Biblical Advice on Forgiveness from David Directions: Read the following verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Psalm 10:14, 39:8, 2 Samuel 16:10-12, Job 2:9, Luke 6:22, Hebrews 10:34—Why did David twice say that God told Shimei to curse? Why do you think this encouraged David? How can thinking about God’s sovereignty make forgiveness easier? Why did David think God would repay him? How can God’s goodness when we are mistreated make forgiveness easier for us? Day 2: 1 Samuel 25:8-12, Luke 7:47—Can you think of individuals in Scripture, besides David, who were kind to those who mistreated them? Did God seem to reward them? Why do you think David treated Shimei differently than he treated Nabal? How does thinking about our sins make forgiveness easier? Day 3: 2 Samuel 19:16-23 cf. 1 Kings 2:8-9, Hebrews 6:17—Why did Shimei hurry to meet David and 2 Samuel 19? How did David respond to Shimei? Why do you think David went back on his forgiveness before passing the throne to Solomon? In what ways is Jesus’s forgiveness greater than David’s? Sermon Notes for Biblical Advice on Forgiveness from David The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Biblical Advice on Forgiveness from David.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse. We finished a convicting passage on forgiveness. I told you that I wanted to look at an example of forgiveness in the Old Testament, and I chose this account with David and Shimei. This is our second message on this passage. Last week we talked about Shimei, why he hated David, and what we could learn from him about the dangers of being accusing. This morning we’re going to focus on David who we will see forgive Shimei. David is famously known as the Man after God’s own heart. Perhaps you have wondered why he would be given this title when he committed such terrible sins as adultery and murder. At least part of the reason must be his forgiving heart…which makes him look like a man after God’s own heart because of how forgiving God is. The greatest example of David’s forgiveness occurred with Saul. When you can forgive a man who spent years trying to murder you, you know that you’re good at forgiving. But I wanted to look at this example with Shimei, for two reasons… First, I think we can relate to it better. I hope none of you have ever had someone try to murder you for years, but I suspect all of us have had people curse us and throw rocks at us…at least figuratively. Second, slander is one of the more difficult sins to forgive, at least for me, because slander involves untrue accusations. Just in case any of you are unfamiliar with the differences between gossip and slander, let me briefly explain them: Gossip is sharing negative information about people with others who have no business knowing that information. But at least the information is true. Slander is spreading lies about people. If you have been in Sunday school recently when Pastor Nathan taught through 1 Corinthians 5, verse 11 says not to keep company with, or not to associate with revilers or some translations say slanderers. Let me briefly review… There were many low points in David’s life, but I’m convinced this was one of the lowest: David has lost the throne. Making it worse the man who stole it was his wicked son, Absalom. Making it worse, much of the nation that David loved and served turned against him and joined Absalom, including the elders of the land. Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, Shimei finds David and his men while they are fleeing Jerusalem. He throws rocks at them and curses them. Shimei never would’ve thought of acting like this when David was king, but now that David is in this vulnerable position Shimei is thrilled. This is like a dream come true moment for such a bitter man. Look what he says in verse eight… 2 Samuel 16:8 The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, an

Proverbs 6:6 says, "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." Read or listen to this chapter from Work and Rest God's Way to see the wisdom in God's Word about the dangers of laziness. Table of contentsThe Sluggard’s Sobering ExampleLearning from AntsOversleeping—The Sluggard’s Great TemptationPhysical Consequences to OversleepingPoverty—The Sluggard’s PaymentAre Sluggards Funny?The Lazy Man’s Strength Is ExcusesThe Lazy Man’s Payment Is StarvationThe Lazy Man's SelfishnessThe Lazy Man’s PrideA Better Motivation The Sluggard’s Sobering Example God’s Word provides the conviction that can help Christians resist laziness. Commit the verses in this chapter (or at least their locations in the Bible) to memory. The next time you’re tempted to remain on the couch when there’s work to do, or sleep in later than you should, review these passages. The sluggard is characterized by inactivity and doesn’t take responsibility for himself. He can work but refuses to do so. He lacks the drive, personal responsibility, and common sense to provide for his needs. The sluggard is not a Christian who occasionally gives in to the temptation to be lazy. Instead, he is habitually lazy, and his life serves as evidence that he is unregenerate. He is mentioned fourteen times in Proverbs, and each instance condemns his behavior and warns of the consequences. There is nothing good said about him. Since he is dead in his sins, his laziness can’t be corrected by mere information, even biblical information. He needs the transformation of regeneration to repent and change. Proverbs is the book of wisdom, filled with practical teaching for daily living. Since Jesus “became for us wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30), all proverbs point to Him. In John 8:23, He said, “I am from above.” James 3:17 says, “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” Jesus is the embodiment of the wisdom from above, and only in looking to Him in the Proverbs can the sluggard’s life be remedied. As preacher and theologian, Charles Bridges, wrote: But with all care to preserve a soundly-disciplined interpretation, we must not forget, that the Book of Proverbs is a part of the volume entitled—“The word of Christ” (Colossians 3:16). And so accurately does the title describe the Book, that the study of it brings the whole substance of the volume before us. It furnishes indeed the stimulating motive to search the Old Testament Scripture [which testifies of Christ] (John 5:39)—the true key that opens the Divine Treasure-house—“If we do not see the golden thread through all the Bible, marking out Christ, we read the Scripture without the Key.” Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs, (BiblioBazaar, May 20, 2009), 7. Learning from Ants A proverb is a short saying that expresses a general truth for practical living. There are so many proverbs dealing with laziness it would take up too much room to cover all of them. We’ll consider the three main passages (Proverbs 6:6–11, 24:30–34, 26:13–16) with other verses integrated. Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest (Proverbs 6:6–8). The book of Proverbs is written as a wise father speaking to his son: “My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother” (Proverbs 1:8, see also Proverbs 1:10, 1:15, 2:1, 3:1, 3:11, 3:21, 4:10, 4:20, 5:1, 5:20, 6:1, 6:3, 6:20, 7:1, 19:27, 23:15, 23:19, 23:26, 24:13, 24:21, 27:11, and 31:2.). He tells his son to learn from the ant’s example. She’s a humble, industrious creature that works without anyone watching over her. We, too, should work without having someone standing over our shoulders. If you’re a parent, you know the blessing it is when your children work without having to constantly tell them what to do. Ants are also good examples of planning. They busy themselves storing food, so they’re prepared for the winter ahead. Proverbs 30:25 says, “Ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer.” Ants serve as a rebuke to lazy people who think only about the moment. Sluggards expect the benefits of labor without laboring, showing they don’t understand the law of sowing and reaping. Since they don’t plan, they don’t have what they need to live. Oversleeping—The Sluggard’s Great Temptation How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep (Proverbs 6:9–10). Oversleeping is one of the marks of sluggards. Asking “how long” implies this has been going on too long, and something bad is going to happen. For example, Exodus 10:3 says, “So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “How long

Shimei was convinced that David engineered the overthrow of the house of Saul. He might be the best example in Scripture of being accusing and being wrong. The sermon discusses three reasons to avoid being accusing and two ways we can avoid being accusing. Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: Avoid being accusing like Shimei because (part one) it angers us at the wrong people.Lesson One: Avoid being accusing because like Shimei (part two) it resembles the devil.Lesson One: Avoid being accusing because like Shimei (part three) we could be wrong.Lesson Two: Avoid being accusing by (part one) listening to the other side.Lesson Two: Avoid being accusing by (part two) ensuring there are adequate witnesses. https://youtu.be/QKDfyXaTGWM Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the following verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: 2 Samuel 16:5-8, Proverbs 3:30—Why did Shimei think David overthrew the house of Saul? Can you think of any other reasons that were not mentioned in the sermon? What accounts can you think of that demonstrate David’s loyalty to Saul instead? Day 2: Job 1-2, Zechariah 3:3, Revelation 12:10—What was happening in David’s life when Shimei cursed and threw rocks at him and his men? Why is being accusing so dangerous? Can you think of any other reasons besides those mentioned in the sermon that it is so dangerous to be accusing? Day 3: John 7:51, Proverbs 18:13, 17, Numbers 35:30, Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15—How can we avoid being accusing? Can you think of ways to avoid being accusing that were not mentioned in the sermon? Can you think of some accounts in Scripture of individuals who refused to be accusing and instead thought the best? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Shimei Teaches Us to Avoid Being Accusing.” On Sunday mornings we have been working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse. If you have sat under my preaching very long, you know that I like to look at the Old Testament to illustrate New Testament truths we are learning. Romans 15 and 1 Corinthians 10 both tell us this is one of the primary purposes of the Old Testament. Last week we finished a section on forgiveness. I didn’t want to talk about forgiveness for weeks without looking at an example in the Old Testament. The account I’ve had on my heart, that I’ve been taking notes on for weeks, is David and Shimei. But let me briefly explain why this first sermon won’t deal with forgiveness… The longer I preach the more I would compare it with sculpting. Every passage feels like clay that you hope God is forming into a sermon as you strive to be faithful to the text. We want the text to provide the sermon (this is known as exegesis), versus coming up with a sermon and then finding text to support it (eisegesis). As I began working on this passage I saw that the second half deals with forgiveness, which we will talk about next week. But the first half deals with Shimei being accusing and I wanted to be faithful to cover this as well. I think it has lots of application for us and I hope it encourages you hearing it as much as it encouraged me studying it. For this account to make sense, we are going to have to back up and look at passages that reveal why Shimei hated David so much. We are going to be jumping around a lot, but I want to let you know I have done my best to be precise and only look at those verses that will give us the background we need. Every single verse I’m going to read lays the foundation. Let’s start with 1 Samuel 22. Here’s the context… David faithfully served King Saul. He was willing to go out to fight Goliath when Saul was unwilling to do so. David continued to excel so much that the people sang, “Saul has killed his thousands, but David his ten thousands.” This made Saul insanely jealous and he started trying to murder David. Afraid for his life, and under the encouragement of his close friend, Jonathan, Saul’s son, David fled Jerusalem. 1 Samuel 22:1 David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. Many of David’s family members came to join him when he was on the run, as well as some other individuals… 1 Samuel 22:2 And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men. When it says everyone who was in distress and everyone who was bitter in soul, or some translations say disgruntled, it means toward Saul and his reign. They are in distress and bitter in soul regarding the way he’s running the kingdom. So, David’s original team consisted of men who disliked Saul and David became their leader. Now turn to 1 Samuel 27. Here’s the context… David has been on the run from Saul, probably anywhere from 10 to 15 years. He knows one place he can go that Saul will not follow him and that is to the land of the Philistines

How is Joseph a type of Christ? Read or listen to this chapter from Enduring Trials God’s Way to see a list of ways Joseph is a type of Jesus. Table of ContentsJoseph’s Trials Were Supremely About ChristJoseph and Jesus Were Sent by Their FathersJoseph and Jesus Sought Their BrethrenJoseph and Jesus' Brothers Rejected Them and Plotted Their DeathsReuben Tried to Deliver Joseph, Like Pilate Tried to Deliver JesusJoseph and Jesus Were Stripped of Their TunicsJoseph and Jesus Found Themselves in the PitJoseph and Jesus' Brethren Were Indifferent Toward Their SufferingJoseph and Jesus Were "Resurrected" Out of the PitJoseph and Jesus Were Sold for the Price of SlavesJoseph and Jesus Were Taken to EgyptJoseph and Jesus Were Separated from Their BrethrenJoseph and Jesus Were Filled with the SpiritJoseph and Christ Were Exalted RulersJoseph and Christ Have Every Knee Bowed to ThemPeople Look to Joseph and Christ to Be SavedJoseph and Christ Offer the "Bread of Life"The Greatest Act of Evil God Meant for GoodWalking by FaithDiscussion Questions When Abraham “sacrificed” Isaac, it was secondarily about an earthly father sacrificing his earthly son. Primarily, it foreshadowed God the Father sacrificing His Son. When Job “saved” his friends, it was secondarily about Job and his friends. Primarily, it foreshadowed Jesus saving His friends. Abraham and Job’s trials were supremely about Jesus. Similarly, our trials are secondarily about us. Supremely, they are about Jesus—His glorification is the primary end intended by the Lord. John 11:3–4 records: Therefore [Lazarus’s] sisters sent to [Jesus], saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Joseph’s Trials Were Supremely About Christ Genesis 37 records Joseph being rejected by his brothers, thrown into a pit, and then captured by the Midianites, but Genesis 37:2 says, “This is the history of Jacob.” Why would a chapter about Joseph say it is Jacob's history? Jesus came from Jacob, not Joseph, which places the focus on Jacob, even though Joseph is also discussed. The bigger picture in Genesis 37 is that Joseph ends up in Egypt. Twenty years later, his family moved to Egypt. Joseph’s brothers have enough descendants to become the twelve tribes of Israel. Fast-forward fifteen hundred years, and that nation produces a Savior. Joseph serves as a type and shadow of our Savior. Whether Joseph understood it, everything that happened to him was only secondarily about him. Supremely, Joseph's life was about Jesus. Joseph and Jesus Were Sent by Their Fathers Then [Joseph’s] brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. And [Jacob] said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them."So he said to him, "Here I am."Then he said to him, ‘Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.’ So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.” Genesis 37:12–14 Jacob sent Joseph to his brethren, like Jesus’ Father sent Him to His brethren, the Jews. In Matthew 15:24, Jesus said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Joseph and Jesus Sought Their Brethren Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, "What are you seeking?"So he said, "I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks."And the man said, "They have departed from here, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. Genesis 37:15–18 Notice the repetition of “seeking.” Joseph was seeking his lost brethren, revealing the heart of Christ in seeking His lost brethren: Luke 15:4—“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?” Luke 19:10—“The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Joseph and Jesus' Brothers Rejected Them and Plotted Their Deaths Then they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming! Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.' We shall see what will become of his dreams!" Genesis 37:19–20 When Joseph came to his brothers, they would not accept him, and when Jesus came to His brethren, they would not accept Him. John 1:11 says, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” It is hard to put into words the wickedness of Joseph’s brothers plotting his death, but even these dark verses beautifully reveal Jesus. John 11:53 says, “Then, f

Luke 17:3-4 ties forgiveness to repentance: "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him...and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” So, is repentance a condition for forgiveness, or should we forgive unconditionally? Unfortunately, scholars don’t agree. There are two groups: One group says forgive unconditionally whether people repent or not. This is known as unconditional forgiveness. Another group says forgive if people repent. This is known as conditional forgiveness. I am in this camp. https://youtu.be/6SRLoujqDQA Is repentance a condition for forgiveness, or should we forgive people unconditionally? Luke 17:3-4 says, "If he repents, forgive him." Table of contentsRebuke sin to help produce repentanceAssociate forgiveness with a reconciled relationshipForgiveness doesn’t always mean the same relationshipWe should not forgive unconditionally before the person repentsAssociate unforgiveness with an unreconciled relationship versus mistreatmentIf we forgive unconditionally it can hinder repentance Luke 17:3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and IF HE REPENTS, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I REPENT,’ YOU MUST FORGIVE HIM.” Twice we are told to forgive our brother IF HE REPENTS. This begs the question: What if he doesn’t repent? In other words, is repentance a condition for forgiveness or should we forgive unconditionally? I have been asked this question and I have wondered about it myself, so I was glad to have a week to work on this sermon and try to figure out the answer. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before we answer this important question, we need to back up and get some momentum into it…and this brings us to lesson one… Rebuke sin to help produce repentance Repentance is one of the themes of verses three and four occurring two times. We are told to rebuke sin to help produce repentance. This is the desired outcome. Because we want to see people repent, we should persuade versus condemn. Let me explain the difference between the two… We shouldn’t condemn people by saying: I can’t imagine God ever forgiving you. If God forgave someone like you it would make Him a bad God. You are the worst person in the world. I have never met anyone as sinful as you in my life. This is what it means to condemn people. Instead, we want to rebuke people in a way that persuades them to repent. We do this with God’s Word, because it revels the truth about sin. Here are the five steps I recommend when rebuking sin, and I put them on your bulletin. Please look with me: First, find verses addressing the sin. Second, share the verses with the person. If possible, ask the person to read the verses aloud. Third, ask the person to explain the verses: “What do you think these verses mean? What are they forbidding?” Fourth, ask the person if they disobeyed the verses: “Have you done anything these verses forbid?” Fifth, ask the person the proper response to disobeying God’s Word. Hopefully they will say repent, but if not, then you might have to give them that answer and tell them what it means to repent. Persuading people to repent is little more than persuading them to see their sin the way God sees it. Not that I have everything figured out or always pray the way I should, but if you have heard me pray for people under church discipline, I typically pray something like, “Help them see their sin the way You see it.” Also, notice it says… If your brother sins, rebuke him, and IF HE REPENTS. The verse communicates that it is not a guarantee that people will repent. This might seem discouraging, but it should be encouraging. God is letting you know you could do everything right and people still might not repent. It is not your fault. One more important point regarding people repenting… It is almost always a bad idea to say the words: “It’s okay.” Let’s say someone sins against you. God works in the person’s heart to convict them about what they did. They haven’t repented yet, but they are close. They come to you to apologize for what they did, and you are so blessed by their humility you say, “It’s okay.” But if they sinned, it is not okay. In fact, if God was convicting them that they sinned, but you tell them it’s okay, you are telling them the opposite of what God is telling them. You could be working against their repentance and undermining what God is doing in their heart. We say, “It’s okay,” because we want to encourage people, and it is especially attractive to do so when they are humble and apologetic. Here’s the good news… We can still be encouraging…while supporting what God is doing in their life. We can say: That was humble of you. Thank you for apologizing. I remember when I sinned against someone, and I had to go apologize too. Your example encourages me. I’m challenged to search my own hear

James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial," and James 5:11 says, "We count as blessed those who have persevered." Read or listen to this chapter of Enduring Trials God’s Way to learn why the one who perseveres under trial is blessed. Table of contentsAccording to James 1:12 and 5:11 Blessed Is the One Who Perseveres Under TrialBlessed Is the One Who Perseveres Under Trial but There Must Be PerseveranceBlessed Is the One Who Perseveres Under Trial Because He Receives Eternal LifeA Persevering Saint Who Was BlessedJob Reveals Perseverance Does Not Mean PerfectionThe Difference between Stumbling and FallingPeter Stumbles, but RecoversJudas Fell Without RecoveringDiscussion QuestionsFootnotes When I was experiencing a trial, this is part of a message one of my heroes, Dave Zumstein, sent me: It may seem glorious to you to be a mighty man leading mighty men into battle. I think it is glorious to God to see a man quietly, but strongly, striving to fight the good fight amidst difficult times. When the call comes for difficult times, oh that we might be that type of man. Dave knew I was an Army officer, so he drew upon something I could appreciate—the contrast between physical and spiritual warfare. Yes, from an earthly perspective, little is more impressive than courageously risking your life in battle. Although, from heaven’s perspective, little is more impressive than enduring trials in a God-honoring way. I try to remember the above quote during trials, hoping that by God’s grace, I might persevere in a way that pleases Him. According to James 1:12 and 5:11 Blessed Is the One Who Perseveres Under Trial To encourage us “when the call comes for difficult times,” James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial," and James 5:11 says, "blessed is the man who endures temptation." The Greek word for “endure” is hypomonē, which is the same word for “patience” in James 1:3 and 4: "knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (hypomonē). But let patience (hypomonē) have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." Many Bibles translate “patience” as “perseverance” or “endurance.” This is fitting because patience allows believers to endure and enduring requires patience. If the word “endure” makes you think of tolerating, think instead of the word “persevere” because James is not describing people putting up with trials. He is describing people who persevere during trials. They come through victoriously. They are triumphant and blessed as a result. Some of the blessings, such as maturity, occur in this life. Other blessings occur in the next life when we hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). Blessed Is the One Who Perseveres Under Trial but There Must Be Perseverance James 1:12 and 5:11 are past tense. Although the NKJV says, “who endure(s)” in both verses, other translations say, “persevered” (NIV), “endured” (NASB), and “remained steadfast” (ESV). All past tense. Why is that? These verses discuss when the trial is over. Even though James 1:2–4, 1:12, and 5:11 are similar, there is a significant difference: James 1:2–4 discuss what is happening when trials take place—they produce patience, which produces maturity. James 1:12 and 5:11 discuss what happens when trials are over—there is a blessing for persevering. Reflect on the account with Abraham. After he persevered, Genesis 22:15–17 says: Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. Abraham was blessed after his trial was over. The same took place with Job: “And the Lord restored Job’s losses…Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10). The same took place with King Asa early in his reign when the Ethiopians attacked him and he trusted God. Not only did God give him the victory, he also blessed him with an immense amount of plunder from the battle. Second Chronicles 14:13b–15 records: And they carried away very much spoil. Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord came upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much spoil in them. They also attacked the livestock enclosures, and carried off sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem. Similarly, we often receive the blessings God has for us after the trial is over. Although since the blessing is associated with the trial, without the trial, there is no blessing. We cannot persevere if there is no trial to persevere through. Warren Wiersbe said: “There can be no victories without battles; there can be no peaks with

Jesus said, “If he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3-6). In Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus told the parable of the unforgiving servant. Both passages teach the importance of forgiving because we’ve been forgiven. Christians should be the most forgiving people because we are the most forgiven people. Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon Notes for If He Repents Forgive Him (Luke 17:3-6 and Matthew 18:21-35)Lesson One: Rebuking sin is a wisdom issue.Lesson Two: Christians should be the most difficult people to offend.Lesson Three: Rebuke sin to prevent bitterness.Lesson Four: If he repents forgive him an unlimited number of times.Lesson Five: Forgiveness is a matter of faith versus effort.Lesson Six: If he repents forgive him, because God forgave you. https://youtu.be/WAkOXvWKQIM Jesus said, “If he repents forgive him” (Luke 17:3-6). Christians are the most forgiving people, because we are the most forgiven people. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the following verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 17:3, Proverbs 10:12, 12:16, 19:11, James 5:20, 1 Peter 4:8, Ephesians 4:2—Why is rebuking sin a wisdom issue? What does it mean to overlook an offense? What does it mean that love covers a multitude of sins? How do we know whether to rebuke sin or overlook it? Biblically speaking, what is patience (hint: it doesn’t mean being good at waiting)? Day 2: Hebrews 12:14-15, Luke 17:4-6, Matthew 17:20, 18:21-22—Why does rebuking sin help prevent bitterness? What are some of the dangers of bitterness? Why does the Bible talk about bitterness having a root? What did Jesus mean when He said that a little faith could move a tree or mountain? Why is forgiveness an issue of faith versus human effort? Day 3: Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13, Matthew 18:26-32—What are some of the benefits of forgiving others, for us and the person we forgive? What is the primary reason we should forgive others? What made the wicked servant wicked? Sermon Notes for If He Repents Forgive Him (Luke 17:3-6 and Matthew 18:21-35) The title of this morning’s sermon is, “If He Repents Forgive Him” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse, and we find ourselves at Luke 17:3. Let me give you an idea of where we have been, where we are going this morning, and where we are going next week. Where we have been: last week we dealt with the beginning of the verse. In particular, the words pay attention to yourselves. This morning we are going to deal with most of the rest of the verse: if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. I said most of the rest of this verse because next week we are going to deal with the repeated phrase if he repents. Notice it is in verse 3 and verse 4… Luke 17:3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and IF HE REPENTS, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I REPENT,’ YOU MUST FORGIVE HIM.” Twice we are told to forgive our brother if he repents. What question does this leave you with? What if he doesn’t repent? Next Sunday’s sermon is titled, “Is Repentance a Condition for Forgiveness, or Should We Forgive Unconditionally?” For now, notice that even though the verse only says if your brother sins, we know from the context that it means if your brother sins against you. Also, the parallel account in Matthew 18 says if your brother sins against you. And this brings us to lesson one… Lesson One: Rebuking sin is a wisdom issue. Rebuking sin is a wisdom issue, versus a black and white issue, because there are verses encouraging us to rebuke sins against us, and there are verses encouraging us to overlook sins against us… Proverbs 19:11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and IT IS HIS GLORY TO OVERLOOK AN OFFENSE. The Amplified says, “It is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment].” It is a credit to us, or sign of maturity, to overlook an offense: The more mature you are the greater the offense you can overlook. The more immature you are the more easily you are offended and the less you can overlook. Proverbs 12:16 The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. One more time… Proverbs 12:16 The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. Vexation means wrath, which is how it’s translated in the NKJV, or anger, which is how it’s translated in the NASB. Fools are quickly filled with wrath or anger, but the prudent – or wise – ignore – or overlook insults. This brings us to lesson two… Lesson Two: Christians should be the most difficult people to offend. I can look back on times when I was offended, and I’m ashamed by some of the things that offended me: I can look back on times when people were NOT offended, and I was impressed. It was a sign of their maturity. And I can look back on times when people WERE offended, and it made them seem petty and immatu

Hebrews 12:6 (quoting Proverbs 3:12) says, "God disciplines those he loves." Read or listen to this chapter of Enduring Trials God’s Way to learn why you can be encouraged by the bible verses about discipline. Table of contentsDo Not Confuse Trials and God's DisciplineThree Reasons to Be Encouraged When Experiencing God's DisciplineFirst, When Disciplined Be Encouraged You Are God's ChildSecond, When Disciplined Be Encouraged You Are in God’s HandsThird, When Disciplined Be Encouraged by the Fruit that Can Be ProducedWho Benefits from God’s Discipline?Discussion Questions You should expect trials, but when they take place, you do not have to wonder if you did something wrong! A woman wrote me about a miscarriage she experienced, asking if God was punishing her. It was heartbreaking. The miscarriage was painful enough without also having to wonder if it was her fault. It is tragic when people blame themselves for their trials. It is also tragic when people experience trials and “friends” try to get them to blame themselves! Job’s friends come to mind. They started off well “[sitting] down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great” (Job 2:13). This demonstrates what to do when people are suffering. The “Ministry of Presence” requires being a good listener. I received a good piece of advice when I first became a pastor: “If you cannot improve on silence, do not.” Solomon said there is “A time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7b), and “He who has knowledge spares his words” (Proverbs 17:27a). Unfortunately, Job’s friends did not follow these verses, and things went downhill after they opened their mouths. Eliphaz was the first to speak, and he summarized their argument in Job 4:7 when he asked, “Who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off?” In other words, “When have bad things ever happened to good people?” Job’s friends wanted to convince him that since he suffered terribly, he must have sinned terribly. As much as Job’s friends initially showed what to do when people suffer, they later also showed what not to do—lecture, preach, say things like, “This is happening because…” or worse, “God would not be doing this if you...” At the end of the book, God showed up and “said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right’” (Job 42:7). He was referring to their statements that people only suffer when they have done something wrong. In Jesus’ day, people thought if something bad happened it must have been caused by sin. Two accounts reveal that even the disciples held this false belief, and both times they expressed it Jesus corrected them: Pilate murdered some Galileans and a tower collapsed causing eighteen deaths. The disciples thought the people died because of their sinfulness, but Jesus said, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no…Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no” (Luke 13:2–5). When the disciples saw a blind man they asked Jesus: “‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in Him’” (John 9:2–3). God wants to reveal Himself through trials and use them for our good, but we do not have to wonder if we did something wrong. We learned that a trial does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing, but sometimes we do bring on our own suffering. Do Not Confuse Trials and God's Discipline What happens if we suffer because we did something wrong? That is not a trial. That is discipline. The Apostle Peter identifies two causes of suffering: “For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:17). Suffering is part of God’s perfect and wise plan for His people even when they do good, but Peter wants his readers to avoid suffering caused by their sinfulness. As tragic as it is when people experience a trial and wonder if it is their fault, it is equally tragic when people sin, God disciplines them, and they think it is not their fault. Consider these examples from Scripture: After Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it as God commanded, God said, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” (Numbers 20:12). After David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah, God told him through the prophet Nathan, “The sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife” (2 Samuel 12

In Luke 17:3 Jesus said, “Pay attention to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” Paul said something similar about focusing on ourselves in Galatians 6:1: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on ourselves, lest we be tempted.” In Judges 20 we see the lessons God wanted eleven tribes to learn when confronting Benjamin and it helps us see what we should focus on when rebuking others. Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: God must use sinners to rebuke sinners.Lesson Two: If your brother sins against you, rebuke him, but (Part One) be careful of pride.Lesson Two: If your brother sins against you, rebuke him, but (Part Two) with brokenness over your sin.Lesson Two: If your brother sins against you, rebuke him, but (Part Three) with gentleness. https://youtu.be/nYaQPX_GfNQ Jesus said, “Pay attention to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him” (Luke 17:3). Judges 20 teaches us what to focus on. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the following verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: 2 Chronicles 6:36, Proverbs 20:9, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8, Habakkuk 1:3-13, 2:16-17: Why does God use sinners to rebuke sinners? Can you think of biblical examples of people rebuking each other? Do you think they obeyed Luke 17:3 and Galatians 6:1? Why or why not? Day 2: Matthew 7:3-5, Luke 17:3, Galatians 6:1, Judges 20:12-28: What temptation do we face when God leads us to rebuke people? Why did the eleven tribes keep losing against the tribe of Benjamin? Describe the changes that took place with the eleven tribes over the course of their defeats. What evidences do you see of their brokenness before God finally gave them victory? Day 3: Judges 20:47-48, 21:2-3, James 1:20, Romans 2:4: What mistake did the eleven tribes make after God gave them victory over the tribe of Benjamin, and why do you think they made this mistake? What lesson can we learn from this regarding rebuking others? How does God lead us to repentance and what application does this have for us when we rebuke others? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “If Your Brother Sins Against You, Rebuke Him, But…” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse, and we find ourselves at Luke 17:3, but you can stay in Judges 20 because it’s where we will be for most of the sermon. I have four questions for you. The first question is a simple one… Who is a sinner? Everyone! Listen to these verses: 2 Chronicles 6:36 There is no one who does not sin Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, “I am clean from my sin”? Ecclesiastes 7:20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who…never sins. Romans 3:23 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. Now here’s the second question… If everyone is a sinner, who must God use to rebuke people in sin? Other sinners! And this brings us to lesson one… Lesson One: God must use sinners to rebuke sinners. Here’s the third question… If God uses sinners to rebuke sinners, what is the difference between the rebuker and the person being rebuked? Unrepentant sin. They are both sinners, but the person being rebuked is in unrepentant sin and God wants to see repentance. Think about the Old Testament when God used nations to rebuke other nations… There were no sinless nations, so He had to use sinful nations to punish other sinful nations. Then He had to punish the sinful nation that punished the other nation because of that nation’s sins. For example: God used Assyria to conquer the northern kingdom of Israel. Then God used Babylon to conquer Assyria and later Judah. Then God used the Medes and Persians to conquer Babylon. Then God used the Greek Empire to conquer the Medes and Persians, Then God used the Roman empire to conquer the Greek Empire. If you were with us on Wednesday nights when Jake was teaching through Habakkuk, you know Habakkuk was upset about the wickedness of his people, the Jews. He shares his complaint with God… Habakkuk 1:3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and WHY DO YOU IDLY LOOK AT WRONG? That’s strong language: Habakkuk said God sees sin but does nothing. Habakkuk 1:4a So THE LAW IS PARALYZED, God’s law does nothing. Habakkuk 1:4b and JUSTICE NEVER GOES FORTH. Sin is never punished. Habakkuk 1:4c The wicked surround the righteous; so JUSTICE GOES FORTH PERVERTED. There is so little justice, it’s perverted or twisted. God answers Habakkuk by telling him He is going to punish the Jews with the Babylonians. Listen to what Habakkuk says in response… Habakkuk 1:13 Why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when THE WICKED SWALLOWS UP THE MAN MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN HE? Did you catch that? Habakkuk knew the Jews were bad, but the Babylonians were worse. He doesn’t understand how could God use the Babylonians to punish the

In John 16:33 Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart." Read or listen to this chapter of Enduring Trials God’s Way to learn what scripture talks about trials and tribulations. Table of ContentsIn This World You Will Have Trouble, but Take Heart Because God Is SovereignIn This World You Will Have Trouble, So Be PreparedPrepare for Trials by Building During Times of PeaceImagine You're an Athlete or SoldierIn This World You Will Have Trouble, but Take Heart Because God Provides the Greater VictoryDeath Is Our Greatest EnemyThe Danger of Daily TrialsDiscussion Questions https://youtu.be/27kNQNDk6eU In John 16:33 Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart." Learn how to prepare for trials and suffering in this life. In John 16:33 Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart." First Peter 4:12 says, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you." The New Testament was primarily written in Greek, and the word for “strange” is xenizō. It means, “Surprised, astonished, or shocked.” We should not be surprised, astonished, or shocked by trials; instead, we should expect them. James 1:2 says, “when you fall into various trials…” versus “if you…” We will face trials, and this is a New Testament theme: Acts 14:22a—“Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, [Paul said], ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’” 1 Thessalonians 3:3—“No one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.” Even though trials are part of the Christian life, we often question how they could happen to us. We might say, “Why would God let this take place?” We act surprised, astonished, or shocked, but based on Scripture we should say, “Since I know trials are part of the Christian life, how would God have me respond? How can I handle this in a way that glorifies Him?” We should go through this life with the understanding that all Christians experience trials. People expecting the Christian life to be carefree are in for a shock. This is why it is terrible to tell people, “If you become a Christian, Jesus will make your life wonderful!” When they experience trials, there are only three possibilities: They will be upset with you later, feeling as though you lied to them. They will be angry with Jesus for not making their life perfect like you said He would. They will think Christianity is untrue, telling themselves, “If Jesus were real, He would not have let this happen to me.” Instead, we need to be honest about trials, encouraging others and ourselves to embrace what Jesus said to His disciples: “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart” (John 16:33). In This World You Will Have Trouble, but Take Heart Because God Is Sovereign Even though we should expect trials, we do not know when they will take place, which makes them unpredictable. James 1:2 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” The words “fall into” communicate the unexpected nature of trials. The Greek word for “fall into,” or other translations say, “face,” “meet,” or “encounter,” is peripiptō. It only occurs three times in Scripture and each time it describes something that is unpredictable. The other two occurrences are: Luke 10:30—“Jesus answered and said, ‘A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among (peripiptō) thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.’” Acts 27:41a—“Striking (peripiptō) a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground.” It was unexpected when thieves robbed the man and when the boat crashed. Unpredictable is a great way to describe trials, but do not misunderstand the words “fall into” and think trials are accidents. It is not as though we are walking along, trip, and find ourselves in a trial. If we see trials this way, then when we experience one we will say, “I am so unlucky. Why do bad things keep happening to me?” Even worse is when people feel as though they could have prevented whatever took place. They are filled with guilt and regret saying, “If I had only _____, then this would not have happened.” They beat themselves up, sometimes never forgiving themselves. Instead of viewing trials as accidents, we need to recognize they are from the Lord. Before trials reach us, they first pass through the throne of God. Some people are troubled by this view, but what is the alternative? God is not sovereign. He is not directing our lives. He is not in control of what happens to us. He is looking down saying, “Why did this happen to_____? I wish there were something I could do. If only _____ would have happened instead.” This is a troubling view! If you could only choose one area of life you want God in control of, wouldn’t it be the trials you experi

Romans 14:13 says, "Let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother." We should look at examples of stumbling blocks in the bible, so we can avoid putting them before others. https://youtu.be/RmKPkzDyldo What are examples of stumbling blocks in the bible? Romans 14:13 says, "Let us not put a stumbling block in the way of a brother." Table of contentsTempting Others to Sin Is SinfulViolating Our Conscience Is SinThree Primary Ways We Stumble OthersFirst, We Put a Stumbling Block Before Others When We Encourage Them to Violate Their ConscienceSecond, We Put a Stumbling Block Before Others When We Encourage Them to SinThird, We Put a Stumbling Block Before Others When We Preach Christ You have probably heard me say before that all sins are not the same, despite what some people say. If I asked you what the worse sins are, what would you say? Maybe idolatry, because it removes God from the throne He should occupy in our hearts? Maybe murder, because it ends someone’s life, there’s no way to undo it, and the Bible says even causes the ground cries out for vengeance? Maybe adultery, because it violates the most important earthly covenant we make? The list could go on, but I’m guessing it would have to become pretty long before we would come up with the sin in this morning’s verses: the sin of stumbling others. But based on what Jesus said should happen to people who commit this sin it should probably be toward the top of the list, because I can’t think of many things worse than being thrown into the sea with a huge weight tied around my neck. So this morning, we are going to talk about the sin of putting stumbling blocks before others and look at examples in the Bible, so we can avoid committing this sin ourselves. Tempting Others to Sin Is Sinful Luke 17:1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! The ESV says temptations to sin, but you can probably see a footnote that says it means, “Stumbling blocks.” The NKJV translates this as “offenses,” and has a footnote that says it mean “stumbling blocks” The NIV says “cause people to stumble” The NASB says “stumbling blocks,” and has a footnote that says it means “temptations to sin” The Amplified Bible says “stumbling blocks” and then amplifies it, “Temptations and traps set to lure one to sin.” You get the idea that stumbling people, or putting a stumbling block before people, is tempting people to sin. There are lots of words for sin in the Bible, such as transgress, trespass, abomination, and iniquity. All the words are meaningful because they describe different ways of sinning. Stumbling is the sin of tempting someone to sin. The Greek word for temptations to sin, or stumbling blocks, is skandalon (pronounced skon-duh-lon), related to our word scandal. It comes from the word for a bent stick that springs a trap or sets the bait. This is fitting because stumbling is setting a trap for someone else. Scripture often uses the language of walking or running to describe the Christian life. Picture that imagery. Stumbling is when someone stumbles or trips another believer…not physically, but spiritually in their relationship with the Lord. Jesus said temptations to sin are sure to come. Temptation is inevitable because we live in a sinful fallen world, but don’t be the person who introduces temptation into someone else’s life. How bad is it to do so? Jesus provides one of the most unique and terrifying warnings in Scripture. Look at verse 2… Luke 17:2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin (or stumble). Just as Jesus is not talking about physically stumbling or tripping someone, so too He is not talking about physical little ones, or babies, but spiritual little ones, or new believers or baby Christians. Can you see why Jesus would mention new believers or baby Christians? They are the most vulnerable: They would be the easiest to stumble or tempt to sin They might not know better The Pulpit Commentary said, “The reference is clearly to disciples whose faith was only as yet weak and wavering - to men and women who would be easily influenced either for good or evil.” Essentially, Jesus said: “People are going to take the bait, but woe to you if you offer the hook. People are going to trip up, but woe to you if you set the stumbling block in their way.” A millstone was a large stone for grinding grain. It was so large it took a donkey to turn it. If someone was thrown into the sea with this around their neck they would certainly drown. Gentiles used this form of execution, which made it more offensive to the Jews. Did Jesus literally mean that tempting someone to sin is so bad it would be better to have this happen? No, I don’t think He meant it literally. As we have talked about b

James 1:2 says you can "count it all joy when you face trials of many kinds," and 1 Peter 1:6 says, "you greatly rejoice [when] grieved by various trials." Read or listen to this chapter of Enduring Trials God's Way to see why you can consider it joy when you face trials. Table of contentsCount It All Joy When You Face Trials Because of the Maturity ProducedPatience Allows for Maturity in All Areas of Our LivesPatience and Maturity Go Hand-In-HandYou Count It All Joy When You Face Trials Because God Is "Bringing You into the Deep End"Count It All Joy When You Face Trials Because Perspective Determines ResponseWhy Jesus Could Face the Cross with JoyDiscussion Questions James 1:2 uses “joy” and “trials” in the same sentence. These words do not go together! Who experiences joy during trials? James even uses the word “all.” He does not say, “Count it some joy…” or “Find a little joy.” He says, “Count it all joy.” As contrary as this sounds, it is a theme in Scripture to find joy in trials. Romans 5:3 says, “We glory in tribulations,” and 1 Peter 1:6 says, “In this you greatly rejoice… [when] you have been grieved by trials.” You might be thinking: “The Bible does not make sense, because I definitely do not feel joy when I am going through a trial!” The Bible makes complete sense because it does not say to “feel” joy during trials. Instead, it says “count it all joy,” because we cannot go by the way we feel. Trials can evoke sorrow and pain, so we must evaluate them independently of our emotions. The word for “count” is hēgeomai, and it means, “To lead, go before, rule, command, have authority over.”4 Here are a few places it is used: Matthew 2:6—“Bethlehem…out of you shall come a Ruler (hēgeomai) Who will shepherd My people Israel.” Acts 7:10—“[Pharaoh] made [Moses] governor (hēgeomai) over Egypt.” Hebrews 13:17—“Obey those who rule (hēgeomai) over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account.” James tells us to “count (hēgeomai) it all joy,” because we must “govern” and “rule” over trials. We must control the way we view them, versus being controlled by our feelings. We must make a mental judgment about trials by considering the way God wants to use them in our lives. Then we can face them with joy. Count It All Joy When You Face Trials Because of the Maturity Produced As of 2023, we have nine children, and our oldest is fifteen. While we have enjoyed our children at all ages, we still want to see them mature. When they make decisions that disappoint us, we feel as though they are not maturing quickly enough. Consider how tragic it would be if children remained immature throughout their lives. God is a Father and He also wants His children to mature. The author of Hebrews rebuked some of his readers who had been following Christ for some time, but had not matured: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food…Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God (Hebrews 5:12, 6:1). Unlike these Hebrew readers, consider the believers in 2 Thessalonians 1:3–4 who had matured significantly: We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure. The Thessalonians were a wonderful church. Paul applauded their growth, which he attributed to the trials they experienced. This is one reason we can find joy in trials—we know they are producing patience that leads to maturity. First Peter 5:10 says, “After you have suffered a little while, [God] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” During trials we can tell ourselves, “This is strengthening me spiritually, giving me endurance, building my faith, and preparing me for the future.” Jerry Bridges said, “Every adversity that comes across our path, whether large or small, is intended to help us grow in some way.”304 The word “patience” suggests waiting, which gives the impression trials make people good at standing in line or waiting at stop lights. Yes, trials can improve our attitudes when we are forced to wait, but that is a poor understanding of the benefit of patience. The Greek word for patience is hypomonē, and it means, “The characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.”6 James 1:4 describes the maturity patience leads to in believers’ lives: makes them perfect, complete, and ensures nothing is lacking. Although this sounds like three different benefits of patience, they are synonyms

What produces godly repentance? The account of the rich man and Lazarus reveals what does not and does produce godly repentance. Miracles do not produce godly repentance. Scripture (Moses and the Prophets) does produce godly repentance. Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: Godly repentance allows people to avoid the rich man’s fate.Lesson Two: Being Abraham’s descendant is no substitute for repentance.Lesson Three: Miracles don’t produce godly repentance.Lesson Four: Scripture can produce godly repentance. https://youtu.be/Yj5KXyAF2fE What produces godly repentance? Miracles do not produce godly repentance, but Scripture (Moses and the Prophets) does. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the following verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 3:7-9, 16:30, Romans 2:28-29, Galatians 3:7, John 8:32-4 cf. Luke 16:24, 27, 30: Why did the rich man want Lazarus to visit his brothers? How did Abraham respond and why did he respond that way? Why did many Jews think it was guaranteed they would go to heaven? Day 2: Luke 16:31, Exodus 12:30, Hebrews 4:19, Judges 6:21, 36-40, 7:10, Matthew 11:20, John 2:23-25, 6:2, 66, 11: 53, John 12:10, 37, Acts 4:16-18, 2 Corinthians 12:12, Hebrews 2:1-4, Acts 8:5-6: Why don’t miracles produce godly repentance? Can you think of any miracles in Scripture that seemed to produce faith or repentance? What are some miracles in Scripture that were not mentioned in the sermon that did not produce repentance or faith? Day 3: Luke 16:31, John 6:63, James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:23, Jonah 4:4-5, 2 Kings 22:11, Acts 1:15, 2:40-41, 4:4: Why is Scripture able to produce godly repentance when miracles are not? Think of some examples in Scripture of people hearing preaching but failing to repent. What are some examples of people receiving preaching followed by repentance? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “What Produces Godly Repentance?” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 16:30 toward the end of the account of the rich man and Lazarus. Let’s start at verse 27 for context… Luke 16:27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house 28 for I have five brothers so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ Moses and the Prophets is a New Testament way to refer to the Old Testament. The rich man objected to the idea that his brothers could listen to Moses and the Prophets, probably because he knew that his family did not take Moses and the Prophets seriously. He didn’t think Scripture would work, because he had such a low view of Scripture. He never obeyed Scripture, so why would they? Instead, he thinks they need a miracle to repent. And this brings us to lesson one… Lesson One: Godly repentance allows people to avoid the rich man’s fate. This is very interesting. The rich man knew what his brothers must do to avoid the torment he’s experiencing: repent, This also means he knew why he was in torment: he didn’t repent: He wasn’t lost because he was rich. He was lost because he wouldn’t turn from his sin. Many will also be lost for the same reason. And something interesting about the rich man’s lack of repentance in his earthly life is there’s no evidence of repentance, or change, in the next life either. Let me explain what I mean by getting you to notice some things about him… First, two times he tried to order Lazarus around and treat them like a servant who is inferior to him: Luke 16:24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and SEND LAZARUS TO DIP THE END OF HIS FINGER IN WATER AND COOL MY TONGUE, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ Luke 16:27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to SEND HIM to my father's house Second, he argued with Abraham. In verse 29, Abraham said his brothers had Scripture available to them, but in verse 30, he thought he knew best and told Abraham that they needed to witness a miracle. The point is that even in death the rich man remained stubborn, proud, and argumentative. There’s no sorrow or remorse about his earthly lifestyle whatsoever. Warren Wiersbe wrote, “In spite of the fact that [the rich man] was in torment in Hades, he did not change; he was still self-centered. He argued instead of submitting. This indicates that the punishment of lost sinners is not remedial; it does not improve them. Hades and hell are not hospitals for the sick; they are prisons for the condemned.” There is only one thing that changes human hearts, and that is the gospel. Because the rich man rejected the gospel his heart can never change, no matter how much torment he experiences. Now let’s pause looking at this account and turn to Luke 3 so I can show you something that will relate in a moment. Here’s the context… John the

The account of the rich man and Lazarus shows us what happens to unbelievers when they die. There are 13 verses in the account and most of them focus on the rich man. Aside from being told Lazarus was in comfort at Abraham’s side, or bosom, there’s nothing else said about him. Instead, almost all the attention is on the rich man and his experience as an unbeliever. Table of ContentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: When unbelievers die (Part One) they are in torment.Lesson One: When unbelievers die (Part Two) they receive no second chances.Lesson One: When unbelievers die (Part Three) they remember their earthly lives.Lesson Two: The living shouldn’t communicate with the dead. https://youtu.be/vQyOkFVOtOs The account of the rich man and Lazarus shows us what happens to unbelievers when they die. The focus is on the rich man and his experience. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the following verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 16:23, 24-25, 28, Daniel 12:2, Revelation 14:10-11, Matthew 5:29, 7:13, Mark 9:44-48: what are some of the unbiblical beliefs about the afterlife held by false religions? How are those beliefs shown to be untrue by this account? What are some other verses in Scripture that tell us unbelievers experience eternal torment when they die? Day 2: Luke 16:26, Hebrews 9:27, Luke 16:25, 27-28 cf. 1 Corinthians 13:9-12: why do you think unbelievers don’t receive second chances when they die? How can we tell from the account that the rich man remembered his earthly life? What are some things from his earthly life that he remembered? Day 3: Luke 16:29, 1 Chronicles 10:13-14, Leviticus 19:31, 20:6, Deuteronomy 18:10-12, Isaiah 8:19: why do you think God doesn’t want the living attempting to communicate with the dead? Can you find other verses in Scripture that condemn mediums, Ouija boards, or séances? Can you think of individuals in Scripture, besides Saul, who consulted mediums? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “What Happens to Unbelievers When They Die?” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse, and we find ourselves at Luke 16:24. We are in the account of the rich man and Lazarus. As you know, religions have different beliefs about what happens after death. I looked up the beliefs of the top five religions… Sikhism is fifth. Sikhs do not believe in an afterlife, such as heaven or hell. They believe in reincarnation and the way you live in this life determines your form in the next life. Buddhism is fourth. Buddhists also believe in reincarnation, and they believe people who attain a state of enlightenment can enter Nirvana, the highest state of perfect peace and happiness where suffering and desires do not exist. Hinduism is third. Hindus also believe in reincarnation. People are reincarnated based on their karma, or how they lived their previous life. Islam is second. Muslims believe everyone will be resurrected into either paradise or hell based on their obedience to the Five Pillars. Christianity is first, largely because it includes all religions that call themselves Christian, including those we consider to be cults. Among the cults, there are different beliefs about the afterlife. For example… Mormons believe there are different levels or kingdoms: the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, the telestial kingdom, and outer darkness.316 People go to different kingdoms depending on what they believed and how they lived this life.317 Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe our souls are immortal; they believe our souls cease functioning, just as our physical bodies do. When people die, they enter a state of soul sleep. Unrighteous people remain dead for eternity, or are annihilated, but the righteous are resurrected. Seventh-day Adventists also believe in soul sleep and annihilation. When Christ returns, He will awaken believers to go to heaven with Him, while unbelievers cease to exist. Catholics believe people go to heaven, hell, or purgatory. This account shows us what actually happens to unbelievers when they die, and it completely conflicts with the views of these religions. There are 13 verses in this account and most of them focus on the rich man. Aside from being told Lazarus was in comfort at Abraham’s side, or bosom, there’s nothing else said about him. Instead, almost all the attention is on the rich man and his experience as an unbeliever. Last week we made it through verse 23. This morning we will pick up at verse 24, which describes the rich man’s experience and helps us understand what happens to unbelievers when they die. Luke 16:24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ This is the first of two times the rich man tries to get Lazarus to serve him. He ignored Lazarus during his earthly life, but now he pays special attention to him because he wants something. Look at Ab

The similarities between Isaac and Jesus' sacrifice are many. Read or listen to this chapter from A Father Offers His Son to see how Isaac is a type for Jesus in Genesis 22. Table of ContentsIsaac and Jesus Were Only Begotten Sons"Only" Means "Special"Isaac and Jesus Were Named by GodIsaac and Jesus Were Loved by Their FathersGod’s Love for the WorldIsaac and Jesus Were Burnt OfferingsIsaac and Jesus Were “Offered” UpIsaac and Jesus Were Accompanied by Two Men on Their Way to Be SacrificedIsaac and Jesus Carried the Wood for Their SacrificesIsaac and Jesus Were Willing to Experience Their Father’s FireIsaac and Jesus Were Sacrificial LambsIsaac and Jesus Were in Agreement with Their FathersJesus and Isaac Were Submissive to Their FathersWere They the Same Age When Sacrificed?Isaac and Jesus Trusted Their FathersIsaac and Jesus Were Willing to DieIsaac and Jesus Were Placed on the Wood for Their SacrificesHow Much Worse for Abraham and God the Father?Isaac and Jesus Were Sacrificed by Their FathersWas Jesus Slain Before He Was Born?Isaac and Jesus Were Silent When Laying Down Their LivesIsaac and Jesus Return with Their BridesTwo More Similarities Between Isaac and Jesus' SacrificeConclusion Isaac as a type of Christ is one of the most dramatic in the Bible. The similarities between Isaac and Jesus' sacrifice in Genesis 22 are incredible. Isaac and Jesus Were Only Begotten Sons The typology between Isaac and Jesus is immediately established very strongly in Genesis 22:2. The language used regarding Abraham and Isaac is almost identical to the language used in the New Testament regarding God the Father and His Son. In Genesis 22:2 God said to Abraham, “your son, your only son.” He repeated these words two more times: Genesis 22:12—“And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’” Genesis 22:16—[The Angel of the Lord] said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son.” "Only" Means "Special" God does not waste words in Scripture. When He is repetitive, it is for a reason. God does not use highlighting, italics, underlining, or bold for emphasis, but He does repeat Himself when He wants to ensure we do not miss something. God wants us to recognize Isaac was, “[Abraham’s] son, [his] only son.” Abraham had another son, Ishmael, so how can God refer to Isaac as Abraham’s “only” son? The word “only” does not mean “single.” The Old Testament has three Hebrew words for “only.” Here are two of them: Genesis 6:5—“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only [raq] evil continually.” Genesis 7:23—“So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only [‘ak] Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.” The Old Testament is primarily written in Hebrew (with small portions written in Aramaic), and the word for “only” in Genesis 22:2 is yachiyd, which means “unique.” It is referring to Isaac being Abraham’s special, one-of-a-kind son. The same word is translated as “precious” elsewhere in Scripture: Psalm 22:20—“Deliver Me from the sword, My precious [yachiyd] life from the power of the dog.” Psalm 35:17—“Rescue me from their destructions, My precious [yachiyd] life from the lions.” The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) says yachiyd means, “only begotten son.” This makes Isaac look like Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. “Begotten” does not mean “created.” The writers of the Nicene Creed wanted to make sure nobody misunderstood the word, so they said: I believe… in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by Whom all things were made. The creed teaches Jesus is eternal, and as the Son of God, is equal with God. If begotten does not mean created, what does it mean? The Greek word for “only begotten” is monogenes, and it means, “single of its kind.” Again, it means Jesus is God’s unique Son. This separates Him from believers who are sons and daughters of God by adoption, and angels who are also called “sons of God” (Genesis 6:4, Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7 cf. Hebrews 1:5-14). Monogenes only occurs nine times in Scripture: Three times Luke used the word to describe parents who lost an “only” (monogenes) child (Luke 7:12, 8:42, and 9:38). Five times John used the word to refer to Jesus as “the only begotten (monogenes) Son” (John 1:14, 18, 3:16, 18, 1 John 4:9). The last use identifies the other individual in Scripture given the same title as Jesus: By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac

In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus taught the account of the rich man and Lazarus, who went to Hades. The rich man went to a place of torment. Lazarus went to a place of comfort, also called Abraham’s bosom (or Abraham’s side in the ESV). We can learn much from these two and what happened with them. https://youtu.be/iYyuj7ooakg Luke 16:19-31 contains the rich man and Lazarus. They went to Hades, which has a place of torment and comfort (Abraham’s bosom). Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: The Rich Man and Lazarus were actual people versus a parable.Lesson Two: Wealth and poverty are not signs of God’s favor or disfavor.Lesson Three: The Rich Man and Lazarus encourage us to focus on the next life. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the following verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 8:4, 12:16, 13:6, 14:7 cf. 16:19, Matthew 12:40, John 20:17, Acts 2:27, John 3:13: why is the rich man and Lazarus more than likely an actual account versus a parable? Where was Jesus between His death and resurrection? Where does it seem like the prophet Samuel went when he died? Day 2: Luke 6:20, 24, 16:19-23, Matthew 5:3, Proverbs 22:2: what reveals the rich man’s selfishness? How do we know wealth and poverty are not signs of God’s favor or disfavor? Explain Luke 6:20 and 24. Day 3: James 5:5, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18: how do the rich man and Lazarus both encourage us to focus on the next life? Why are all our trials called light momentary afflictions? What allows us to view our trials as light momentary afflictions? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Learning from the Rich Man and Lazarus.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 16:19. A few things before we get into the verses… First, last week’s sermon on Hades laid the foundation for these verses, so let me review a few points: Hades and Sheol are the same. Hades is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Sheol. Hades is the temporary abode of the dead and it contains two compartments:Believers find themselves in the place of comfort also called Abraham’s bosom or in the ESV Abraham’s side Unbelievers find themselves in the place of torment Believers were removed from Abraham’s bosom, the place of comfort, at Christ’ ascension Unbelievers will be removed from the place of torment to appear before the great White throne judgment before the new heavens and the new earth are established If any of this sounds confusing, please go back and listen to last week’s sermon. Second, you might remember a few weeks ago I told you that money is one of the themes of this chapter. This sets up the account of the rich man and Lazarus. Notice the theme: In verse 11 Jesus said, “If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” Unrighteous wealth is not immoral or sinful, but it is called unrighteous because it is earthly. In verse 13 Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” In verse 14 Jesus says the Pharisees, were lovers of money. Then in verse 15 Jesus said they justify themselves before men. Verses 14 and 15 can look unrelated: Jesus condemns the Pharisees for loving money and then condemns them for justifying themselves. But the criticisms are related because the Pharisees used money to justify themselves. They taught that money was a sign of divine favor and poverty was a sign of divine disfavor. So, the wealthier they looked, the better they looked. This caused them to flaunt their money and act extravagantly. They would say… “We have so much money, because we have been so good, and God has rewarded us. Why would God give us so much if He wasn’t pleased with us?” They also used this view to criticize poor people… “God must not be pleased with poor people or they wouldn’t be poor. Clearly, poor people are unrighteous and on their way to hell.” This was the thinking of the day, so what did Jesus teach? The account of the rich man and Lazarus: A rich man on his way to hell A poor man on his way to heaven Third, you might have noticed that I called this an account versus a parable…and this brings us to lesson one… Lesson One: The Rich Man and Lazarus were actual people versus a parable. There are five reasons to believe this was an actual account and not a parable… First, the account is never called a parable…even though most of Jesus’s other parables in Luke are called parables: Luke 8:4 HE SAID IN A PARABLE, 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed… Luke 12:16 HE TOLD THEM A PARABLE…“The land of a rich man produced plentifully Luke 13:6 HE TOLD THIS PARABLE: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. Luke 14:7 HE TOLD A PARABLE to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor But in this account there’s no mention of it being a parable. Second, Jesus do

What does the Bible say about Hades (the Greek word hadēs), also known as Sheol (the Hebrew word šᵊ'ôl)? Hades in the Bible is the temporary abode of the dead (Acts 2:27). It consists of two compartments: a place of comfort (also called Abraham's bosom) and a place of torment that will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). https://youtu.be/zvM22FAeL5k What does the Bible say about Hades (Sheol)? Hades in the Bible is the temporary abode of the dead consisting of two compartments. Table of contentsIs Hell Discussed in the Old Testament?Hades (Greek) or Sheol (Hebrew) Is the Temporary Abode of the DeadBelievers in Sheol (Hades)Unbelievers in Sheol (Hades)Where was Jesus for The Days and Nights Between His Death and Resurrection?Jesus Identified with Us Even After DeathHades Has Two CompartmentsWhat Did Jesus Tell the Thief on the Cross?Believers Were Removed from Hades at Jesus’s AscensionWhy Couldn’t Old Testament Believers Go to Heaven Earlier?What About Enoch and Elijah?The Three HeavensUnbelievers Will Be Removed from Hades on "The Day of Judgment"The Great White Throne JudgmentJudged By Their Insufficient WorksDeath and HadesThe Second Death Is Hell Discussed in the Old Testament? Even though heaven and hell are of incredible importance, can you think of verses in the Old Testament discussing them? Unless I am missing something, the only verse in the Old Testament discussing eternal life and eternal punishment is Daniel 12:2 which says, "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Isaiah 66:24 seems to discuss eternal punishment: “They shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” You probably recognize this verse because Jesus quoted it in Mark 9:48 to describe hell. There are a few verses that subtly describe heaven: Psalm 16:11 In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Heaven is loosely described as the joy of being in God’s presence. Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Heaven is described as being with God forever. Psalm 73:24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Heaven is described as being brought into glory. Isaiah 26:19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy…the earth will give birth to the dead. This describes resurrection. But none of these verses come close to the clarity of the New Testament, because revelation was both progressive (in that more revelation was given over time) and cumulative (in that it builds on previous revelation). Hades (Greek) or Sheol (Hebrew) Is the Temporary Abode of the Dead Because of the limited revelation in the Old Testament, instead of saying people went to heaven or hell when they died, it says they went Sheol, the pit, or the grave. The Hebrew word Sheol is the name of the temporary abode, or location, for the souls of the dead until they go to their permanent home in heaven or hell. When Alexander the Great conquered the known world and made everything Greek there needed to be a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. That Greek translation is called the Septuagint, and when you see it mentioned in your Bible in the footnotes it says LXX, the Roman numeral for 70, because the Septuagint was translated by 70 scholars. When the Septuagint translated the Hebrew word Sheol into Greek, it translated it as Hades. Sheol and Hades are the same, but one word is Hebrew and the other word is Greek. When the Bible discusses Sheol in the Old Testament and Hades in the New Testament, it does not distinguish between the righteous or unrighteous dead, or discuss eternal reward or eternal punishment, because Hades was a location that contained believers or unbelievers. Believers in Sheol (Hades) For example, here are four verses, and I could give more, about the righteous going to Sheol: Genesis 37:35 [Jacob said], “I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Job 14:13 Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would conceal me until your wrath be past! Psalm 88:3 My life draws near to Sheol. Isaiah 38:10 I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years. Unbelievers in Sheol (Hades) Numbers 16:30 If the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth…and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.” Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. Psalm 31:17 O Let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol. Isaiah 5:14 Sheol has enlarged its appetite…and the…multitude [of revelers] will go down. The Old Testament shows the righteous and wicked go

Paul chooses to command those who are rich in this present world to do certain things versus condemn them for being rich (1 Timothy 6:17-19). There’s nothing wrong with being rich, but rich people do receive special instructions. Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way to see what God says to rich people. Table of ContentsThe Rich Have Greater AccountabilityFirst, Command Those Who Are Rich in this Present World to Be HumbleSecond, Command Those Who Are Rich in this Present World to Trust GodThird, Command Those Who Are Rich in this Present World to Do Good WorksFourth, Command Those Who Are Rich in this Present World to Give GenerouslyA Better Approach to Giving People don’t become doctors the day they decide they want to pursue a medical career. The decision must have been made years earlier, and they must have made many sacrifices to endure through an internship and residency. Similarly, if people want to be lawyers, they don’t wake up one day and say, “I’m going to be a lawyer,” and then start trying cases. The decision to become a lawyer must be made well before, involving years of commitment before taking on clients. You might already have an IRA because you are planning for the golden years. You don’t wake up when you’re older and say, “Let me start a retirement plan.” The decision is made years earlier, so you are prepared when you retire. Perhaps you are saving for your children’s education. You don’t attend their high school graduation and say, “I’d better put something aside to pay for their college.” The decision must be made long in advance. The lesson is that knowledge of the future determines our behavior in the present. When we know what we desire in the future, we will make decisions to reach those goals in the present. This has great application for us as stewards. If we want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” we don’t wait until the end of our lives to start being faithful. We decide to be faithful starting now—today! The verses we will examine next can help put us on the right path. The Rich Have Greater Accountability First Timothy 6 addresses two groups. The first group, “who desire to be rich” and have a “love of money,” are in 1 Timothy 6:9-10. The second group is “those who are rich in this present age” in 1 Timothy 6:17-19. It is essential to notice that Paul doesn’t criticize the second group, who is rich, but he criticizes the first group, who desires to be rich. This seems backward! We would expect Paul to criticize the first group, which is rich while pitying the second group, which is not rich. Why is it this way? Because, as we also discussed, money is amoral. The problem is not being rich. The problem is a love of money or a strong desire to be rich. But even though being rich isn’t bad, it does mean having greater accountability before God. Stewardship is more difficult with more money because there is more to steward. So, Paul has special instructions for rich people: As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life (1 Timothy 6:17-19). If the parable of the rich fool tells rich people what not to do, these verses tell rich people what to do. Maybe you are thinking, Oh, I’m not rich, so these verses don’t apply to me. As I shared earlier, Americans are wealthy, measured by the living standards of the rest of the world, especially those throughout history. We must be careful not to read verses about riches and think they apply to others but not us. With that in mind, the above verses include four instructions to the rich. Let’s look carefully at each of them for our spiritual and financial benefit. First, Command Those Who Are Rich in this Present World to Be Humble Paul first commands the rich “not to be haughty” (verse 17) because pride is one of their most common temptations. Riches and pride (or haughtiness) often go together. The Greek word translated “haughty” means “to have an exalted opinion of oneself.” Those with large amounts of money can be tempted to feel superior and look down on those with less money; therefore, God says, “Don’t be high-minded. You are not better than those with less because you have more.” Proverbs 18:23 says, “The poor man uses entreaties, but the rich answers roughly.” Wealthy people might ignore the pleading of the poor, but pride would cause the rich to respond harshly because they think they’re better than the poor. Proverbs 28:11 says, “The rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding searches him out.” Pride causes rich people to think highly of themselves, but poor people with discernment can see right through it because they know th

Colossians 2:2 discusses the mystery of Christ. In the Bible, a mystery is something concealed until God reveals it. Jesus is called a mystery because He was concealed and then revealed. He was hidden in the Old Testament, but God provided two ways for people to look forward to Him in faith: prophecies and shadows. https://youtu.be/0UR8Et_Ht_g Colossians 2:2 discusses the mystery of Christ, because Jesus was hidden in the Old Testament. He was concealed and then revealed. Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: Christ was a mystery.Lesson Two: Old Testament saints (Part One) looked forward to Christ in faith through prophecies and shadows.Lesson Two: Old Testament saints (Part Two) strained to understand the mystery of Christ.Lesson Three: Think of the Old Testament as a key versus only a rulebook.Lesson Four: John’s ministry solved the mystery of Christ.Lesson Five: (Part One) The kingdom of God brought a choice in Jesus’s day…Lesson Five: (Part One) The kingdom of God brought a choice in Jesus’s day (Part Two) and ours. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the following verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Colossians 1:26-2:2, 16-17, Luke 24:27, John 1:45-46, Hebrews 10:7 and discuss: scripturally speaking, what is a mystery? Why is Jesus called a mystery? How can Jesus be a mystery in the Old Testament, but the New Testament says the Old Testament is Him? Day 2: 1 Peter 1:10-12, Matthew 13:16, Galatians 3:23-25, John 5:39-40 and discuss: how did the prophets in the Old Testament strain to see Christ? What are types and shadows of Christ, and can you name three from the Old Testament? Why should the Old Testament be thought of as a key versus only a rulebook? Day 3: Luke 16:16-17, John 1:15, 29, Matthew 5:17, 11:11, Luke 13:24, 16:17 and discuss: why were the law and the prophets preached only until John? What did Jesus mean when He said He came to fulfill the law versus abolish it? What does it mean that some people were forcing their way into the kingdom of God in Jesus’s day? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “The Mystery of Christ.” On Sunday mornings we have been working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 16:16, but I’m going to provide quite a bit of background information, so this verse makes sense. Let me begin by explaining what a mystery is, biblically… A mystery is something that can never be figured out no matter how much time you had or no matter how hard you tried. For example, if you looked at a difficult math problem you might say, “This is a mystery to me,” but given enough time and effort you could discover the answer. But in Scripture, a mystery is something concealed until God chooses to reveal it. In Colossians 2 Paul talks about a mystery. Look with me at verse one to see how much he wants his readers – including us – to understand this mystery… Colossians 2:1 For I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW GREAT A STRUGGLE I HAVE FOR YOU AND FOR THOSE AT LAODICEA AND FOR ALL WHO HAVE NOT SEEN ME FACE TO FACE, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of GOD'S MYSTERY, WHICH IS CHRIST. Verse 2 says Christ is God’s mystery. And this brings us to lesson one… Lesson One: Christ was a mystery. Here’s the question… Why is Christ called a mystery? Because He was concealed and then revealed. He could not be known until God chose to reveal Him. Look a few verses earlier at the end of Colossians 1:26… Colossians 1:26 the mystery HIDDEN FOR AGES AND GENERATIONS BUT NOW REVEALED TO HIS SAINTS. Christ was a mystery that was hidden in the past, but God has revealed Him to New Testament saints. Look at the next verse… Colossians 1:27 To them God chose TO MAKE KNOWN how great among the Gentiles are the riches of THE GLORY OF THIS MYSTERY, WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory. The words God chose to make known mean God revealed the mystery of Christ. Now consider this for a moment… I have been talking about Christ being a mystery throughout the Old Testament, but many of you probably know that the New Testament says the Old Testament is about Christ! Listen to these verses: Luke 24:27 Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] expounded to them in all the Scriptures THE THINGS CONCERNING HIMSELF…All things must be fulfilled which were written IN THE LAW OF MOSES AND THE PROPHETS AND THE PSALMS (a way to refer to the Old Testament) CONCERNING ME.’” When Philip understood the mystery of Christ, he wanted his friend, Nathaniel, to as well. John 1:45-46 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom MOSES IN THE LAW AND ALSO THE PROPHETS WROTE, JESUS OF NAZARETH, the son of Joseph.” Hebrews 10:7 [Jesus said,] “Behold, I have comein THE VOLUME OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME.” So is Christ concealed or revealed in the Old Testament? On one hand we have the New Testament saying Christ was a mystery in t

Is money good or bad? Proverbs 22:2 says, "The rich and the poor have this in common, the LORD is the maker of them all.” Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God's Way to learn that the Bible teaches money is amoral versus moral or immoral. Table of ContentsMistakes We Make with MoralityFirst Mistake with Morality: Thinking Something Is Amoral When It Is Moral or ImmoralSecond Mistake with Morality: Thinking Something Is Immoral When It Is AmoralMoney Is Amoral in the Bible (Proverbs 22:2)We See Money Is Amoral by Considering Some of the Bible’s Greatest MenMoney Is Amoral, but How We Spend Money Is MoralFootnotes During college, I took a world religions class. A Buddhist monk was brought in as a guest speaker. He had no modern luxuries, such as a vehicle, a computer, or a refrigerator, because he thought they were sinful (immoral). He thought it was good (moral) to allow himself only what was necessary for survival, such as food, water, and shelter. But this is not what Jesus meant when He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). There, Jesus referred to denying ourselves immoral pleasures, but the monk was abstaining from things that are amoral (non-sinful, or spiritually neutral). Colossians 2:20-23 records: If you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. When people rigorously neglect the amoral and follow legalistic, manmade commands, there’s “an appearance of wisdom,” but there’s “no value against [indulging] the flesh,” which is to say there’s no spiritual benefit. It’s heartbreaking when people spend years rigorously denying themselves in ways that offer no moral or spiritual benefit. The Bible teaches that drunkenness and homosexuality are immoral (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). It’s tragic when people spend years getting drunk or participating in homosexual relationships because they’re convinced their immoral actions are amoral. We must understand morality because if we don’t, we might find ourselves in one of the above situations and fail to see the goodness (morality) of certain behaviors and the sinfulness (immorality) of others. These are the two mistakes we typically make with morality. Let’s consider them in more detail so we’ll be prepared to view our money correctly. Mistakes We Make with Morality These are the two mistakes we typically make with morality. Let’s consider them in more detail so we’ll be prepared to view our money correctly. First Mistake with Morality: Thinking Something Is Amoral When It Is Moral or Immoral Many verses discuss the morality of our words. For example: Matthew 12:37— Jesus said, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” 1 Peter 3:10—“He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.” Most people know their speech is moral, but they might not know that the amount they speak (and listen) is also moral (versus amoral). James 1:19 says, “My beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” This verse contains three commands, which means we’re dealing with morality: it is moral to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, and it is immoral to be slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to anger. Anger and listening might be mentioned together because they’re closely related. As a pastor, when I’m counseling couples, it’s sometimes obvious early on who’s more at fault when problems arise because they’re slow to listen and quick to get angry. Ecclesiastes teaches that one way to identify fools is they talk too much: “A fool’s voice is known by his many words…a fool also multiplies words” (Ecclesiastes 5:3; 10:14). David took so seriously how much he spoke that he prayed God would protect his mouth: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). Proverbs is filled with contrasts between wise and foolish people. One of the contrasts is that wise people listen, but foolish people babble on: “The wise in heart will receive commands, but a prating fool will fall” (Proverbs 10:8; see also Proverbs 10:19; 13:3; 17:27-28). Second Mistake with Morality: Thinking Something Is Immoral When It Is Amoral Food, guns, and knowledge are amoral, which means people are not spiritually better or worse if they do or don’t eat certain foods, have or don’t have guns, or have more or less knowledge than others. But what we do with food, guns, and knowledge is moral. Certain foods are healthier or u

"For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). Using vivid examples, biblical references, and practical insights, discover how greed traps us and why God warns against loving money. Read, listen, or watch this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn the truth behind this well-known verse that it is not money itself but the love of money that leads to sin and destruction. https://youtu.be/GuVZIAo5P6M Paul wrote, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils" (1 Timothy 6:10). Read on to learn why loving money is so dangerous. Table of ContentsThe Love of Money Versus Money Is the ProblemFor the Love of Money Leads to SinThe Resulting DiscontentmentFor the Love of Money Hurts OthersFor the Love of Money Ruins and DestroysLearning from the Rich Young RulerFor the Love of Money Requires RepentanceFor the Love of Money Chokes Christ Out of Our LivesFootnote I once watched a fascinating video of a man trapping a monkey. He hollowed out a space on the side of a mound and put food in it. The opening was large enough for a monkey to insert his hand to get the food. Then, the man stood behind a tree a little distance away and waited. A monkey went to the opening, put in his hand, and grabbed the food. The opening wasn’t big enough for the monkey to remove its hand with the food, and because it wouldn’t let go, it was trapped. While the monkey tried to free itself, the man came behind and captured it. While it’s easy to mock the monkey because its foolishness caught it, the same can happen to us. Paul said those who love money “fall…into a snare” (1 Timothy 6:9). The Greek word translated snare is pagis, which refers to a trap in which animals are entangled and caught unexpectedly, like the monkey. Let’s consider why the love of money Is the root of all kinds of evil, as 1 Timothy 6:10 says, so we can avoid being trapped. The Love of Money Versus Money Is the Problem Money is amoral, but our relationship with money is moral, meaning the way we feel about money is also moral. Consider how many verses condemn loving money: Luke 16:14 criticizes the Pharisees for being lovers of money. First Timothy 3:3 says one of the qualifications for elders is that they don’t love money. Second Timothy 3:2 says one of the behaviors characterizing the wickedness of the last days will be love for money. Hebrews 13:5 commands us to keep our lives free from the love of money. Why do so many verses warn against loving money? The answer is in 1 Timothy 6:9-10: Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. Consider the way the Amplified Bible translates parts of 1 Timothy 6:9-10: “Those who…crave to get rich [with a compulsive, greedy longing for wealth]…the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically]…” These verses are not about people who say, “It would be nice to be rich.” Instead, they are about people so fixated on riches that it controls their lives, which is the danger. You have probably heard the well-known maxim, “Money is the root of all evil.” This sounds similar to what 1 Timothy 6:10 says, but there are two differences, which, although subtle, are significant.331 First, the maxim says money is the cause of all evil in the world, but money itself is amoral. There is plenty of evil that has nothing to do with money. It’s wrong to think money is immoral or responsible for evil because that puts the blames in the wrong place. Jesus blamed our hearts: “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murder, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19), and James blamed our flesh: “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). Evil is not birthed from money, but it is birthed from us giving in to temptation. Second, the maxim makes money the problem, but Paul said, “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evils.” We should blame our relationships to money, not money itself. We get into trouble when we love money, regardless of our wealth. People can love money whether they’re rich or poor. The poor would love to be rich, and the rich would love to be richer. This should cause us to examine how we feel about money: Do we covet it, dream about it, and obsess over it? These are important questions because the love of money can be, as Paul said, “a snare.” For the Love of Money Leads to Sin Murder, adultery, and lying are evil, but is the desire to be rich that bad? It is because of the sin it produces. We would expect Paul to say that desiring to be rich is the temptation, but instea

Jesus Christ our righteousness offers us His righteousness by grace through faith. It's part of the classic double imputation that takes place at every conversion. Our unrighteousness is imputed to Christ, and His perfect righteousness is imputed to us: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is why we don't need to try to justify ourselves. https://youtu.be/VR0G0Xj_09Q Jesus Christ our righteousness offers us His righteousness by grace through faith. Part of the double imputation occurring at conversion. Table of contentsFamily Worship Guide for Jesus Christ Our Righteousness Versus Justifying OurselvesSermon Notes for Jesus Christ Our Righteousness Versus Justifying OurselvesLesson One: It is tempting to (Part One) reject God’s word when it convicts us.Lesson One: It is tempting to (Part Two) justify ourselves.Lesson Two: Because of Jesus Christ Our Righteousness, we don’t have to justify ourselves. Family Worship Guide for Jesus Christ Our Righteousness Versus Justifying Ourselves Directions: Read the following passages and answer the questions below: Day 1: Read Luke 16:14-15, 1 Corinthians 28:9, Proverbs 24:12 and discuss: what are things people believe to convince themselves that they are good and not sinners? Which of these are you tempted to believe about yourself? What does justified mean? Why did the Pharisees ridicule Jesus’s teaching? What teachings in Scripture might we be tempted to ridicule? Day 2: Read Matthew 5:19, 19:16-17, Luke 10:25-28, 18:9-149, and discuss: why did Jesus tell the lawyer and the rich young ruler that if they obeyed the law (the Ten Commandments) that they would live? Does this mean we can obey the law and live (eternally)? Why or why not? Why wasn’t the Pharisee justified, but why the tax collector was? Day 2: Read Luke 2:21-24, Matthew 3:13-15, 17:24-27, 2 Corinthians 5:21 and discuss: why did Jesus do all of these things even going beyond what the law commanded? For example, why was he willing to experience a baptism of repentance when he didn’t need to repent, and why did he pay the temple tax when he was exempt from it as the King’s Son? Sermon Notes for Jesus Christ Our Righteousness Versus Justifying Ourselves The title of this morning’s message is, “Jesus Christ Our Righteousness.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse, and we find ourselves at Luke 16:14. Something frustrating happened to me on Thursday. I thought I had my sermon finished, but as I was going over it, I was dissatisfied because it was too long and felt like it was going in two different directions: The first half of the sermon was about the Pharisees justifying themselves The second half of the sermon was about the Pharisees loving money It felt like two unrelated sermons to me, so I split them up. This morning we’ll talk about the dangers of justifying ourselves and next week we will talk about the dangers of loving money. Let’s back up to verse thirteen for context… Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” If you remember the end of our previous sermon on the parable of the unjust steward when I talked about this verse, I told you that it is not an imperative or command. Jesus is not telling us not to do something: he is not telling us not to serve God AND money. Instead, this is an indicative. Jesus is indicating or stating something: He is telling us we can’t serve God and money. To serve God is to choose not to serve money, and to serve money is to choose not to serve God. But there were people who served money, and they heard Jesus say this… Luke 16:14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. Based on verse one, we know Jesus was speaking to the disciples, but the Pharisees heard this and took serious issue with it. And this brings us to lesson one… Lesson One: It is tempting to (Part One) reject God’s word when it convicts us. This is a great example of what it looks like to be confronted by God’s Word: We can humble ourselves and repent Or we can be proud and stubborn The Pharisees were convicted by Jesus’s teaching. They knew it applied to them. They could have humbled themselves and repented. But instead, they gave themselves over to pride, and notice this, it says they ridiculed him. The Greek word for ridiculed literally means “to turn up one’s nose.” And believe it or not, this is exactly what they had to do: They either had to acknowledge the message that Jesus preached and repent Or they had to ridicule it as a means of self-defense to resist any conviction. This happens frequently with God’s Word: We disagree with it because it disagrees with what we are doing. It hits too close to home, so we reject it. Let me give you some examples of

We can learn many wonderful lessons from the life of Abraham. Read or listen to this chapter from my book, A Father Offers His Son, for lessons learned from Abraham. Table of ContentsLesson One: Abraham was Ready to Obey GodLesson Two: Abraham Obeyed God When It Did Not Make SenseLesson Three: Abraham Did Not Delay ObeyingLesson Four: Abraham Would Not Let Anyone Interfere with Him ObeyingLesson Five: Abraham Understood Obedience Is WorshipLesson Six: Abraham Trusted GodGod’s Sovereignty Should Give Us Confidence While we want to see Jesus throughout the account of Abraham sacrificing Isaac, we can also learn lessons from Abraham’s example. We can be encouraged by his great faith and challenged by his tremendous obedience. Lesson One: Abraham was Ready to Obey God Genesis 22:1—Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”And he said, “Here I am.” If we asked why God would want Abraham to sacrifice his son, the other comparable question we would ask is: why was Abraham willing to sacrifice his son? The simple answer is he heard from God. Abraham’s willingness to present Isaac as a burnt offering required that he be fully convinced God had spoken to him. Otherwise, Abraham was insane at best, and evil at worst. When God first spoke to Abraham, he responded with three words, which mean much more than, “I am here.” They mean, “I am ready to serve You and do Your will!” Other godly men said these same words when they were willing to obey God. In each instance, God revealed His desire only after the person responded this way. For example: Jacob said these words in Genesis 46:2, and then God told him to head to Egypt. Moses said these words in Exodus 3:4, and then God sent him to deliver the Israelites. Samuel said these words in 1 Samuel 3:4, 5, 6, and 8, and then God revealed he would remove Eli’s house. Isaiah spoke these words in Isaiah 6:8, and God then sent him as a prophet. Abraham heard from God and responded appropriately. We should have the same responsive hearts toward God. Often, that is when God reveals His will for us. The Word of God is what we “hear.” When we become convinced that God is speaking to us through Scripture, we are to respond as quickly and obediently as Abraham did. Lesson Two: Abraham Obeyed God When It Did Not Make Sense Genesis 22:2—Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” There are two reasons this was a difficult test for Abraham. First, and most obviously, it meant sacrificing his “only son whom he loved.” Second, it seemed irrational. When God repeated His covenant to Abraham, He said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them… So shall your descendants be” (Genesis 15:5; see also Genesis 12:2 and 17:6). Later, in Genesis 21:12, God said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” letting him know the descendants would come from Isaac, as opposed to Ishmael. When God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Isaac had no children. The dilemma for Abraham was, “God promised me lots of descendants, and they are supposed to come through Isaac, but I have to sacrifice him before he has had any children?” Despite any confusion Abraham experienced, he obeyed. God’s Word might not always make sense, but we must still obey. In Isaiah 55:8–9, God says: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,Nor are your ways My ways…For as the heavens are higher than the earth,So are My ways higher than your ways,And My thoughts than your thoughts.” We will not always understand why God does what He does, nor why He wants us to do what He wants us to do. Even at those times, we must trust Him and obey. Lesson Three: Abraham Did Not Delay Obeying Genesis 22:3—So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. After receiving one of the most difficult commands given in Scripture, Abraham “rose early.” He did not delay in doing what God wanted, even though the thought of it must have been excruciating. He saddled his donkey and split the wood for the offering. Abraham had many servants, and these are the tasks they normally performed, but he did everything himself. More than likely, he saw this as a command God gave to him alone. The application is that delayed obedience is disobedience. When we know what God wants us to do, putting it off is the same as not doing it. James 4:17 says, “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Lesson Four: Abraham Would Not Let Anyone Interfere with Him Obeying Genesis 22:5a—And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey.” There is no indication that the servants knew what God told Abraham. More than likely, they would try to restrain him from g

What does the bible say about tithing? Is tithing in the New Testament? Are Christians required to tithe? Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way, or watch the accompanying sermon for answers. https://youtu.be/PJpjMYDXmzM What does the bible say about tithing? Is tithing in the New Testament? Are Christians required to tithe? Read or listen to this chapter from Your Finances God’s Way for answers. Table of ContentsThe New Testament Doesn’t Command Giving a TitheTwo Categories of CommandsA Higher Standard for GivingNo Mention of Tithing in the New TestamentThe New Testament Expects Giving WillinglyWe Must Decide How Much to GiveGod Sees the “Heart Gift” Versus the “Hand Gift”Giving Willingly In the Old TestamentJacob Demonstrates Giving UnwillinglyAbraham Demonstrates Giving WillinglyThankfulness Produces Better Giving Than LawJesus Willingly Gave More Than a TitheSo Why Give Willingly?Footnotes Giving and the amount Christians should give are controversial topics. You've probably heard different opinions if you’ve been in the church for a long time. You may have your thoughts based on your experiences up to this point. May I ask you a couple of questions? First, have you been told that you should tithe?334 If so, take a moment to consider whether New Testament verses cause you to think this way. I believe it’s clear that Christians are commanded to give, but they’re not commanded to give a tithe, which brings me to my second question. Second, if you believe you must give a tithe, will you consider a different view if Scripture supports it? Having asked those questions, here’s a principle I’d like you to apply in your heart: God wants us to give out of thankfulness rather than out of obligation. Remember how much God has done for you so you’re moved to give out of a heart of worship rather than out of duty. Please don’t assume any of this is merely my opinion. I believe it is vital for us to be convinced by God’s Word alone, and understanding what Scripture teaches requires some technical information. Bear with me as we get this foundation in place! The New Testament Doesn’t Command Giving a Tithe Not long after becoming a Christian, I heard that I should tithe. My confidence in this claim waned as my familiarity with the New Testament grew because I couldn’t find any supporting verses. Giving a tithe is commanded under the Old Covenant, which is associated with the Mosaic law. But Christians today are under the New Covenant, which is associated with the law of Christ. Paul notes this distinction in the New Testament: To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews. To those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those under the law; to those who are without the law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without the law (1 Corinthians 9:20-21). Paul said that to win Jews to Christ, he would put himself back “under the [Mosaic] law,” which means he hadn’t been adhering to the requirements of that law since coming to Christ. When he tried to win Gentiles (“those who are without [the Mosaic] law”), he ensured he wasn’t under the Mosaic law. However, to prevent readers from thinking he was without any law, he said he remained “under law toward Christ.” The point is that there’s a clear distinction between two different laws and how they relate to our giving: the Mosaic law, which is associated with the Old Covenant (which we are not part of ), and its mediator, Moses, commands giving a tithe the law of Christ, which is associated with the New Covenant (which we are part of ), and its mediator, Jesus, doesn’t command giving a tithe335 The tithe was God’s way of paying the priests who served God’s people throughout the Old Testament era through Jesus’s earthly life. After Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, He became our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14). This produced a change because “when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well” (Hebrews 7:12). Two Categories of Commands The Mosaic law was divided into two categories. First are the moral or commonsense commands, such as, “You shall not murder…commit adultery…steal…bear false witness.” These commands are based on God’s nature, which defines morality for us. Because God’s nature doesn’t change, morality doesn’t change, and because morality doesn’t change, the moral commands don’t change. Because the moral commands don’t change, they are brought forward from the Old Covenant into the New Covenant. They’re part of the law of Christ and are still binding for us today. The second category is the ceremonial commands, which are amoral (not moral or immoral). These commands are not common sense because we wouldn’t intuitively develop them. Think of the commands related to sacrifices and offerings, feasts and festivals, abstaining from certain foods (such as pork and rabbit), farming specific ways, a

God's Word gives us practical wisdom for all areas of life including our finances. There are many Bible verses about not wasting money that can help us be better stewards. Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God's Way to learn how to avoid wasting money. Table of Contents1. Bible Verses About not Wasting Money Teach Us Small Purchases Add Up2. Bible Verses About not Wasting Money Teach Us to Avoid Worthless Purchases3. Bible Verses About not Wasting Money Teach Us to Resist Self-EntitlementEve’s EntitlementAmnon’s EntitlementKing Ahab’s EntitlementBeware of Self-Entitlement from Any Source4. Bible Verses About not Wasting Money Teach Us to Be Patient5. Bible Verses About not Wasting Money Teach Us to Understand “Good Deals”Jesus’s ExampleJesus’s Self-DenialJesus’s Patience Most people throughout history have wanted necessities, but the more common problem today is having too much stuff. In the past, people wanted food and clothing, but we have too many clothes and overeat food. Mark Twain once defined civilization as “a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.”1 We spend too much money and accumulate too much stuff. Unsurprisingly, storage space facilities are one of the fastest-growing industries. An article titled “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 per month to use self-storage. The United States has more than 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. When I drive down the road and pass storage units, I wonder what’s in them that people don’t need and can’t easily access but still feel the need to keep. How many owners are still paying off the credit cards they used to buy that stuff in the first place? Typically, when we have too much stuff, we should recognize two things: First, we are spending too much money. Second, we don’t have an income problem; we have a spending problem. If we have spending problems but blame our income, this creates another problem. We don’t make appropriate changes because we blame the wrong place: We blame our income when we should blame ourselves. We complain about our paychecks when we should handle our finances differently. Even people with low incomes can still enjoy commodities that years ago would’ve been considered luxuries—cell phones, cars, computers, televisions. Most of us can comfortably live off much less if we avoid the spending problems that plague us. I use the word most because some people work hard and are financially wise yet still struggle to make ends meet. For the rest of us, let’s figure out how to make our money go further by examining the most common spending problems. 1. Bible Verses About not Wasting Money Teach Us Small Purchases Add Up Sometimes, we struggle financially because of large purchases costing thousands of dollars. More often, though, we struggle because of our small purchases over several years. These frequent expenditures take place without a second thought for three reasons: Small purchases are easier to justify—we can tell ourselves, “It is only five dollars...or ten dollars...or twenty dollars,” without considering that, over time, this adds up to thousands of dollars. Small purchases don’t seem detrimental—we recognize how tragic it is to waste thousands of dollars, but it’s much more challenging to recognize the damage caused by wasting a few dollars. We would probably be surprised to learn how much we have spent on small purchases we thought had little effect on our finances. Small purchases don’t look wrong—we don’t think eating out, going to the movies, or swinging by the coffee shop is all that bad, so spending a lot through many small expenditures is easy. It’s surprising how easily people struggling financially will justify their small expenditures. Scripture does not condemn these purchases, but it condemns purchases we can’t afford. We can spend our money the ways I’ve listed above, but not if we don’t have the money. AMC Entertainment is America’s most popular movie theater chain. Using their prices, the average movie costs $26 per person (ticket $11, soda $6, and popcorn $9). This is over $50 for a couple, and as kids are added, the price quickly reaches $100. How can this be justified when a movie rental or subscription service is a fraction of the price? Then, there are the high-end coffee outlets. Imagine a man we will call Joe. On Joe’s way to work each morning, he spends five dollars on coffe

In this post, we dive deep into the Parable of the Unjust Steward (also called the Parable of the Shrewd Manager) in Luke 16:1-13, one of Jesus's most controversial and thought-provoking teachings. While it may initially appear to commend immorality, understanding its true meaning reveals 5 life-changing lessons that challenge us to live with a sense of eternal responsibility and faithful stewardship. Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way or watch the accompanying sermon to learn the important lessons. https://youtu.be/rXeNjXab5UE Luke 16:1-13 contains the Parable of the Unjust Steward (or Shrewd Manager), which teaches that money is the foundation of faithfulness. Table of contentsWas Jesus Applauding Dishonesty Or Doing Something Else?1. The Parable of the Unjust Steward Teaches We Will Give an Account2. The Parable of the Unjust Steward Teaches Us to Prepare for the Future3. The Parable of the Unjust Steward Teaches We Have a Narrow Window of Time to Use Our Master’s Resources4. The Parable of the Unjust Steward Teaches Us to Work Hard5. The Parable of the Unjust Steward Teaches Us to Use Money to Make FriendsPrinciple One: If We Can’t Be Faithful with Money, We Can’t Be Faithful with Much ElsePrinciple Two: Serving God or MoneyWe Must Choose What could motivate us to be better stewards of our finances than a parable Jesus taught about financial stewardship? The parable of the unjust steward is one of Jesus’s most controversial and confusing teachings because it seems to commend immorality; therefore, please bear with me through the groundwork that explains why this is not the case. Luke 16:1-2 opens the parable of the unjust steward: [Jesus] said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.” The manager here is a steward, which is how it’s translated in many Bibles. Stewards don’t own anything. Instead, they’re responsible for someone else’s possessions, which is why this person is called a manager. Stewards were trusted servants because they had full authority over their master’s possessions and could conduct business transactions in the master’s name. The master thinks the steward is incompetent (“wasting his possessions”) versus dishonest, so he tells the steward he will fire him in the future versus immediately. This mistake allowed the steward to keep control of the master’s assets and rip him off. Luke 16:3-8 records the steward’s thoughts and actions after learning of his termination: The manager said to himself, “What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.” So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, “How much do you owe my master?” He said, “A hundred measures of oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.” Then he said to another, “And how much do you owe?” He said, “A hundred measures of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill, and write eighty.” The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. If you ever learned you would lose your job, you would probably immediately start thinking about what to do next. That’s what the steward did, but he found his options unattractive. He was “not strong enough to dig,” perhaps because he was old or disabled, and he was too “ashamed to beg,” perhaps because doing so was beneath him after having held such a prestigious position. More than likely, the steward lived in his rich master’s house. When he was fired, not only would he lose his job, but he would also lose his pleasant living situation. So he decided to win people’s favor so they would “receive [him] into their houses,” and he accomplishes this by meeting with the master’s debtors and decreasing their bills. If you owed money and someone offered to take 20 to 50 percent off your bill, you would likely jump at the opportunity, but hopefully only if it was done morally. The words “sit down quickly” reveal that this was a secret transaction that was unauthorized by the master. So why did the master commend the steward’s ingenuity? Everyone in the parable of the unjust steward is immoral: the steward, who ripped off his master; the debtors, who went along with the plan; and the master, who admired the steward’s actions. Was Jesus Applauding Dishonesty Or Doing Something Else? The confusion is apparent: in the parable of the unjust steward Jesus seemed to commend the steward’s dishonesty, right? Wrong. The master did, but Jesus called him dishonest (Luke 16:8). If Jesus wasn’t commending the steward, what was He doing? This point clarifies the parable of the unjust steward: Jesus was

We can learn wonderful lessons from the prodigal's son's brother and Jonah. Reading Jonah 4 is like reading Luke 15:25-31. If God is going to put two similar accounts in the Bible – one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament – it seems He’s trying to drive home the points they make. https://youtu.be/ZkIsRFUXgGA We can learn wonderful lessons from the prodigal's son's brother and Jonah. Reading Jonah 4 is like reading Luke 15:25-31. Table of contentsFamily Worship Guide for Lessons from the Prodigal Son's BrotherSermon Notes for Lessons from the Prodigal Son's BrotherLesson One: Jonah contains the parable of the prodigal son.Lesson Two: When God blesses others it doesn’t mean less for us.Lesson Three: Do we recognize our spiritual blessings?Lesson Four: The Prodigal Son's Brother and Jonah teach us (Part One) to rejoice over salvation.Lesson Four: The Prodigal Son's Brother and Jonah teach us (Part Two) God wants to forgive. Family Worship Guide for Lessons from the Prodigal Son's Brother Directions: Read the following passages and answer the questions below: Day 1: Jonah 4—How is the parable of the prodigal son revealed in Jonah 4? How do you see the father, youngest son, and oldest son in Jonah 4? What are the similarities between the accounts? Day 2: Luke 15:31 and Ephesians 1:3-11—Why do you think the older brother wasn’t aware of everything he had available to him? What spiritual blessings are available to us? What spiritual blessings might we neglect or fail to appreciate are available to us? Day 3: Luke 15:31-32, Jonah 4:11, 2 Peter 3:9, Romans 5:20—Why do you think God has two similar accounts, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament? How do these accounts reveal that we should rejoice over salvation? How do they reveal that God desires to forgive? Sermon Notes for Lessons from the Prodigal Son's Brother On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 15:31. This will be our last sermon on the parable of the prodigal son. The parable has greatly encouraged me, and I hope it has you as well. The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Lessons from the Prodigal Son's Brother and Jonah.” First, we are going to look at some verses in Jonah and I will begin with a lesson to set us up… Lesson One: Jonah contains the parable of the prodigal son. I have been thinking about the ways Jonah resembles the older brother, but I wanted to wait until we got toward the end of the parable so you would have the familiarity to see the similarities. Reading Jonah 4 is like reading Luke 15:25-31. Jonah is like the Old Testament older brother. I hope this will become clear as we read the verses, and allow us to examine our hearts and see if we’re at all like Jonah or older brother. Go ahead and start at Jonah 3:10 for context… Jonah 3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. Now if you didn’t already know this account, what would you expect the next verse to say about Jonah? Then Jonah rejoiced greatly over the Ninevites’ forgiveness. He was very thankful and blessed that God was so gracious and merciful. He called together his friends and neighbors and said, “Rejoice with me, for the Ninevites who were lost have been found. They were dead and are now alive.” And he began to celebrate. Instead, he looks just like the older brother… Jonah 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. Here’s the typology: The Ninevites look like the younger brother. They live wickedly, but they repent and are immediately forgiven. Jonah looks like the older brother. He’s upset about the Ninevites’ forgiveness like the older brother was upset about his younger brother’s forgiveness. And God looks like the father. He forgave the Ninevites as quickly and graciously as the father forgave the youngest son. And why does God in Jonah 4 look like the Father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son? Because it’s the same Father! If you write in your Bible, you can circle this verse, draw a line, and write Luke 15:28, which says… Luke 15:28 [the older brother] was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, The words anger or angry occur six times in Jonah 4. It shows just how angry he was, which is a stark contrast to the joy he should have felt. The word anger occurs again in verse two while Jonah criticizes God for being slow to anger… Jonah 4:2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that YOU ARE A GRACIOUS GOD and merciful, SLOW TO ANGER and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” If you remember our last sermon it was titled, “When God’s G

Why does God test us as James 1:3 describes? Tests prove "the genuineness of our faith" (1 Peter 1:7). Read or listen to this material from Enduring Trials God's Way to learn how trials prove your faith! https://youtu.be/q05gPjFGMs0 Why does God test us as James 1:3 describes? Tests prove "the genuineness of our faith" (1 Peter 1:7). Read or listen to this chapter from Enduring Trials God's Way to learn how trials prove your faith! Table of contentsGod Tests Us to Prove Our FaithTrials Test Us and Prove the Genuineness of Our Faith to UsTrials Test Us and Prove the Genuineness of Our Faith to OthersTrudging through the Swamp of DespairTrials Test Us and Prove Genuineness of Our Faith to GodGod Tested IsraelGod Tested HezekiahGod Tested AbrahamDiscussion Questions I used to be a school teacher, and now I am a pastor. Both professions involve instructing others. I do not want to sound overly simple, but good teachers provide information people do not already have. If they already knew it, they would not need the instruction! Most letters in the New Testament are instructive. There is the occasional time an epistle will say, “I want to remind you...” but primarily they were written to provide new information. This is why James 1:3 is so unique! In the ESV and NIV it says, “You know that the testing of your faith produces [patience].” James 1:3 is not teaching something new. He was telling readers what they already understand about trials. They test our faith! There are weaknesses with the English language. One weakness relates to the word “know.” For example, I use the same English word when I say, “I know my dad” as when I say, “I know of Abraham Lincoln.” Obviously, I know my dad much differently than I know President Lincoln. We add the word “of” to differentiate between the types of knowing: knowing someone versus knowing of someone. The Greek word for “knowing of” is epistamai. It means, “To put one’s attention on, fix one’s thoughts on, be acquainted with.” This is knowledge, but with no personal interaction or relationship. The Greek word for “knowing” personally is ginōskō, and it means, “to learn to know, get a knowledge of, feel.” This is intimate knowledge. Ginōskō is used in Matthew 1:25 to say, “[Joseph] did not know (ginōskō) [Mary] till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.” Ginōskō is also the word James 1:3 uses for “knowing.” He tells his readers they know what trials do because they have experienced them before. If you have been through a trial, you also know—they test your faith. God Tests Us to Prove Our Faith Augustine said, “Trials come to prove us and improve us.” This quote identifies the two purposes trials accomplish. We discussed trials improving (maturing) us. Now we will discuss trials proving our faith. Let’s begin with two other important Greek words. Peirasmos is the word for “trials,” and it means, “proving, adversity, affliction, trouble sent by God and serving to test or prove one’s character, faith, holiness.” Dokimion is the word for “testing,” and it means, “the proving; that by which something is tried or proved, a test.” The definitions are similar because trials are tests and tests are trials. Consider the use of both words in James 1:2 and James 1:3: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials (peirasmos), knowing that the testing (dokimion) of your faith produces patience.” Since the words are similar, the verses could say: Count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing the trying of your faith. Count it all joy when you fall into various tests knowing the testing of your faith. Dokimion only occurs one other time, in 1 Peter 1:6-7, which also contains an instance of peirasmos: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials (peirasmos), that the genuineness (dokimion) of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The similarities between James 1:3 and 1 Peter 1:7 are strong: James 1:3 says, “count it all joy,” and 1 Peter 1:7 says, “greatly rejoice.” James 1:3 says, “[trials] test your faith,” and, 1 Peter 1:7 says, “[trials] prove the genuineness of your faith.” Peter does not say the genuineness of our faith is precious “like gold.” He says it is “much more precious.” Why does our faith have this value? We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). Without faith, we have no salvation; therefore, nothing could be more valuable. Gold is considered a precious metal along with silver, platinum, and palladium. What do people do with these materials? They test them to prove their genuineness. Imagine someone thinks he is holding gold, but it is only pyrite or fool’s gold. Imagine a woman thinks her husband bought her an expensive diamond ring, but it is cubic zirconia: Dokimion means to put someone or something to

We like God’s grace to us, but we don’t always like God’s grace to others. Grace is unmerited favor. It is undeserved, which means by nature it is unfair. People are being given what they did not work for or earn and that upsets us. We will look at two examples of this in Scripture and then discuss the application for us. https://youtu.be/fPcXHwCBxZ8 We like God’s grace to us, but we don’t always like God’s grace to others. Grace is unmerited favor. It is undeserved. It seems unfair. Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesIf We Don’t Understand God’s Grace to Others, We Will Be Jealous of What Others HaveIf We Don’t Understand God’s Grace to Others, We Will Be Discontent With What We HaveIf We Don’t Understand God’s Grace to Others, We Will Be Frustrated with OthersLesson One: If we don’t understand God’s grace to others we will be (Part Four) frustrated with God.Lesson Two: Our view of God’s grace to others reveals our understanding of God’s grace to us. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read Luke 15:24-30 and Matthew 20:1-15 and then answer the questions: Day 1: Why would God’s grace to others ever bother us? Why was the older brother so upset with his younger brother? Why was he so upset with his father? Why were some vineyard workers upset with other vineyard workers? Do you think you would be upset in the same situation? Day 2: Why does God have mercy and compassion on some, but not others (look for the answer in Romans 9:17)? Describe the jealousy you can see in the parable of the prodigal son and the parable of the vineyard workers. Do an honest assessment and consider in what areas you are tempted to be jealous of others. Day 3: What areas of your life do you have to resist discontentment? What helps you be content? Can you describe a time you felt frustrated with others because of God’s grace to them? Can you describe a time you felt frustrated with God because of His grace to others? How does our view of God’s grace to us shape our view of God’s grace to others? Sermon Notes Would you believe me if I told you that we don’t always like God’s grace…at least in other people’s lives? We like God’s grace to us. But we don’t always like God’s grace to others. And why is that? Grace is unmerited favor. It is undeserved, which means by nature it is unfair. People are being given what they did not work for or earn and that upsets us. We will look at two examples of this in Scripture and then discuss the application for us. Last week we made it through verse 29. Look at verse 30… Luke 15:30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ Whenever God spoke to Moses when he was upset with the Israelites he called them, “Your people.” Sometimes spouses do this when they are upset with their children. They talk to their husband or wife and say, “Your son,” or “Your daughter.” That’s pretty much what’s happening here. The older son says, “This son of yours.” He could not bring himself to call him, “my brother.” The older brother was upset about all the grace shown to his younger brother. He knows about the fattened calf and celebration. Wait until he learns about the robe, ring, and shoes. And the whole situation is made even worse by the way the younger brother acted. The older brother said, “He devoured your property with prostitutes.” It’s like he says, “He’s been living terribly, and this is how you treat him?” The older brother wanted his younger brother to be punished, regardless of whether he was repentant. Again, this makes him look like the religious leaders who didn’t like seeing sinners forgiven and shown grace. Let me show you the second example to further drive the point home. Please turn to Matthew 20. I’m going to go through this parable quickly, because I am looking at it to support what we are learning about the older brother, versus diging out each truth like I’m doing in Luke 15. Matthew 20:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Early in the morning is probably about 6:00am. A denarius is the wage for a full day’s labor. The word agreeing is important! These men knew ahead of time that they were receiving a denarius, and they agreed to that amount. This is a perfectly fair arrangement. Matthew 20:3 And going out about the third hour (9am) he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ Notice these workers were not told what they would receive. They were simply told whatever is right I will give you. They were desperate for work, so they didn’t even try to negotiate a price. Matthew 20:5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour (1PM) and the ninth hour (3PM), he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour (5PM) he went out and found othe

Why did God ask Abraham to kill his son? Read or listen to the Introduction to A Father Offers His Son if you've ever wondered, "Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?" Table of contentsFirst, God asked Abraham to Kill His Son, Because He Wanted to Test AbrahamSecond, God asked Abraham to Kill His Son, Because He Wanted a Type of His Son, JesusLet me make three requests for you to keep in mind as you read A Father Offers His Son …First, put yourself in Abraham's placeSecond, put yourself in Isaac's placeThird, look for Jesus I became a Christian in my early twenties. Soon after, I started reading the Bible for the first time. Like many people, I began “in the beginning” at Genesis 1:1. I read some accounts I was already familiar with: creation, the fall, Cain and Abel, and the flood. I did not struggle with much of what I read, not even the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Then everything came to a screeching halt when I read Genesis 22:1-2: Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” I thought, “God made Abraham wait so long for this son. Why would He then make such a cruel request? I can understand God calling down fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, but how could He ask Abraham to sacrifice his own son?” As a new Christian, I did not understand. After careful studying, I realized God did not intend for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. We know that because the Angel stopped him: “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him (Genesis 22:12a).” If God did not want Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, then what did He want? The answer is twofold. First, God asked Abraham to Kill His Son, Because He Wanted to Test Abraham We read that in the first verse of the chapter. God’s request had never been anything but a test—not to see Abraham sacrifice Isaac, but to see whether Abraham would do it. When Abraham revealed he would obey God’s command, the Angel stopped him. Abraham passed the test, and there was no reason for it to continue. Second, God asked Abraham to Kill His Son, Because He Wanted a Type of His Son, Jesus God wanted to reveal what He would do with His Son two thousand years later. He wants us to understand the sacrifice He made, so He put it in human terms with Isaac as a type of Jesus. Twice the Angel of the LORD commended Abraham for not withholding his son: Genesis 22:12b—(He) said, “For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Genesis 22:16—(He) said, “Because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son.” God had no intention of Abraham sacrificing Isaac, but this account looked forward to what God had every intention of doing with Jesus. Abraham did not spare his son but was willing to deliver him up, and Romans 8:32 says, “(God) did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Let me make three requests for you to keep in mind as you read A Father Offers His Son… First, put yourself in Abraham's place First, God wants us to appreciate His love for us. So, as you read consider how hard this was for Abraham. When you put yourself in Abraham’s place, you develop some idea of how heart-wrenching it was for God. Do you have a son? What if God made this request of you? Could you offer your son to God if He asked you? Would you be as obedient as Abraham? As you read about the sacrifice Abraham was willing to make, think on the even greater sacrifice God was willing to make and why He was willing to make it—His great love for us: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Second, put yourself in Isaac's place Second, Jesus wants us to appreciate the sacrifice He made for us. So think of what it was like for Isaac. When you put yourself in Isaac’s place, you can identify with how hard it was for Jesus. What if you received the same request Isaac received? As you consider the sacrifice Isaac was willing to become, reflect on the even greater sacrifice Jesus became. In John 15:13, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Third, look for Jesus Third, keep this analogy in mind so you do not “settle for scraps.” Imagine that you prepare a delicious feast for your friends, but when they arrive, they sit on the floor and eat the crumbs that fall from the table. If you read the account of Abraham and Isaac and fail to see the typology with God the Father and His Son, you are eating the crumbs. We should see Jesus in the account even more than we see Isaac. The account You have missed the wonderful feast that has been prepared for you. Genesis 22 is no

Psalm 100:2 says, “Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” This verse doesn’t just tell us to serve the Lord, it tells us HOW to serve the Lord: with gladness. And it is evident the older son in the parable of the prodigal son was not serving the Lord with gladness. Perhaps we don’t always serve the Lord with gladness, so we can learn from him. https://youtu.be/d3Muma2HlCM Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: The way we serve is as important as serving.Lesson Two: We don’t serve the lord with gladness when we feel (Part One) like slaves.Lesson Two: We don’t serve the lord with gladness when we feel (Part Two) proud.Lesson Two: We don’t serve the lord with gladness when we feel (Part Three) sorry for ourselves.Lesson Three: Serve the lord with gladness by thinking about how He served you. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke15:25-29—Why was the older brother angry? What does it reveal about the father when he goes out to minister to his oldest son? How does the father look when he speaks to his oldest son and what similarities does he have with God the Father in His dealing with people? Day 2: Luke 10:40, Psalm 100:2, Matthew 23:25-28—Why does it matter how we serve versus only whether we serve? What are the similarities between the older brother and Martha? Can you think of other people in Scripture who served with a bad attitude? What about examples of people who served with gladness? Day 3: 2 Corinthians 2:5-10, Matthew 18:15-18, 2 Thessalonians 3:15—When you serve, what causes you to feel like a slave? What causes you to feel proud? What causes you to feel sorry for yourself? What can you do when you feel any of these ways to ensure you serve with gladness? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “We Don’t Serve the Lord with Gladness When….” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves beginning a new section of the parable of the prodigal son. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. We will start at verse 24… Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. Before we dig into these verses I want to put you in the place of the religious leaders. Listen to this verse… Matthew 21:45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard [Jesus’s] parables, THEY PERCEIVED THAT HE WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THEM. The religious leaders got used to Jesus’s teaching’ making them look bad. As Jesus preached the parables in Luke 15 they had to know He was going to say something about them, because they were the reason he was preaching these parables in the first place. Briefly look back at verse one… Luke 15:1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” But surprisingly, it seemed like He wasn’t going to say anything about them, which they must have thought was wonderful: They listened to the first parable and the shepherd finds his lost sheep and then rejoices. Nothing bad about them. They listened to the second parable about the woman finding the lost coin and then rejoicing. Again, nothing bad about them. They listened to the third parable and the father finds the lost son and then rejoices. Again, nothing bad about them. And considering that each of the previous parables ended when whatever was lost was found and then there was rejoicing, when the father found his lost son and then rejoiced, they must’ve thought, “This is great. Jesus just preached three parables and none of them made us look bad.” But He had a surprise for them. The third parable wasn’t going to end like the previous two. Jesus has someone else to introduce: the older brother. And he is going to make the religious leaders look VERY bad. He represents them in prominent ways as we will see: The older brother’s attitude toward his repentant younger brother represents the religious leaders’ attitude toward repentant sinners The older brother’s attitude toward serving his father represents the religious leaders’ attitude toward serving the Lord The older brother’s self-righteousness represents religious leaders’ self-righteousness One more thing before we begin… Up to this point, maybe you haven’t been able

Ephesians 5:1 commands us to "Be imitators of God [the Father] as beloved children." The parable of the prodigal son gives us a wonderful view of God the Father and reveals how we should be toward others as we imitate Him. https://youtu.be/wgTCm9CmuxA Ephesians 5:1 commands us to, "Be imitators of God [the Father]." The father of the prodigal son reveals how we should be toward others. Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: The prodigal son represents repentant sinners passing from death to life.Lesson Two: Forgiveness doesn’t mean no consequences.Lesson Three: Be imitators of God the Father toward (Part One) repentant children.Lesson Three: Be imitators of God the Father toward (Part Two) prodigal childrenLesson Three: Be imitators of God the Father toward (Part Three) repentant sinners. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 15:22-24, Ephesians 2:5, John 5:24, John 14:6 cf. Luke 15:17, 24—In what ways does the parable present the prodigal son as a repentant sinner passing from death to life? What is required to pass from death to life? Can you think of other examples in Scripture of individuals passing from death to life? Day 2: Ephesians 5:1, Luke 15:20, Proverbs 22:6—Why might the parable encourage us to think if we are forgiven it means there are no consequences? Is this true, why or why not? Can you think of examples of individuals in Scripture who were forgiven but still suffered consequences from their sins? Can you think of examples in your life of being forgiven but still suffering the consequences of your sin? Day 3: 2 Corinthians 2:5-10, Matthew 18:15-18, 2 Thessalonians 3:15—In what ways can the father in the parable serve as a good example for us toward repentant children? What about toward prodigal children? What about toward repentant sinners? Why should repentant sinners be comforted? What does it mean to warn as a brother but not regard as an enemy? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Be Imitators of God the Father Toward….” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves in the middle of the parable of the prodigal son. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. We will start at verse 22… Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. In our last sermon we finished verse 23, and this morning we will look at verse 24. Let me begin by sharing something with you that I could have shared with you last week… I was wrong about my earlier understanding of the prodigal son’s condition. I said the first two parables were about unbelievers, but the prodigal son represents a backslidden believer. But now I’m convinced the prodigal son is as much a picture of a repentant sinner being saved as the lost sheep and lost coin that are found. And I wanted to have a lesson that makes this clear… Lesson One: The prodigal son represents repentant sinners passing from death to life. Part of the reason I came to this interpretation is because of last week’s sermon and everything the father gave to the son. You might remember I said… What the father did with the prodigal son pictures what God the Father does with repentant sinners: He makes us sons and heirs. Everything the prodigal son receives symbolizes what we receive when we become God’s children. The other reason I am convinced the prodigal son is a picture of conversion is verse 24… Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. The father called him my son, even though he said he was no longer worthy to be called a son and requested to be nothing more than a hired servant. Notice the father’s description of his son’s experience: He was dead and then alive He was lost and then found He was never physically dead or physically lost. He was physically away, but we know where he was – Gentile territory – so he wasn’t lost. So, it is clear we have moved beyond the physical to the spiritual: He was spiritually dead and is now spiritually alive He was spiritually lost and is now spiritually found Up to this point we have repeatedly seen the imagery of being lost and then found: The lost sheep was found The lost coin was found But this is the first time we have seen the imagery of being dead and then alive, which is frequently found elsewhere in Scripture… Ephesians 2:5 even when WE WERE DEAD in our trespasses, [God] MADE US ALIVE together with Christ by grace you have been saved. John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but HAS PASSED FROM DEATH TO LIFE.

There are many shadows and types of Christ in the Old Testament. If you have ever wondered, "What is a type of Christ in the Bible?" read or listen to this chapter from A Father Offers His Son for answers. Table of ContentsJesus Said the Old Testament Is About HimJesus Is Primarily Revealed Two Ways in the Old TestamentThe New Testament identifies many shadows and types of Christ in the Old TestamentCertain people serve as shadows and types of Christ in the Old TestamentCertain practices serve as shadows and types of Christ in the Old TestamentCertain miracles serve as shadows and types of miracles Jesus would perform in a greater wayShadows and Types of Christ in the Old Testament Serve as a Treasure MapThe Law Reveals Our Need for the SaviorShadows and Types of Christ Prevent You from Missing the TreasureShadows and Types Never Live up to the Reality Many people search for Jesus. In the Bible, we have an account of someone finding Him and recognizing He is the Messiah. The person was Philip, and he wanted his friend, Nathaniel, to meet Him too. When Philip spoke to Nathaniel, he revealed why he thought Jesus was the Messiah: “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the Prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). The “Law and the Prophets” was a title for the Old Testament before the New Testament was written. Philip understood the Old Testament was about Jesus, so he believed Jesus was the Messiah. He expected Nathaniel to be convinced He was the Messiah because he would also recognize Him as the One identified in the Law and the Prophets. Jesus Said the Old Testament Is About Him Luke 24:27—“Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:44—“[Jesus] said, ‘All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’” John 5:39, 46—"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me...For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me." Hebrews 10:7—“[Jesus said,] ‘Behold, I have come—in the volume of the book it is written of Me.’” Jesus Is Primarily Revealed Two Ways in the Old Testament First, there are prophecies of Him. For example, these verses state that He would: Be from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) Receive King David’s throne (2 Samuel 7:12-13) Be spat upon and beaten (Isaiah 50:6) Be silent in the face of accusations (Isaiah 53:7) Spend a season in Egypt (Hosea 11:1) Ride into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9) The list goes on. In His first coming, Jesus fulfilled around 350 prophecies. Shadows and types of Christ in the Old Testament are the second way He is revealed: Hebrews 10:1 says, “The law [was only] a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities” (ESV). Colossians 2:16-17 says a “festival or a new moon or sabbaths [are] a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” “Shadows” are a fitting way to describe the types of Christ in the Old Testament because shadows provide an idea of what something looks like without completely revealing the object. The Old Testament does this with Christ. A shadow is evidence that something is casting it, or in the case of Christ, it is Someone. Finally, nobody looks at a shadow and believes it is the real thing. Nobody sees the shadow of a tree or car and thinks it is a tree or car. Shadows have no substance. They are not the reality. In Colossians 2:17, Jesus is the substance and in Hebrews 10:1, He is the reality. The New Testament identifies many shadows and types of Christ in the Old Testament Matthew 12:40 compares Jesus with Jonah: "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." John 3:14 compares Jesus with the Bronze Serpent: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." The bronze serpent looked forward to Christ redeeming us from the curse of the law. John 6:32-33 compares Jesus with the manna: “Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” First Corinthians 15:45 calls Jesus "the Last Adam" and Romans 5:14 compares Jesus with Adam: “Adam is a type of Him who was to come.” First Corinthians 5:7 compares Jesus with the Passover Lamb: “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” First Corinthians 10:4 compares Jesus with the rock that accompanied Israel in the wilderness: “[Israel] drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” Hebrews 6:18 compares Jesus with the cities of refuge: "We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to t

We understand the father being glad the son returned home, but what father would give his son the best robe, a ring, shoes, and the huge celebration after living so rebelliously? The son didn't deserve any of this, but grace is when sinful people receive favor they don't deserve. Romans 5:20 says, "The law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace increased all the more." The son's sin increased, but the Father's grace increased more. https://youtu.be/y0eMCF1m4g8 Romans 5:20 says, "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more." The son's sin increased, but the Father's grace increased more. Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for Where Sin Increased, Grace Increased All the MoreSermon Notes for Where Sin Increased, Grace Increased All the MoreLesson One: The son was given (Part One) a robe for honor.Lesson One: The son was given (Part Two) a ring for authority.Lesson One: The son was given (Part Three) shoes for sonship.Lesson Two: The son’s sin increased, but the Father’s grace increased more.Lesson Three: Humility makes us recipients of God’s grace. Family Worship Guide for Where Sin Increased, Grace Increased All the More Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 15:22, Matthew 18:18, Hebrews 1:2, Romans 8:16-17, Galatians 3:29, Titus 3:7, Ephesians 1:11, John 17:22—Describe how the father addressed the servants. Why did he speak to them this way? Considering the father is a picture of God the Father in what ways does this encourage you? What does the robe signify? What about the ring? The shoes?Day 2: Luke 15:23, Psalm 40:2, 103:2, Romans 5:20—Why did the father call for a celebration? Do you think the father’s behavior toward his son looks exaggerated? Why or why not? What application does this have for us (think about us being joint heirs with Christ)? What does this mean: “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more”?Day 3: James 4:6, Hebrews 12:15, Proverbs 3:34, 1 Peter 5:5—What are trespasses; how are they different from other sins? Can we earn God’s grace? Explain your answer. What can make us recipients of God’s grace? What can cause us to forfeit God’s grace, or as Hebrews 12:15 says, fail to obtain it? Why do you think Warren Wiersbe said God’s grace, versus his love, save sinners? Do you agree or disagree? Sermon Notes for Where Sin Increased, Grace Increased All the More The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Where Sin Increased, Grace Increased All the More.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves in the middle of the parable of the prodigal son. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. We will start at verse 16… Luke 15:17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. In our last sermon we finished verse 21, and this morning we will pick up at verse 22. But first notice the confession the son had planned… Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ Then he makes, or I should say begins, the confession in verse twenty-one… Luke 15:21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The father was so filled with joy he interrupted his son… Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. The father ignored his son’s statement about no longer being worthy to be called his son. He wouldn’t have any of that. Nothing would do except full restoration. Notice it says he spoke to the servants – plural. He wasn’t speaking to one servant. He was talking to all the servants. He wanted his son to feel like a prince, and everyone around him needed to treat him that way. The son would stand there and everyone would wai

The prodigal son’s father reveals what it is like for God the Father when one of His wayward children who has been living in rebellion and immorality repents and returns home. https://youtu.be/DMJ6pkYaCXc The prodigal son’s father reveals what it is like for God the Father when one of His wayward children repents after living in rebellion. Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: The first century thought God the Father was impersonal and stoic.Lesson Two: The Prodigal Son’s Father (Part One) feels deeply.Lesson Two: The Prodigal Son’s Father (Part Two) longs for his son’s return.Lesson Two: The Prodigal Son’s Father (Part Three) is affectionate.Lesson Two: The Prodigal Son’s Father (Part Four) doesn’t force. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Acts 17:16-18—Why is wisdom compared with treasures, such as gold and silver? What provokes your spirit within you at times? What can you do in response to this provocation from the Lord? Why do you think the first century thought the Lord was impersonal and stoic? Day 2: Isaiah 62:5, Zephaniah 3:17 1 Timothy 2:4, Luke 15:20—In what ways does it encourage you to know that the Lord feels deeply? What are some places in Scripture that demonstrate this truth? What is anthropomorphism and what are some examples of it in Scripture? Day 3: 2 Corinthians 13:12, Luke 15:20—Describe how the father responded when he saw his son. What application does this have for you in your relationship with the Lord? What application does this have for you in your parenting? In other words, in what ways do you think as a parent you can strive to be like God the Father? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “The Prodigal Son’s Father.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves in the middle of the parable of the prodigal son. But for Scripture reading open to Acts 17. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. We will start at verse 16… Acts 17:16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities "because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. You may be seated. Let’s pray. During one of our recent family Bible studies we talked about wisdom being compared with treasure in Scripture: Proverbs 2:4 Seek [wisdom] like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures. Proverbs 3:15 [Wisdom] is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. I asked my children why wisdom would be compared with treasure, such as gold and silver, and they came up with the correct two answers: First, wisdom is valuable like gold and silver Second, wisdom must be diligently sought, like gold and silver The more sermons I prepare, the more convinced I become that there are real treasures available if we will dig into God’s Word and search for them. One of the treasures I discovered recently is associated with the background of Jesus preaching the parable of the prodigal son. You can read this parable on its own and be greatly blessed by it, but if you dig deeper and understand WHY Jesus preached this parable, there is even more blessing. When Jesus preached this parable He shattered some of the most common misconceptions about God the Father in His day. You could almost think of this parable as a strongly apologetic passage defending a right view of God the Father. We have already seen two misconceptions dismantled, and this morning we will see a third. Let me briefly remind you of the two previous misconceptions… Luke 15:1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” The religious leaders were upset with Jesus, because sadly they, and many people in Jesus’s day, believed God wanted nothing more than to punish sinners. They thought He found the most joy in casting them into hell. So for Jesus to receive sinners and eat with them was greatly upsetting. Jesus taught these parables to show the Lord wants nothing more than to see sinners repent and come to salvation. He finds the most joy in seeing them repent of their sins and be saved. Here’s the second misconception Jesus destroyed with this parable… Luke 15:18 When the prodigal son came to himself he said, "I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” The son’s thinking captured the common thinking of th

Can God forget the sins we commit? If God can forget sins, how can He be said to be omniscient, or all-knowing? If God can’t forget things, how can He say He forgives us any more than angry people in marriage counseling forgive their spouse when they can’t forget it? The biblical answer is God doesn’t forget our sins, but He chooses not to remember them: “I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12, see also Jeremiah 31:34 and Isaiah 43:25). https://youtu.be/yZNF8cWDYyQ God doesn’t forget our sins, but He chooses not to remember them: “I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12 and Jeremiah 31:34). Table of ContentsFamily Worship GuideSermon Notes for I Will Remember Their Sins No MoreLesson One: God doesn’t forgive like us.Lesson Two: God says, “I will remember their sins no more,” (Part One) like David forgave Saul.Lesson Two: God says, “I will remember their sins no more,” (Part Two) like the Father forgave the prodigal son. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Isaiah 43:25, Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12, 10:17, Micah 7:19, Psalm 103:12, 2 Samuel 12:13—Considering all God has forgiven us for through Christ, why do you think it is still so difficult for us to forgive others? What can you do to better forgive others, and in particular what verses or passages can you meditate on? What does it look like to apologize the right way? What about the wrong way? How does God apologize differently than us? Day 2: 2 Samuel 1:17-24—What is so honorable about David’s lament for Saul and Jonathan? What can we learn from David’s lament to apply to our own lives? Why do you think David spoke so well of Saul? Are there any Sauls in your life, and if so, what do you need to do to feel toward them like David did toward the Saul in his life? Day 3: Luke 15:20-23—Do you struggle with whether God has forgiven you, why or why not? What verses or passages can you meditate on to be better encouraged about God’s forgiveness? How can we be encouraged by the father’s forgiveness of his son? What application does this have for us in our lives? Sermon Notes for I Will Remember Their Sins No More The title of this morning’s sermon is, “I Will Remember Their Sins No More.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves in the middle of the parable of the prodigal son, but for Scripture reading open to 2 Samuel 1. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. We will start at verse 17… 2 Samuel 1:17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said: 19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. 21 “You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. 22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. 24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. You may be seated. Let’s pray. I appreciated Jake covering for me last Sunday so that I could enjoy the week at camp without a sermon to prepare. Or I should say I appreciated Jake covering for me until the end of his sermon when he said that he is going to finish preaching through a book of the Bible before I do. He thinks he’s funny. He might finish a book before me…unless I don’t let him preach again :-). We’re going to lay a foundation for the sermon by talking about the way we forgive, and then we will talk about the way God forgives. Forgiveness is one of the most common topics I deal with in marriage counseling. When I meet with people there is often hurt, resentment, or even bitterness. To help diffuse the hurt, resentment, or bitterness I talk about asking for forgiveness the right way. Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. There are not many softer answers that turn away wrath than apologies made the right way. We have talked before about how to apologize and ask for forgiveness, so I am not going to spend much time on it other than to offer two pieces of advice… First, avoid the word “but” because it destroys apologies. When an “apology” contains this word, it is an excuse disguised as a confession and usually serves to upset the person receiving the apology even more, because they can tell the person apologizing is not sorry about what they’ve done. For example

Luke 15 contains three parables, and the themes are repentance and joy. The third parable about the prodigal son does something different than the previous two. Instead of using the words repent and joy, we get to see repentance and joy demonstrated by the father and son. The son is never said to repent, but we get an answer to the question, "What does repentance look like?" by examining his actions. This allows us to draw out wonderful lessons about to apply to our lives. https://youtu.be/4h1Guo_f6Ro The prodigal son is never said to repent, but we get an answer to the question, "What does repentance look like?" by examining his actions. Table of ContentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesGenuine repentance (Lesson One) seeks to return to the Father.Genuine repentance (Lesson Two) takes responsibilityGenuine repentance (Lesson Three) uses the word, “sin.”.Genuine repentance (Lesson Four) knows the sin is against God.Genuine repentance (Lesson Five) accepts the consequences of sin.Genuine repentance (Lesson Six) produces a change in direction.Genuine repentance (Lesson Seven) gives hope. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 15:18, 2 Samuel 12:13 cf. 1 Samuel 13:11-12, 15:15-16—Why was the son finally willing to return to his father? What application does this have for us? What are some mistakes we make with our confessions that the son avoided? Day 2: Genesis 39:8-9, Psalm 51:3-4, Luke 15:19—What did the son do in his confession that was worth imitating? How is the world removing the word sin from our vernacular? Why is all sin against God even when it looks like we are sinning against someone else? Day 3: 15:15-16 cf. Luke 15:17-19—What does it mean that we can be forgiven but still have consequences? Can you provide some examples? In what ways did the son show that he was willing to accept the consequences of his sin? In what ways does repentance give hope? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “What Does Repentance Look Like?” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 15:18. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. We will start at verse 11 for context. Luke 15:11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. You may be seated. Let’s pray. Look at verse 18… Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. Notice the words, “I will set out and go back to my father.” And this brings us to lesson one… Genuine repentance (Lesson One) seeks to return to the Father. It seems like the son tried going just about every other place he could. He was even willing to hire himself out to a Gentile and feed his pigs. But, finally, he reached the point that he was willing to go back to his father. Considering the father in the account is a picture or type of our Heavenly Father, this is a perfect example of what should happen in our lives… We are like the son, and we are tempted to look for other solutions before turning to God. We try everything else; it goes terribly, and finally we reach the point that we say the same beautiful words the son said at this low point in his life: I will arise and go to my Father. And this is how repentance begins: with a desire to return to the Lord. Interestingly, the son didn’t think of his village or his home, but of his father. He did end up returning to his village and his home, but he thought about his father. I see a parallel for us… Our focus should be on returning to the Lord. That will cause us to come back to our church and our church family, but our focus should be on the Lord. Lesson two… Genuine repentance (Lesson Two) takes responsibility Notice the words I have. He took responsibility for what he did. There is no justifying

Luke 15:17 says the prodigal son came to himself, or came to his senses. This is one of the best descriptions in Scripture of what it means to be trained God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:11). He recognized he was experiencing discipline versus a trial. https://youtu.be/Ipeis6tkq_4 The prodigal son "came to himself," or came to his senses in one of the best examples of being trained God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:11). Table of Contents for When the Prodigal Son Came to HimselfFamily Worship Guide for When the Prodigal Son Came to HimselfSermon Notes for When the Prodigal Son Came to HimselfLesson One: We suffer because of trials we experience or sin we commit.Lesson Two (Part One) Trials can produce maturity…Lesson Two (Part One) Trials can produce maturity (Part Two) and discipline should produce repentance.Lesson Three: Be encouraged when disciplined, because it means we (Part One) are God’s child.Lesson Three: Be encouraged when disciplined, because it means we (Part Two) are in God’s hands.Lesson Three: Be encouraged when disciplined, because it means we (Part Three) can produce fruit.Lesson Four: Coming to our senses is part of being trained by God’s discipline. Family Worship Guide for When the Prodigal Son Came to Himself Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: 1 Peter 2:19-20, 3:17, 4:12-15, Romans 5:3-4, James 1:2-4, 2 Chronicles 16:12, Numbers 20:12, 2 Samuel 12:10, 2 Chronicles 20:37—Describe a time you suffered because of trials. Describe a time you suffered because of sin you committed. Why do trials produce maturity? What is discipline supposed to produce and why?Day 2: Hebrews 12:5-11, 2 Samuel 24:12-14, Proverbs 27:22, Jeremiah 5:3—When disciplined by God what can you tell yourself to be encouraged? Can you think of other reasons to be encouraged when disciplined by God that were not mentioned in the sermon? Why is genuine repentance accompanied by fruit?Day 3: Luke 15:17, 2 Timothy 2:25-26—What does it mean that the prodigal son came to himself? In what ways is repentance having a change of mind? In what ways is repentance coming to our senses? What does it mean if we “Come to ourselves” regarding our sin? Sermon Notes for When the Prodigal Son Came to Himself The title of this morning’s sermon is, “When the Prodigal Son Came to Himself.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse, but for Scripture reading I would like to look at some verses in 1 Peter 4, if you would please turn there. We will read verses twelve through fifteen. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. 1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. You may be seated. Let’s pray. I know the parable of the prodigal son is very familiar to all of us, so I have been trying to dig out some wonderful truths that you might not have thought of before. This morning I hope to give you greater insight into Luke 15:17 which says The prodigal son came to himself. This is going to involve sharing some things at the beginning of the sermon, and we will connect the dots at the end. Let me begin by inviting you to think about the book of 1 Peter. Along with Job, this is the other main book in the Bible dealing with suffering. And Peter teaches that there are two causes of suffering: We suffer because of trials we experience. We did nothing to cause this suffering. It is simply the suffering that comes with living in a fallen world.We also suffer because of sin we commit. We did everything to cause this suffering. I want to give us a lesson just to drive this home… Lesson One: We suffer because of trials we experience or sin we commit. Let me show you some verses that make this point. I’m going to ask you each time if Peter is talking about suffering caused by trials or sin…so please pay attention…especially the kids… Look at 1 Peter 2:19… 1 Peter 2:19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. Is this suffering because of trials or sin? This is suffering because of trials that we did nothing to cause. Look at verse 20… 1 Peter 2:20a For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? Pause here. Is this suffering because of trials or sin? This is suffering because of sin. We sinned and God disciplined. When it says we sin and are beaten for it, God is the one beating us or disciplining us. Now look at the rest of the verse… 1 Peter 2:20b But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. Is this suffering because o