Scott LaPierre Ministries

Luke 10:38-42 contains the account of Mary and Martha. We see Martha serving and Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. Read or listen to this chapter from Work and Rest God’s Way to learn when it helps us to sit at Jesus's feet. Table of contentsWhen We Must Sit at Jesus’ FeetScripture Sanctifies but Service Might NotThe Problems with Being Overwhelmed1. Sitting at the Feet of Jesus Helps When We Are Filled with Self-Pity2. Sitting at the Feet of Jesus Helps When We Are Easily Annoyed3. Sitting at the Feet of Jesus Helps When We Are Frustrated with the Lord4. Sitting at the Feet of Jesus Helps When We Are Anxious5. Sitting at the Feet of Jesus Helps When We Are Worried About OthersA Supernatural Solution When We Must Sit at Jesus’ Feet Mary’s posture at Jesus’ feet stands in stark contrast to churches that neglect the one thing needed. Willow Creek has been one of America’s most influential churches. They had elaborate programs and activities, and the measure of success was the number of people served. So they thought. However, they then conducted a thorough, multi-year study of their ministry and found that their programs and activities didn’t produce spiritual growth. Bill Hybels was the senior pastor at the time, and to his credit, he was open about their findings: Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back, it wasn’t helping people that much. Other things that we didn’t put that much money into and didn’t put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for. We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become self-feeders. We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their Bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own. They found that keeping people busy had not produced sanctification. The church of Sardis exemplifies this. In Jesus’ letter to the church, He said, “These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1). They had “a name” or reputation that they were “alive,” which means they were known as the happening church. The people were busy, but Jesus said they were dead. How can a church be alive and dead? They were alive (and busy) physically, but dead spiritually. It’s an unbelievably sad irony that the church everyone thought was thriving was filled with unregenerate people. Scripture Sanctifies but Service Might Not Jesus told the Twelve to make disciples by “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Disciples need to receive Jesus’ teaching, and Mary received His teaching directly from Him, at His feet! Willow Creek incorrectly thought programs produce spiritual growth. The word of Christ alone produces spiritual growth: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). “[Christ] might sanctify and cleanse [the church] with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26). “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). The Word equips us to live out the Christian life: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Ephesians 4:12 says church leaders are supposed to “[equip] the saints for the work of the ministry,” and if saints are equipped by God’s Word, then church leaders need to feed their flocks the word. God’s Word gives us faith: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Faith comes from the Word because we can’t have faith in a God we don’t know, and we know God through His Word; through sitting at the feet of Jesus. Considering where the account of this episode with Mary and Martha appears is instructive. Luke 10:1–24 records the sending of the Seventy, which is about the preaching of the gospel. Luke 10:25–37 records the Good Samaritan, which is about serving one’s neighbor. Mary and Martha follow in Luke 10:38–41, revealing that before we can do either of the aforementioned—preach the gospel or serve—we must first spend time with Jesus. Why? He alone fuels our ministry. Physical effort can never accomplish what must be done in the Spirit. We can’t rise above our relationships with the Lord. Jesus Himself said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). When we try to serve the Lord, but we haven’t sat at His feet, it can be damaging. Few things are as harmful as people trying to serve Jesus when they

Trials and suffering are part of this life. Read or listen to the Introduction of Enduring Trials God’s Way if you want to learn the Bible verses on suffering and trials. Table of contentsPat and Kathy Mundy's Trials and SufferingTheir Concern for...Us?Why Should You Trust Me?Some of Our Trials and Suffering My wife, Katie, and I grew up together in northern California. We lost touch after high school and then reconnected almost ten years later. At the time, Katie was living in our hometown of McArthur, California, but I was seven hours south in Lemoore, California. Some wonderful friends of mine, Pat and Kathy Mundy, graciously invited Katie to live with them so we could be near each other, even though they did not know her yet. The four of us became close. They performed our pre-marital counseling and made the trip north for our wedding. Seven years ago, Katie and I moved from Lemoore to Woodland, Washington. Although the distance changed our relationship with Pat and Kathy, we remained friends. Pat and Kathy Mundy's Trials and Suffering A few years ago, Pat retired from the police department, and he and Kathy looked forward to investing in their grandkids, traveling, and serving in the church. Then everything changed. Kathy got sick, and a hospital visit revealed an aggressive form of cancer. The “golden years” have been filled with trials and suffering: doctor appointments and multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Nothing slowed the disease, and in a last attempt, they moved to Seattle for an experimental treatment. A few weeks ago, on their way north, they surprised us and stopped by our house to visit. Their Concern for...Us? I felt privileged to see them at this time in their lives. As soon as we got them sitting in our living room, I wanted to hear everything they felt comfortable sharing about their trial, but the first thing they said was, “How is your dad’s Alzheimer’s?” Despite what they were experiencing, they “[esteemed] others better than [themselves]” (Philippians 2:3). Throughout the conversation, they gave little indication they were experiencing such difficult trials and suffering. As we talked, they discussed their blessings far more than they discussed any amount of suffering. Repeatedly, they shared how good God was being to them. Reflecting on that conversation, I have asked myself: “Why did they not question (or criticize) God? How could they be so thankful during such a difficult trial? Why did they respond this way when their circumstances would devastate many other people? Could I respond this way if I experienced something similar?” Only time can provide an answer to the last question. The other questions I hope to answer in the following chapters. Why Should You Trust Me? Is there any reason you should trust my answers? No, and I am not asking you to do so. This book is not a collection of my thoughts about trials. Rather, I am inviting you to trust the Bible. Enduring Trials God’s Way came from several sermons I preached, and I labored over each one for twenty to thirty hours per week. God knows what is necessary for people to find joy in suffering, and I hope to present the recipe for that in the following chapters. As a pastor, I watch firsthand as people suffer through trials. Woodland Christian Church maintains a prayer list, and it seems as soon as we can remove one request, another is added. We have prayed about medical issues, job losses, deaths of family members, and the examples could go on. Some of Our Trials and Suffering My family has not been immune to trials and suffering. There are all the difficulties associated with ministry. This past year: my sister-in-law, who lives with her family next door to us, experienced two massive heart attacks. Katie and I experienced our third miscarriage. My dad, John LaPierre, who lived with my mom up the street from us, went through radiation and chemotherapy (and that is besides his Alzheimer’s). Not long after, my mom called me terrified, begging me to rush to their house. Dad was unconscious on the floor and not breathing. I delivered CPR until the paramedics arrived, but they were unable to revive him. Trials and suffering are inevitable on this side of heaven as we will see as we begin chapter 1. My prayer has been that I can give you the encouragement from God’s Word that He wants you to have when you experience them!

The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge in Luke 18:1-8 is commonly misunderstood. The wrong interpretation is, “Be persistent in prayer until God gives you what you want.” The correct interpretation is if an unjust judge can be persuaded to give justice to a woman he has no regard for, then how much more will God, who is just, give justice to his elect whom he loves. Table of contentsAlways Praying Without Losing Heart“Ought Always to Pray” Involves a Disposition Toward GodWe Can “Lose Heart” When Praying Because It Is Hard WorkWhat the Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge TeachesThe Judge with no Regard for JusticeThe Persistent Widow Who Wants JusticeParables Don't Give all the DetailsGod's View of WidowsThe Widow Only Had Her PersistenceThe Point of the Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust JudgeThe Widow Represents Us…to an ExtentThe Incorrect Interpretation of the Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust JudgeThe Correct Interpretation of the Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust JudgeWhen Will God Provide this Justice?There Have Always Been "Widows" Wanting JusticeDo We Have Faith Like the Widow?The Parable of the Persistent Widow Makes Us Wonder, "Why the Delay?"Footnotes https://youtu.be/rmSjtzzEvHE The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge in Luke 18:1-8 teaches God, who is just, give justice to his elect, whom he loves. The chapter breaks in Scripture are helpful, but they were added by man. One of the dangers with them is they can cause us to think, “This is a new chapter, so it must not be related to the previous chapter.” But it’s the opposite with The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge. We need to keep the previous chapter in mind to interpret the parable correctly. Everything Jesus taught in Luke 18:1-8 flows from his teaching at the end of Luke 17 on his Second Coming. The second half of Luke 18:8 says, "when the Son of Man comes." This is the context. The parable is related to Jesus’s Second Coming. Robert Stein wrote, “The parable serves as a concluding illustration to Luke 17:22-37 [about Jesus’s Second Coming].”181 John MacArthur’s sermon on The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge is titled, “Persistent Prayer for the Lord’s Return.” Always Praying Without Losing Heart Jesus knew that as his disciples waited for his return, they could become discouraged, lose heart, and begin to doubt, so... Luke 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. It’s a theme in Scripture that we ought always to pray: Romans 12:12 says, "be constant in prayer" Ephesians 6:18 says, "praying at all times" Colossians 4:2 says, "continue steadfastly in prayer" 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "pray without ceasing" When I was Catholic, there was only one way to pray: kneeling with your eyes closed, head bowed, and hands folded. I remember one time when someone wanted to pray with me and I thought we couldn’t pray, because we couldn’t kneel. When I became a Christian I learned that we didn’t have to pray this way, but I read verses like this one that we ought always to pray, and I was confused. I thought, “How could I pray all the time? I won’t have time for anything else, such as eating, working, or even sleeping, because I can’t pray while I sleep.” To be honest, if you’re like me, and you have trouble sleeping, you pray because you know it will help you fall back to sleep. “Ought Always to Pray” Involves a Disposition Toward God We are not expected to – literally – pray all the time. There’s a place for concentrated prayer times, but praying all the time refers to a receptive disposition toward God. Let me give you an example that I believe illustrates this. When we lived in California, one of my good friends, Pat Mundy, was a cop. One time I was with him, and he noticed someone he said, “didn’t look right.” I asked him why he noticed this person, and he said, “As a cop you’re always looking around at people and situations, seeing if things seem off. Even though I am off duty, I can never really be off duty.” This is the same for Christians. Even when we are, “Off duty,” which is to say not praying, we are never really “off duty,” in the sense that we haven’t flipped off a switch and started ignoring God. We are not out of communion with him. Instead, have a receptive disposition toward God. We are still sensitive to him and what he wants from us. We are always ready to seek him in whatever situation we face. in 1 Samuel 3:4-9 God repeatedly called out to Samuel, but Samuel thought it was Eli. Samuel kept going to Eli, but Eli told Samuel it was not him and he should go back to bed. On the third time Eli recognized God was calling to Samuel, which he shared with the boy, and then told him how to respond if it happened again: 1 Samuel 3:10 The Lord came and stood, calling as at other

How does God prepare us for service? Philippians 1:6 says, "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Read or listen to this chapter from my book, A Father Offers His Son, to learn about God's preparation process for Abraham, David, and us! Table of contentsGod's Preparation Process for AbrahamGod Prepared Abraham through Their RelationshipGod Prepared Abraham through Previous TestsThe Family TestThe Walk by Faith TestThe Famine TestThe Fear of Man TestThe Generosity TestThe Compassion TestThe Giving TestThe Spiritual Leader TestThe Circumcision TestThe Integrity TestThe Ishmael TestGod's Preparation Process for DavidGod's Preparation Process for UsThe Danger of Forgetting God’s Past FaithfulnessWe Can Be Confident God Is Preparing Us (Philippians 1:6) How does God prepare us for service? Philippians 1:6 says, "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." God has preparation process for us to complete us. God's Preparation Process for Abraham We doubt that we could be like him if given a a test of such magnitude. But God prepared Abraham for the test in Genesis 22, and it should be an encouragement that He also prepares us for the trials and tests we face, such as the Coronavirus. God Prepared Abraham through Their Relationship By the time Genesis 22 takes place, Abraham had a deep history with God. Abraham had been through many experiences with God, and as a result, he knew Him. When Abraham interceded for Sodom, he talked God down from fifty righteous people to ten righteous people (Genesis 18:32). The exchange looked like a conversation between friends, which is fitting since three times in Scripture Abraham is called God’s friend (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23). At points, Abraham worried about pushing God too far, but the longer they talked, the more Abraham learned about God’s patience and graciousness. Experiences in relationships can allow trust to build. Abraham had been through so much with God that he trusted Him, even when He asked him to sacrifice his son. When Abraham first met God back in Genesis 12, could he have passed the same test he passed in Genesis 22? Did Abraham have the faith in Genesis 12 to do what he did in Genesis 22? I doubt it. God prepared Abraham for Genesis 22 in the previous ten chapters. Abraham needed great faith to sacrifice Isaac, and God built that faith in Abraham through their relationship. For example, Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the dead, and God convinced Abraham He could raise Isaac from the dead by bringing two other bodies back to life—his and Sarah’s. Abraham knew he and Sarah could no longer have children. Their bodies were “dead,” but: And not being weak in faith, (Abraham) did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. Romans 4:19-21 Abraham believed God could raise Isaac from the dead. Why? He experienced God supernaturally raise his and Sarah’s “dead” bodies in their old age so they could have Isaac. God Prepared Abraham through Previous Tests God also prepared Abraham for the test of Genesis 22 through the tests He gave him in the previous chapters. The Family Test Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house.” Genesis 12:1a This is the “Family Test” that involved leaving his relatives behind. Abraham failed by bringing his nephew, Lot. The Walk by Faith Test Now the Lord had said to Abram: “[Go] to a land that I will show you.” Genesis 12:1b At the same time, Abraham faced the “Walk by Faith Test” since God told him to go to a land he had never seen. The Famine Test Then Abraham faced the “Famine Test": Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. Genesis 12:10 Abraham failed this test when he left the land and went to Egypt. The Fear of Man Test Then he also failed the “Fear of Man Test” when he told Sarah to say she was his sister to protect himself: “Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you." Genesis 12:13 The Generosity Test In Genesis 13, Abraham passed the “Generosity Test.” His herdsmen began fighting with Lot’s herdsmen, and Abraham gave Lot the best choice of land for his animals: So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to t

In Luke 17:33-37 Jesus taught "one will be taken and the other left." People are “left” to enter the kingdom. Other people are “taken” in judgment to the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21). This resembles the way the wicked people in Noah’s day were "taken" by the flood. Table of contentsGive Up This Life to Receive Eternal LifeLot’s Wife Sought to Preserve Her Life but Lost ItNoah and Lot Lost Their Lives to Keep ThemHow Does "Losing Our Life" Relate to the Second Coming?Why Is Luke 17:36 Missing?The Prophetic TimelinePeople Are “Taken” to the Battle of ArmageddonPeople Are “Left” to Enter the KingdomThe Birds (Visibility) and Corpses (Judgment) of the Battle of ArmageddonJesus's Two ComingsThe Sword Out of Jesus's Mouth Defeats the Enemies at the Battle of ArmageddonThe Battle of Armageddon Will Be Like a WinepressJesus's Names in Revelation 19The Battle of Armageddon Is an Execution Versus a BattleEternal Torment in Hell Versus AnnihilationOne Will Be Taken and the Other Left to Separate the Saved and Lost https://youtu.be/AqSbMD94btA In Luke 17:33-37 Jesus taught "one will be taken and the other left." People are “left” to enter the kingdom. Other people are “taken” in judgment to the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21). This resembles the way the wicked people in Noah’s day were "taken" by the flood. Give Up This Life to Receive Eternal Life A paradox is a statement that seems contradictory, inconsistent, untrue, or even absurd, but is still true. There are several paradoxes in Scripture: Matthew 23:11 says, "Whoever wants to be greatest, should be everyone’s servant." Mark 9:35 says, "Anyone who wants to be first, must be the very last." 2 Corinthians 6:10 says, "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything." If you’re sorrowful you’re not rejoicing, if you’re poor you don’t make others rich, and if you have nothing, you don’t possess everything. 2 Corinthians 12:10 and 13:9 say, "When we are weak we are strong." When you’re weak you’re not strong. James 1:2 says, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials. Joy is the last thing you experience in trials." Luke 17:33 says, "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it." This is one of the most well-known paradoxes in the Bible. The paradoxical nature is immediately noticeable: You can’t preserve your life and lose it. Preserving your life means you did NOT lose it. You can’t lose your life and keep it. Losing your life means you did NOT keep it. It’s easier to understand this paradox if the verse is broken in half. When Jesus says, "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it," He’s referring to people who live for this life and pursue what the world offers. These people will not find eternal life. Then when Jesus says, "but whoever loses his life will keep it," He’s referring to people who give up their earthly lives for Him. If we do this, we will find eternal life. It’s like Paul said in Philippians 1:21 that "to live is Christ." We surrender to Him, inviting Him to use us in whatever ways He deems best. It’s the language of Romans 12:1: "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." We are no longer living for ourselves. We’re living for the Lord. Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Lot’s Wife Sought to Preserve Her Life but Lost It Luke 17:33 flows perfectly from the previous verses, because they contain three examples of what Luke 17:33 describes. Lot’s wife looked back to her true home, Sodom, which she valued more than the next life that God had for her. She is a perfect example of someone who sought to preserve her life but lost it. Noah and Lot Lost Their Lives to Keep Them On the other hand, Noah and Lot preserved their lives by being willing to lose them: Noah was willing to let go of his life in the pre-flood world and get on the ark, and he preserved his life in the process. Lot was willing to abandon his life in Sodom, and he preserved his life in the process. It is a question of what we desire: If we desire to preserve our lives in this world, then we will lose our lives. But if we are willing to lose our lives for Jesus’s sake we will keep them. How Does "Losing Our Life" Relate to the Second Coming? The context is the Second Coming, so how does this all relate? If we long for Jesus’s return we desire to see this life, as we know it, come to an end so that we can begin the next life in His kingdom. In this way we preserve our lives. But people who love this life don’t want to see Jesus return, because they don’t want this life to end. They want to hold onto this life, and in the process they will los

Proverbs 13:4 says, "The soul of the diligent is swiftly supplied." The Bible verses about working diligently should encourage and challenge everyone. Read or listen to this chapter from Work and Rest God’s Way to learn about diligence in the Bible. Table of contentsThe Importance of DiligenceApply the Principle of Putting Off and Putting OnRemember, Stopping Is Only the First StepPut on Working DiligentlyProverbs Are Generalities, but not GuaranteesWorking Diligently Produces WealthWorking Diligently Leads to PromotionsMy Example from Army ROTCJoseph's ExampleDavid's ExampleJesus's ExampleWorking Diligently Means Finishing What You BeginWorking Diligently Produces SatisfactionA Diligent HeartSpiritual DiligenceFootnotes The Importance of Diligence Maybe you’re reading this book because you want to be more diligent, repent of laziness, find joy in work, learn to rest, or all of the above. Changing is hard. As a pastor, I’ve heard many people say, “I’m going to stop this” or “I’m going to start that.” I’ve said the same myself. Only 64 percent of New Year’s resolutions last longer than the first month, and only 46 percent last longer than six months. We often begin well, but within a short period of time, we find ourselves resuming what we committed to stopping or stopping what we committed to starting. How can we change…for good? Apply the Principle of Putting Off and Putting On The single greatest reason we fail to change, at least regarding sin, is we “put off” without “putting on.” When we hear the word “repent,” unfortunately we often think only of stopping, but we must also think of starting. If there’s a sin we want to repent of, we must replace it with a corresponding behavior. 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). We don’t typically associate repentance (stopping) with bearing fruit (starting), but we should. The apostle Paul also knew how to preach repentance. In Acts 26:20 he said, “Repent, turn to God (stopping), and do works befitting repentance (starting).” This is known as putting off and putting on, or severing and replacing, and it’s explained 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. We can’t simply stop lying. We must also make a conscious effort to start telling the truth; 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. Since this is a book about work’s blessings, it’s worth noticing that it serves as a remedy for theft! 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.” Verses 12 and 13 say, “Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another.” When we repent of the sins in verse 8, we’ll produce the fruit in verse 12. The actions are presented in opposing pairs. If there’s a sin that you need to repent of, but it is not mentioned in these verses, determine the opposite of that sin. More than likely that is what you need to put on. Remember, Stopping Is Only the First Step The second step is starting the accompanying behavior that fills the vacuum that was created. In the parable of the unclean spirit, Jesus described the danger of taking the first step (putting off) without taking the second (putting on). Matthew 12:43–45 records: When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then [the unclean spirit] says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. At first, things seem good because the unclean spirit (sin) is removed from the man’s life. Unfortunately, he didn’t fill the void, and as a result, his life (the house), remained empty. The man ended up w

When we hear the word lazy, we almost always think physically, but what about spiritually (Hebrews 12:4)? Read or listen to this chapter from Work and Rest God’s Way to see how to avoid spiritual laziness. Table of contentsThe Dangers of Spiritual LazinessA Field (or Life) Overgrown with Thorns and WeedsDon’t Rest on Previous Labor to Avoid Spiritual LazinessLaziness Toward Spiritual DisciplinesLaziness Toward Temptation and SinMental LazinessBe Encouraged by Christ's Second Coming to Avoid Spiritual LazinessFootnotes When we hear the word “lazy,” we might immediately think of an unemployed forty year old living in his parents’ basement, or people on welfare who are capable of working. They’re physically lazy, but what about spiritual laziness? We aren’t sleeping in bed all day or standing on street corners asking for money, but are there other ways we’re lazy, such as spiritually? The Dangers of Spiritual Laziness The following verses begin with another strong criticism of physical laziness, but they introduce a spiritual application that we’re wise to consider: I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; and there it was, all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; so shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man (Proverbs 24:30–34). The end of these verses is repeated from Proverbs 6:10–11. God wants to make sure we don’t miss two points. First, there’s a strong association between sleep and laziness. Second, unexpected disaster awaits the lazy. The words “saw…considered…looked” reveal that the father studied the field owned by the lazy man who lacks sense (devoid of understanding), just as he earlier instructed his son to study the ant. Wise people learn by observation, and just as we can learn from good examples (the ant), we can also learn from bad examples (the lazy man). The lazy man’s neglect is evident by the shambles and overgrown weeds infesting his property. The dilapidated state leaves the owner without profit. The owner is responsible for the ruin of his own field, depicting the way lazy people ruin whatever they encounter. Proverbs 18:9 says, “He who is slothful in his work is a brother to (or is like) him who is a great destroyer.” What exactly do lazy people destroy, or waste, besides fields they own? Two things: the talents God has given them and the time of people investing in them. Lazy people do such a bad job “working” that whatever they do will have to be thrown out or done again. They’re more work than help. A sluggard is painful as an employee; no boss wants an inefficient sluggard who won’t get the job done. Proverbs 10:26 says, “As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man to those who send him.” Vinegar in our mouths and smoke in our eyes isn’t deadly, but it is annoying, just like a lazy employee. A Field (or Life) Overgrown with Thorns and Weeds Thorns appear in the sluggard’s life like they appear in his field. In both cases, he’s too lazy to remove them: “The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns” (Proverbs 15:19). A field representing a person’s life is a common metaphor in Scripture. Jesus told the parable of the sower with the different soils (fields) representing different people (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23). Regarding the ways God used Paul and Apollos in people’s lives, Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field” (1 Corinthians 3:6, 9). When God described the work His Word does in people’s lives, He said: For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth (Isaiah 55:10–11). The rain and snow represent the Word, and the ground (field) that produces represents people’s lives: For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned (Hebrews 6:7–8). These verses tie together Isaiah 55:10–11 and the lazy man’s field in Proverbs 24: The rain in Hebrews 6:7 that brings forth “herbs” parallels the rain of Isaiah 55:10 that “[makes] it bring forth and bud.” The field in Hebrews 6:8 that “bears thorns and briers, is rejected and burned” parallels the lazy man’s field (and life) in Proverbs 24:30–34 that is “overgrown with thorns [and] covered with nettles.” Just as fields are revealed by what they produce, so are we revealed by what we produce. Jesus said, “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears

Are you looking for a Christian finance workbook based on biblical principles? Read or listen to the Introduction to the Your Finances God’s Way Workbook to see why it stands out among finance workbooks. Table of contentsKeeping God’s Word In Your HeartBeing A Doer Versus Only A ReaderFinancial Storms Will ComeThe Importance Of ObedienceResponse Determines OutcomeWisdom and Foolishness RevealedThe Benefit Of Writing On LearningUsing This WorkbookFootnotes Finances are one of our most essential stewardships. If for no other reason, we should want to manage them well. I want to acknowledge and commend your commitment. You've not only read Your Finances God’s Way but also invested in this accompanying workbook. This shows your dedication and willingness to learn how to handle money in ways that please God and bring Him glory. Keeping God’s Word In Your Heart As a pastor, I’ve spent numerous hours counseling people. This experience has familiarized me with the most common problems people face. I have seen them struggle and find solutions in God’s Word, which provides wisdom for every area of life, including finances. When I ask you to trust God’s Word, I do so because I have seen it work in my life and the lives of people I’ve counseled. This workbook is designed to encourage practical application and bring real change (because that’s what applying scriptural truth does—it brings about change). For this to happen, we must keep God’s Word in our hearts, as it repeatedly reminds us: “These words that I command you today shall be on your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6). “The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip” (Psalm 37:31). “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). “Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart” (Job 22:22). Your Finances God’s Way is not the Word of God, but it's a guide filled with the Word of God. I've written this workbook to help you apply the teachings from the book and keep God’s Word in your heart. As Jesus said, “The good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15). Being A Doer Versus Only A Reader From years of weightlifting, I’ve had lower back issues. I’ll go to the physical therapist and learn the stretches and exercises I’m supposed to do at home, but I rarely do them. My wonderful wife, Katie, repeatedly says, “Why do you go to those appointments if you’re not going to do what you’re told?” I don’t have a good answer. My actions indicate that I wrongly believe simply going to the appointments helps me, but I’m deceiving myself. We make the same mistake when we read scriptural truth but fail to apply it to our lives. James 1:22 says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” This verse reveals a common mistake I make with the physical therapist, and many of us make it with God’s Word: We learn it without applying it to our lives. We do this with our finances when we believe we have done enough simply by learning what the Bible teaches about money, reading Christian finance books, and attending Christian conferences or Bible studies on money. But as believers, our responsibility goes much further than simply obtaining information. We must also apply it, or none of the knowledge we gain will be of any benefit. We do not learn God’s Word only to acquire knowledge. We learn it to apply it and better serve the Lord. Jesus said, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it…If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (Luke 8:21; John 13:17). He also taught an entire parable making this point: Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:24-27). I want to begin our journey through the Your Finances God’s Way Workbook with a look at this parable for two reasons: Jesus brought the Sermon on the Mount to a close with this teaching. He wanted to make sure His listeners put into practice what they heard. I pray that this workbook will help you put into practice what you have read in the accompanying book. This teaching shows that there is only one proper foundation for any area of our lives, including our finances: Jesus Christ. By using this workbook, you are off to a great start, being not just a hearer (or reader) but a doer (or obey-er). Financial Storms Will Come Why is it so important to have a strong foundation? Jesus r

Jesus told us to remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32). Genesis 19:26 says she became a pillar of salt. What should we learn about her? https://youtu.be/cMyNs7ppUWQ Jesus told us to remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32). Genesis 19:26 says she became a pillar of salt. What should we learn about her? Table of contentsThe Two People in Scripture to RememberWhy It's Surprising We're Told to Remember Lot's WifeDon't Look Back!Lot’s Wife Shows the Lord Knows How to Rescue the Godly and Punish the UnrighteousLot’s Wife Disregarded God’s GraceThe Grace Lot's Wife ReceivedLot’s Wife Disobeyed Divine CommandsLot’s Wife Loved the WorldWhy Lot's Wife Wanted to Remain in SodomSodom Is a Type or Shadow of the WorldLot’s Wife Was Close to SalvationWhat Should We Remember About Lot's Wife?Examine Yourself The Two People in Scripture to Remember There are only two people in Scripture we are told to remember. One is Jesus Himself: Luke 22:19 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” The other person is, surprisingly, Lot’s wife. If you told me there was a person in Scripture to remember, besides Jesus, I would guess someone like Abraham, David, or Daniel for two reasons: Their godliness - I could imagine Jesus telling us to remember one of these men, because of how godly they were and how much there is to learn from them. Their content - I could imagine Jesus telling us to remember one of these men, because of how much is written about them in Scripture. Why It's Surprising We're Told to Remember Lot's Wife Lot’s wife wouldn’t even make the list for the opposite of these two reasons: Her ungodliness The lack of content about her Aside from this verse, there is only one other verse in Scripture about her, and it’s a famous one… Genesis 19:26 But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Jesus tells us to remember Lot’s wife, but we know almost nothing about her: We don’t know when she was born We don’t know where she was born We don’t know who she was born to; we don’t know her parents We don’t even know her name Something making this even more interesting is the verse about her is in Genesis, which is the book of origins. There are more genealogies in Genesis than any other book in Scripture. Genesis has six genealogies, while Numbers is in second place with only two. Yet in the book that is all about people’s backgrounds, there is nothing about Lot’s wife. So why did Jesus tell us to remember a woman whom we know almost nothing about? Let's back up to the previous verse for content: Luke 17:31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. This sounds strange, because we don’t spend time on roofs, but in Jesus’s day roofs were flat and people would spend time on them. There were stairways on the outside of the house leading up to the roofs. Think of the paralytic and how the four men carried him up to the roof. They would have done so using external stairs. Don't Look Back! The context is the the Second Coming in Luke 17:22-30. Jesus is destroying His enemies and establishing His Kingdom on the earth. This isn’t the time to turn back because the danger will be so great. People shouldn’t be looking back longingly at their possessions. Doing so would show: a focus on the earthly versus the heavenly that this life is more important than the next life So, this is a warning to people who are obsessed with the physical instead of the spiritual cling to their earthly lives despite all that heaven offers are tempted to confuse the enjoyments of the world with the eternal life that could await them When Jesus returns, true believers will not be concerned about what is in the house. They will be concerned with what is in heaven. The end of the verse says "not [to] turn back." Then Jesus provides the premier example of looking back and suffering as a result: Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife. Let's consider what we can learn from her example... Lot’s Wife Shows the Lord Knows How to Rescue the Godly and Punish the Unrighteous 2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; Sodom and Gomorrah are supposed to serve as "an example." God sent an unmistakable message to all future generations, including us, that wickedness results in judgment. But I don't think

In Luke 17:22-30 lightning is a metaphor for the Second Coming of Christ. Just as lightning is visible, quick, and unexpected, Jesus's Second Coming will be too. In Acts 1:11 the angels said Jesus would return from heaven the same way that He ascended to heaven: bodily and physically for all to see. Table of contentsFirst, Like Lightning, the Second Coming of Christ Will Be VisiblePreterism Is the Belief That the Future Is in the PastPartial PreterismFull Preterism Is HereticalSecond, Like Lightning, the Second Coming of Christ Will Be QuickSuffering and Then GloryJesus's Second Coming Is Associated with Two Familiar Accounts of JudgmentFirst, the Days of NoahSecond, the Days of LotThird, Like Lightning, the Second Coming of Christ Will Be UnexpectedJesus’s First Coming Was for Salvation and His Second Coming is for JudgmentIf We Don't Want to Be Taken by SurpriseFootnotes https://youtu.be/-nMUXR7tfLs In Luke 17:22-30 lightning is a metaphor for the Second Coming of Christ. Acts 1:11 teaches Jesus will return from heaven like He ascended. Contrast allows things to stand out. For example, when the moon is out during the day, we can’t see it very well, because it is close to the color of the sky. But we can see the moon very well at night, because its white and gray color stands out so sharply against the black night sky. Similarly, lightning stands out incredibly well against the night sky, because of its bright white color against the black background. Jesus chose lightning as a metaphor for His Second Coming: Luke 17:22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. Jesus was going to be gone from the disciples and they were going to long to see Him. But he said they would not be able to, because they would not be alive when He returned. Maranatha was the common greeting among Christians in the early church. It is an Aramaic word that means “the Lord is coming” or “come, O Lord.” The desire the disciples would have to see Christ is the same desire we should have. Many New Testament verses encourage us as believers to have this desire. Here are a few: 1 Corinthians 1:7 As you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 1:10 Wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead. Titus 2:13 Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ Jude 20 Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. There were going to be people claiming that Jesus had returned, and he did not want His disciples misled into thinking that He had returned in some secret or mysterious way that was concealed from the world. Because, the truth is, there will be no mistaking when Jesus has returned. There are three reasons it is very fitting to compare Jesus’s Second Coming with lightning. First, Like Lightning, the Second Coming of Christ Will Be Visible The disciples would not need to believe people who said, “Look, there!” or “Look, here!” because the Second Coming will be as visible as lightning that lights up the whole sky. In the Amplified Bible, Luke 17:24 reads, "For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, gives light to the other part of the sky, so [visible] will the Son of Man be in His day." There will be no mistaking when Jesus returns. It will be universally visible. Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Despite everything Jesus had taught, there were two things the disciples did not understand that led to their question in Acts 1:6: They didn’t understand that Jesus would leave them. Jesus spiritually established His Kingdom in His First Coming, and He was going to physically establish His kingdom at His Second Coming. But the disciples thought He was going to physically establish His kingdom now. But one thing the disciples were not confused about was that there would be a physical kingdom established on the earth: This mirror

Manna and money share similarities. The Israelites were to each take “one omer” (Exodus 16:16), which is a tithe: “An omer is one-tenth of an ephah” (Exodus 16:36). Manna is fitting illustration of money in that it did many of the things for Israel that money does for us. Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn what manna and money have to do with each other. Table of contentsWhat Is the Relationship Between Manna and Money?Manna and Money Provide and TestManna and Money Require Avoiding Greediness and WastefulnessLearning to SaveEnforced DifferentlyThe True and Greater Bread from HeavenFootnotes As we come to the end of our wonderful journey, how can we tie together the many concepts we have discussed up this point, such as stewardship, giving, and saving? Paul might have done that for us when he talked about money in 2 Corinthians 8:15: “As it is written, ‘He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.’” This is a quote from Exodus 16:18 about the manna the Israelites collected each morning during their time in the wilderness. What Is the Relationship Between Manna and Money? What do manna and money have to do with each other? Quite a bit, actually! The Israelites were to each take “one omer” (Exodus 16:16), which is a tithe: “An omer is one-tenth of an ephah” (Exodus 16:36). The term translated “one-tenth” is the Hebrew word also translated “tithe.” Manna serves as a fascinating and fitting illustration of money in that it did many of the things for Israel that money does for us. And what Israel was and wasn’t supposed to do with manna resembles what we are and aren’t supposed to do with money. Manna and Money Provide and Test Exodus 16:4 records that “the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.’” God sent the manna to provide for the Israelites and test them, just like God uses money to provide for us and test us. Manna and Money Require Avoiding Greediness and Wastefulness The Israelites needed manna like we need money, but they had to avoid being greedy like we must avoid being greedy. The people accused God of “[bringing them] into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16:2). This helps us understand how difficult it was for the people of Israel to take only what they needed. Not surprisingly some didn’t listen and couldn’t eat all of what they collected. Verses 19-20 record what happened: Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. They were supposed to avoid wasting the manna, like we’re supposed to avoid wasting money. If they kept too much for themselves, versus leaving it for others, there were problems. Similarly, if we keep too much money for ourselves, versus giving it to others, there are problems for us too. The manna began to decay and stink, and, figuratively speaking, money we shouldn’t have begins to decay and stink. Learning to Save Exodus 16:22-24 tells us what would happen when the Israelites handled the manna correctly: On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. The manna taught the Israelites to save: They gathered twice as much on the sixth day so they wouldn’t have to gather any on the Sabbath. If they handled the manna the right way, striking the balance between saving and hoarding, they had what they needed and there were no problems (“it did not stink, and there were no worms in it”). Similarly, if we handle money the right way, striking the balance between saving and hoarding, we will have what we need and there won’t be any problems. Enforced Differently We see one important difference between manna and money as we contrast the Old and New Covenants: Under the Old Covenant, equality was miraculously enforced in the wilderness. Everyone had the same amount (one omer) regardless of how much they gathered. Under the New Covenant, people are cared for in the church not because it is enforced but because God burdens His people to give willingly, sacrificially, and generously. The True and Greater Bread from Heaven God told Israel to “gather a certain quota every day,” and Moses said, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat” (Exodus 16:4, 15). Every day God gave them bread, looking forward to when Jesus would teach us to pr

Psalm 37:21 says, "The wicked borrows but does not pay back." Do you want to know how to pay off debt? Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn the best strategies for paying off debt. Table of contentsStrategies to Avoid a MortgageFirst, Consider a RentalSecond, Live ModestlyThird, Purchase a Starter HomeTwo Pieces of Advice if You Decide to Purchase a MortgageFirst, Understand "Qualifying"Second, Choose a 15-Year Versus a 30-Year MortgageThe Best Strategies for Paying Off DebtSacrifice to Pay Off DebtLive Below Your Income to Pay Off DebtBuy Used to Pay Off DebtStay Home to Pay Off DebtFirst, Build RelationshipsSecond, Avoid ConflictThird, Invest in Your HomeFirst, Avoid LavishnessSecond, Avoid Unnecessary ExpensesThird, Avoid “Going Big”Fourth, Avoid Expensive HobbiesEnjoy Cheap or FreeKeep the End in MindContinue GivingPut Extra Money Toward DebtWhat About When You're Out of Debt?Possibly Missing Out on God's BestFootnotes When couples in the church I pastor give birth to a child, I try to bring them a meal, meet the baby, see if they need anything, and pray with them. When Robert and Katy Cunningham had their fifth son, I went to see not only them and their new baby, but also their new living situation. They (seven people, including five energetic young boys) had moved into a broken-down motorhome that was sitting on the property where Robert was building their house. They went to great lengths to observe Psalm 37:21. When I returned home, I told my wife two things. First, I shared how proud I was of Robert and Katy for their commitment to being debt-free and all the sacrifice that was involved in sticking with that conviction. Second, I said, “We don’t have very much to complain about!” Not long ago, Robert finished the construction. They were able to move out of the motorhome and into their new house debt-free. Maybe you have said, “People can’t buy a home with cash.” I have heard this argument many times, and Robert and Katy’s testimony (as well as many others) reveals it is not true. I have watched young and old people alike, inside and outside my church, purchase homes without mortgages. Here are three points of advice to help you do the same. Strategies to Avoid a Mortgage The biggest debt most people have is a mortgage. Here are three strategies to possibly avoid one! First, Consider a Rental Many people argue that it’s better to buy a house because if you rent, you’re throwing money away. The idea is the money would be better off put toward the cost of your house. This appears to be true until you consider how much of a mortgage payment goes toward the interest versus the principal. The money going toward the interest isn’t going toward the price of the house any more than rent goes toward the price of the house. If you want your money to go toward the price of the house, save up the money and buy your house with cash. Second, Live Modestly We have friends who lived in a basement until they could buy their first home with cash. Some other friends lived in a two-bedroom rental with seven children. Did these situations involve sacrifice and living modestly? Definitely. But how good do you think these people feel now as they live in their homes with no debt? Third, Purchase a Starter Home When I talk about buying a home with cash, it might be more accurate to say homes. Who says you need to live in your dream home in your twenties or thirties? A better approach is to purchase a smaller starter home with cash and save up for your next home. Then sell your starter home, which is hopefully worth more than when you bought it, and use that money, along with the money you’ve saved up, to purchase your next home. As your family and income grow, so does your home. Two Pieces of Advice if You Decide to Purchase a Mortgage If, for whatever reason, you still decide to go ahead with a mortgage, let me offer you two points of advice. First, Understand "Qualifying" Real estate agents and loan officers want you to sign for the most amount of money. This has left people with much larger mortgages than they can afford simply because they were told they “qualified.” They were locked into high payments that paralyzed them for decades, leaving them unable to save, be generous, or prepare for emergencies. A much wiser approach is a smaller mortgage that can be paid off faster and easier. Second, Choose a 15-Year Versus a 30-Year Mortgage There are many benefits to a 15-year versus a 30-year mortgage: lower interest rates less interest over the life of the loan quicker equity built into the property less likelihood of being upside down if the housing market crashes The only downside to a 15-year mortgage is larger monthly payments, but most people would be surprised to learn they’re not that much larger. For example: The monthly payment on a 30-year, $300,000 mortgage with a 4 percent APR is $1,432, for a total repayment of $515,609 ($215,609 in inter

In Matthew 12:29, Jesus said people were seeing Him "bind the strong man," referring to Satan. This showed Jesus is stronger than Satan, and able to deliver people from his kingdom. Learn how Satan obtained a kingdom (Hebrews 2:5-9). Table of contentsThe Book of Hebrews Is About Jesus Being BetterJesus Became Better than the Angels?God Gave Man AuthorityMan Forfeited His Authority to Satan at the FallSatan Offered Jesus His AuthorityThe Antichrist Accepts Satan's OfferSatan Is not Ruling and Reigning in HellSatan is the Ruler Over this WorldHow the World's Kingdoms Look to Man Versus GodWe See Jesus Bind the Strong Man When His Kingdom Destroys the World's KingdomsThe Gospels Record the Kingdom of God "Crashing" into Satan’s KingdomJesus Our Kinsman RedeemerJesus Binds the Strong ManJesus Could Bind the Strong Man Because He Is StrongerJesus Binds the Strong Man to Deliver People into His Kingdom https://youtu.be/vqnWvpobMc4 Jesus Will Bind the Strong Man (Hebrews 2:5-9 and Matthew 12:29) The Bible could be thought of as The Tale of Two Kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. We see Jesus "bind the strong man" (Satan) throughout His earthly ministry when His Kingdom defeated Satan's kingdom. An obvious question might be, how did Satan get a kingdom? It was not when he was kicked out of heaven with one third of the angels. If he received a kingdom at that time, it would seem like he was rewarded for his rebellion. Instead, another event took place that gave Satan a kingdom, and I think the clearest passage helping us understand it is found in Hebrews 2. Because we are jumping into Hebrews, let me briefly explain this wonderful book. The Book of Hebrews Is About Jesus Being Better If we put ourselves in the place of Jewish Christians, consider how difficult it was for them to let go of all they knew to embrace Christianity: all the temple worship, sacrifices, and holy days. Christianity wasn’t an improved Judaism. It replaced Judaism. Think of the parable of the new and old wineskins: Luke 5:36 No one tears a piece from a new garment (referring to the New Covenant) and puts it on an old garment (referring to the Old Covenant). If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine (referring to the New Covenant) into old wineskins (referring to the Old Covenant – you don’t force the New Covenant into the Old Covenant). If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. The Old and New Covenants can’t be combined or they’ll both be ruined. But this is exactly what Jewish Christians were trying to do! Luke 5:38 New wine (referring to the New Covenant) must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine (referring to the Old Covenant). desires new, for he says, ‘The old is [better].’” This captures the situation with the Jews: they thought the Old Covenant was better because they drank the old wine of the Old Covenant. Hebrews is written to show them how much better Jesus is than everything in the Old Covenant. So, it’s not that the Old Covenant is bad, it’s just that Jesus is better. For example: The Old Testament sacrifices were good, but Jesus’s sacrifice is better. The Sabbath was good, but the rest found in Christ is better. The Levitical priesthood was good, but the Melchizedekian priesthood, which Jesus is part of, is better. Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant, and he was a good mediator, but Jesus is a better Mediator. Jesus Became Better than the Angels? In the first few verses of Hebrews 1 the author describes how much better Jesus is than the prophets. Then the author describes how much better Jesus is than the angels: (NASB) Hebrews 1:4 having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they. Saying Jesus became better than the angels makes it seem like He was not BETTER before, which is true: Hebrews 2:7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, Man was made lower than the angels, so when Jesus became a man, he became lower than the angels too. Interestingly, in Hebrews 1 Jesus is better than the angels, but in Hebrews 2 He is lower than the angels. This seems like the opposite of what we would expect from an author who is supposed to be showing how much better Jesus is. Isn’t it almost a liability to argue that Jesus would be a man lower than the angels? What kind of Messiah isn’t even better than the angels? The author didn’t introduce this liability. He knew this dilemma was already in his readers’ minds, so he brings it up to address it. This is one of the most fascinating passages in the entire New Testament, because it reveals why Jesus became lower than the angels. By understanding this we will see how Satan obtained a kingdom of his own, and why Jesus had to bring the kingdom of G

Do you want to develop a biblical stewardship of money? I've got the book (and workbook) for you! Read or listen to the introduction to Your Finances God’s Way to learn about financial stewardship in the Bible. Table of ContentsGoing Into Full-Time Ministry without Being Paid MuchSome Credibility and EncouragementLiving on a Single-Income with Modest SalariesWhen People Don’t Have a Biblical Stewardship of MoneyThe Devastating Nature of Financial Problems“Are You Going to Help Me Become Rich?”How Wealthy Are Americans?What About the Cost of Living in the United States?Biblical Stewardship of Money Requires WisdomWisdom’s Greater ValueThe Approach to a Biblical Stewardship of MoneyA Committed Heart Is Needed for Biblical Stewardship of MoneyThe Your Finances God’s Way WorkbookOur Relationship With Money Reflects Our Relationship With Christ I was driving home feeling discouraged. I don’t think it would be too much to say this was one of the lowest points of my life. I had to tell my wife, Katie, who was pregnant with our first child, that I had just been laid off. With the loss of my job as an elementary school teacher also came the loss of our medical insurance. About two years earlier, I learned of a teaching position available on a local naval base that would give me credit for my military service. This resulted in a considerable raise, but the one drawback was losing my secure, tenured position at the district where I taught. The Great Recession hit, and schools began cutting new teachers. So even though I’d been teaching for almost ten years, I was included in the terminations. I knew it would be challenging to find a position anywhere because every district faced the same financial crunch. You might be thinking, So, a book about finances God’s way. Did you feel that God would somehow provide you with a job? I did! Years earlier, I became a Christian in my early twenties during my first year of teaching elementary school. Soon after, my passion for ministry increased. So you can probably imagine my excitement when a local church, Grace Baptist in Lemoore, California, sought a part-time youth pastor. I applied, they hired me, and my elementary school schedule—which granted me summers and holidays off—worked wonderfully with my church position. Going Into Full-Time Ministry without Being Paid Much After losing the teaching position on the naval base, I was still a part-time youth pastor, but the pay wasn’t enough to support my family. I told my senior pastor I would have to look for a teaching position elsewhere, which would likely mean no longer serving as their youth pastor. Grace Baptist’s leadership team stepped out in faith and hired me full-time. I knew this was a tremendous financial strain on the church, but I gratefully accepted the job because I felt called to ministry and trusted God to provide. Within a few months, as I transitioned to full-time youth pastor, my income dropped by nearly two-thirds. My medical insurance and retirement were gone as well. I had to support my growing family on a fraction of my earlier salary. Believe it or not, we didn’t feel the financial pinch. We had already been living frugally, so we didn’t have to make any lifestyle changes. The significant difference was that we couldn’t put as much extra money toward our mortgage. This book is the genesis of how we, regardless of our financial situation, can use what God has provided even when we have less to spend because of commitments, payments, a crisis, or job change. I’ll give you Tip One right now: Live off less money than you make, and you’ll be prepared if you ever really must live off less money than you make! In the pages ahead, I’ll share more tips to put in your financial planning pocket. But first, I’d like to share why God’s way of finances matters so much to me and why I want it to count for you, too. Some Credibility and Encouragement There are many finance books already available, so why another one? What makes this one different? Is there any reason you should trust what I have to say? Most importantly, I’m not asking you to trust me but God. This book is not a collection of my opinions about money, but God’s words revealed in Scripture. You’ll see in the following chapters that I do my best to unpack the Bible’s critical money-related verses. God is the One “who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18), and He “makes poor and makes rich” (1 Samuel 2:7). That means God knows what you should and shouldn’t do with your finances, and He has provided you with the needed instructions in His Word. I desire to present these instructions in a clear, engaging, and biblical manner. I’ve taught extensively on money to the church I serve. The most common type of counseling I provide is for marriages, with many sessions focusing on finances. The time I’ve spent with people in counseling—couples and individuals—has made me familiar with the most common problems in marriage, many of which relate to financ

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