Woodland Hills Church of Christ

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New Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville 1 & 2 Corinthians: The Gospel of Boasting Introduction: When I was a young preacher I asked an older preacher a question about a passage in 1 Corinthians. The first words out of his mouth were, “You know that’s the milk of the word.” Being a little bashful I said, “Yes sir, I know, but I still don’t understand this particular text.” Now, many years later, I still recognize that Paul taught the Corinthians “milk” and not “solid food” because they were not ready for it (3:1-2). However, a careful study of 1 & 2 Corinthians also reveals that questions are not quickly answered by a cursory reading. In fact, it is evident that when we study these letters, our deep focus on the answers of various problems in the church causes us to miss the broader message. This is a letter! And when we divide this letter up over a 3-6 month study, we usually “see the trees” but not the “forest.” In fact, we quickly come to the uncomfortable realization that in many ways we too are babes, “people of the flesh,” in need of Paul’s spiritual milk! Therefore, we will look at three questions as we discover the broader message of the Corinthian letters: What is the real problem at Corinth? Paul highlights two primary issues (boasting and a misappropriation of the gospel). How did the Corinthians’ culture affect the Corinthian Christian? How does Paul’s message solve the major problems found in all churches today? The Real Problem If you were asked to describe the main theme or message of the Corinthians letters, what would you say? Most of us would immediately answer that the Corinthians had a ton of problems: lack of unity, envy, jealousy, immorality, self-centeredness, and numerous flawed doctrinal beliefs that begged for correction. In other words, we might say, “There really isn’t a theme; it is Paul correcting a myriad of problems.” There is certainly truth in that, however, in diving into the “corrections” we miss the actual message and the actual Corinthian problem. There are two ways to discover such a message: First, examine the beginning and the ending of the letters. As with most writers, Paul introduces his message in the opening, and concludes his message at the end with a summary of the message he introduced. Second, pay attention to repeated words and phrases that give clues to Paul’s message that underlies the “surface problems” present in the Corinthian church. Let’s put it this way, though Paul gives a lot of “do’s and don’ts, the sins of the Corinthians, or of any church, are not solved by simply teaching, “that’s wrong, this is right; don’t to that, do this…” etc. The scriptures are not a list of do’s and don’t’s, but messages that transform our hearts so that pleasing God is embedded in our thinking. Therefore, let’s look at the Corinthian letters from the “30,000 foot level.” We will notice two foundational and thematic messages, that if followed, would correct all the Corinthian shortcomings. The Gospel of “Boasting” The first of two words/phrases that are thematic in these letters is boast. It is used at the beginning of 1 Corinthians (1:29-31), and extensively at the end of 2 Corinthians (11-12) as Paul ridicules the boasts of the false teachers by “boasting” in his weaknesses and afflictions. Amazingly, Paul uses the word 32 times in the two letters. You may be thinking, “I don’t see how the boasting of the Corinthians have anything to do with me!” Actually, boasting has a lot to do with all of us. It is virtually impossible for humans not to boast, to have a constant desire to be rewarded for our accomplishments. In fact, boasting in humans is so evident that the boasts do not just include “look at my accomplishments or what I can do,” we even boast about our illnesses and physical maladies or even accidents in which we hurt ourselves. [“I fell getting out of bed last night” — “Wow, that reminds me when I fell down the stairs and fractured my ankle” — “Goodness, I wish that’s all I’ve done; I fell off the roof and broke both my wrists!” — “Yeah, that’s nothing. You want to see my x-rays!” ] Paul explanation of boasting in 1 Cor. 1:17–2:5. There is much that can be said about this text, but we will look primarily on Paul’s emphasis on “preaching the gospel, not with eloquent words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” Connect verse 17 with 2:1, 4. The principles Paul teaches here are incredibly important for today’s church. The question immediately arises, what is wrong with speaking impressively or eloquently? Isn’t that what preachers are trained to do, to speak so a listener can enjoy and appreciate the lesson? Obviously, Paul isn’t condemning people who speak or teach well. It is necessary to understand the Corinthian culture. In our culture today, we have athletic and musical superstars along with actors and actresses. But in the Greco-Roman world, the most famous were those who excelled in rhetorical and philosophical

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Old Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The post Job 34, 35: Elihu Answers Job and the Friends (Part -2) appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

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Old Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Job 31: Job’s Final Answer and Closing Speech (Part -2) Job 32-33: Elihu Answers Job and the Friends The post Job 31- 33: Elihu Answers Job and the Friends (Part -1) appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

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Old Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The post Job 26 -30: Job’s Final Answer and Closing Speech appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

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New Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville God with Us through Suffering to Glory Romans 8:17-39 Introduction: In our previous lesson [“Suffering, the Gospel’s Path to Glory”] we looked primarily at how suffering is embedded in the Gospel because the Gospel message is the message of the cross. In this lesson, our emphasis will not primarily be toward suffering, but toward God’s presence with us as he brings us through suffering to the hope of glory. The principle is summarized in Hebrews 2:16-18 “For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Though our text will be the last half of Romans 8, the introduction to Romans 8 is found in Romans 5:1-5. Consider verse 2: “we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Then verse 3: “Not only that, but we rejoice in sufferings…” Now compare 8:17: “…and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Paul’s message: As Paul began to talk about why we rejoice in our suffering, and how that suffering produces in us “hope that does not put us to shame,” he deviates in chapters 5:6–8:17 to explain how “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (5:5-6). Finally, the emphasis leading up to 8:18 is that we have now been adopted as “sons,” that is, “children of God,” and since we are children we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” Then, the qualifying statement is, “provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Please note the emphasis: Since we are children, we are heirs! That statement is intended to emphasize the assurance of our hope. “Provided we suffer” stresses that the suffering brings about our connection to Christ and creates within us a greater longing and hope. Breaking Down Paul’s Message Paul develops his message in four major steps divided by three phrases: Verse 23: “And not only…” Verse 26: “Likewise the Spirit…” Verse 28: “And we know…” Paul had said in 5:3, “…and not only that, we rejoice in sufferings knowing that suffering produces…” The reason we can rejoice is because of what we know that God is doing through these sufferings. When we see that sufferings produce hope and the ultimate glory, then we do not even bother weighing the sufferings against the “glory that is to be revealed to us.” Sufferings Are Not Worth Comparing with the Glory (18-25) Shockingly, the creation is entangled in suffering just as are the sons of God. Paul includes the “creation” in the “groaning” of the “bondage of corruption” that was created by sin. We may struggle to see how the creation being “subjected to futility” is tied to an “eagerly longing for the revealing of the sons of God,” but there is a clear connection to our “revealing” as sons of God and the creation being “set free from its bondage to corruption.” The connection between our “adoption as sons, the “redemption of our bodies” and the freedom of the creation from its corruption, must be tied to Hebrews 2:5, “It is not to angels that God subjected the world to come…” In fact, the Hebrew writer is discussing that exact same topic of how suffering brings God’s people to glory as we follow our “pioneer/trailblazer” to “glory and honor.” Therefore, (24-25) it is “in this hope that we are saved.” Though we are looking at the unseen, we are confident of what is the come, and that confident hope is what saves us. How so? Because it is such an amazing promise of God with the confidence that God “will not put us to shame” (5:5), it gives us strength to overcome any trial that comes our way. We keep that hope before us so that the present trial does not deter us from the goal. This is the reason for God’s constant assurance of our hope! Likewise the Spirit Helps… (26-27) God’s gift of the Spirit helps us in being patient through our suffering by interceding for us in prayer since the weakness of suffering is “not knowing what to pray for as we ought.” Trials/suffering causes us to become confused concerning what we truly need making it impossible to know what we should pray for. After all, if the trial is going to work to our benefit (God’s purpose and our goal), it is important to make good requests of God. The word “likewise” indicates that not only does our “hope” bring us to salvation, the Spirit aiding us in our weakness of prayer, is also a help in bringing us to our eternal goal and not letting suffering defeat us. In other words, the Spirit is there working for us in presenting to God our needs that are groans from our heart even though we are unable to verbalize those needs as we ought. That is

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Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Rejoice in Suffering: The Gospel’s Path to Glory Introduction: How do we view suffering? It is an obvious negative. In fact, it is not just negative, it is obnoxious to us. It is wrong; it is not fair; it shouldn’t be this way! It doesn’t matter whether we are a Christian or not, any kind of suffering, whether by stress or pain or disruption of a peaceful life, is to be avoided or remedied at all costs. Suffering brings about fear. Is this it? Is my life over? Will I ever have my health back or will this trial end so I can pursue happiness and comfort again? Suffering is a tragedy to the human mind. But, that is not the way God looks at it, and it is time we learned to adopt God’s way of seeing suffering and not our own. The Overwhelming NT Emphasis on Suffering 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 The foundation of the gospel is death and resurrection. There is no resurrection without death. It is reflected in our baptism and becomes our life. Consider first what Paul means by “suffering.” In Romans 5:3, the older versions translate “tribulations” (“distress of mind, distressing circumstances, trial, affliction”). This can come from the natural events of life as in the story of Job, it can come through persecution, or it can come through denying ourselves and living sacrificially for Christ. Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Starting in the above text, the rest of the chapter shows how suffering brings us to glory. Suffering creates an “eager longing” and “hope” to be “set free from the bondage of corruption. Suffering does not conquer us because the Spirit helps us in our prayers, God works suffering for our spiritual good, and God has shown his love for us by giving us Jesus as our intercessor. Philippians 3:10, “…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Hebrews 12:5-7 “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure.” “…he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness (Hebrews 12:10). The Godly Response to Suffering Romans 5:2-5 “We rejoice in our sufferings.” How do you read that? How have you always read that? Let me guess: “Paul is telling us that we ought to rejoice when we are suffering because it will all be over soon and I will get to be with God. So grin and bear it. Yes it is miserable, but it’s good for you.” But look more carefully: Paul does not command us to rejoice in suffering, he said we do rejoice in suffering. Rejoicing in suffering is a natural outcome of verse 2 – rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. Because we have hope of attaining the glory of God, our natural response is to rejoice. That is not the response of a person in the world. Suffering is not rejoicing because the end of suffering is tragedy. But that is not our end, and suffering for us is not a tragedy, but a window of opportunity. Question: have we treated suffering as a tragedy? Yes, we have! We don’t see suffering the way Paul is describing it. Too often we are holding on to the way of the world in seeing suffering as loss; loss of joy, loss of a bright future, loss of fulfilling the joys and pleasures of this life. But, is that how Jesus and the apostolic writers treated suffering? They never saw it as a loss, they saw it as a gain. Now consider why sacrifice and suffering is not only a matter of rejoicing, but is also embedded in the Gospel message. Philippians 2:17-18 “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.” Acts 5:40-42 “…and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” How many of us have considered why Jesus chose crucifixion over some other form of death? As Paul points out in this text, there is a message of the cross that was considered folly by the Corinthians. This is thematic in the rest of the two let

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Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville How the Gospel Brings Us To Glory Introduction: The more I learn about what God has done for us in Christ, the more I am amazed at the Serpent’s answer to Eve when she quoted God’s restriction on eating the tree of knowledge of good and evil: “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…” There are two observations we might have from this text: First, that Eve fell for this temptation, especially when she thought, “it is desirable to make one wise,” indicates human desire for greatness. I think it fair to say that when we identify human desires, we should realize that God placed those desires within us. It is Satan who perverted those desires. But God has an eternal and righteous purpose for those desires and intends to fulfill those desires in a right and proper way. Second, have we not often read these words and thought how silly that Eve would have believed that she could be like God. That’s never going to happen! We are just lowly humans! And yet, God created us in his image—“Well sure,” we say, “But we sinned, and that hope is all gone. Besides, we will never be like God, we are just lucky to get to heaven!” That may be the common belief, but there are two verses that we have talked about previously that counter that belief. 2 Peter 1:3-4 “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” Let’s explore what glory is and how the Gospel brings us glory. God’s Intentions for Our Glory “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in the Christ, Jesus, with eternal glory” (2 Tim. 2:10). “If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him” (2 Tim. 2:11–12). “He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thes. 2:14, NIV) You will notice in the above text that the purpose of the Gospel is so we can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. How the Gospel Brings Us to Glory (2 Corinthians 3:17–4:18) 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 We are already familiar with this text. With unveiled face we behold the glory of the Lord. This is in contrast to Israel who was so enamored with the shining of Moses’ face as he delivered the words of God, they could not see the glory of God embedded in his words. 4:4,6 connects with 3:18 showing that we, on the other hand, are able to see God’s glory “in the face of Jesus Christ.” In other words, we are able to see God’s glory by observing the life and death of Jesus. As when Philip asked Jesus to see the Father, Jesus said, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:9). Therefore, ask yourself the question: what do you see in Jesus, and how does that show you the glory of God? John 13:31-32 “When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.” John 17:1 “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.” Hebrews 2:9 makes the same point: “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” What then do we learn about sharing in Christ’s glory? When we behold the glory of the Lord and are transformed from one degree of glory to another, what does that transformation look like? If it looks like Jesus and therefore looks like God, then it looks like self-sacrifice; it looks self-denial; it looks like suffering/sacrificing for the cause of the Lord. That is the path to glory that is further confirmed in the text. [Remember, the Corinthians were seeking glory in a present, earthly sense.] 4:7-12 Paul’s example confirms God’s design for our glory. In carrying the “treasure” [of the Gospel] as in clay jars, we are willing to be broken so the glory of God can be seen. However, in spite of the afflictions that are endured in carrying the treasure, we are never defeated; we never lose heart (4:1, 16). Notice in 10-12 how we carry the treasure. Besides teaching “the knowledge of the glory of Go

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Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The Gospel Begins with a Covenant, part 2 Deuteronomy 29-30 Introduction: In Romans 10, when Paul described “righteousness based on law,” he quoted Deuteronomy 27:26, “Cursed is anyone who does not fulfill the words of this law by doing them.” But Paul followed by quoting Deuteronomy 30:11-14, “For this commandment which I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it far off…that we may hear it and do it.” Therefore, Paul quoted from the same sermon in which Moses spoke of the curse of the Law, but also spoke of “righteousness based on faith” so that it was possible to be obedient to God and live. The turning point from being cursed to having life is 29:1. God made an additional covenant “besides the covenant that he had made with them at Horeb.” Though the hope of mercy was embedded within the Law (Exodus 20:5-6), it was not explicitly described, as a covenant that would be found in Christ. Therefore, this text was both an encouragement to Israel and a foreshadow of God’s covenant with us. Since Paul referred to this text to show how we can have life, we need to study it carefully because it is the basis for our life or death. We learn exactly what God expects of us as we live in his covenant. Please remember, if you are a Christian, you entered into this covenant. Your salvation or condemnation is before us in these chapters. And as pointed out in the first lesson, our heart is critical to this covenant. Blessings and Warnings of the Covenant Reminder: God’s “additional” covenant carries with it both promises and warnings. In this covenant we are offered by life and death. No passage could be more critical for us. Further, please be aware, this text is directed to people who have already entered the covenant, but need to be exhorted in how to live in the covenant. 29:2-9 Look what I have done for you, “therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them!” A primary key for how we are to respond to God’s covenant is remembering what he has done. 29:12 “…so that you may enter into a sworn covenant of the Lord your God…” When we confessed Christ as our Lord, and touched blood with him in baptism, we entered a sworn covenant of loyalty and allegiance to the Lord. Ask yourself, Did you mean it? Or, was it like Israel, without a heart to understand, eyes to see, and ears to hear? When I talk to a married couple considering divorce, the first point they always forget is that they made a sworn promise before God and many witnesses. You will be severely judged it you break your word. 29:13 The blessings of the covenant. But also what we will lose if we do not keep the covenant. We are his people (God protects his people, unlike idols) He is our God (He is the true and living God who can be counted on, unlike anything else in life) We have the promised blessings of Abraham (these blessings reverse every curse) 29:17 “You have seen their detestable things…” Those detestable things are still in our midst – idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold. It is still these that take our hearts away. 29:18-19 Therefore “Beware…” It’s back to the heart! Somewhere deep in our hearts is a “root.” It may not have sprouted to the surface yet so that it can be seen or is evident to anyone around. But it is there, and it is going to bear poisonous fruit. Just like any weed, you can just chop it off at the top – try to keep it from being seen – but it just comes right back, and will soon win the battle. Verse 19 gives us the picture of this “root.” Can’t you just see an Israelite doing this? He walks around among the people, he attends Sabbath worship and hears the words of this sworn covenant! But inside, the root is alive and well, and he says to himself, “All will be well even though I walk in the stubbornness of my own heart.” We need to change our “want to” from the world to God. Verses 20-21 Moses makes this very clear. You may walk around with that in your heart as you pretend to serve the Lord, but what is waiting is the anger, jealousy, smoke, and curses of the Lord! So much so, that God will single this person out for calamity. Verse 28 Moses concludes the above point. If this person and the nation does not pull up the poisonous root, God will uproot them and cast them into another land. (Notice how he switched from one person to the nation. One person can affect the whole nation.) Verse 29 A verse we love to quote, but it has a deeper meaning. Two messages: There are a lot of things God has not revealed. Be satisfied with that and trust God. I’ve often heard people say, “Well I just don’t understand this or that…why doesn’t he just tell us this or that.” Often times he has, you just haven’t studied carefully enough. But even when he hasn’t, God doesn’t have to tell you everything just like a parent doesn’t have to tell their two-year old why they shouldn’t run into the street. The main point: the things revealed belong to us…that we may do all the words of

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Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The Gospel Begins with a Covenant, part 1 Deuteronomy 29-30 Introduction: What has been evident in this series of lessons is there are many facets to understanding the Gospel message. Not the least of these is that obedience to the gospel includes a covenant with God. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper and took the cup, he said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many…” Unfortunately, as with many other aspects of the gospel, we do not give much thought to our covenant with God. However, the very first thing God did after bringing Israel out of Egypt and to Mt. Sinai, was to make a covenant with the people. Embedded in the covenant is deliverance, ongoing forgiveness, protection, and ultimate glory. When we remember the Lord each week in the taking of the Supper, it is the covenant with the Lord we are to remember. In this lesson, we will look more closely at that covenant. You might be surprised that we can look at our covenant from a text in Deuteronomy, but as we will see, this text is a foretelling and foreshadowing of God’s covenant with us – as it is “gospel,” good news. But it is also a covenant, which carries responsibilities on our part. Understanding the Context: 1-13 You will notice in verse 1 a unique statement. The covenant-words in this final sermon by Moses, are in addition to the covenant that God made at Sinai. How are we to understand that? The following text in 29-30 helps. 29:13 This covenant has to do with the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham that would be fulfilled in the Messiah and his kingdom. 30:6 This is clearly fulfilled in the words of Paul in Romans 5:5-6. It is through the offering of Christ while were were yet enemies that “poured the love of God into our hearts.” 30:11-14 These words are quoted by Paul in Romans 10:5-10 to describe salvation by faith in Christ as opposed to to the works of the Law. What then is the message? This text is a detailed description of the future covenant God would make with the disciples of Christ. Israel will fail this covenant, but those who follow Christ will succeed. Therefore, this text is a warning. The Lord will reveal the ways Israel will fail. We must guard our hearts from the same failure. (1 Cor. 10:11) One other consideration of the context. The word “heart” is at the center of covenant acceptance. 29:4 “The Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.” 29:18-19 30:6, 10 30:14, 16-17 When There Is No Heart in the Covenant Verse 4 is critical to understanding both Israel’s challenge and Israel’s problem. We might initially read this as if God is holding out on them by not giving them the heart they needed to serve him. But that is not the case. Certainly Moses had such a heart, as did Joshua and Caleb, but not the nation as a whole. Therefore, verse 4 brings up the uniqueness of what God did to bring about this covenant with Israel. Earlier in Deuteronomy, God even mentioned this by reminding Israel that no god has ever delivered a people out of slavery from another nation. Two things are unique: God acted first prior to the covenant offered. He did so even though Israel had done nothing to deserve his mercy. This brings up the most rudimentary, foundational principle about God and his love for his creation. Delivering Israel is God’s notice to the whole world that humans are not designed nor able to successfully direct their own lives. But all mankind, from Adam on has been bound and determined to succeed on their own. Israel’s bondage illustrates the end result. Saving us anyway illustrates incomparable love. “I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Even many Christians do not learn this lesson! Israel failed because they did not realize that even though God “delivered them,” they really were not yet delivered until they united their hearts to God and saw his commandments as their true deliverance. God was not looking for “servants,” he was doing what he pictured in Hosea; he took them out of bondage for the purpose of a marriage because that is their real salvation. The same is with us. Our God and King saved us from bondage to have a relationship because that is our real salvation. He wants our heart! 30:6 This was perpetually God’s problem with Israel, and unfortunately, is still a problem today. How would you summarize Israel’s wilderness wanderings? They would not tolerate hardship or inconvenience. They hated it that God would not satisfy their every lust in spite of the fact that they were going to the Promised Land. To avoid Israel’s doom we must look beyond the here and now and understand that baptism is not all there is to deliverance from bondage. (Cf. John 6:44-45) Israel “saw” the signs, but not really.) This is especially illustrated in the rebuke Jesus gave after feeding 5000: John 6:25-27 “Rabbi, when did you come

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Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The Gospel Call to Discipleship Introduction: Ezekiel 36:22–32 Twice in this text (22 & 32) God said that what he was about to do was not for “your sake.” Lest we think God was only fed up with Israel, the fulfillment of the prophecies in this text have to do with us. In the beginning, before sin, God crowned us with glory and honor and gave us dominion over his creation (Psalm 8). But because of sin, we lost the glory God intended for us. Not only did we lose our glory, but we profaned God’s name causing a deficit in how the creation viewed him. Therefore, for the sake of his holy name, he acted to re-create us and reverse the “glory-deficit” we had created. Ephesians 3:9-11 (NET) “…and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan —the mystery that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things. The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Note, God did this through Christ Jesus our Lord (King) to fulfill Ezekiel’s prophecy and return glory to himself. Ephesians 3:21 “…to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Reversing God’s Glory Deficit Going back to Ezekiel 36, we see what God did to reverse the glory deficit he experienced when we profaned his holy name. 24: He brought us out from the nations. That is, he set us apart from the ways of the rest of the world. 2 Cor. 6:17, “Come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch what is unclean.” 25: He cleansed us from all our uncleannesses. 26: He gave us a new heart and a new spirit, and removed the heart of stone from us and gave us a heart of flesh. God took away our stubborn rebellion and gave us a heart that is pliable and willing to change into the image of God. 27: He “put his Spirit within” us, and “caused us to walk in his statutes and be careful to obey his rules.” Through the work of the Spirit, which is through the offering of Jesus (Romans 5:5-6), the Lord poured out his love into our hearts, causing us to desire him and to be careful to obey him. Consider for a moment that even though God primarily did this to the praise of his glory, he also did it because of his great love for us. Ephesians 2:4-7 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Consider God’s great love toward us. Is his great love shown simply in forgiveness? Far from it. Yes, forgiveness, but forgiveness and then raised us up with Christ, and seated us with him in the heavenly places. Paul throughout Ephesians 1-3 keeps reminding us that it is Christ’s experience in how he lived, how he died, and his resurrection is the way God is glorified, his holy name vindicated, by bringing us to glory with him. All of the above drives us to one simple conclusion that we all know but rarely verbalize in discussions about salvation. God’s saving grace is more about transforming us into his image than it is forgiveness of sins. That transformation is exactly what we see in Ezekiel 36. To put it bluntly, Ezekiel 36 is the plan of salvation. Jesus referenced Ezekiel 36 when he described “born again.” “Forgiveness” is a part of the plan, but far from the complete plan. All of this is to bring us to understand that living as a disciple of Jesus is the key to our salvation. Repentance and baptism is the means to an initial cleansing that enable us to be disciples of our King. That concept is quite evident in how Jesus and his apostles taught. The Principle: “We are saved by allegiance to the King since allegiance unites us to the King and his benefits.” The Path to Salvation: True Disciples of Jesus Matthew 16:21-25 Notice the pattern of the text. Jesus announces his journey to the cross. Peter rebukes him, and then Jesus rebukes Peter, calling him “Satan.” Peter is not setting his mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. That is, the path to glory is through the cross. Jesus follows up with a shocking assertion. The path to “saving one’s life” is by “denying self and taking up his cross and following me.” It is necessary for every disciple to “lose his life for my sake.” To do otherwise is to “lose your life.” This description of discipleship is embedded in the Gospel message. 1 Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” The idea of the cross emptied of i