SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Reggie & Ladye Love Smith - You Raise Me Up

A Study in 1st, 2nd and 3rd John Week 1

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

1st John - Correcting the False Teachers

There was a problem with false teachers in the  church.  The problems were: Gnosticism- A belief that salvation is achieved through a series of steps leading to a relational and experiential knowledge of God and Docetism - which is the belief that Jesus did not come "in the flesh", but only as a spirit.  Both gnositcs and docetists were claiming that Jesus was not really the Son of God. Paul spent the entire book of 1 Timothy explaining why good doctrine is so important. In this book, John addresses the issue, too.

Recall that in John’s gospel he began by identifying Jesus as having been present at creation. In fact, John makes it abundantly clear that Jesus did the creating. John 1:3, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

Chapter 1

Verse 1 – John comes right out of the chute declaring that Jesus was present at the beginning of creation. He was stating in no uncertain terms that Jesus is as much God as He was man. This was in direct contradiction to what the false teachers were saying. Then he gives testimony on behalf of all of the apostles of having seen and touched Jesus and proclaims Him the Word of Life. Throughout the book, John will make reference to these facts about Jesus.

Verse 2 – In case you missed it, John proclaims again that the apostles had seen the giver of Life in Christ Jesus and broadens the testimony to include that God sent Jesus to fulfill what was needed for mankind to receive eternal life. The false teachers had been saying that eternal life was available for anyone who trusted in God. John says here and in his gospel that our trust must be in Jesus. Since Jesus IS God, that is neither blasphemous nor a contradiction of terms.

Verse 3 – John is building up to the greatest truth ever revealed to mankind. In verse 1 he proclaimed the testimony that Jesus made creation. In verse 2 he testifies that Jesus is the source of salvation and now in verse 3 he reveals that because of those truths, we can have fellowship with the Father through Christ and therefore with each other. The false teachers said fellowship with God was impossible because He is too lofty.

Verse 4 – The most accurate translation of this verse is, “We write this to make our joy complete.” There was no joy in the false teachers’ message. To them, salvation depended on behavior. If you were good enough, with or without Jesus, you could be saved. If you were not good enough, you had no hope of salvation.

Our joy is in the knowledge that Jesus is the Creator. He is as much God as He is man. He provides for us fellowship with God through the salvation He provides. This is absolutely the greatest joy that any human being can have. It is not a passing thrill, it is a full and complete, everlasting joy!

These four verses set the theme and the tone of the rest of the book of 1 John. Everything John says in the rest of the book refers back to these opening verses. Everything In 1^st John is directed at and is an attack on those false teachers.

As you study this book, ask yourself how what you are studying deals with the heresies being taught by the false teachers.

Context

When I was a child, one of my favorite books was Rudyard Kipling’s “Just So Stories.” I was captivated by the rhythm of the prose and the descriptions of the characters. I read the book over and over. Today I still return to those stories from time to time. I am enamored by Kipling’s way with words.

Allow me to quote from one of the stories called, “The Elephant’s Child.”

“Then Kolokolo Bird said, with a mournful cry, 'Go to the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, and find out.'”

And here’s another: 

“He went from Graham's Town to Kimberley, and from Kimberley to Khama's Country, and from Khama's Country he went east by north, eating melons all the time, till at last he came to the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, precisely as Kolokolo Bird had said.”

Now you know what the book is about and how it applies is moral to your life, don’t you?

“Well, no,” I hear you respond. “Those are just sentences and groups of sentences. They might well be exact quotes from the story, but by themselves they are meaningless. They have no context.”

And you are so right. Without context, it is utterly impossible to know anything about the stories or the book.

So it is with the Bible.

Verses of the Bible do not stand alone like so many poignant proverbs. They have context, and without the context you cannot possibly understand them.

Every passage of Scripture has a context of the verse it’s in, the chapter it’s in, the book it’s in, the Testament it’s in and the Bible as a whole. None of it can be understood out of context. If you try to use parts of the Bible out of context, you will inevitably miss its deeper meaning. You might find some use for it, but it will not be the use God intended.

See, God wrote the entire Bible. It is a continuum in its thoughts and its message. Its message is that God has a perfect character, loves His creation and has a plan for its redemption.

Every verse of the Bible relates to that message. If you read it in the entirety of its context, you will see how it relates to the Bible’s meaning. If you read it outside of its context, you are sure to get it wrong.

For example note this “randomly” chosen verse from Ephesians 5:22: “Wives submit yourselves to your husbands as to the Lord.”

That verse has been twisted and spun to mean that husbands are the boss and wives are to do as they say. It has been used to justify a husband’s right to exercise authority over their wives. It has been used to demonstrate some kind of hierarchy in the home.

But its context shows that to be incorrect.

The context requires the reading of verse 21, which says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

So, which is it? Are husbands in control in the family or should family members willingly submit to one another?

Given the reason for Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the context of the chapters leading up to chapter 5:21 and following it, the verse can only be understood as being a picture of Christ and His church. In fact, that is exactly what Paul wrote in verse 32, “This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about the church”

Indeed, the entire book of Ephesians was written to a church to show the church how, as the bride of Christ, it is to relate to each other and to Christ in a very specific way that will be reflected in how they relate to each other.

Although the Bible cannot be read as a narrative as it is presently assembled, individual books of the Bible MUST ABSOLUTELY be read narratively. Failure to do so will result in quoting parts out of context and will result in a total misunderstanding of the meaning of the passage.

Context is everything.

I Really Enjoyed This---I Think It's Powerful

Recapping the Message of Acts

Last week I did a 5 day series on the often missed message of Acts. Today I want to capsulize its message.

Now the book of Acts does indeed tell of the spread of the church. But it is not the spread of the church that is paramount, it is the reason it spread.

The reason the church spread was because of the gospel of Christ.

The gospel has power. It has more power than the old hymns, more power than contemporary "praise and worship" music, more power than the deepest philosophy, more power than Christian behaviorism.

Paul wrote to the Romans, "I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Romans 1:16)

All through the book of Acts the church grew in direct proportion to the propagation of the gospel, that is the good news of Christ's life, death, burial and resurrection and the salvation that brings by the grace of God through our Faith in the gospel as God's final plan for His creation.

Remember, the apostles got in trouble with the religious leaders every time they preached the gospel. The Pharisees, the Levites, the Sadducees and the priests just could not bear to hear that Jesus was the one long prophesied.

The religious leaders told the apostles to stop preaching the gospel. They did not care what else they preached. In effect they said, "Preach anything you want to. Preach about social ills. Preach about politics. Preach about being a good parent. Preach about being a good worker. Preach about Moses' Law. Preach about the dos and don'ts of life. But please stop preaching the gospel. If you don't we will try you, imprison you and/or stone you."

The gospel is hated by "religionists." To them it is, if not repugnant, then at least boring. To them it is not relevant to today's society. To them it is old fashioned. To them the gospel doesn't go far enough. To them there has to be more than "just" the gospel.

Some preachers and teachers would much rather deal with dos and don'ts, which are legalism (although they would deny that they are legalistic). Some preachers just don't get that the Old Testament is about God's plan to bring in Messiah and that Messiah did away with the Old Covenant by fulfilling it.

Some preachers and teachers are actually afraid of the gospel. They fear that if they preach only the gospel, they will run out of things to say. They fear that society will continue on its down-slide if they don't preach about "relevant" topics.

But the gospel has more power than many of them seem to realize. They'll give lip service to believing Romans 1;16, but that lip service will not translate into believing that gospel has any real power.

In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul wrote, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified." What does the word "nothing" mean? What part of "nothing" is hard to understand?

There are at least two kinds of "mega churches," those that got to be "mega" by presenting relevant messages and entertaining services and those that got to be "mega" by preaching the gospel. The former, sooner or later, will die. The latter will always be with us...until the return of Christ.

The challenge for preachers and teachers today is to have the nerve to put aside the other trappings and to boldly preach the gospel, like the apostles of Acts did. Preaching the gospel will get them into trouble with society, but it will build a solid church that will endure to the end of the age.

Memorial Day Tribute-Praise You In the Storm-Casting Crowns

A Study In Malachi Week 2

Chapter 2

Verses 1-9 – The priests were at the top of the chain of religious leaders. They were the ones who were supposed to be the “mediators” between the Israelites and God. But they had not done the job correctly. They oversaw the apostasy of Israel and cheated them. The Levites had actually caused the people to sin.

Praise God that we have a High Priest in Christ who is higher and greater than all of the priests of Israel. (See the book of Hebrews.)

Verses 10 – 17 God is the Father of the nation of Israel. The Israelites themselves were supposed to relate to one another as brothers. This makes the sin of dealing treacherously with each other more heinous and glaring.

Christians are saved by the grace of God. Our mission is to preach the gospel. Yet from time to time Christians engage in squabbling with one another, even in church. That is a disgrace to the cause of Christ. To be fighting among ourselves when we ought to be united in our efforts to point people to Christ is an abomination. It is caused when we collectively lose focus on the reason for our being.

Verses 11-12 – The second sin is that of men who had divorced their wives to marry heathen and pagan women. Israel was supposed to propagate herself. Malachi called this sin a breaking of the faith.  This is a grievous sin which will cause God to amputate this diseased member from the nation.

When Paul admonished Christians not to be unequally yoked, believer with unbeliever (2 Corinthians 6:14) he was talking about a similar thing. It is very difficult for a Christian to make Christ first when a worldly, unsaved spouse is pulling in the opposite direction.

Verses 13-14 – Israel had exchanged faith for emotion and weeping. They put on a good show. Sometimes those who call themselves Christians put on a good show as well. They engage in all of the behavioral trappings of Christianity without real commitment to Christ.

When Israel brought offerings to God, He refused to accept them.  They asked, “Why?” God answered that He knows what they have been doing and He knows about their sin of divided marriage.

Verses 15-16 – Marriage is a picture of Christ’s relationship to His church. In Malachi, it is a picture of God’s relationship to the Jews, a precursor to the Christian marriage relationship.

In verse 15, God tells us that just as marriage was ordained to be two people acting as one flesh, so was Israel to be one in both flesh and spirit. Marriage outside the faith was just not permitted.

God hates divorce. That is not arguable. God says so in verse 16. Because of what marriage is supposed to represent, oneness before God, He considers divorce as awful. He also hates misdirected violence and pretentious clothing.

Can you imagine Christ divorcing His church? That would never happen. That is why marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church.

Divorce is not an unforgivable sin. All sin except the grieving of the Holy Spirit is forgivable. But as Paul said in Romans 6:1, should we go on sinning just because our sin is forgivable and we will therefore experience more grace? God forbid!

Like Israel was supposed to be, Christians are to be of one mind. That mind is Christ and nothing but Christ.

Malachi warns Israel to guard themselves. As Christians, we are to guard our hearts, being certain to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in both our thoughts and our actions.

The Often Missed Message of Acts - Day 5

So this is it, the final day of our search for the often missed message of Acts. If you haven't realized the theme of Acts by this time, you haven't been paying attention. The theme is: No matter what difficulties you encounter, no matter which way the world and/or other churches influence you, no matter what society says is important, the gospel is our only message and it is bound to affect our favor with the world.

Before you read the final act of Acts, please consider this: If you were called to preach, you were never called to preach about social ills. If you were called to preach, you were never called to make a list of right and wrong for people. If you were called to preach, you were called to present the good news that salvation is freely and gracefully given to those who will repent of sin and will trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

It might or might no come a a surprise to you, but I am not a perfect person. I make mistakes just like you do. I sin just like you do. If you find error in this series, feel free to point them out. But whatever you do, don't miss the main message of Acts. Preach the gospel.

We learn in chapter 24 and 25 that the man who succeeded Felix was Festus (not the guy from Gunsmoke). Festus heard the charges against Paul, and after learning that Paul was a Roman citizen, who appealed to Caesar, he agreed to let Caesar hear him.

But King Agrippa was visiting Festus and wanted to hear all about Paul. In fact, he wanted to meet him.

The Jewish community had demanded that Festus kill Paul. Festus declared that Paul had done nothing worthy of death. In chapter 26, Agrippa tells Paul to speak for himself. Seizing the opportunity, Paul gave his testimony and preached the gospel to Agrippa.

King Agrippa was almost persuaded to become a Christian, but not quite. He decided Paul should be sent to Rome to face Caesar.

Chapter 27 is about the journey by boat to Rome. They encountered a storm. They were shipwrecked and wound up in Malta.

In chapter 28 we have the often misused account of Paul being bitten by a poisonous snake and surviving. If the rest of the Bible is correct, there is no way to turn this section into a general doctrine about snake handling.

Paul arrived in Rome. While there, he did what he always did. He preached the gospel from, of all places, the Law of Moses and the prophets.

According to this last chapter, Paul, boldly and without hindrance preached the gospel and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

So there you have it! The book of Acts. I suggest to you that the theme of the entire book is nothing more and nothing less than the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Again and again, when the gospel is preached, there are those who want it stifled. Again and again the religious leaders wanted to kill the preacher for preaching the gospel.

The gospel is disturbing. Jesus said it would be and He was right. But it is the only message we have. It is the only message we need. It is the only message the world needs.

If we believe the book of Acts, we must preach the gospel and nothing else. Something else might tickle the ears of the listener. Something else might seem scholarly. Something else might feel good philosophically. Something else might seem pious, even righteous. Something else might seem morally correct. Something else is not what is needed.

What the world needs now is not some generic “love, sweet love.” What the world needs now is the gospel.

For Christ’s sake, PREACH THE GOSPEL!

The Often Missed Message of Acts - Day 4

This is our 4th day looking at Acts. We're seeking the often missed message. It is the message of the urgency of preaching the gospel, no matter the cost. It comes with the promise of persecution. Many other messages can be preached with abandon and without danger. If you're preaching anything other than the gospel, you're not preaching the message of the Bible.

Chapter 19 finds Paul in Ephesus. He set some people straight about the simplicity of the gospel message and then began preaching the gospel in the Synagogue.

In Ephesus, the preaching of the gospel resulted in a riot, led by a businessman who made idols for sale. He attacked some believers, but really wanted Paul. The city clerk calmed things down by reminding the Ephesians that their rioting could get them in trouble.

We read in chapter 20 that Paul set out for Macedonia, where he preached the gospel. Because of his message, the Jews plotted against him, as usual. So he went to Troas.

In Troas Paul was preaching the gospel in an upper room when Eutychus fell from his perch on the window sill. Paul “threw himself on him” and Eutychus was alive again.

Paul wanted to go to Jerusalem, regardless of the possible consequences. He bade farewell to his friends, reminding them of the gospel message and the benevolence by which it was evidenced.

According to chapter 21, Paul arrived in Jerusalem to find that his message that Christ has fulfilled the Law of Moses and that there is eternal life in Christ alone had not been warmly received by a group we now call Judaizers. They “believed,” but were zealous for the law, too.

As Paul prepared to set the Judaizers straight, some Jewish leaders (surprised?) started stirring up the people and plotting to kill him. He was arrested. He asked the commander of the arresting troop if he could speak. The commander acquiesced, and Paul gave his personal testimony and preached the gospel.

For this the crowd demanded that he be flogged. But Paul informed them that he was a Roman citizen and was released. But he was released to the Sanhedrin, a hostile group, for trial before them.

Now we’re in chapter 23. Paul did what he always did. He preached the gospel to them. He reminded them that he was a Pharisee who had become a believer in Christ, specifically in His resurrection. 

They placed him in the barracks, where he heard a message from Jesus to testify in Rome.

The Jews conspired to kill Paul for his unwillingness to give up preaching the gospel. The barracks commander, having been told about the plot against Paul, a Roman citizen, had him transferred to Caesarea with a letter of introduction.

The high priest, Ananias, went to Caesarea, according to chapter 24, to try Paul for disturbing the peace by preaching the gospel. Of course, Paul, after a bit of testimony, preached the gospel to Ananias and Felix, the judge. Felix left Paul in prison.

The Often Missed Message of Acts - Day 3

This is our third day examining the often missed message of Acts. The theme is established. It occurs over and over again. It is the most frequent scenario in the entire book. It is: Preach the gospel - suffer persecution. Preach the gospel anyway - suffer more persecution. No matter the cost, preach the gospel.

In chapter 13, Saul (who would forevermore be called Paul) and Barnabas head for Cyprus where they preach the gospel…what else? One who waged war against the gospel, a sorcerer, was blinded. When the proconsul, Sergius Paulus witnessed this, he became a believer of the gospel.

Paul and his companions head to Pisidian in Antioch. In Pisidian he preached the gospel. He used the Old Testament scriptures to justify his good news. He spoke from Psalm 2, as well as from other places in the Old Testament, to preach the gospel.

For preaching the gospel Paul and his cohorts were ejected from the region by the Jewish leaders’ cunning use of Jewish women.

You would think Paul and Barnabas would be dejected by this, but instead there were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

They went to Iconium. That’s recorded in chapter 14.

Now all of this has really been an introduction to what is to come. The body of this treatise is to come, and it is not nearly as long as the introduction.

In chapter 14, Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel in the Synagogue and many were brought to faith in Christ. But those who weren't, especially the religious leaders, sought to stone them. But they escaped.

They went to Lystra and Derbe, where they preached the gospel. The Jewish leaders stoned Paul to what they thought was death, even putting his body on the mount for the dead. But Paul survived and preached the gospel.

They returned to Antioch in Syria and preached the gospel.

Let me pause from the account for a moment. The New Testament is adamant about the importance of good doctrine. Some seem to think that as long as one’s intentions are good, it doesn’t really matter what they teach or preach. That is pure balderdash. “Rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) means using the Bible to understand correct doctrine…specifically the doctrine of salvation, which many were (and still are) corrupting with a lot of add-ons.

The entire book of 1 Timothy is a warning to be sure teachers and leaders in the church are teaching and leading right doctrine. Paul raises the question of right doctrine four times and each times gives examples of where it is important. (What did YOU think the diatribe about Deacons and Elders was about?)

Paul also insists on right doctrine in Romans, Galatians, Ephesians and 2 Timothy, among other places.

Let me tell you what he says. He says that the gospel requires absolutely, positively no assistance from the Law (ceremonial or otherwise), from the prophets, from customs, from rules and regulations, from visions or dreams, from critical thinking, or from any other source. The gospel stands on its own or it does not stand at all. Trust me; it stands.

Here’s why I brought all of that up.

As recorded in chapter 15, some men purporting to be believers came from Judea to Antioch and were teaching adherence to the law of circumcision in addition to the gospel. They were also apparently requiring other aspects of the Law of Moses and Jewish law in order to be saved.

Because of this, a council was held at Jerusalem at which the simple gospel was confirmed.

Timothy, a man of both Jewish and Gentile heritage joined Paul and Silas and they set off to preach the gospel.

Chapter 16 tells us that they went to Philippi, where Lydia was converted and they continued to preach the gospel. They expelled a spirit of fortune telling from a girl, by inference winning her to 

Christ. For preaching the gospel a little “too effectively,” Paul and Silas were flogged and imprisoned.

They were freed from prison by a God-sent “earthquake,” and preached the gospel to a guard. The guard and his entire family became believers.

They went, according to chapter 17, to Thessalonica and preached the gospel: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ (Greek for Messiah). They were chased by the Jewish leadership, but escaped.

They went to Berea, where they preached the gospel in the Synagogue. The Jews learned that they were preaching the gospel and went after them. But they escaped.

Paul went to Athens. There he preached the gospel. Some believed, some didn’t. But those who didn’t took note of Paul’s offense.

Chapter 18 says that Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. He preached the gospel to Jews and Greeks. Some Jews opposed him fervently for preaching the gospel. Paul was vexed and determined to preach only to Gentiles after that. He did, and many were converted.

But The Jewish leaders attacked Paul again. They had him tried for preaching against their interpretation of the Old Testament. Once again Paul escaped the long arm of the law.

In Corinth Paul met Priscilla and Aquila. Then he went to the Synagogue and preached the gospel. And then he went to Antioch and the rest of the area, preaching the gospel. In Ephesus, Apollos, a Greek convert, was earnestly preaching the gospel. Apollos went to Achaia to preach the gospel and had to fend off the Jewish leaders who hated his message.

The Often Missed Message of Acts - Day 2

This is the second day of our 5 day series on the book of Acts. In this section you will see a very definite theme emerge. It will be a theme that engulfs the entire book. 

Chapter 8 starts out with a great persecution of the church at Jerusalem. Why? Because they kept preaching that pesky gospel. Because of the persecution, the followers of Christ were scattered hither and yon to…can you guess?...preach the gospel all over the world!

The apostles dealt with Simon the Sorcerer, who thought the Holy Spirit could be bought. Then they went to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to, of all people, the hated Samaritans!

We also see in chapter 8 the account of Philip and the Ethiopian. The Ethiopian was reading scripture (Isaiah, since all they had was the Old Testament). Peter used the Old Testament to do what to the Ethiopian? To preach the gospel! And Philip preached the gospel from Azotus to Caesarea.

In chapter 9 we have the account of the conversion of Saul (the bad guy at Stephen’s stonning, remember?). He came face to face with the living gospel, Jesus, the Messiah. Suddenly we find Saul preaching the gospel in Damascus! For that, the Jews conspired to kill him.

Can you see a theme developing in the book of Acts? It is not nearly as much about the growth of the church as it is about the preaching of the gospel at whatever cost.

Peter encounters Aeneas and Dorcas in chapter 9 and Prayed for Tabitha, who was then raised from the dead!

Chapter 10 finds a Roman centurion, Cornelius, who sends for Peter. Meanwhile Peter had a dream that seemed to contradict everything he knew about the Law. A large sheet was let down containing all sorts of “impure” animals for Peter to eat. He objected, being a “good” Jew, but God set him straight.

What Peter learned from this is twofold. First, the ceremonial dietary laws were no longer in force. Secondly, and more importantly, the gospel was not for the Jews only, but for the “unclean” Gentiles as well.

Peter goes to Cornelius’ home where he preached the gospel…can you believe it? The converted Jews who were with him could not believe their eyes. A Gentile and his entourage were perfected before God in Christ!

As we come to chapter 11, Peter explained to the Jewish Christians that the gospel was for all men everywhere. Messiah was indeed for the Jews, but not exclusively. This explanation caused them to praise God!

The news of these things reached the church in Antioch. They were both amazed and joyful that their gospel message was for everyone.

Now we come to chapter 12, where for preaching the gospel, Peter is thrown in prison by King Herod. To no avail, however, because an angel of God shook off their shackles and led them out of the prison. He went to Mary’s house and, after some convincing, was let in to the tune of much rejoicing.

As punishment for letting Peter and company escape from jail, Herod ordered the guards executed. 

Then Paul went to Caesarea where he denied that the gospel was from a god. The people disagreed with him vocally. For his rejection of the gospel, Herod was struck dead. (People suffer eternal death in Hell  for rejecting Christ.)

The Often Missed Message of Acts - Day 1

Today begins a 5 part daily series about the book of Acts. The book of Acts is often referred to as the "history of the early church."  To be sure, the book records the spread of the early church,  but that is not what the book is really all about. 

Sometimes the book of Acts is said to be an introduction to Paul, the greatest missionary ever to live. Well, the book certainly has a lot to say about Paul, but that is not what the book is about.

In fact, if the book of Acts is chopped up into little pieces or partial passages, say about Ananias and Sapphira and some lesson about lying to God, the real message of the passage is missed. 

In this 5 day series we will see a theme emerge that is unmistakable. If we miss this theme, we will never win the world to Christ with the gospel. The gospel, unlike any other topic, is offensive to the world. It is narrow. It is unpopular (and always will be). But the gospel is all we have. Absolutely all we have. But it is eternally sufficient. 

So, here is the first day's study in the book of Acts.

Many people remember Acts 1 where Jesus is taken up into Heaven. At least a few remember that Mathias replaced Judas as a disciple.

Acts chapter 2 is probably the best known (if one of the most misinterpreted) passages in the book. That’s Pentecost, where the crowd of diverse origin heard the apostles in their own languages.

In chapter 3, Peter heals a crippled beggar and preached the gospel. That “preached the gospel” part is key. Peter was using the Old Testament to prove to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.

Chapter 4 tells us that when the religious leaders heard this, they accosted Peter and John, asking by what power or name they dared to preach this “blasphemy.”

Peter immediately preached the gospel to the religious leaders!

Have you ever noticed how very arrogant and mean spirited religious leaders can be? These priests and Sadducees knew the scriptures Peter was using very well. They knew that Jesus had perfectly fulfilled them all. That both threatened them and caused them to be indignant.

So they confronted the apostles with threats of their own. For what? For preaching the gospel. Look back in paragraph 3. I told you this part is key. It will become more key as the book progresses.

Some readers of Acts remember the believers’ prayer and the description of the believers’ sharing with each other. And they might remember Barnabas, Son of Encouragement.

Most readers remember the account of Ananias and Sapphira and draw all sorts of imagined conclusions from it, although what it really means is that following Jesus demands our all, and Ananias and Sapphira were unwilling to give that. Some might remember the healing in chapter 5 as well.

But the longest part of chapter 5 deals with the response of the high priest and all of his associates, the Sadducees, the Pharisees and the Levites. They were jealous of the apostles and had them jailed. But the apostles got out with the help of an angel.

The apostles went right back to preaching the gospel, and when they did, they were called before the Sanhedrin. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this (Jesus’) name.” To which Peter replied, “We have to do what God told us to do and not what you guys tell us to do” (paraphrase). And they preached the gospel to the Sanhedrin!

The Sanhedrin had the apostles flogged, told them again to stop preaching the gospel and let them go at the urging of Gamaliel.

Some readers remember Acts 6 when seven men were chosen to minister to the widows. And they remember that Stephen and Philip were chosen, along with others. Guess what they did. They preached the gospel!

For that, according to chapter 7, Stephen was seized and put on trial. In the middle of the trial, guess what Stephen did. He preached the gospel to the Sanhedrin!

These guys had a one track mind. While there were plenty of social ills, while there was much immorality, while there were crimes on every hand, what did the apostles do? The preached the gospel! That’s the only message they preached.

Well, the religiously pious bean-heads had finally had enough. They had Stephen stoned to death. 

The book tells us that Saul was present giving approval to Stephen’s death.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-His Strength is Perfect-Steven Curtis Chapman

A Study in Malachi Week 1

Introduction

The book of Malachi has been used to prove many, many doctrines that completely miss its point. Remember, Malachi was a prophet. He had a message from God about coming events. He was revealing things that God was going to do. It is the culmination of the Old Testament's revelation of God's character, His love of His creation and His plan for its redemption. Miss that and you've missed the point.

“Malachi” means my messenger. The Septuagint gives its meaning as angel.  An angel was a messenger and could be either human or spiritual. The message, not the messenger, is the important issue.

Malachi made 3 mighty references: (1) He referred to Levi as “the messenger of the LORD of hosts”.  (2)  He announced the coming of John the Baptist as “my messenger”. John the Baptist was the Malachi of the New Testament and began where Malachi of the Old Testament left off.  Malachi said, “The next voice you hear will be that of the Lord’s messenger.” (3)  He also made the definite reference to Christ as “the messenger of the covenant”.  The angel of the Lord of the Old Testament is the pre-incarnate Christ.

Chapter 1

Verses 1-5 – God professes His love for Israel. He says there sill be a time when Gentiles will say, “Great is the Lord.” That time will begin with the coming of Jesus.

Verses 6-9 – God accuses the religious leaders of dishonoring Him with defiled offerings. They brought blind, crippled and even dead animals to His table. God requires a perfect sacrifice. In fact, the religious leaders would allow people to bring an imperfect lamb to the temple for sacrifice and, for a price, proclaim that it was perfect enough for sacrifice.

It turns out that there is no sacrifice made by man that is worthy of God’s acceptance. The only perfect sacrifice is Jesus.

Verse 10 – It also turns out that their hearts are polluted, and their offerings, therefore, are polluted. The priests though physical offerings were what God required. But God wants a pure heart, only available through Christ.

 Verses 11-13 – The Jews were giving a wrong witness to the Gentiles, and God intends His name to be great among the Gentiles. The Gentiles profaned the name of God because of the lives and actions of God’s people.  Their hearts are polluted, and their ritual is contemptible. “Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it!”

People were actually saying that God bored them. They were tired of spiritual worship.  The people thought that something was wrong with God.  It never occurred to them that something was wrong with them

Many preachers and teachers act as though they think the gospel message is boring. They preach or teach about everything except the gospel. They “preach” all manner of topics, use all sorts of gimmicks and all kinds of entertainment to “reach” people. But what really reaches people is the message of the gospel. 

God saw them as “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it” (2 Timothy 3:5).

Their sorry condition caused them to offer to God the corrupt, the lame, and the sick.

God only curses those whose offering to Him is blemished. That includes every one of us. Our offering to Him is imperfect, therefore we deserve God’s curse. Praise the Lord He has provided our offering for us: Jesus Christ. He was cursed in our place, so in Him we will never be cursed!

A Study in Haggai Chapters 1 & 2

Intro

What does the book of Haggai have to do with Jesus? Plenty! The grand story of the Bible involves God pursuing sinful people and sanctifying them so they can have fellowship with him.

In Haggai's day, the temple was the place to sacrifice to the Lord, receive forgiveness, and experience God's presence, but there was more to come. Haggai's emphasis on the blessing of God's presence in the midst of his people finds its ultimate consummation in the person of Jesus, the Christ.

The temple was the central element of hope for the dwelling of God's glory among his people, and Jesus, when he walked this earth, was himself the eternal temple of God. Not only is that, but today the body of Christ, is the living temple of God. How amazing is that?

Haggai encouraged the remnant (that returned after the Babylonian captivity) to rebuild the temple in spite of difficulties. Four things are apparent: (1) Haggai exalted the Lord, not himself; (2) he was God’s messenger - “Thus saith the LORD”; (3) he not only rebuked, he cheered and encouraged; (4) he not only preached, he practiced.

The theme of Haggai is the reconstruction and refurbishing of the temple. He not only rebuked the people for their delay in rebuilding the temple, but he encouraged them and helped them in this enterprise. Haggai constantly referred to the “word of the LORD” as the supreme authority. To him, action is spiritual; a “do nothing” attitude is wicked.

Chapter 1

Verses 1-4 – Haggai is the spokesman for God, and he speaks with authority. When the people first returned to the land after the Babylonian captivity, enthusiasm ran high. They became discouraged when they began to build the temple. Difficulties occurred that seemed insurmountable. The foundation of the temple was laid, but the opposition of the Samaritans was so intense that they simply stopped the building.

Haggai makes it clear that he is giving God’s Word. “Thus saith the LORD” occurs some thirteen times makes it clear Haggai is speaking the Word of God. Remember, Jesus is, and always has been the living Word of God.

The difficulties did not prevent the people from building their own houses. They rationalized that it was “their time.”

Verses 5-7 – Haggai urges the people to “Consider their ways.” God had judged them in material things. There had been crop failure, famine, no money to buy clothes, and no savings account. It was obvious that God was withholding blessing because of their lack of obedience.

Verses 8-11 – The solution was very simple: 1. “Go up to the mountain” (cut down trees); 2. “Bring wood” (make lumber); 3. “Build the house” (temple). The results would be great: 1. God would be pleased; 2. God would be glorified. But they failed to build the temple. Material blessings had been withheld.

Verses 12-15 – Now the people repented. They “obeyed the voice of the LORD, their God.” They received confirmation from God, “I am with you, saith the LORD.” The leaders: Zerubbabel (the governor), Joshua (the high priest), and a remnant of people entered enthusiastically into the work.

When we get in synch with God’s plan and direction, great things are accomplished.

Chapter 2

Verses 1-9 – This message is directed to the same leaders and people as in 1:14.

This is the second hurdle that Haggai had to clear. Many of those who had returned from the Babylonian captivity remembered (even though they had been very young when taken captive) the beauty and richness of Solomon’s temple. In comparison, this temple looked like a tenant farmer’s barn in Georgia. But some of the priests and Levites wept with a loud voice; others shouted aloud for joy.

This internal criticism dulled the edge of the zeal to rebuild the temple. It poured cold water on the enthusiasm generated by the prodding of Haggai. There are “naysayers” in the church, even today.

God’s challenge was twofold: (a) be strong; (b) “I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts.” The Shekinah glory of God had departed from Solomon’s temple. Here the presence of God far outshone the glory of Solomon’s temple.

God gives a further challenge, “Fear not.” That is one of God’s most frequent encouragements to those who come into His presence or who are confronted by His heavenly agents, the angels.

This passage looks forward to the final days; the millennial kingdom. They were to see the present temple with the perspective of the ultimate purpose of God.

“Desire of all nations” is not a reference to Christ. The proper translation is “treasures of all nations.” There will be the outward adornment of the future temple, also the Shekinah glory will be present in the person of Christ.

The words “Silver…gold” makes it clear that Haggai is speaking of material treasures. “The glory of this latter house” should read, The latter glory of this house. God looks upon the series of temples as one house. “Peace” is the final aim. It will come in Christ.

Verses 10-19 – The Mosaic Law did not cover all the details of the life in Israel. When a matter arose that was not covered, they were to appeal to the priests (Deuteronomy 17:8-11).

Is holiness communicated by contact?  No. The holy cannot make the unholy holy by contact. Holiness is non-communicable. Is unholiness communicated by contact?  Yes. Uncleanness is communicated to the clean by contact. When holy and unholy come in contact, both are unholy. In the religious realm, a ceremony cannot cleanse a sinner.

Haggai makes the application to Israel. Although they had returned to the land, performed the ritual and rebuilt the temple, their hearts were far from God. They wondered why God had not blessed them. He had judged them because their hearts were not changed. God would bless them now because they had obeyed. He would bless because of His grace.

Verses 20-23 – This message is directed to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah. It is the message of the far-off and final purpose of God. Gentile power will come to an end, and all instruments of warfare will be destroyed.

“In that day” refers to the day of the LORD. God’s purpose will prevail. Zerubbabel is of the posterity of David, according to the historian Josephus. So here is a promise that God’s purpose in the line of David would not be defeated. Zerubbabel will be a “signet,” but the line of Jeconiah would be a signet plucked from the hand of God (see Jeremiah 22:24-30; Matthew 1:11).

This last message reveals the persistent purpose of God in bringing the Lord Jesus Christ to the throne of David.

How Many?

"Joe, the last article you posted (the one about baptism) seemed to focus on numbers. Numbers aren't that important. Some preachers use numbers like notches in a gun grip. Others think that numbers indicate some level of success. God just doesn't care that much about numbers."

Oh? Really?

I guess you don't read the Bible that much, do you?

It turns out that God wrote a book called Numbers. Some say it was His cure for insomnia, but they are very wrong.

The book of Numbers is thrilling if, and only if, you are smart enough to "connect its dots."

In chapter 2 God lists how many tribes there were, how many people were in each tribe and how the tents of Israel were laid out. So, why do we need to know that?

Well, connect the dots.

When Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 22-24), Balaam tried several times, but could not. Why not? Because Israel's tents were laid out in such a way that in his last attempt to curse them he saw a cross!

Balaam declared, "How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel," and "I see him, but not now. I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the forehead of Moab (who represented sin). That's speaking of Christ.

That's not the only example of God's attitude toward numbers.

Throughout the Old Testament God gave us statistics about everybody and everything. That we usually skip over those and almost never preach them shows how shallow our understanding can be.

Of course, by the time of the New Testament, God no longer cared about numbers, right?

Wrong.

God makes certain we know how many disciples there were. He makes sure we know how far Jesus and His disciples walked on several occasions. He numbers those in Jesus' audience when he fed them with fish and bread. He even quantified how many people were saved at Pentecost.

God also tells us that He keeps a record of those who have come to Christ. The record book is called "The Lambs Book of Life." You can be sure that His record keeping is exemplary. There are no mistakes.

God cares about numbers. God wants us to care about numbers. He said so and He showed us so. Who are we to argue with God?

How many people will your church baptize this year? How do you know? What plans have you made to reach them?

God cares.

Why So Few?

How long has it been since your church baptized someone who has repented of sin and placed their trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

Really? That long?

Why is that?

Is it because your church members have not been going into the world and making disciples of all creatures? Have you even trained them to do so? (You DO know the difference between teaching/telling and training, don't you?)

Have you been telling them to invite people to church as though that would solve the problem?

So, what if they come?

Will they hear of the Bible's proclamation of their need to repent?

Will they hear that the Bible says they must die to self and believe that Jesus is Lord and realize that God has raised Him from the dead?

Has the "call" to follow Christ been just tacked on to some message that had nothing to do with their deepest need?

When you issue an "invitation" to come to Christ, do you explain what that means and how it is done?

Are you affording the Holy Spirit the freedom to move in your congregation and touch hearts, bringing people to a saving knowledge of Christ?

Are you saving up gospel messages for some special time of year?

Are you trying to make the gospel message "relevant" to people's lives.

I have news for you: The gospel message is as relevant today as it ever has been, quite apart from whatever trappings of music, drama, or audio/visuals are used.

I mean...why are there so few baptisms in your church?

How long do you want it to be before the next one?

A Test for Preachers and Bible Study Leaders

As you might know, New Testament characters used the Old Testament to prove Jesus was who He said He was. One prime example is Philip leading the Ethiopian to Christ in chapter 8 of Acts.

As a preacher or teacher of the Word, are you able to do that? Can you find the gospel of Christ in the Old Testament? Do you consider it worth the effort?

So many preachers, even those who pretend to be evangelicals, think the Old Testament is the Old Testament and the New Testament is the New Testament and never the twain shall meet. In their minds they are two completely different books. They see the Old Testament as the "Jewish Bible," and the New Testament as the "Christian Bible." They see the Old Testament as presenting a God of anger and vengeance and the New Testament as presenting a God of love.

If that were the case, then Philip would not have been able to lead the Ethiopian to Christ. If that were the case, Paul would never have written Romans or Galatians and certainly not Hebrews.

(Yes, yes. I know. Many "scholars" don't think Hebrews was written by Paul. This is America, and they have the right to be wrong. The writer of Hebrews was a Jew, a "Hebrew of Hebrews." He was a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, knew the Jewish mind set and was present at Stephen's stoning. The writer had been a persecutor of Christians, had been to Rome and knew Timothy. The writer was Paul.)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Now for the test. As a preacher or Bible study leader, how do you find the gospel in the following Old Testament accounts?

The creation.
The life of Abraham
The flood of Noah
The priestly garments of Exodus
The laws of Leviticus
The life of Moses
The freeing of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt
The crossing of the Red Sea
The manna in the desert
The attempted curse and subsequent blessing from Balam
The Song of Moses
The crossing of the Jordan
The falling of the walls of Jericho
The story of Ruth
The account of David and Goliath
The building of the temple
The history in Chronicles
The rebuilding of the temple
The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem
The preservation of the Jews in Esther
The trials of Job and his false friends
The Psalms
The Prophets

Here's the thing: Whether you preach from the Old Testament or the New Testament, if you are not preaching the gospel, you are not preaching the Word.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:16, "Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel."